OGALLALA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska trial of a Kansas man charged with the collision deaths of four Iowa motorcyclists has been delayed again.

The new trial starting date for 24-year-old Jeser Cisneros-Hernandez, of Liberal, Kansas, is Dec. 3. Keith County District Court records say he pleaded not guilty in October 2017 to four felony counts of vehicular homicide, one misdemeanor count of reckless driving and one of failing to drive in his lane.

The North Platte Telegraph reports that Cisneros-Hernandez’s trial previously had been set to start in July 2018, then successively in April, August and October of this year.

Prosecutors say Cisneros-Hernandez’s vehicle hit two motorcycles carrying two people each on July 1, 2017, near Ogallala.

Authorities say 54-year-old Sheila Matheny and 61-year-old James Matheny, from Bedford, Iowa. The other motorcyclists were 58-year-old Michal Weese and 59-year-old Jerolyn Weese, who lived in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas jury was unable to reach a verdict in the trial of a Kansas priest who was suspended from the ministry after he was accused of inappropriately touching a young girl on two occasions.

A Wyandotte County jury announced Monday evening that it could not determine the guilt or innocence of the Rev. Scott Kallal, 37, who was charged with two felony counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

He was accused of inappropriately touching a 10-year-old girl in 2015 at a Kansas City, Kansas, church gymnasium and again at a graduation party in Bonner Springs.

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas said in a statement that Kallal will remain on leave and it will resume its evaluation process after the legal process is completed.

“I continue to pray that truth is served and all those affected by this ordeal may find healing and peace,” Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann said in the statement.

The girl testified at a preliminary hearing in 2017 that Kallal twice tickled her breasts against her wishes. She said in one incident at a parish hall gymnasium, she ran into a girl’s restroom to escape Kallal but he came into the restroom, picked her up and carried her out, still tickling her.

The girl’s mother testified last week that she saw Kallal carrying her daughter during that incident and had to demand three times that he put her down because she said it was inappropriate. She said she didn’t witness the inappropriate touching that her daughter later reported.

“She was scared,” the woman said.

The incidents were not reported until the summer of 2017. The girl’s mother said she waited to make a police report because she didn’t think the church would do anything and she was raised to hold priests in high regard.

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Jurors have deadlocked in the trial of a suspended Kansas priest charged with molesting a child.

The Wyandotte County prosecutor’s office says jurors were unable to reach a verdict Monday in the case against the Rev. Scott Kallal. The 37-year-old was tried on two felony counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. He has pleaded not guilty.

He was accused of inappropriately touching a girl in 2015 at a Kansas City, Kansas, church and at a graduation party in Bonner Springs. The girl was 10 at the time.

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas said in a statement that Kallal will remain on leave and that it will resume its evaluation process after the legal process is completed. Prosecutors haven’t said whether they will retry him.

LYON COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident Monday in Lyon County.

Just after 9:30 a.m., EMS and police responded to the intersection of 12th Avenue and East Street in Emporia, according to police Sgt. Lisa Sage.

A bicycle ridden by a 21-year-old woman from Emporia was northbound on East Street and did not stop at a stop sign, according to witnesses. The bicycle collided with the rear driver’s side of a northbound SUV driven by a 56-year-old woman,

EMS transported the bicyclist who was unconscious to the hospital in Emporia, according to Sage. She was later air-lifted to another hospital. She was not wearing a helmet, according to Sage.

Police have not release names of those involved and late Tuesday afternoon were working to learn the condition of the bicycle rider, according to Sage.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and working to find a suspect.

Just after 2:30a.m. Tuesday, residents in the 300 block of SE Lime in Topeka reported hearing gunfire. Police were immediately dispatched to the area to investigate, according to Sgt. Steven Block.

A short time later, 3 victims arrived at a local hospital with gunshot wounds. They arrived by a private vehicle, according to Block.

Officers and detectives responded to the hospital to speak with the victims. Their injuries are considered non-life threatening. Police ask that anyone with information is asked to contact authorities.

By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post

An economic analysis of the impact of our current trade dispute with China indicates the losses could be huge for farmers.

The Nebraska Farm Bureau has issued a report which estimates producers in that state could lose $943 million due to retaliatory tariffs imposed by the U.S. on other countries.

Nebraska Farm Bureau economist Jay Rempe says some producers will absorb a larger impact than others.

“Well, soybeans is the biggest one just because of the situation with China and our lost markets there, but then corn is another big one and pork, I think for a couple of different reasons, one is obviously China. They’re importing more pork right now, because of the African Swine Fever in that country. They’re trying to make up for those losses and we’re not able to participate in that,” Rempe tells St. Joseph Post.

The report considers the impact of all trade disputes, but concentrates heavily on the dispute with China. Rempe notes losses could be lessened with approval of the new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico as well as a new deal reached with Japan.

Rempe says the report issued by the Nebraska Farm Bureau doesn’t even take into account beef exports, because it’s harder to analyze losses to the beef industry.

“You saw China. We just opened the beef markets there,” Rempe says. “There was just a lot of potential there, because when you look at their per capita beef consumption in China it’s very low compared to most developed countries like the United States or Europe. So, there was a lot of potential there.”

The report does not consider farm payments pledged by the Trump Administration to farmers to offset the losses from the trade disputes. Pending trade deals with Canada and Mexico as a recently announced deal with Japan would help greatly, according to Rempe.

It does consider the overall impact on the state. Nebraska relies heavily, more so than other Midwestern states, on agriculture. The Farm Bureau analysis pegs the total income loss to the Nebraska economy at $1.16 billion.

Rempe says that during a recent trip to Washington he didn’t hear much optimism that the standoff with China would end anytime soon.

“Almost to a person, they don’t look for a quick turnaround or a quick resolution of the Chinese issue, because of the complexity some of the issues we’re trying to deal with on them and some of the politics involved.”