Manhattan residents have until Tuesday to vote on snow plow names

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Manhattan residents have until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, to vote on names for the city's snow plows, the city announced in its weekly newsletter Friday.

Local schools submitted snow plow name ideas, and residents can now vote for their favorites online. Voters can select up to eight names for the Public Works Department, three for Parks and Recreation, two for the Fire Department and one for the Manhattan Regional Airport. The winning names will be revealed Nov. 7.

In other city news, Manhattan's Public Utilities Department received three awards for wastewater treatment excellence from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. The department earned the Peak Performance Platinum Award for achieving 100% compliance with permit violations over a seven-year period from 2018-2024.

The city's ice rink will open Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. with a "Spooky Skate" event. Tickets for Santa's Luminary Trail at Sunset Zoo are now available for events Nov. 29-30.

Registration is open for the Manhattan Parks and Recreation Department's youth basketball league for students in first through eighth grade. Early bird registration closes Tuesday, Oct. 29.

Sunset Zoo will begin winter hours Nov. 1, operating from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

The newsletter also announced several upcoming events, including National Bison Day activities Nov. 1 at the Flint Hills Discovery Center, a Trashpocalypse community cleanup Oct. 25 at Anneberg Park, and the Kansas Holiday Market and Food Truck Festival Nov. 29.