The body of a homeless man who was found in the woods near Lake Manawa Tuesday afternoon has been identified. Authorites told the Daily NonPareil 52-year old Kelly Carroll, a transient, died from natural causes.  Sgt. Dave Dawson with the Council Bluffs Police Department told the paper the state Medical Examiner’s Office wouldn’t have a full report for a few weeks, but preliminary information shows what police originally suspected, that the death was not suspicious in nature.

A Council Bluffs Police officer found Carroll’s skeletal remains while chasing a suspected shoplifter near the Manawa Centre and Metro Crossing, on the city’s southeast side. When the suspect ran into the woods, an officer discovered Carroll in a tent which had the top blown off. The area where the tent was located was a popular site for transients.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety say there aren’t many answers yet with regard to the death of a prisoner in Woodbury County. The State Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy of 35-year oldAnthony R. Josta Thursday, March 28th, at their office in Ankeny.  Preliminary autopsy results indicate there is no evidence of foul play related to Josta’s death.  The cause and manner of death will be determined once toxicology tests are completed.  Those test results could take six to eight weeks.

On March 26, 2013 at 7:35 PM, Woodbury County inmate Anthony Josta, of Sioux City, was found alone in his cell, unconscious and unresponsive.  Siouxland Paramedics responded, but attempts to revive Josta were unsuccessful. Woodbury County Sheriff Dave Drew immediately requested assistance from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.  Three agents responded and conducted an investigation into the death of Josta.

It’s routine practice for the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to conduct investigations into critical incidents involving the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office.  The State of Iowa Jail Inspector also received notification. There is no other information being released at this time.

Atlantic native Randy Burke is set to release his third album, “Money, Heart and Soul,” next month.

The cover of Randy Burke’s latest CD.

The album from his band Randy Burke and the Prisoners,comes eight years after their second album, “Down to this,” and will be available at a special event on Friday, April 12th, at the historic SF Martin House Bed and Breakfast, in a listening room type setting. The album release will come with dinner, and signed CD’s for the price of admission, which according to Burke’s website, is $50-to $75.  The show starts at 7:30-p.m. A similar album release will take place in Des Moines Saturday, April 13th at Gas Lamp. Tickets for that event are seven-dollars at the door.

The new album features renowned country studio musicians from across the globe, including Greg Leisz, Dennis Caplinger, Randy Ray Mitchell, Taras Produniuk, Teddy Andreadis, Dave Raven, and Atlantic native, Jared Hall. The 40-year old Burk, has been touring for over 12 years with the Prisoners delivering music in the rich tradition of artists like Steve Earle, Johnny Cash, and Dave Alvin.

For more information on either the Atlantic or Des Moines album release, go to: www.reverbnation.com/randyburkandtheprisoners.

Residents in Shelby County shouldn’t be surprised to see a huge amount of smoke coming from a field in the next couple of weeks. Officials with the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency report on their Facebook page, that sometime within the next 14-days, the Harlan Fire Department will be conducting a large (74 Acre), training burn. The exact date has not yet been chosen, due to possible changes in weather conditions. Firefighters who would like to be notified of the date should private message the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency through its Facebook page.

Officials with the Shelby County Conservation Board say weather permitting, the public will be invited to a prairie burn next week. The event takes place at dusk on Thursday,April 4^th, at Dinesen Prairie (4 miles NE of Harlan).  The controlled burn will be conducted by the Kirkman and Harlan Fire Departments. Controlled burns help to stimulate native grasses and wildflowers while suppressing brome and other invasive plants.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reports enforcement actions have been taken against two entities in Harrison and Pottawattamie Counties. Administrative orders call for Kenneth Kline, of Missouri Valley, to install facility improvements and abide by other restrictions on facility operations, in addition to paying a $10,000 fine. The order contends that Kline, who owns and operates a cattle open feedlot, violated standards concerning solid manure runoff into an unnamed Euclid Creek tributary, and failed to comply with the discharge and reporting requirements set forth in his NPDES permit.

And, Anderson Excavating Company, Inc., of Pottawattamie County, has been ordered to resolve compliance issues at the company’s construction and demolition landfill. They were also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.The order was with regard to a leachate lagoon and related treatment measures, along with failing to hold financial surety bond.

Both companies have 30 days to appeal the orders, and both have indicated they will file an appeal.

(Details on the incidents and enforcement actions taken by the DNR can be found at www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/AboutDNR/EnforcementActions.aspx. )

Two Audubon County men were sentenced Monday in U-S District Court to five-years in prison on drug-related charges. The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa said today (Friday) 44-year old Paul Joseph Irlmeier, and 63-year old Randy Frank Irlmeier, both from rural Audubon County, were sentenced to 60 months imprisonment for conspiracy to manufacture marijuana. In addition, the Court ordered Randy Frank Irlmeier to forfeit $400,000 and Paul Joseph Irlmeier to forfeit $104,503 for their roles in the conspiracy.

As part of their guilty pleas, the Irlmeiers admitted to conspiring to grow, harvest and distribute marijuana at their respective rural Audubon County residences between approximately 2005 and October 27, 2010. On October 27, 2010, law enforcement located evidence of a sizable marijuana growing operation, including a large quantity of mature marijuana plants at Randy Irlmeier’s residence. Both defendants admitted responsibility for at least 100 marijuana plants during the conspiracy.

The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the
Audubon County Sheriff’s Office, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Sioux City high school band director has been charged with theft involving more than $50,000 in musical instruments and other equipment apparently stolen from the school district.  The Sioux City Journal reports police charged 39-year-old North High teacher Kevin Massey with first-degree theft on Wednesday. His bail was set at $10,000, and he was later released from the Woodbury County jail.

North High school resources officer Rick Kinnaman says officials became aware of the matter after another teacher who was shopping for musical instruments online noticed items that looked familiar.  Kinnaman says more than 60 items have been stolen dating back to 2004. They typically were traded in at pawn shops.

Massey, of Sergeant Bluff, is on leave from his job.