TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The latest on a Kansas man charged in an alleged plot to bomb an Army post (all times local):

1:35 p.m.

A 21-year-old man has pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts in connection with a plot to plant a bomb outside an Army post in northeast Kansas.

John T. Booker Jr., of Topeka, changed his pleas to guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court to charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to use an explosive device to damage government property. A plea agreement with prosecutors recommends that he be sentenced to 30 years in prison on the first charge and 20 years on the second charge, to be served at the same time.

As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped a charge of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group.

Booker had initially pleaded not guilty to three felony charges. He could have faced life in prison if convicted of those charges.

He was arrested in April 2015 outside Fort Riley, about 60 miles west of Topeka, trying to arm what he thought was a 1,000-pound bomb in a van.

12:30 p.m.

A Kansas newspaper says it has received a letter from a man charged with seeking to aid the Islamic State group, saying he wants a new attorney to represent him in his federal criminal case.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that it received the letter Wednesday from John T. Booker Jr. He is charged with seeking to aid the Islamic State group by planting a bomb last year at Fort Riley, about 60 miles west of Topeka.

The newspaper said Booker accused defense attorney Kirk Redmond of neglecting him. Also, Booker told the newspaper he sent a letter to U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia last month.

A court hearing for Booker in front of Murguia was delayed Wednesday until the afternoon after the judge announced he’d received a letter from Booker.

Redmond declined to comment leaving court.

11:30 a.m.

A federal court hearing for a man charged with seeking to aid the Islamic State group by planting a bomb at an Army post in northeast Kansas has been delayed after he sent a letter to the presiding judge.

John T. Booker of Topeka appeared Wednesday for what was scheduled to be a hearing to change his not guilty pleas to three charges. The charges included attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.

But Judge Carlos Murguia announced he’d received a letter from Booker. Neither he nor Booker’s attorney gave details. Booker and his lawyer conferred with Murguia, and the attorney asked that the hearing be delayed until afternoon.

Booker was arrested in 2015 outside Fort Riley. He was trying to arm what he thought was a 1,000-pound bomb in a van. Prosecutors allege Booker told an FBI informant he wanted to kill Americans and engage in violent jihad on behalf of the Islamic State group.

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 21-year-old man is due back in federal court over criminal charges alleging that he sought to aid the Islamic State group by planting a bomb at Fort Riley.

The hearing Wednesday for John T. Booker Jr., of Topeka, was scheduled before U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia to allow Booker to change his pleas of not guilty to three charges. They included attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.

Booker was arrested in April 2015 outside Fort Riley. He was trying to arm what he thought was a 1,000-pound bomb in a van.

Prosecutors allege Booker told an FBI informant he wanted to kill Americans and engage in violent jihad on behalf of the Islamic State group.

Sexual Assault victims in the Junction City/Geary County area will no longer have to travel long distances to receive a thorough medical examination.

Geary Community Hospital announced the opening of their new Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and Sexual Assault Response Team program Tuesday. The hospital now has three nurse examiners trained who will be on call 24/7 to assist emergency room staff and other outlets in helping sexual assault survivors by collecting evidence, while keeping them safe.

Tiffany Naccarato, the SANE/SART Program Medical Director explained they will be working closely with local law enforcement.

“We’re going to be trusting one another to move forward as we work with the victims of sexual assault,” says Naccarato. “Moving forward to prosecution, really these victims often present to the police department, or the Sheriff’s Department, depending where the jurisdiction of the incident occurred. We then rely on them to notify us that we have a victim that we can serve. That becomes a reciprocal relationship as we work through possible prosecution, or just assisting a victim as they transition in to being a survivor and what those needs equate to be.”

The program is available to the surrounding area and other jurisdictions.

The program was made possible through substantial funding assistance from the Geary Community Healthcare Foundation and the Junction City Police Department and Geary County Sheriff’s Department.

 

The Lyona United Methodist Church was packed for most of the evening Monday for the 72nd Annual Groundhog Supper put on by the Men of the Lyona United Methodist Church.

Hundreds of pounds of sausage, and gallons upon gallons of homemade ice cream were served along with waffles and pancakes, the traditional supper.

Billy Kind was 10 years old when the supper was first put on back in 1945.

“Cecil Ziegler was the preacher then, and wanted to do something for the church to help finances and stuff, and it’s worked out pretty well. We’ve done real good with it seems like,” said Kind.

The supper also included entertainment by musical groups, Jamin’ With Job Corps, Coach G (aka Greg Spreer), North 40 Bluegrass and Gospel, Cassie Chesterman, Awana Kids, Gabe Barten, Monica Morrison, Freedom 724, and the Chapman Select Ensemble.

UPDATE:

Officials working to flush gas lines and respond to gas odors emanating from the sewer system on the southwest side of Junction City wrapped up their work just after 11 p.m. Sunday.

There were no injuries or property damage reported.

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Fire, emergency management, police and public works crews responded Sunday evening to southwest Junction City in the Strauss Boulevard – Spring Valley Road to reports of a gas odor permeating from the sewer system in several homes including several apartments in the Hickory Hills Addition.

Officials began to receive calls about 7 p.m. Sunday.  There have been no injuries.

Interim Junction City Fire Chief Rick Rook said at 10 p.m. crews were flushing the sewer system at multiple locations. “Also rechecking houses and apartment complexes. At this point we believe the gas, however it got into the system,and that’s undetermined at this time is pretty much in an area bordered by Strauss Boulevard to the south, up to Hickory to the west, Valley Drive to the north, and then over to Spring Valley Road to the east. ”

Rook said they are not sure where the odor is coming from.

“Fort Riley Fire is helping cover the city while we’ve got multiple units on extended operations out here. We’ll be out here until we get the situation under control.

Rook stated there has been no general evacuation of residents. “Just in the affected residences. it seems to be fairly hit and miss on the residences. That could be due to several varying factors including the location if they’re in a low spot on the street where the gas would pool. Could also be due to the fact that they may not have water in their trap systems with their floor drains. But it’s really hit and miss. We’ve probably responded to somewhere around 20 different addresses including apartments, but it hasn’t been a general problem with everybody in that area I’ve described.”

The odor essentially come up through sewer drains in the floor of basements. “It is not emanating from the storm systems at all, just the sewer.”

If you have a strong odor of gasoline in your residence call 911 and crews will be sent out to check it. “Make sure you’ve got water in your traps, in your drains, your floor drains, and ventilate your house as needed.”

 

The visit by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter to Fort Riley scheduled for Thursday has been canceled.

Currently there are no plans to reschedule the visit. He was expected to discuss military reform.

Carter is the 25th Secretary of Defense. He also served as Deputy Secretary of Defense from 2011 to 2013.

UPDATE:

Police now report that the autopsy in this case will be done on Tuesday. The identity of the victim has not been released pending notification of next of kin and completion of the autopsy.

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Junction City police are confirming a white male subject was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound at an 827 West 12th Street, Apartment C  location late Monday night.

Detective Lieutenant Jeff Childs said an autopsy will be performed today.

Authorities were called to the scene at 11:57 p.m. There have been no arrests in the case, and a motive in the shooting is not known at this time.

Police are urging the public to call the JCPD or the Crimestoppers line if you have information on the case.

 

There was a large plume of white smoke just southeast of Junction City on Monday.

Geary County Commissioner Florence Whitebreasd said burning of the substantial tree debris collected after the Thanksgiving weekend ice storm began on Monday. “Dennis Cox, the Public Works Director, said that Garry Berges from the Emergency Management said the wind was going to stay pretty much in a northerly direction. And that means we can burn because the smoke won’t be coming over the interstate.”

Whitebread noted the burning could continue for a couple more days.

 

The 2016 Regional Leaders’ Retreat wrapped up just before 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning in Overland Park, and there was a lot of discussion on a number of topics, leaving local leaders with plenty to move on in the coming year.

This was the first retreat for Junction City’s new Chamber CEO, Dennis Beson. He explained that he’s looking forward to getting started on some of the action plans that were put into place. One area that caught his attention was the information put out about the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility being built in Manhattan.

“We’re maybe even lagging a little bit as a town. We have to step up and we may have to get really aggressive with putting some plans together, as far as locating some people there,” said Beson. “But it’s also exciting, because I think we have tremendous opportunity.”

Workforce development was another key topic during the retreat and that’s one area Beson says he feels Junction City and Geary County is ahead of the game on, as they work to become an ACT Work Ready Certified Community.

“We’ve established a work readiness program that we’re already almost through the first year of training on a two-year training program. And that’s going to put us ahead, as far as, categorizing our workers, determining what kind of workforce we actually have in Junction City, and then knowing what our deficiencies are so we can actually improve on that.”

Junction City / Geary County leaders will begin moving forward with the information and action plans that were developed during the retreat starting Monday evening when they come together for the Joint City/County meeting at the C.L. Hoover Opera House.

Live coverage of the annual Leaders’ Retreat – a joint project of the Junction City Chamber of Commerce, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, and the Wamego Chamber of Commerce.

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