Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declaration Expires Today

Today, May 11, 2023 marks the end of the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) declaration. It's been a long road. Most tools to fight COVID, like vaccines, treatments, and testing, will remain available to the public.  Walk-ins...

RCHD Encourages Vaccinations as 2022 Flu/COVID Season Begins

(RILEY COUNTY, KS - November 9, 2022) The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) recorded 48 new COVID-19 cases for Riley County for the week of October 29 - November 4. The Incidence Rate is 64.7, placing Riley County in the SUBSTANTIAL incid...

New, Bivalent Vaccine Boosters Now Available

The new, bivalent doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are now available at the Riley County Health Department Clinic. The new booster doses are designed to promote immune responses to the original COVID-19 strains as well as the recent BA.4 and BA.5 ...

COVID-19 Vaccinations for Young Children Begin June 30

(RILEY COUNTY, KS - June 28, 2022) COVID-19 vaccine administration for young children will begin Thursday, June 30 at the Riley County Health Department Clinic, located at 2030 Tecumseh Road. All children older than 6 months of age are eligible for vaccin...

11-24-21 Update: 54 new positive COVID cases in Riley County

(RILEY COUNTY, KS – November 24, 2021) Riley County has identified 54 new positive Coronavirus cases and 98 additional recoveries since the last report on November 18, 2021. 

In Riley County, since December, there have been a total of 26...

11-18-21 Update: Two deaths and 116 new positive COVID cases in Riley County

(RILEY COUNTY, KS – November 18, 2021) Two Riley County residents have passed away after testing positive for COVID-19.

• A 63 year old unvaccinated female tested positive on 10/5/21 and died 10/15/21 

• A 46 year old unvaccinated m...

11-10-21 Update: Two deaths and 120 new positive COVID cases in Riley County

(RILEY COUNTY, KS – November 10, 2021) Two Riley County residents have passed away after testing positive for COVID-19. 

• A 61 year old unvaccinated female tested positive on 10/20/21 and died 11/5/21 at Via Christi Hospital. 

• A f...

11-05-21: COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Announced for Children Ages 5-11

(RILEY COUNTY, KS – November 5, 2021) In light of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director signing off on administering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5-11 the Riley County Health Department will be hol...

11-03-21 Update: One death and 41 new positive COVID cases in Riley County

(RILEY COUNTY, KS – November 3, 2021) One Riley County resident has passed away after testing positive for COVID-19. 

A 67 year-old vaccinated woman tested positive on October 18th and passed away on November 2nd at Ascension Via Christi...

Riley County Commission Chairman Tests Positive for COVID-19

(RILEY COUNTY, KS- November 3, 2021) Riley County Commission Chairman John Ford has tested positive for COVID-19. Ford tested positive on November 2nd. The Riley County Health Department is notifying those who are considered close contacts of Commissioner...

10-27-21 Update: 38 new positive COVID cases in Riley County

(RILEY COUNTY, KS – October 27, 2021) Riley County has identified 38 new positive Coronavirus cases and 54 additional recoveries since the last report on October 21, 2021. 

In Riley County, since December, there have been a total of 238 ...

10-21-21 Update: 65 new positive COVID cases in Riley County

(RILEY COUNTY, KS – October 21, 2021) Riley County has identified 65 new positive Coronavirus cases and 68 additional recoveries since the last report on October 14, 2021. 

In Riley County, since December, there have been a total of 234 ...

10-14-21 Update: 74 new positive COVID cases in Riley County

(RILEY COUNTY, KS – October 14, 2021) Riley County has identified 74 new positive Coronavirus cases and 44 additional recoveries since the last report on October 6, 2021. 

In Riley County, since December, there have been a total of 223 p...

10-06-21 Update: One death and 49 new positive COVID cases in Riley County

(RILEY COUNTY, KS – October 06, 2021) One Riley County resident has passed away after testing positive for COVID-19. 

A 79 year-old fully vaccinated man tested positive on September 14th and passed away on September 30th at Via Christi H...

09-29-21: 62 new positive COVID cases in Riley County

(RILEY COUNTY, KS – September 29, 2021) Riley County has identified 62 new positive Coronavirus cases and 139 additional recoveries since the last report on September 22, 2021. 

In Riley County, since December, there have been a total of...

09-23-21 Update: One death and 116 new positive COVID cases in Riley County

(RILEY COUNTY, KS – September 23, 2021) One Riley County resident has passed away after testing positive for COVID-19. 

A 28-year-old unvaccinated male tested positive for COVID-19 on 8/13/2021 and died on 9/14/2021 at St. Luke&rsquo...

Chickenpox Cases

Neighboring counties have reported increased cases of chickenpox, especially for unvaccinated children. Chickenpox vaccines for children and adults are available at the Riley County Health Department. Walk-ins are welcome or you can schedule an appointmen...

2nd Annual Community Baby Shower

(RILEY COUNTY, KANSAS – May 16, 2023) Riley County Health Department is pleased to invite expecting and/or new parents to the second annual Community Baby Shower on June 3, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The event will be held at the Family ...

Fentanyl Awareness Day - Live Broadcast

(RILEY COUNTY, KS – May 5, 2023) Experts from the Riley County Health and Police Departments are hosting a Facebook Live event Tuesday, May 9th from noon to 1:00 p.m. to help educate the public about the dangers of Fentanyl. The broadcast falls ...

Bivalent COVID-19 Doses at RCHD

Riley County Health Department has bivalent COVID-19 vaccines available. We are still administering federally-purchased COVID vaccines, so there is zero out-of-pocket costs for COVID vaccinations at the health department. As those emergency reserves dwind...

Camp Kindergarten helps kids prepare for school success

(Riley County, KS – April 17, 2023) Registration is open for the 8th year of Camp Kindergarten, hosted by Riley County Health Department and USD383. Children who are eligible to start kindergarten this fall can apply to join the camp, which will...

RCHD Hires Community Health Educator for opioid prevention education

(Riley County, KS - January 18, 2023) Asia Sampson recently joined the Riley County Health Department as their new Community Health Educator. She will be responsible for sharing opioid prevention education in the tri-county region, focusing primarily on y...

Monkeypox Information

KDHE and Johnson County Department of Health and Environment identified the first presumptive positive case of Monkeypox in Kansas over the weekend. The risk of Monkeypox spreading through Kansas is LOW.

Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral il...

09-16-21: Riley County mourns the loss of Cheryl Collins, Riley County Historical Museum Director

(RILEY COUNTY, KS – September 16, 2021) Riley County is saddened to learn of the death of longtime employee Cheryl Collins. Collins passed away Wednesday morning after a brief illness.   She had worked for Riley County...

Evergy Repair - Traffic Delays at Barton Rd & Walnut Creek Rd Intersection

Evergy will be working overnight at the intersection of Barton Rd. and Walnut Creek Rd., east of Leonardville, from 8:00 PM on Wednesday May 31, 2023 to 6:00 AM on Thursday, June 1, 2023 to repair their facility on the SE corner. Evergy will have traffic ...

Celebrating Earth Day with Education

In honor of Earth Day, Mike and Justin presented important information about Household Hazardous Waste to a total of 180 6th graders at Amanda Arnold Elementary, Manhattan-Ogden USD 383. They demonstrated two different types of chemical reactions: mixing ...

Early detection of attic fire prevents major damage to Riley County home

(Riley County, KS - May 15, 2023) At 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning May 14, Riley County Fire District #1 was dispatched to 3503 Rocky Ford Circle to a residential fire alarm activated by a smoke detector. Upon arrival, crews found smoke inside the residence an...

Several fires break out in Riley County over the weekend

(Riley County, KS - April 24, 2023) Riley County Fire District #1 (RCFD#1) responded to several out-of-control fires over the weekend. Greener vegetation and recent rains helped make it possible for firefighters to extinguish the blazes quickly and preven...

More than 50 firefighters battle wildfire near Tuttle Creek lakeshore in Northern Riley County

(Riley County, KS - April 19, 2023) At 11:00 AM Tuesday, April 18, Riley County Fire District #1 was dispatched to the area near Indian Hill Road and Halls Ravine Road for reports of wildfire. Strong winds spread embers from a large fire burning on the Po...

Riley County signs disaster declaration for wildfire near Indian Hill Road

(Riley County, KS – April 18, 2023) The Riley County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) have declared a local disaster emergency, activating disaster emergency plans to help fight the wildfire currently burning in the north portion of the coun...

Law enforcement investigates weekend structure fire at Riverchase Mobile Home Park

(Riley County, KS - April 10, 2023) At 4:00 PM Saturday, April 8, Riley County Fire District #1 was dispatched to reports of a structure fire at 4440 Tuttle Creek Blvd. Lot 29. The first arriving unit found a small garden shed fully involved in fire.&...

CANCELED: Volunteer Firefighters Training in Ogden

(Riley County, KS - April 6, 2023) Tonight from 7-9 p.m. Riley County Fire District #1 will be conducting training exercises with volunteer firefighters at three locations in the Ogden area. Exercise staging areas will be in Random Woods, on Wildcat Creek...

Weekend fires threaten several areas of Riley County

(Riley County, KS - April 3, 2023) Riley County Fire District #1 battled three wildfires over the weekend. Thankfully no homes were lost and no injuries have been reported.

The first fire started Friday evening in Southeast Riley County, near Gehrt Road an...

Illegal outdoor burn scorches 60 acres near Manhattan

(Riley County, KS - March 29, 2023) At 1:45 PM Wednesday, March 29, Riley County Fire District #1 was dispatched to an area near High Plains Trail, just southwest of Tuttle Creek Lake dam, for reports of a fire outside. Upon arrival, crews found an illega...

Wildfire near HWY 177 threatens homes in SE Riley County

(Riley County, KS – March 21, 2023) At 1:31 PM Monday, March 20 Riley County Fire District #1 was dispatched to HWY 177 in SE Riley County for reports of a fire in the highway median. Upon arrival, crews found a rapidly expanding grass fire moving to the ...

Two wildfires threaten Riley County during high winds

(Riley County, KS – March 16, 2023) Riley County Fire District #1 was dispatched to two fires during dangerous conditions Wednesday, March 15. 

The first call was dispatched at 12:18 p.m. for reports of heavy black smoke in the Baldwin P...

Out-of-control prescribed burn threatens homes in SE Riley County

(Riley County, KS – March 7, 2023) Last weekend, a permitted outdoor burn in southeast Riley County got out of control, burning over 300 acres of grassland and threatening structures and outbuildings in the area of Deep Creek Road. Concerned residents cal...

New Brush Truck now in service at RCFD#1 Konza Valley Station

Say hello to Brush Truck #115! This (new to us) brush truck is now in service at Station #115 Konza Valley. Brush #115 will respond immediately to brush fires and vehicle fires in the area around HWY 177 and I-70 and aid anywhere in the county as needed. ...

Structure fire in Ogden caused by heat lamp in chicken coop

(RILEY COUNTY, KS - October 18, 2022) At noon Tuesday, October 18, Firefighters from Riley County Fire District #1 (RCFD#1) and Manhattan Fire Department (MFD) were dispatched to reports of a structure fire located at 203 William Drive in Ogden.  ...

Keats barn total loss after early morning fire

(RILEY COUNTY, KS - October 5, 2022) Riley County Fire District #1 was dispatched to reports of a structure fire at 2748 W. 60th Avenue in the Keats area at 5:45 a.m. this morning. When crews arrived, they found a detached barn fully involved with fire. A...

9/28/2022 Tractor Fire in No. Riley County

(RILEY COUNTY, KS - September 27, 2022) At 1:30 p.m. September 27, Riley County Fire District #1 was dispatched to reports of a vehicle fire located near Fairview Church Road and Walnut Creek Road near Leonardville in northern Riley County. Upon arrival, ...

9/8/2022 RCFD#1 Extinguishes Brush Fire at Windy Hill Road Near Randolph

At noon on September 8, Riley County Fire District #1 were dispatched to a brush fire in the 9600 block of Windy Hill Road. A total of approximately 10 volunteer firefighters responded on 5 apparatus and were able to contain the fire. However, windy condi...

4/11/2022 Carlson Road Fire Update

4/11/2022 CARLSON ROAD FIRE UPDATE

The Carlson Road fire is now completely contained. Our crews continued to monitor the burned area over the weekend, checking for hotspots, and we are grateful to be able to consider this fire 100% contained as of Monday m...

Groundbreaking Ceremony for North County EMS Station May 8th

(Riley County, KS – May 2, 2023) Members of the media, the public, and elected officials are invited to a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction for the new Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Station in Leonardville. The ce...

Brett Clark - May's Employee of the Month

Intensive Supervision Officer Brett Clark is May’s Employee of the Month. He has worked for Riley County Community Corrections since 2001, when he started as an intern during his study of Criminology at Kansas State University. 

As an Intensive Su...

Dr. Jacob Clarke, MD - April Employee of the Month!

Dr. Jacob Clarke, MD has made a big impact at the public health clinic during the brief time he’s worked at Riley County. He was hired in May 2022, and he received three nominations for Employee of the Month in April 2023. His team uses phrases ...

Riley County Planning Board/Board of Zoning Appeals recommends denial of request to build substation

(Riley County, KS – April 12, 2023) More than 90 people attended Monday’s Riley County Planning Board/Board of Zoning Appeals (PB/BZA) meeting to share their input about a proposed electrical substation to be built in the Ashland Township near Konza Prair...

Two out-of-control fires burn thousands of acres in Riley County

(Riley County, KS - April 10, 2023) Two major fires burned more than 3,500 acres last week. Both were prescribed burns that got out of control. Thankfully, no structures were lost and no injuries have been reported.

On Thursday, April 6, Riley County Fire ...

Gloria Loberg - March Employee of the Month

Gloria was hired in May of 2022. She works as a Custodian in the Public Works Department and makes sure people get a good impression of the county anytime they enter our facility. She loves working here because she says everyone is so friendly and kind. H...

Some Planning & Development Fees Set to Increase

(Riley County, KS – March 17, 2023) Starting this month, some fees associated with environmental health permits, land use permits, and licensing processes will increase to help offset county costs. However, Riley County will continue to cover th...

Riley County Property Valuations Arriving in the Mail Soon

(RILEY COUNTY, KS – February 27, 2023) The Riley County Appraiser’s Office mailed the 2023 Change of Value Notices (CVNs) for each of the approximately 25,000 real estate parcels in the county on Friday, February 24th. The CVNs reflect...

Public meeting in Keats to discuss updates to sanitary sewer system

(Riley County, KS – February 24, 2023) Property owners in and around Keats are being notified by mail of an upcoming public meeting to discuss the Keats Sewer Benefit District. The meeting will be held at 7:00 PM on Thursday, March 9th at the Ke...

21st Judicial Drug Court Holds First Graduation Ceremony

(RILEY COUNTY, KANSAS – February 21, 2023) As the 21st Judicial District Drug Court quickly approaches their one-year anniversary, they are hosting their first participant graduation February 22, 2023. To date, eighteen participants have received the bene...

Riley County Commission Meetings to be held at the small cities

Once a quarter in 2023, the Riley County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) will hold a regular meeting in one of the smaller cities. Meetings are open to the public and will be held in the evenings, starting at 6:00 p.m., to allow more people to attend...

February Employee of the Month: Vivienne Leyva

Vivienne Leyva is February’s Employee of the Month. She has been with the county for one year and is only the second person to fill the Public Information Officer role for the organization. 

“This has been a great place to work...

Volunteer for the Medical Reserve Corps

FILL OUT A VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

(Riley County, KS – February 7, 2023) In 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded $75,000 in grant funding to the Riley County Health Department to re-establish a local Medical Reserve Corps ...

Congratulations to Joetta Glessner!

We are proud to introduce Joetta Glessner, who has worked in the Riley County Appraiser’s office for a total of 17 years. Joetta currently serves as an Appraiser III and is responsible for training new staff, reviewing sales, data collecting new...

Legal Time Trend Publication

Published February 2, 2023

Results of the Market Analysis for Riley County, Kansas for the assessment year 2023 pursuant to K.S.A. 79-1460, 79-1460a.

A study of the residential real estate market indicates an overall inflationary trend of approximately 13.3...

January Employee of the Month: Derick Schroller

2023’s first Employee of the Month is one of the kindest IT Technicians you’ll ever meet. Like many of the employees here, Derick Schroller began his career with Riley County in the Treasurer’s Office. He started eight years ...

Making Good Use of Discarded Materials at Household Hazardous Waste

Riley County’s Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Department serves a total of 11 counties as part of the Big Lakes Region, and they processed 628,000 pounds of hazardous material in 2022. That’s the fourth highest amount in the state, ri...

Change in Valuation Notices - Mailing in February

The Riley County Appraiser’s Office has completed analysis for 2023 property valuation. The annual Change of Value Notices (CVNs) should be completed and mailed to property owners by the end of February. The CVNs reflect changes in property valu...

2023 Swearing-In Ceremony

At this morning’s Riley County Board of County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner John Ford, Judge John Bosch, and Judge Grant Bannister were sworn in for their new terms of office. They were re-elected in the 2022 General Election. 

Th...

2022 Sanitarian of the Year: Perry Piper

Perry Piper has spent the past 22 years working in the field of Environmental Health; but it still surprised him to receive the Sanitarian of the Year Award from the Kansas Environmental Health Association (KEHA) this fall.

“I wasn’t ex...

November Proclaimed Native American Heritage Month

We are proud to announce the Riley County Board of County Commissioners proclaimed November 2022 Native American Heritage Month. Riley County EMS staff members Nathan Dixon and Abby Linderman received the proclamation, which stated:

WHEREAS, Native America...

Election Night Results

Find Election Night Results at https://www.rileycountyks.gov/1983/2022-Election-Results

Operation Green Light Display in Downtown MHK Signals Support of Veterans and Families

Starting Sunday, November 6th, green lights will be installed and displayed along Poyntz Avenue in Downtown Manhattan to show support for military veterans and their families. The Operation Green Light display will last one week and is part of a national ...

New Notification System Helps Combat Property Fraud

(RILEY COUNTY, KS – August 22, 2022) The Riley County Register of Deeds Office recently subscribed to a notification service called Property Fraud Alert as a proactive step to protect people from mortgage and property fraud. People and businesses can now ...

Public Works Buildings and Equipment Damaged in June 11 Storm

(RILEY COUNTY, KS - June 14, 2022) Several buildings at the Riley County Public Works Department sustained heavy damage during Saturday’s storm. The Public Works complex, located north of Manhattan at 6215 Tuttle Creek Boulevard, houses the Hous...

Storm Damage Estimated at $9.47 Million

The preliminary storm damage assessment for Riley County is estimated at $9.74 million. A team from the Riley County Appraiser’s Office and Manhattan Fire Department’s Risk Reduction Division performed assessments of 41 residential and business properties...

Severe Storms Cause Damage in Riley County

(RILEY COUNTY, KS - June 12, 2022) Teams from the Riley County Appraiser’s Office and Manhattan Fire Department’s Risk Reduction Division are visiting neighborhoods today to perform damage assessments after last night’s storms. Downed power lines and larg...

Danielle Kitt: June Employee of the Month

June’s Employee of the Month comes from a family dedicated to public service. Danielle Kitt, Medical Clerk at the Riley County Health Department Clinic, trained as an EMT and worked as an emergency dispatcher, her father was a paramedic and is c...

Board of County Commission Meetings

The Board of County Commissioners will not be in session on the following dates:

• Monday, May 29, 2023 (Memorial Day)
• Thursday, April 27, 2023 (KCCA 47th Annual Conference)
• Monday, June 19, 2023 (Juneteenth Day)
• Monday, September 4, 2023 (Labor Day)
• Thursday, N...

North Central Regional Planning Commission

Resources that may be able to assist low-income households in need of services.

The U.S. Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program reduces energy costs for low-income households by increasing the energy efficiency of their homes, while ensurin...

Road Construction & Closures

Information about current Riley County Road Construction Projects...