Multiple agencies responded to a grass fire Tuesday near the Konza Prairie research area that burned more than 1,300 acres.

The Geary County Rural Fire Department said dispatchers received numerous calls before noon Tuesday regarding spot fires east of Junction City in the area of mile post 313. As crews arrived, they encountered several large smoke columns and found three separate fires spreading to the north. Fire suppression and controlled backburning was used to bring each fire under control.

Firefighters from Geary County, Grandview Plaza and Riley County split efforts to contain the blazes, with assistance from Konza Prairie and Fort Riley Fire and regional task forces. State and local agencies, including the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, Kansas Forest Service and the State Fire Marshal’s Office, were also on scene.

The fires are believed to have been sparked by a dragging chain from a passing vehicle.

The post Konza Prairie-area fire burns over 1,300 acres near I-70 appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

One person was injured Friday afternoon following a two-vehicle crash in Geary County, according to authorities.

Deputies responded at approximately 3:05 p.m. April 10th, 2026, to the 3700 block of Liberty Hall Road for a reported injury accident. Upon arrival, deputies determined the crash had occurred in the 2200 block of Liberty Hall Road.

According to the report, Anthony Jones of Junction City was traveling westbound in a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer when he struck a 2015 Dodge Durango driven by Roger Hammond of Junction City.

Jones was transported to Stormont Vail Hospital for medical treatment. Hammond was not reported injured.

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One person was injured Friday morning following a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 70 near Topeka, according to authorities.

Deputies responded at approximately 10:33 a.m. April 3rd, 2026, to eastbound I-70 near mile marker 304 for a reported injury accident. According to the report, Vicke L. Leece of Topeka was traveling westbound in a red 2025 Nissan Sentra when she lost control of the vehicle, crossed the median and struck a yellow 2023 Peterbilt semi driven by Erik T. Smith of Ashland, Kentucky.

Leece was transported by EMS to Stormont Vail Hospital for medical treatment. Smith reported no injuries.

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Authorities are investigating after a body was found over the weekend in the Republican River.

The Geary County Sheriff’s Office says deputies responded to an area west of North Washington Street just after 6 p.m. Sunday and located the body of 40-year-old Ashley R. Hatcher. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say there are no signs of foul play. An official cause of death is pending autopsy results.

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A pedestrian was struck after getting out of his car early Sunday morning on Interstate 70 in Geary County.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, a Nissan Altima was parked on the right shoulder of the interstate just east of Milford Lake Road. Authorities said 20-year-old Austin McIntosh, of Topeka, exited his vehicle and was struck by a westbound semi as he was walking across the right hand lane.

McIntosh was transported to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.

The semi driver, a New Mexico man, was not injured.

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Multiple people were injured Friday morning following a three-vehicle crash near the Interstate 70 interchange in Geary County, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.

The crash was reported at approximately 10:55 a.m. March 20 on K-177 near mile marker 96.4 at the I-70 junction.

According to the crash report, a 2023 Ram 1500 traveling westbound on the I-70 off-ramp stopped at a stop sign before proceeding into the intersection and crossing in front of a 2000 Freightliner semi. The semi struck the Ram on the driver’s side, pushing it into a third vehicle — a 2018 Ram 2500 — that was legally parked on the shoulder.

The impact caused the semi to jackknife and continue into the southbound lanes of K-177, striking the parked vehicle again and coming to rest blocking both lanes. The Ram 1500 came to rest in a ditch.

The driver of the Ram, 64-year-old Flores Armando Montano of Thornton, Colorado, and two passengers, ages 43 and 51, were transported to Ascension Via Christi Hospital with suspected serious injuries.

The driver of the semi, 66-year-old Steven Hanson of Leonardville, sustained suspected minor injuries. The driver of the parked Ram 2500, 42-year-old Sergio Iglesias of Lehigh Acres, Florida, was not inside the vehicle at the time and was not injured.

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Motorists heading onto Interstate 70 from Kansas Highway 177 are advised there will be some temporary disruptions at the interchange both Thursday and Friday.

The Kansas Department of Transportation says the K-177 on-ramp to westbound I-70 will be closed and the westbound I-70 off-ramp to K-177 will be reduced between noon and 4 p.m. Thursday. All traffic will be sent to a stop sign.

Alternating lane closures will occur on all lanes of K-177 north of the interstate during the daytime hours on Thursday and Friday.

Officials say all work is subject to change, weather permitting, however the weather is expected to be favorable for construction both days.

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Authorities responded Thursday evening to a multi-vehicle crash on the K-18 Bypass near Junction City.

Deputies were dispatched at approximately 8:29 p.m. March 12th to mile marker 177 on the bypass for a reported accident involving three vehicles. According to the report, Trisha Kiser, of Delphos, was traveling eastbound in a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox when she struck a 2022 Buick Encore driven by Jenee Martin of Manhattan.

The impact caused Martin’s vehicle to collide with a 2014 Ford F-150 driven by Rodney Young of Junction City. Martin and Young were stopped in traffic waiting for a vehicle to turn left onto I-70 when the crash occurred.

Minor injuries were reported. Kiser and a juvenile passenger were transported to Stormont Vail in Junction City for medical treatment.

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A single-vehicle accident in Geary County Sunday sent a Fort Riley woman to the hospital.

According to the Geary County Sheriff’s department, depuites responded to a report of an accident in the 75 hundred block of Old Highway 77 at 4:45 Sunday afternoon. According to reports, Katrena Bowers of Fort Riley was eastbound in her 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee when the vehicle ran off the road way to the north due to icy road conditions and rolled onto it’s side.

Bowers was transported to Irwin Hospital for evaluation with undisclosed injuries.

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Geary County rural fire crews responded to three separate fire calls Tuesday afternoon, all happening within the span of about an hour.

In a post on its Facebook page, the department said crews responded to a call at around 2:40 p.m. after welding on a fence sparked a large grass fire along Old Highway 13. Strong winds pushed the fire eastward, igniting more than 150 large hay bales, according to officials. Firefighters received mutual aid from Alta Vista Rural Fire and Riley County Fire District No. 1. Their efforts helped spare an additional 150 to 200 hay bales from the flames.

About an hour later, crews responded to a rekindle of a fire from last week near Old Highway 77 and Range Road. As units were clearing both scenes, firefighters were then initially called out to a possible vehicle fire on Interstate 70, west of Junction City, but were called off when law enforcement arrived first and confirmed there was no fire.

Fire officials are reminding the public to check all previous burns and have water close by if they rekindle.

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