IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Chicago attorney says a jury verdict finding a former western Iowa woman guilty of murdering a man in 2001 is a victory for public safety. Stephen Komie on Tuesday praised Sac County Attorney Ben Smith and state investigators for securing Monday’s conviction of Tracey Richter, of Omaha, in the death of 20-year-old Dustin Wehde at her home in Early, Iowa. Komie represented Richter’s first husband, John Pitman III, in a bitter divorce and custody proceeding in the 1990s. Prosecutors say Richter tried to frame Pitman and Komie in a murder-for-hire-scheme in which she had Wehde write in a pink notebook they’d hired him to kill her and her son. Komie says he was surprised to learn last month he’d been framed and he’s “thrilled” Richter had been convicted.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A state audit has found more than $95,000 in questionable spending at the Denison Fire Department, including payments it says were made to businesses owned by the former fire chief. The report released today (Tuesday), from state Auditor David Vaudt details a review that was requested by city officials after former Fire Chief Mike McKinnon left the job in 2010.

It identifies a number of purchases that were improper or did not have proper documentation, including webcams, GPS units,  atelevision, a riding lawnmower and snowblade and clothing. The audit also found thousands paid to businesses owned by McKinnon and included invoices with addresses for post office boxes in Des Moines that did not exist.

The City of Atlantic’s Airport Commission will meet 9-a.m. Wednesday, in the airport terminal building. New business on their agenda includes the review of a letter from the F-A-A with regard to the Parallel Taxiway Project, and the continuation of an Engineering Agreement with Snyder and Associates for final project’s documents, bid, and construction services.

City Administrator Doug Harris said at last week’s City Council meeting in Atlantic, that the F-A-A will pay nearly $600,000 toward the $1.2-million dollar cost of the project, which involves completion on one segment of the taxiway to the runway. The City’s share is 5-percent of the total cost. The letter the Airport Commission will review, spells out a schedule the City must adhere to, including the hiring of an engineer by December 15^th, and the letting of bids by no later than May, 2012.

The Board of Supervisors in Adair County will hold a Public Hearing Wednesday, with regard to a road closure at N-9 and N-8 in Union Township. The hearing takes place at 9:30-a.m.

Other business during the meeting, which begins at 9-a.m., will include action on: Homestead & Military allowances and disallowances; a claim by the City of Greenfield; renewal of an Urban Renewal TIF certification for the Northwest Wind Farm; and with regard to a Health Insurance Wellness Incentive.

Cass-Adair County Engineer Charles Marker will make his report to the Board, and Roger Hall is set to discuss moving dirt along a certain fence line.

w/ Ric Hanson

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will change its approach to managing the Missouri River following a summer of record flooding that damaged or destroyed nearly 400 homes, led to millions of dollars in road repairs and forced communities to scramble to build temporary levees. The corps announced Monday that it will make the changes in the coming winter and spring. Those changes include getting as much water out of the river basin’s reservoir system as possible this fall and winter, as well as analyzing how much more reservoir space might be reserved to ease the flooding. The corps says the change came in response to concerns voiced by residents during eight public meetings held recently in Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Montana and North Dakota.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – An Iowa man has been sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty in a prostitution case in Nebraska. The U.S. attorney’s office in Omaha says 45-year-old Richard Costanzo, of Carter Lake, was sentenced last week after pleaded guilty to several crimes that happened between 1997 and 2009. They stemmed from the operation of an escort service in Omaha. Costanzo also was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to witness tampering in a related case. That sentence is to run at the same time as his sentence for the prostitution and other convictions.

An Essex woman who had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide in connection with the deaths of two Cumberland boys was sentenced today (Monday) to serve two 10-year prison terms. 19-year old Karli Jo Brown,  will serve the sentences concurrently (at the same time).  She also was ordered to pay a yet-undetermined amount of restitution. Brown was the driver of a car that passed other vehicles in a no-passing zone on a hill and collided head-on with another vehicle, on November 28th, 2010. She driving almost 25-miles over the posted speed limit and texting her boyfriend when the crash occurred.

Two children in the other vehicle driven, by Nina McNeese, of Cumberland, died.  Five-year old Maliki and 4-year old Alex McNeese were properly buckled in, but died at the scene of the crash on Highway 48.  Brown and Nina McNeese were injured in the crash.

In April, Brown was charged with two counts of motor vehicle homicide and one count of causing serious injury by motor vehicle. In return for a guilty plea, prosecutors later dropped the charge of causing serious injury by motor vehicle. The county attorney says the deal allowed Nina McNeese, to avoid the pain of a trial.

Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green reports three people were arrested over the weekend. On Friday, 24-year old Kelsey Swinnerton, of Atlantic, was arrested on a charge of OWI/1st offense. Saturday, officers arrested 27-year old Laura Madden, of Atlantic, on a charges of Burglary in the 3rd degree, Domestic Abuse & Assault, and Assault while participating in a felony. Any, on Sunday, 30-year old Steve Pedersen, of Atlantic, was arrested on a warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault.

All three of those individuals were booked into the Cass County Jail and held pending an appearance before the magistrate.