In the News

The Manahattan Mercury
By Dylan Lysen

A Manhattan High School senior received an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.

Eldon Davis-Picou, a graduating senior at MHS, was honored Monday at the MHS awards ceremony, where students receive post-secondary scholarships and honors. Capt. Jamie Pecha, a 2009 West Point graduate stationed at Fort Riley, presented the appointment to Davis-Picou at the event.

During the Manhattan-Ogden school board meeting Wednesday, Eric Reid, assistant superintendent, said more than 14,000 people apply to the academy, with 4,500 people receiving interviews and then only 1,200 cadets enter the academy as freshmen. To be accepted into West Point, cadets must be nominated, usually by members of Congress, and they must meet the school’s academic, physical and medical qualifications.

Republican Sen. Jerry Moran of Manhattan nominated Davis-Picou for the appointment.

“(Pecha) gave him some fair warning, saying he will have to earn every penny of that,” Reid said. “I’m so excited for Eldon and his family and what he has going forward.”

Bev Fink, MHS’s gifted student facilitator, said Davis-Picou is also interested in joining the academy’s wrestling team. He took third in Class 6A at the state tournament in February.

In other business, the board approved replacing 150 desktops in computer labs, 21 desktops for the career and technical education department and eight for the digital learning lab at Manhattan High School. The board approved a $106,000 base bid from Ace Computers of Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

The board approved spending $26,000 to replace carpet in Amanda Arnold Elementary. The new carpet will replace carpet that was destroyed when the school flooded in June 2016.

Click here to read more.