The former music minister for the Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church in Junction City, Jordan Young, 26, has waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

That information was confirmed by Assistant Geary County Attorney Michelle Brown, who said Young made an unscheduled appearance in Geary County District Court on Tuesday.

Young had been scheduled for a preliminary hearing November 14 in connection with multiple cases of alleged child molestation.  He has been accused of sexually molesting boys in his church.

Young faces charges ranging from indecent solicitation of a child to aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

Three different arraignment dates are now set for Young in District Court on November 6, 14, and 18.

Young has been incarcerated in the Geary County Detention Center since his arrest last August.

(AP) — A group of Kansas legislators is continuing its statewide tour of higher education campuses to gather information about programs and spending.

The tour began Tuesday with stops at Topeka’s Washburn Institute of Technology and Emporia State University.

The members of the House and Senate budget committees were heading Wednesday to Wichita State University and several research campuses in the city.

The lawmakers are looking at the activities and needs of each institution. The visits are intended to help shape policy decisions when the Legislature convenes in January.

On Thursday the group will go to Fort Scott Community College and Pittsburg State University. Next week, the lawmakers visit Fort Hays State, Kansas State University and the University of Kansas, including its medical center.

(AP) — The first crop condition update released since the partial government shutdown ended shows Kansas farmers well on their way to planting the 2014 winter wheat crop.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that 87 percent of the wheat crop has been planted. About 61 percent of it has now emerged.

The report says that 63 percent of the wheat is in good to excellent condition, with 35 percent rated fair and 2 percent rated poor.

Harvest of fall crops has also made significant strides in Kansas since the last official government snapshot.

The agency reports that 68 percent of the corn harvest is complete. Sorghum harvest has reached the 36 percent mark, while soybean harvest was at 60 percent. About 34 percent of the sunflowers have also been cut.

 

The Junction City Lady Jay cross country team finished second in the varsity girls competition at the Centennial League meet on Saturday.

Manhattan finished with the low team score of 58 points followed by Junction City with 65.

In the individual competition Rosie Hollis finished fifth, Diesjambra Bisio sixth,  and Autumn Slfuents ninth.

In the boys competition Junction City finished fourth out of ten teams with a score of 126 points. Manhattan was first with 16.

Nick Arneson of Junction City finished 17th.

All of the JCHS runners mentioned are now considered All League runners.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Jamaal Charles ran for 86 yards and a touchdown, Alex Smith also ran for a score and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the banged-up Houston Texans 17-16 on Sunday to remain unbeaten.

The Chiefs (7-0) were forced to punt the ball to Houston with 1:46 left in the game.

But after Case Keenum threw an incompletion on first down, the young quarterback was stripped by linebacker Tamba Hali at his 2. Derrick Johnson recovered the fumble for the Chiefs.

Smith simply kneeled on it from there as time ran out, allowing Kansas City to extend the second-best start in franchise history. The 2003 team began the season 9-0.

Keenum, making his first NFL start in place of the injured Matt Schaub, threw for 271 yards and a touchdown for the Texans (2-5).

But he didn’t get much help from his run game after Arian Foster left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return.

The Geary County Sheriff’s Department worked a four-vehicle non-injury accident on U.S. Highway 77 northwest of Junction City Monday afternoon at a Farnum Creek Bridge construction site.

The Sheriff’s Department reported that David W. Hauschild of Grand Island, Nebraska was not paying attention and ran into the rear of a Chevrolet S-10 driven by Jeremy R. Fajen of Riley, Kansas. Fajen has been stopped at a traffic light waiting for the light to change when his vehicle was struck by the Hauschild vehicle. Fajen’s pickup then struck a Chevrolet Equinox driven by Rita M. Powell of Milford. Powell’s vehicle then hit a Nissan Murano being driven by Pamela M. Maag of Marion. Both Powell and Maag had been stopped at the traffic light as well when the accident occurred.

The Big 12 is setting up to be the wide-open race that was expected, even with a few early surprises.

No. 12 Baylor and 16th-ranked Texas Tech are the league’s only undefeated teams. Texas is 3-0 in the conference after starting 1-2 this season

Defending Big 12 champion Kansas State is 0-3 in conference play.

Texas coach Mack Brown says the league is exciting this season because there’s not just one team that anybody can pick.

With eight weeks left in the regular season, all of the top five teams in the league standings still have to play each other – except for Texas’ victory over Oklahoma on Saturday.

The 18th-ranked Sooners and No. 21 Oklahoma State both have one Big 12 loss.

There will be no Geary County Commission meeting on Monday due to the Columbus Day holiday. The Commission will meet Tuesday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

There will be no school in Geary USD 475 for students on Monday. It will be a professional development day for district staff.