MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — A judge has ordered a jury to return to deliberations today (Thursday) in the case of an Iowa woman accused of killing of her former boyfriend in 1992. The Muscatine Journal reports that the jury leader told the judge Wednesday that the jury was having difficulty reaching a unanimous verdict in the murder case against Annette Cahill. Prosecutors say she used a baseball bat to kill 22-year-old Corey Lee Wieneke, whose body was found in October 1992 on his bedroom floor in rural West Liberty.

Judge Patrick McElyea sent the jury members back to the jury room, and he conferred with lawyers for both sides. He had the jury members returned to the courtroom and asked them to return Thursday morning and “continue to engage in open-minded discussion and persuasion.” A witness came forward in 2017, saying Cahill had implicated herself in the death in 1992, prompting authorities to re-examine the case. Cahill is now a mother of three adult children and a grandmother.

Cahill’s first trial ended in a mistrial in March 2019 when that jury couldn’t reach a verdict.

Police in Creston report the arrest Wednesday afternoon, of 60-year old Steven Nutt. The Creston man was arrested in the 500 block of W. Taylor, for Driving While Barred. He was later released from the Union County Jail, on a $2,000 bond.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a loaded gun was found in a student’s backpack at an Iowa City school. Police say officers responding Wednesday morning to reports about a gun at Tate High School found the student outside. They seized his backpack and, after obtaining a search warrant, searched it and found the weapon. Police say no threats were made to staffers or students. Charges against the boy are pending.

Police in Red Oak arrested a man early this morning, on an assault charge. Authorities say 33-year old Brian Paul Anderson, of Hamburg, was taken into custody at around 4-a.m. in the 200 block of E. Grimes Street, for Simple Assault. Anderson was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds, Wednesday, issued a disaster proclamation for Fremont, Harrison, Mills, and Pottawattamie counties as a result of renewed flooding along the Missouri River. The governor’s proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of the flooding and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program, for those four counties. The proclamation also waives certain competitive bidding requirements for the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) in order to conduct emergency repairs or restoration work to flood-impacted roadways.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level or a maximum annual income of $41,560 for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

Disaster Case Management is a program to address serious needs to overcome a disaster-related hardship, injury or adverse condition. Disaster case managers work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice and referral to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation. For information on the Disaster Case Management Program, contact your local community action association or visit www.iowacommunityaction.org.

The proclamation temporarily suspends the DOT’s competitive bidding requirements for emergency construction, repairs, or improvements of roadways or bridges in order to restore safe and adequate transportation to the disaster-impacted counties. Under this proclamation the cost of the necessary work must exceed $1 million. Iowa residents of counties impacted by the recent severe weather are asked to report damage to help local and state officials better understand the damage sustained. Damage to property, roads, utilities and other storm-related information may be reported. This information will be collected by the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and shared with local emergency management agencies.