Authorities in China have arrested a former University of Iowa student in connection with the death of a student from Iowa State University, whose body was found in the trunk of a car in Sept., 2014. In early June, at the invitation of the local and Federal law enforcement authorities the Criminal Investigation Bureau of China sent a team of investigators to Iowa City to work in conjunction with authorities in Iowa.  Evidence and information pertinent to the investigation were submitted to the Criminal Investigation Bureau of China.  On June 19th, the People’s Prosecutor of Wenzhou, China arrested Li Xiangnan for the crime of intentional homicide.

According to the Criminal Investigation Bureau of China, Li reported that on September 7th, 2014 Li strangled Tong Shao and fled the United States to China.    The Criminal Investigation Bureau of China further reported that according to Chinese law based on Criminal Law of the PRC, “the 7th item sets the rule that the Chinese apply the law to its citizens even if he or she commits a crime abroad.  The 232nd  item of the Criminal Law of the PRC reads the intentional killer will be punished up to the death sentence, life imprisonment or imprisonment over ten years.  The Criminal Law of the PRC further reads that if circumstances are relatively minor, the offender shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment spanning from three to ten years.

The Criminal Investigation Bureau of China released a statement indicating that that in recent years, thanks to the increasingly strengthened cooperation between the Chinese police and the international police, several case of violent nature have been brought to justice.  Further, the Criminal Investigation Bureau of China stated that there will be continued cooperation with Law Enforcement Officials in not only the United States, but other foreign countries of their citizens committing crimes abroad.

Li Xiangnan was a Chinese international student at the University of Iowa and a known associate of Ms. Shao with a reported intimate relationship.

Two people died in a crash on Interstate 29 Monday afternoon, in Monona County. The Iowa State Patrol reports the accident happened on I-29 northbound, about 3.5-miles north of the Onawa exit, at around 2:05-p.m. Officials say a 2005 Ford Focus driven by 49-year old Leon Lavern Weifenbach, of Onawa, was traveling south in the left lane of travel, when for reasons unknown, the car veered left and entered the median before entering the northbound lane of travel, where it collided with a 2002 GMC Sonoma. The driver of the pickup was identified as 52-year old Joseph A. Metz, of South Sioux City, Nebraska.

After the impact, the pickup rolled over into the east ditch, where the car also came to rest. Both drivers were killed. The patrol says they were wearing their seat belts.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A jury has ruled that the former dean of the University of Iowa law school didn’t commit political discrimination when she passed over a conservative lawyer for teaching jobs. The federal jury in Davenport rejected Teresa Manning’s claims that Dean Carolyn Jones rejected her because of Manning’s political beliefs and associations. The verdict is a victory for the university in a long-running case that has been closely watched in higher education. It came after a six-day trial, which was the second in the case after an unusual mistrial in 2012.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad has extended a state of disaster emergency through July 31 in response to the bird flu outbreak in the state. The declaration was the second extension of the original disaster proclamation. It otherwise would have expired Wednesday. The virus has infected more than 31.5 million birds in Iowa, mostly egg-laying chickens, making the state the hardest hit in the nation.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The board that governs Iowa’s public universities has let go a 29-year employee who had been its spokeswoman for years. Communications director Sheila Doyle Koppin’s job has been eliminated. Her last day was Friday. The change comes after the board acknowledged last week it will also soon be cutting ties with Tom Evans, its longtime general counsel.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have reopened a major street near downtown Des Moines that was affected by flooding from the nearby Raccoon River. A portion of Fleur Drive along Gray’s Lake Park reopened Monday afternoon. The current level of the Raccoon River along the street continues to recede. The current level of the nearby Des Moines River is also receding.

A Pottawattamie County man faces Theft and other charges after the vehicle he was driving hit and became hung-up on a large rock. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says 30-year old Michael Hollinger, of Council Blufffs, was arrested at around 8:40-a.m. Sunday, after the 2011 Hyundai he was driving went off a drive way at a residence on 221st Street, went onto the grass and hit a large rock. The car became high-centered on the rock and came to rest in a road ditch, still on the rock.

Hollinger was arrested by Glenwood Police on charges of OWI/2nd offense and Driving Under Suspension. He was later charged with Theft in the 2nd Degree, as the owner of the car had reported the vehicle as stolen. His bond was initially set at $12,300. No injuries were reported.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Monday) issued a report on recent arrests. Authorities say 40-year old Ryan Daniel McMullen, of Silver City, was arrested this (Monday) morning at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Conspiracy, and Theft in the 1st Degree. His bond was set at $15,000.

Sunday night, Mills County deputies arrested 28-year old Robert Edward Reafling, and 28-year old Sarah Kay Reafling, both of Henderson, on charges of Domestic Abuse Assault. The couple was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

Saturday evening, 25-year old Tyler Eldon Buckner, of Hastings, was arrested on warrants for Theft in the 1st Degree, and Conspiracy. He was being held in the Mills County Jail on $15,000 bond.

And, last Friday evening, 48-year old Orrie Lee Gordon, of Malvern, was arrested on charges that include OWI/1st offense, and Driving Under Suspension. His bond was set at $1,300.

No serious injuries were reported following a single-vehicle rollover accident Saturday night in Audubon County. The Sheriff’s Office reports a 1996 Oldsmobole Cutlass driven by 16-year old Sydney Jo Obermeier, of Audubon, was traveling south on Jay Avenue at around 11:30-p.m., when she lost control of the car near 180th Street, about a mile northeast of Audubon.

The car entered the east ditch and rolled at least once before coming to rest. Obermeier and her passenger, 16-year old Claire Elizabeth Olsen, of Audubon, both refused medical treatment at the scene. Obermeirer was charged with Failure to Maintain Control.

A teenager from Shelby County was injured during an accident Friday afternoon, in Audubon County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 17-year old Olivia Elaine Robinson, of Harlan, was transported from the scene at Highways 71 and 44 in Hamlin, to the Audubon County Hospital by Audubon Fire and Rescue. Two other people involved in the crash refused medical treatment at the scene.

The accident happened when Robinson, who was traveling west on Highway 44, stopped at the intersection. As she pulled away from the stop sign after waiting for traffic to pass and a semi-truck from the west to leave the stop sign, she continued through the intersection. Her 2010 Chevy Malibu was hit on the right rear side by a southbound 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix, driven by 30-year old Megan Marie Bonney, of Dedham.

The impact caused Robinson’s vehicle to be thrown into the path of an eastbound 2008 Saturn Aura driven by 56-year old Dianna Gail Morrow, of Audubon. The Malibu hit the Saturn on the left front corner. Robinson’s car hit the Saturn on the left rear side, flipped, and came to rest on the driver’s side. Damage from the crash amounted to $45,000. The accident remains under investigation, with charges currently pending.

A man from Cass County was arrested this (Monday) morning on drug and other charges, following a traffic stop in Exira. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office says 26-year old Justin Lee Cooley, of Atlantic, was taken into custody at around 1-a.m. on charges that include Theft, OWI/1st offense, Interference with Official Acts, Possession of Marijuana/3rd offense, 4 counts of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Failure to have a valid license.

Cooley was being held in the Audubon County Jail, pending a court appearance. The incident remains under investigation. Audubon County deputies were assisted during their investigation by officers with the Audubon Police Department.

(Updates to show possible motive for the murder)

Two men from Kansas have been arrested in connection with an Adams County homicide. The Iowa Department of Public Safety reports on Friday June 26th, Agents from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation traveled to Hiawatha, Kansas, to interview witnesses and persons of interest in the Allen Pafford homicide investigation.

James Bost

Jon Rubendall

Iowa DCI Agents, along with the assistance of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Hiawatha Kansas Police Department, arrested 41-year old Jon Rubendall, and 38-year old James Bost, both currently residing in Hiawatha, Kansas. Both men face a charge of 1st degree murder in connection with the death of 44-year old Allen Pafford.  Pafford’s body was found by his mother on June 20th.

A cash bond of $1,000,000.00 has been set for each defendant.

The investigation is on-going.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Federal regulators are investigating the failure of a part at the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant during this spring’s maintenance outage. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Monday that it had launched a special inspection at the plant that sits along the Missouri River about 20 miles north of Omaha.

The NRC says workers discovered the problem earlier this month after replacing a seal in a valve that controls cooling water flow into one of the plant’s steam generators. The valve wouldn’t open because the new seal material couldn’t handle the high operating temperatures. The seal was replaced a second time to resolve the problem, but regulators want to better understand how it happened and whether workers’ response was adequate.

Fort Calhoun is owned by the Omaha Public Power District utility.