Children + Pets
ANIMAL CHIROPRACTOR, DR. JENNIFER AKERS, HEALS BY LISTENING WITH HER HANDS
We’ve Done it Again, Thank You for Voting Us #1!
For several years, you’ve given us the incredible honor of being voted First Place in the Flint Hills Finest Awards. As a locally owned business, there is no greater compliment than earning your trust and being welcomed into your homes and businesses.
As proud residents and business owners in this wonderful community, we take that responsibility seriously. Every day, we’re committed to providing beautiful flooring and kitchen and bath solutions with honesty, integrity, and exceptional service.
Year after year, your support reinforces our dedication to quality and customer care. Since 1998, we’ve been helping homeowners and businesses bring their visions to life. From the initial idea to professional installation, our team is here to guide you through every step of the renovation process and make it as seamless as possible.
Whether you’re looking for carpet, hardwood, luxury vinyl plank, luxury vinyl tile, laminate, backsplash or in-stock product, you can count on our knowledgeable team to provide dependable advice, expert craftsmanship, and personalized service.
We are truly grateful for your continued support and confidence in us. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your homes, your projects, and your community. We look forward to serving the Manhattan area for many years to come.
Sincerely, your Carpet One Family
Linda, Kierstin, Erin, Caitlin, Vaylnn, Greg, Steve, Josh, Kam, Haeden, Brennen, Luke, Rodney, Jake, Colton and Noah
A Cat Named Dolly
I am proud to be a cat dad. More specifically, I am proud to be Dolly’s cat dad.
I found this little brown tabby-and-white domestic shorthair cat on St. Patrick’s Day in 2014 when I was working at Schram Dodge in west Manhattan. That was the day I became a recipient of the “Universal Cat Distribution System.”
Most people know March 17th as St. Patrick’s Day, but it is also the feast day of St. Gertrude of Nivelles, known by many cat lovers as the patron saint of cats. It’s amazing this little cat had crossed my path on a day already associated with luck, as she was an unexpected blessing.
For a dozen years, she has been there through every chapter. Every move. Every long work day. Every quiet morning. Every late night. She has watched life change around me while remaining, in her own very Dolly way, completely herself.
And by completely herself, I mean loud.
Dolly does not gently request breakfast. She announces it. She does not casually remind me about dinner. She yells about it. Literally! She will have a legitimate, fullblown conversation with you. She makes her needs known with the confidence of someone who believes the entire household should operate on her schedule. And most of the time, it does.
She loves both my lap and the great outdoors. Somewhere along the way, I had to add an Apple AirTag to her collar because Dolly does what she wants. Thankfully, since she has always lived with a dog, I can simply call for her like one — and she almost always comes running.
That is the thing about pets. We bring them into our lives thinking we are the ones giving them a home. Then, little by little, they become part of what home means.
Dolly has lived with me in every place I have called home in Manhattan. Her food bowl has sat in different kitchens. Her favorite spots have changed from room to room. But her presence has always been the same: familiar, comforting, demanding, funny and deeply loved.
This issue is about pets and children, but more than that, it is about family. The kind we are born into, the kind we build, and the kind that sometimes shows up unexpectedly on St. Patrick’s Day and just doesn’t leave!
I thank God for her!
Enjoy the Sunday of summer! Happy August!
Warm Regards,
August 2026
PUBLISHER
Tyler Jackson | tyler.jackson@citylifestyle.com
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Heather Hoffman | heather.hoffman@citylifestyle.com
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Tim Sigle | siglephoto@gmail.com
MARKET SUPPORT ASSISTANT
Cooper Deters | cdet112@gmail.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Kenny Whitis
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
President Matthew Perry
COO David Stetler
CRO Jamie Pentz
CoS Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Andrew Sapad
LAYOUT DESIGNER Adam Finley
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Hannah Leimkuhler
TYLER JACKSON, PUBLISHER @MANHATTANCITYLIFESTYLE
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city scene
WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN
1: Vigilance, the new bison statue outside of the Flint Hills Discovery Center 2: The annual Par 3 Challenge at Manhattan Country Club’s Member Guest Tournament 3: Chase, the good boy! 4: Little Apple Splash’s Stradale, a World Champion Dock Dogs canine 5: The 2026 Little Apple Splash 6: Dolly The Cat 7: Buckaroo Ray Roberts, the official mascot of Aggieville’s Campus Barbershop
business monthly
Rock The Plains, August 7 - 8
Rock The Plains 2026 brings a big country music weekend to the heart of the Flint Hills on August 7–8 in Alma, just minutes from Manhattan. With a lineup featuring Travis Tritt, Ian Munsick, Flatland Cavalry, Mark Chesnutt, Dylan Marlowe, Josh Meloy and more, the festival blends legendary voices with rising stars. Set under wide-open Kansas skies, it promises two days of live music, summer energy, and an unforgettable experience for country music fans. rocktheplains.com
Little Apple Veterinary Hospital is now TimberCreek West
TimberCreek Veterinary Hospital has expanded its footprint in Manhattan with the opening of TimberCreek West, formerly Little Apple Veterinary Hospital. The transition continues a 27-year legacy of trusted pet care on the west side of Manhattan. Founded by Dr. Paige Andersen and Dr. Kelly Lechtenberg, TimberCreek brings K-State veterinary roots, AAHA accreditation, and a shared commitment to compassionate, high-quality care for pets throughout the Manhattan community. 909 S. Seth Child Rd.
Crush The Current at City Park Pool - August 8
Think you have what it takes to Crush the Current? On August 8, City Park Waterpark’s lazy river becomes anything but lazy. From 9:00 a.m. to noon, participants can run or walk upstream against the current in a one- or two-mile challenge. Every step supports the Manhattan Parks and Recreation Foundation and helps fund scholarships through the Manhattan Parks and Recreation Scholarship Program. Sign up at manhattanks.gov/3243/Parks-Recreation
TREY & KATIE KENNEDY
ON MARRIAGE, KIDS, AND THE COMEDY OF REAL LIFE
Trey Kennedy makes a living finding comedy in regular life. Marriage. Toddlers. Yoga pants. The Thursday-night scramble between school dropoffs, soccer practice, and whatever has to be done by morning. Twelve years in, it shows: millions of followers across every platform, three stand-up specials, a sold-out Relatable Tour, and a style of humor fans send each other captioned, “Are you watching me?” He delivers the kind of comedy that travels because everyone’s living some version of it.
Katie, his wife of six years, is a former biomedical engineer who also built a modeling career. She’s now raising their kids and co-hosting Correct Opinions alongside Trey — the show where the two of them swap takes on marriage, parenting, and whatever came up that week.
Trey has been at this longer than people realize. An Edmond, Oklahoma kid who grew up playing basketball described himself as a “shy kid who never thought he’d be an entertainer.” He started making videos while attending Oklahoma State University. After building millions of followers on Vine before the platform shut down, he gave himself six months on Instagram and Facebook to see whether he could rebuild from zero. He did. Stand-up soon followed. His first special, Are You For Real?, streams on YouTube; the second, Grow Up, on Amazon Prime; the third, built around the Relatable Tour, wrapped earlier this year. “I’ve been trying to be funny every week for like twelve years now,” he says. A slow climb, made one bit at a time.
ARTICLE BY KALI KASPRZYK PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES
“I’ve been trying to be funny every week for like twelve years now.”
Most of what Trey writes lately starts in his own kitchen. Thomas is three and a half, and he is, in his father’s words, “a movie.” He narrates his own life from the moment his eyes open and mispronounces words in ways his parents now repeat to each other because no one else would believe them. His younger sister, Eva, is what Katie calls “the calm one.” With a third now in the mix, the Kennedys are officially outnumbered.
After six years of marriage, Trey and Katie have learned that the partnership runs best when it gets its own time on the calendar. So once a week, they leave the kids with a sitter and go out for coffee. “You need a system,” Katie says. “It’s about taking time to look each other in the eye. Not the kids. Not the cameras. Just each other.”
The same instinct shapes the work. Most of Trey’s trial and error happens onstage or on Instagram, but the first read is always Katie’s. “There’s only been one time ever I’ve had to be like, ‘you’re not doing that,’” she says. The rest of the time, she just laughs first.
FEATURING TREY & KATIE KENNEDY
Trey and Katie talk about marriage, parenting, and the moments that don’t make the Instagram feed.
Watch or listen to the full conversation wherever you get your podcasts.
HAIR & MAKEUP BY MIKAYLA CRANE
Dr. Hamler
Dr. Priddle
Dr. Zabel
Girls on the Run uses movement and mentorship to help girls develop strength, confidence, and their own voice.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SIGLE PHOTOGRAPHY & PROVIDED
Every Mile A Memory
ARTICLE BY KENNY WHITIS
On race day, the energy is unmistakable. Girls arrive in bright shirts and laced-up shoes, their hair bouncing as nerves and excitement mix in equal measure. Families gather near the course. Coaches cheer. Music fills the air. By the time the Girls on the Run 5K begins, it feels less like a race and more like a celebration.
That is exactly the point.
For Girls on the Run Flint Hills, running has always been the vehicle, but confidence is the destination. The organization serves girls across the region through an after-school program that combines movement, mentorship, and social-emotional learning. At this age, when many girls begin to lose confidence, the greatest victory often comes long before they cross the finish line.
At Girls On The Run, each participant discovers that her voice, body, ideas and place in the world matters. For Executive Director Candice McIntosh, that mission is personal.
Originally from Denver and raised as a “military brat,” Candice understands what it feels like to arrive somewhere new and need a place to belong. In a community like Manhattan, where families often move in and out through military, university, and professional life. She wanted girls to have a space where they were embraced immediately, without feeling pressure to fit into what she calls the “girl box.”
Girls on the Run Flint Hills began in 2014 at Marlatt Elementary, launched by a small group of women who believed the community needed something intentional for girls. In those early days, the effort was deeply volunteer-driven. Meetings were informal. The first group included roughly 15 girls, and ended with a casual run around City Park.
Candice came aboard in 2016 after being approached by women who knew her nonprofit background, especially in
“The real victory is the girl who crosses it believing in herself and knowing she is unstoppable.”
“Girls on the Run is not just about finishing a 5K. It is about helping girls discover confidence, courage, and strength they can carry into every part of life.”
— Candice McIntosh
youth-focused work. At the time, the organization had little money, little structure and a great deal of potential. She was also being considered for another nonprofit position with a much larger salary. Still, she saw what it could become, so she accepted the role.
Her first priority was structure. That meant strategic planning, budgets, volunteer recruitment, coach training, safety protocols, and background checks. It also meant helping a passionate grassroots effort grow into a sustainable local council.
Girls on the Run is a national organization, but the Flint Hills council is locally governed, locally funded and independently operated. National provides the curriculum, brand resources, and support. The local team makes decisions based on the girls and communities it serves.
That balance has allowed the Flint Hills chapter to grow carefully and intentionally. From its start in Manhattan, the program expanded by word of mouth, and then into Junction City and Fort Riley. Later, the council took on additional counties, including the Topeka area, after Girls on the Run headquarters asked whether the Flint Hills team could support communities that needed help. Today, the organization serves 10 counties.
Melissa Colby, program director, joined the organization in 2019 after years of nonprofit experience herself. She and Candice first bonded during a volleyball trip to Salina, where their daughters were teammates and the two mothers found
themselves talking for hours about youth programming, nonprofit work and community needs. Eventually, Candice told her she wanted to “steal” her away to handle programming.
Today, Melissa works directly with schools, coaches, and teams to make each season happen.
Girls on the Run operates in fall and spring seasons, alongside school semesters. Fall typically begins in September and wraps up in November. Spring begins in February or March and finishes in early May. A school or community site hosts a team, usually led by a site liaison and head coach. Each team must have enough trained coaches to support the girls with a ratio of one adult for every five girls.
Coaches do not have to be runners. In fact, Candice and Melissa are quick to point out that the best coaches are not necessarily the fastest. The strongest teams are led by people who want to empower girls, build confidence, and teach the curriculum as intended.
The program is open to girls in third through fifth grade, or sixth grade depending on the school structure. Middle school girls can participate in Heart & Sole, a similar program designed with lessons and discussions appropriate for sixth through eighth grade.
Practices are held after school, at school, twice a week for 90 minutes. Each season includes eight weeks, and 16 lessons. The curriculum is built around confidence, with themes that
help girls discover their strengths, build friendships, and support others.
A typical practice begins with gathering, snacks, water bottles, and a transition from the school day into Girls on the Run time. Coaches introduce the lesson, lead discussion, guide warm-ups, and then move into running activities tied to the day’s topic. If the lesson is about empathy, for example, the movement activity reinforces that idea. Then, each lesson has a “big workout.”
At the end, girls cool down, stretch, and process what they learned. They also track personal lap goals in journals, watching their own progress over time. The running is intentionally noncompetitive. Girls are taught to focus on themselves, not compare their pace or distance to someone else’s.
The program is also committed to removing financial barriers. Registration includes coaching, snacks, a program shirt, journal, cinch sack, and water bottle. Financial assistance is available, and the organization works with families so cost never prevents a girl from participating. In some cases, support goes beyond registration. Girls may receive running shoes, athletic clothing, sports bras, or hygiene products when needed.
Each season builds toward the 5K, including a practice 5K around lesson 12 that helps girls see how far they have come. By race day, many arrive transformed.
The official 5K, timed by Manhattan Running Company and energized with music from Jim Fronk of Tonight’s Stars Entertainment, is open to the public and known within the organization as the biggest girl-powered party in the Flint Hills. Each girl runs with a running buddy, someone who encourages her step by step and helps ensure her safety.
For many girls, that running buddy becomes part of a larger lesson: building a circle of support.
Through grants, Grow Green Match Day, individual giving and events like Sneaker Soiree, Girls on the Run Flint Hills continues funding scholarships and expanding its reach. The organization is also piloting new opportunities, including Ready, Set, Rise, a confidence and leadership retreat for girls entering sixth grade.
In the end, Girls on the Run is not simply about teaching girls how to run. It is about helping them understand they are capable of more than they realized. The finish line is only part of the story.
The real victory is the girl who crosses it believing in herself and knowing she is unstoppable.
Shayla Olson Marketing Specialist
Sherricole Waggoner Sales Specialist Madison Iman Office Manager
Hands That Listen
Dr. Jennifer Akers helps animals heal through gentle chiropractic care rooted in veterinary training and careful observation.
ARTICLE BY TYLER JACKSON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM SIGLE | SIGLE PHOTOGRAPHY
The veterinarian lowers herself beside the dog with the quiet patience of someone who knows her patient cannot explain what hurts. Her hands move slowly at first, feeling along the spine, shoulders, ribs and legs, searching for movement. When a joint does not move the way it should, she makes a small, precise correction. “And that was the adjustment right there,” she says after one gentle movement. “Very, very gentle.”
For the animal, the moment is quick. For Dr. Jennifer Akers, D.V.M., it is the result of years of veterinary training, careful observation, and a career that has grown into a divine calling.
She still does a small amount of general small animal medicine, working a day and a half each week at Green Valley Veterinary Services in Wamego, but animal chiropractic now makes up the vast majority of her practice. On any given week, her patients may include dogs, cats, horses, show pigs, show lambs, or other animals whose owners have noticed something seems off. Her job begins with listening, though not always in the usual sense.
“They will tell you when something doesn’t feel good if you listen,” she says.
With dogs, that may look like a limp, a cry when lifted, or a sudden reluctance to jump onto the couch. More often, the signs are quieter: a dog laying differently, losing interest in play, or simply not moving with the same ease. Cats, Akers says, are even more subtle. They often do not limp or complain. They simply get quiet.
Horses tell their stories through performance. A barrel horse may struggle turning one direction. A rope horse may brace or hesitate when the rope comes tight. A saddle fit issue may leave evidence across the back and create problems that show up in movement long before they become obvious lameness.
Animal chiropractic care, Dr. Akers explains, centers on finding restrictions in the spine and joints. In chiropractic terms, she is looking for vertebral subluxation complexes, or areas where the vertebrae are not moving appropriately. Those restrictions can affect normal neurological communication, blood flow, lymphatic drainage, local tissue comfort, and even discomfort referred into the limbs.
Her approach is specific and controlled. She motions the joints, determines what is not moving, and adjusts only what needs help. The technique is not the same as the forceful “pop” many people associate with human chiropractic care. Animal adjustments are often described as high-velocity, low-amplitude, and low-force, applied to a specific contact point.
Akers grew up in southwest Iowa, near Anita, and attended Iowa State University. There, she pursued a mixed animal veterinary education, expecting to work in mixed animal practice. She also had an early interest in what was then often called holistic medicine, but at the time, there were few clear paths for education or implementation.
After marrying Dr. Brian Lubbers, a K-State graduate and board-certified pharmacologist who is currently serving as an interim department head at the university, she moved to the Manhattan area in August 2005. After having her two children, Liv and Brock, the next part of her
“Animals will tell us when something doesn’t feel good, but we have to listen closely, watch how they move, and trust the quiet signs they give us every single day.”
professional path began to open. She first studied acupuncture through the Chi Institute in Florida, then discovered Options for Animals, a veterinary chiropractic school in Wellsville, Kansas. She completed that program and became certified through the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA) in 2016.
Since then, she has built her business gradually and intentionally.
That pace was important. Dr. Akers says she wanted the practice to grow organically, without pushing too much advertising, because she never wanted it to grow faster than her ability to do the work well. The result is a practice rooted in trust, word of mouth, and the kind of care that makes animals happy to see her arrive.
“I love what I do,” she says. “I am so blessed. I get to do what I love and my patients actually look forward to seeing me.”
Her work also includes acupuncture, which uses specific points along meridians to influence biochemical responses and the nervous system. Like chiropractic care, it complements traditional veterinary medicine rather than replacing it. For Dr. Akers, both disciplines fit into a broader view of animal care: look closely, move carefully, and respect what the body is trying to communicate.
Animals do not speak in sentences. They speak through posture, gait, hesitation, expression and trust.
Thankfully for animals in the Manhattan area, Dr. Jen has learned how to listen to them.
To schedule an appointment in the Manhattan area with Dr. Akers, text 785-341-1836
Homemade Dog Food
ARTICLE BY AMY TINNIN
PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
My two pugs are more than pets—they’re part of the family. That’s why I started making their food at home, and it’s been one of the most popular posts on my blog. You may be surprised just how easy this recipe is. I add all the ingredients to my slow-cooker to cook, and my dogs love it. If you decide to try this recipe for your pet, please consult your veterinarian. Every dog has different needs based on age, weight, and any health issues. You can even share this recipe with your vet to see if any changes are needed. The ingredients are flexible and can be easily swapped to substitute the turkey for chicken or beef, and even try different dog-safe vegetables. Making dog food at home isn’t hard—it just takes a little planning, and my dogs love it.
Slow Cooker Homemade Dog Food
INGREDIENTS:
• 3 lbs ground turkey (85% lean)
• 1¼ cups frozen sweet potatoes
• 1½ cups frozen peas and carrots
• 1 cup frozen spinach
• 1½ cups uncooked brown or white rice
• 4 cups water
DIRECTIONS:
1. Add all ingredients to a slow cooker.
2. Break up the ground turkey and mix all the ingredients.
3. Cover and cook on High for 3–4 hours or Low for 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
Note: My dog food was ready in 3½ hours on High. Let cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freeze for later use.
Recipe from Amy Tinnin - A Cup Full of Sass
events
A SELECTION OF UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS
AUGUST 1ST
Just Tri-It Triathlon
City Park, Manhattan | 7:00 AM
The Just Tri It Youth triathlon is a fun and challenging event for kids ages 4 – 16. Young athletes will swim, bike and run in this 3-event race that not only promotes fitness but improves self-confidence as participants cross the finish line on their own. The race will be completely contained within the boundaries of the City Park.
AUGUST 20TH
K-State Soccer vs. Missouri State
Buser Family Park, Manhattan | 5:00 PM
K-State soccer opens its home schedule Thursday, Aug. 20, welcoming Missouri State to Buser Family Park. Fans can expect a spirited matchup as K-State begins its fall campaign on familiar turf under stadium lights.
AUGUST 28TH – 30TH
K-State Volleyball Invitational Tournament
Morgan Family Arena
K-State volleyball officially opens the regular season Aug. 28-30 with the annual K-State Invitational in Manhattan. The Wildcats welcome Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Campbell for a three-match weekend. With early-season energy, the tournament sets the tone for another exciting fall of Wildcat volleyball action right away.
AUGUST 28TH
Parents’
Night
Out: Kids’ Game Night In
Flint Hills Discovery Center | 5:30 PM
Enjoy a Friday night out while kids ages 6 to 12 enjoy dinner, activities, and a gaming competition with trained Flint Hills Discovery Center education staff. Parents can shop, head out on a date, or explore town. Cost is $20 for FHDC members and $25 for non-members, with scholarships available. Pre-register in-person, at 785-587-2726, or online at flinthillsdiscovery.org
AUGUST 29TH
27th Annual Flint Hills Festival of Wines
K-State Alumni Center | 6:00 PM
For more than 25 years, the Flint Hills Festival of Wines has served as the Good Shepherd Foundation’s largest annual fundraiser. The 2026 celebration features a wine dinner and live auction at the K-State Alumni Center, plus an online silent auction. Proceeds support compassionate nonprofit hospice care throughout the community, regardless of ability to pay. Buy tickets at goodshepherdhh.org/ our-events/flint-hills-festival-of-wines/
AUGUST 29TH
2026 Speedy PD Race for Parkinson’s Disease
Tuttle Creek Lake River Pond Area | 8:00 AM
Enjoy one of the region’s most scenic road races while supporting a meaningful cause. Now in its 18th year, the Speedy PD Race for Parkinson’s Disease benefits Meadowlark Parkinson’s Program and features USATF-certified 5K and 10K courses through beautiful Tuttle Creek State Park. The event also includes a Half-Mile Memorial Walk/Run and post-race celebration for participants and supporters.
