DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say they’ve identified two suspects in the slaying of a man whose body was found in a homeless camp near downtown Des Moines. Police say they’ve charged 46-year-old Des Moines resident Yancy Freland and 26-year-old Bryan Norris, also of Des Moines, with first-degree murder. Their attorneys in unrelated cases didn’t immediately return Associated Press messages on Tuesday.

Freland already was in custody on a probation violation. Norris has been in custody since Sept. 13, charged with assault on a police officer. The remains of 23-year-old Marshal Johnson were found Oct. 8 in a wooded area behind an abandoned manufacturing plant. Police say Freland and Norris shot Johnson sometime after July 26, and say Norris cut Johnson’s neck. Police also say the two tried to burn his remains and then buried them.

JAMAICA, Iowa (AP) — The former mayor of a central Iowa community has been given two years of probation after pleading guilty to marijuana charges. Guthrie County court records say former Jamaica Mayor LaDonna Kennedy was sentenced and given a deferred judgment Friday. Under a deferred judgment, her conviction can be removed from her record if she were to successfully complete the terms of her probation.

Kennedy and her husband, 59-year-old Randy Kennedy, were arrested Jan. 16 on various drug charges after Guthrie County sheriff’s deputies searching for a suspect in a separate crime knocked on their door. The suspect wasn’t found, but deputies called for a search warrant after smelling an “overwhelming odor of raw marijuana” coming from the home. Investigators say 18 marijuana plants, several bags of marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found. She resigned after her arrest.

Court records say Randy Kennedy pleaded guilty as well and was given 10 years in prison, suspended, and two years of probation.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa governor Kim Reynolds joined her counterparts from Nebraska and South Dakota Monday in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota for the 16th annual Tri-State Governors Conference. The three governors discussed a variety of topics with local business and government leaders. Reynolds says the tri-state area continues to grow — but there are few obstacles. “We have an area where the economy is growing despite significant challenges. We still see a lot of opportunities for significant growth. Probably the biggest barriers we are seeing are workforce, housing and then connectivity plays a big role in that as well,” Reynolds says.

Iowa and Nebraska lead the nation in ethanol production and all three states have agricultural-based economies. Reynolds says she believes President Donald Trump supports the rules on requiring a set amount of ethanol to be blended with gasoline. “I mean he’s committed to that,” Reynolds says, “every time I’ve talked to him in the oval office, he’s committed to adhering to the rule, and so we just need E-P-A to follow through with it.”

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts agrees the president supports farmers. “If you look at what President Trump has done for example on trade — opening up Argentina to our pork, Vietnam to our D-D-G’s, Japan to our ethanol, China to our beef — he has worked hard to open up markets for our farmers and ranchers,” Ricketts said as Reynolds agreed. “If you look at other policy issues like the Waters of the U-S — which would have been a terrible rule for farmers and ranchers — his E-P-A rolled that back and came back with a more common sense approach there.”

All three governors, including Kristi Noem of South Dakota are concerned about what next spring may bring after the flooding this year in the tri-state area. She says their water storage in South Dakota is full and they are moving water out as faster than they ever half. “Going into this winter with the expected precipitation that we are expecting, I believe next spring could be even worse than this spring was,” Noem says.

Other issues discussed included workforce development, job training programs, affordable housing and broadband access.

(Radio Iowa) — The City Council in Sioux City passed the second reading of a proposal to repeal the ban on pit bulls and other similar dogs on a 3-2 vote Monday. Emotions ran high again during discussion of the issue as former council member Jim Rixner lobbied to keep the ban in place. Rixner voted for the original ban ten years ago. “I think you are putting the city in jeopardy,” Rixner said, “but I also think you are also putting the city in financial jeopardy. If a pit bull bites me, I am going to sue the owner and I am also going to sue the city for repealing a highly effective ordinance that was keeping this city safe.”

Rixner called on council woman Rhonda Capron to declare a conflict of interest and not vote because she owns a pit bull mix dog. Capron refused to abstain from the vote. Marjorie Hattig of Sioux City was among several residents sharing their stories about how pit bulls are their service animals and help them to survive. “My dog has been trained to teach me when my blood sugar is too high or too low, so I don’t die,” Hattig said. “I have depression really bad — and if it wasn’t for this dog — I would be dead today.”

The first vote was 4-1 on October 14th. Councilman Dan Moore changed his vote to NO on this reading and asked the council to wait for two weeks before the third and final vote would take place. That vote will occur at the November 4th council meeting. Councilman Pete Groetken was the other NO vote. Mayor Bob Scott, Capron and Alex Watters voted in favor of repealing the ban.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two juvenile males who absconded from the Clarinda Academy were taken into custody without incident late Monday night, following a traffic stop on Highway 71, south of Villisca. The vehicle they were in was reported stolen out of Clarinda.  Authorities say the teens, who had been reported missing at around 12:45-p.m. Monday, were found when the vehicle they were in was pulled over at around 11:22-p.m.

The driver was charged with Theft of a Motor Vehicle, a Class-D Felony. Both of the boys were transported to Juvenile Detention Center, in Council Bluffs. No Names were released because of their age. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department was assisted by the Page County Sheriff’s Office, Clarinda Police, and the Iowa State Patrol.