Authorities in Afton report a second arrest has been made in connection with the theft of weapons from residences in Ringgold and Union Counties. According to the Afton Police Department, 17-year old Tanner Jonathon Dean Harvey, of Afton, was taken into custody without incident late Wednesday morning.

Harvey was charged with six-counts of felony Burglary – Class C, and one-count of

Felony burglary – Class D. He was transported to the Central Iowa Detention Center in Eldora, and his case referred to juvenile court.

Union County Sheriff Rick Piel says four of the burglaries occurred Union County. Two were in Ringgold County. About 40 stolen guns were recovered at a farmhouse near Afton.

On Monday, authorities charged 18-year old Eric Kristopher Downey, of Afton, with second-degree burglary. Downey was being held in the Union County Jail.

Friends of Staff Sergeant James Justice told of the fallen Iowa National Guard soldier’s love of his family and life during his funeral today (Wednesday) at the I-K-M Manning High School gym in Manning. Hundreds turned out to honor the 33-year-old who died on a mission to rescue downed helicopter pilots in Afghanistan on April 23rd. Jessica Fine worked with Justice’s wife Amanda, and became friends with James too. Fine talked about how Justice would play with his three-year-old daughter Caydence, and the relationship he had with his wife.

“Since James left for Afghanistan, he has sent the cutest love notes to Amanda and Caydence,” Fine said, “He never said much , but just enough that you could tell how much he missed and loved them.” Fine says she was brought to tears as she looked at their Facebook pages and saw the notes they left for each other. Fine says Justice made an impression on her that she will never forget.

She says while she only knew him for a few years, he always made her feel like a special friend. “And I am honored to have known James because of the husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend that he was,” Fine said, “he died serving a country that he loved, and I can’t wait until the day when I can tell Caydence about what a hero and honorable man her daddy really was.” Justice was born in Manning and grew up in Manilla. Jason Erb was a longtime friend of Justice’s and fellow soldier. He said Justice was a die-hard Iowa Hawkeye fan, and had a hard time with it when Erb decided to play football for the Cyclones.

Erb says he would give Justice tickets for the home football games and Justice still wouldn’t root for Iowa State. He says Justice would go out and buy the opposing team’s t-shirt and root against Iowa State while sitting in the Cyclone parents’ section. Jeremy Venick said he had tried to write something down to say about his friend, but ended up with a blank piece of paper. He instead spoke about how his friend would win over others.

“James was one of a kind, and his personality was infectious,” Venick said. He says they’d walk into a bar and when they left, “he’d have 10 new friends, or four new enemies, and it was one way or the other every time.” Venick says usually it was new friends that Justice made, and he said he was not surprised so many people turned out to honor him.

Venick says Justice made so many friends every where he went, and since his death he keeps running into people who he hasn’t seen in 10 years and they start telling stories about Justice. Tyler Christianson told a story of a prank he and Justice pulled on another soldier, and how they laughed when they got caught. He says those are the things he will remember about his friend.

“James was an amazing, husband, son, brother, friend to all,” Christianson said,” I know the reason that we cry is because those times were so great.” Justice lived in Grimes and was a fulltime guard member with the First Squadron 113th Calvary that is stationed at Camp Dodge. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

(Radio Iowa)

A Red Oak man was arrested this (Wednesday) morning on a warrant out of Mills County. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s office reports 19-year old Nathan Allen Aldrich was taken into custody on felony warrants for eluding and Theft in the 1^st degree/Possession of Stolen Property.

Aldrich was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $15,000 cash bond. He’s scheduled to appear before a judge on Thursday.

CRESTON, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say they have arrested an 18-year-old Afton man and recovered dozens of stolen firearms from an abandoned Union County farmhouse.  About 40 guns were recovered.  The Des Moines Register reports that authorities Monday charged Eric K. Downey with second-degree burglary. He remained Tuesday in the Union County Jail.

Authorities say they also are searching for a 17-year-old in connection with six break-ins in Union and Ringgold counties. Union County Sheriff Rick Piel says four burglaries were in Union County. Two were in Ringgold County.

Besides the sheriff’s offices, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Afton police worked on the case.

A man from Osceola was killed and a woman from Tingley was injured, during a crash this (Wednesday) morning between an SUV and a pickup in Union County. The Iowa State Patrol says the driver of the pickup, 51-year old Dick Downing, from Osceola, died, when his vehicle rear-ended an SUV driven by 35-year old Brandi Shay, of Tingley.

The accident happened at around 7:40-a.m on Highway 34, near Afton. Officials say the Downing and Shay vehicles were traveling west on the highway when Shay’s Chevy Suburban slowed down and was rear-ended by Downing’s Chevy pickup.

Shay was injured in the crash, while Downing died at the scene. Both drivers were wearing their seat belts. The accident remained under investigation.

Officials at Southwestern Community College say Downing was a Carpentry instructor at the school. Counselors will be on-hand for students and staff to help them deal with their loss.

The Iowa State Patrol says three people were injured during a near head-on collision between a pickup truck and a semi Tuesday evening, in northern Page County. Officials say the driver of the pickup, 38-year old Gary Runyon, Jr., of Coin, was not wearing a seat belt. He was flown by LifeNet Helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center following the crash, which occurred at around 6:10-p.m., about 5-miles southwest of Villisca.

A passenger in the pickup, 17-year old Rocky Runyon, of College Springs, and the driver of the semi, 25-year old Phillip Kasha, of Villisca, were wearing their seat belts, but suffered injuries in the crash. They were transported by Villisca Ambulance to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital.

The Patrol says Runyon’s 1993 Ford F-150 was traveling west on 102nd Street at the same time the 1996 International semi driven by Kasha, was heading east. The pickup was just left of the center line when it collided left front side to left front side with the semi.

Governor Terry Branstad has proclaimed Saturday, May 14, 2011 as Iowa Museum Day, and the Danish Immigrant Museum will participate in the state-wide celebration by waiving its admission fee for all visitors that day.

The Danish Immigrant Museum has 9 full-time and 4 part-time employees.  They also have a well-respected internship program, hosting students from Denmark as well as the U.S.  The museum has approximately 2,500 hundred members from across the country and 6 foreign countries and a volunteer base of nearly 100.  The museum’s collection of artifacts is nearing 35,000 pieces.

Governor Branstad has recognized the importance of Iowa’s museums in his proclamation, stating that Iowa Museum Day will celebrate the crucial role of Iowa’s museums in preserving the historical fabric and memory of our state through preservation of artifacts and archives; in providing educational resources and programs which expand learning opportunities for all ages; in contributing to a vibrant community and state economy through job creation, purchase of goods and services, and by attracting tourism revenue to the community and state; and in their significant role in enhancing community quality of life.

Iowa’s museums are supported in their missions by the Iowa Museum Association, a statewide association of museums.  Its mission is to provide quality training and development to Iowa museum professionals and volunteers, advocate for support of Iowa’s museums, and build a strong community of museums and museum supporters in Iowa.

The Danish Immigrant Museum is located at 2212 Washington Street, Elk Horn, Iowa.  For more information, please call The Danish Immigrant Museum, 712.764.7001 or visit their website at www.danishmuseum.org