Two people were arrested Thursday on separate charges, in Mills County. Authorities say 20-year old Billy O’Brien Walsh, of Pacific Junction, was arrested for Trespassing. His bond was set at $300. And, 23-year old Theodore Paul Brayman, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Public Intoxication. His bond was also set at $300.

Two people were injured during a collision Thursday, in Mills County. The Sheriff’s Office says Michael Joyce, of Glenwood, suffered minor cuts and scrapes, while his passenger, Elizabeth Joyce, suffered from a possible broken hand and other, minor injuries. She was transported by Glenwood Rescue to the hospital.

Authorities say a 2004 Chevy driven by Michael Pomerenke, of Glenwood, was traveling south on Kidd Road and proceeded across the westbound traffic into the median crossing. He looked toward eastbound traffic and didn’t see a 2009 VW driven by Michael Joyce approaching on Highway 34. As he proceeded to cross, Joyce saw the Chevy cross the median, but when he realized Pomerenke was starting onto the traveled portion of Highway 34 and wasn’t going to stop, Joyce hit the brakes and swerved toward Kidd Road to avoid a direct impact. The two vehicles collided at the intersection, with both vehicles coming to a rest on Kidd Road. Pomerenke wasn’t hurt in the crash, and his vehicle was driven from the scene. The VW was towed upon owner’s request.

In an update to our story this past Wednesday, officials with the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources say the location for the April 9th Natural Resource Commission meeting has been changed to 8:30-a.m. in the Harlan Fire Department meeting room at 906 Cyclone Ave., in Harlan.The NRC was set to have met at the Nishna Bend Recreation Area. The presentation and tour departure location remains the same.

On April 8, local DNR fisheries and state parks staff will give commissioners a presentation at the Nishna Bend Rec Area, 516 Maple Road, Harlan, before departing for a field tour of Prairie Rose State Park and the lake restoration project. The field tour and presentation will take place between 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. The meeting, presentation and tour is open to the public.

For more information, click on this link: http://www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/BoardsCommissions/NaturalResourceCommission.aspx

BOONE, Iowa (AP) — A Georgia man has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the killing of his former roommate in 2009. Jurors deliberated for about four and a half hours before returning a guilty verdict Friday to 55-year-old John Green. He was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 58-year-old Mark Koster, of Sac City, but convicted of the lesser offense of second-degree murder.

Defense attorneys say Green killed Koster in self-defense. But prosecutors argue that Green significantly outweighed Koster and therefore didn’t need to kill the man to defend himself.

Koster was declared missing in 2010. His remains were later found buried in his basement after new owners began renovations.

Green’s second trial in the case began Monday. The first ended in a mistrial.

BOONE, Iowa (AP) – A jury has resumed deliberations in the trial of a Georgia man accused of killing his former roommate in 2009. Jurors were scheduled today (Friday) to continue to work toward a verdict in the case against 55-year-old John Green, who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 58-year-old Mark Koster, of Sac City. The case was sent to jurors Thursday after attorneys delivered closing arguments.

Defense attorneys say Green killed Koster in self-defense. But prosecutors argue that Green significantly outweighed Koster and therefore didn’t need to kill the man to defend himself. Koster was declared missing in 2010. His remains were later found buried in his basement after new owners began renovations.

Green’s second trial in the case began Monday. The first ended in a mistrial.

An Atlantic man was arrested Thursday, on drug charges. Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 22-year old Brandon Adam Fredericksen on three Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrants for Delivery of Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine 3rd or Subsequent Offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Fredericksen was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 bond.

On Wednesday April 1st, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 44-year old Philip Jesse Gehling, of Atlantic, on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Domestic Abuse/Serious Assault. Gehling was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on $1000 bond.

On Monday, March 30th, deputies arrested 34-year old Tabitha Lynette Clark, of Atlantic, on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear on a Child Support matter. Clark was taken to the Cass County Jail where she was released later that day on $400 bond.

And on March 23rd, 26-year old Justin Iglesias Cruz, of Bellevue, NE, was arrested in Cass County on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Cruz was transported to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $20,000 bond.

(12-p.m. newscast)

The Atlantic Police Department reports 24-year old Michael Sherman, of Atlantic, was arrested Thursday. Sherman was taken into custody on a warrant for Probation Violation. The man was brought to the Cass County Jail and booked-in.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court says poor defendants have a right to legal representation in simple misdemeanor cases that carry possible jail time. State Appellate Defender Mark Smith says Friday’s ruling will affect people charged with offenses such as shoplifting and public intoxication. He says it’s particularly important for crimes in which potential punishments are enhanced for subsequent offenses.

The decision will not affect the majority of simple misdemeanors, such as traffic violations, because they don’t carry jail time. The ruling dismisses a theft conviction against Archaletta Young in Polk County. Prosecutors used a penalty enhancement to charge her with an aggravated misdemeanor for shoplifting after two previous convictions.

The court says Young didn’t have a lawyer in one of the prior cases, and therefore it can’t be used against her.

With the deadline to file our federal tax returns in less than two weeks, it’s no coincidence best-selling author Steve Berry is releasing his latest book now, as it addresses arguments the income tax may not be legal. Berry will be in Iowa next week to promote his novel, “The Patriot Threat,” and he says it is -not- a manifesto to quit paying your taxes, but it brings up some startling facts from U-S history.  “The book deals with the 16th Amendment to the Constitution and what may have happened in 1913 when the amendment was ratified,” Berry says. “There’s some interesting legal issues that arose during that time, ones that call into question the entire amendment, so I sent my recurring character, my hero Cotton Malone, to deal with this constitutional question.”

Berry writes fictional thrillers and does in-depth research to weave in bits of non-fictional history. For this book, he says he had as many as 400 sources and made trips to Washington D-C, Italy and Croatia. The research led him to some surprising revelations.  “There was a gentleman about 20 years ago who went to every state in the union that supposedly ratified the 16th Amendment and studied their ratification process,” Berry says. “He discovered problems in a lot of the states and in about 12 to 15 of the states, they may very well not have ratified the amendment. His research is not out in left field. There’s a lot of it that makes good sense.” Berry’s first book, “The Amber Room,” was rejected by publishers 85 times.

The 86th attempt landed him his first national best-seller and he’s had multiple best-sellers in the years since. Berry and his wife will be at the Des Moines Public Library next week to pitch the newest book in a benefit for historic preservation.  “I’ll be talking about the book and taking questions and signing books,” Berry says. “That’ll happen at 7 o’clock on the 10th, and then on the 11th, we’re doing the History Matters Writers Workshop. Elizabeth and I are going to teach the craft of writing for four hours. You’ll buy your way in with a contribution and all of that money is going to a historic preservation project that we’re there to sponsor.” The workshops, Berry says, have raised almost one-million dollars for historic preservation and other causes. Last year, Berry hosted a workshop in Davenport to benefit the city’s Art Legacy League.

At a similar event in Des Moines in 2012, Berry donated all proceeds to a state landmark, Terrace Hill, the Iowa Governor’s Mansion. He also featured the historic Salisbury House in Des Moines in his last novel, “The Lincoln Myth.” Berry’s books have been translated into 40 languages with more than 18-million printed copies in 51 countries. Learn more at www.steveberry.org.

(Radio Iowa)

The Government Oversight Committee in the Iowa House is planning to conduct a review of the state’s civil forfeiture laws after a newspaper investigation raised what one lawmaker calls “significant concerns.” A Des Moines Register investigation found law enforcement in Iowa has used civil forfeiture laws to seize 43 MILLION dollars in the past six years — sometimes without ever arresting the person involved or charging them with a crime. Representative Mary Wolfe, a Democrat from Clinton, says the newspaper’s report has sparked posts on her Facebook page.

“I wasn’t aware of just quite how grievous the situation was in some counties,” Wolfe says. “I know certainly on my Facebook that’s certainly blown up and people are appalled.” The majority of the money seized by police and other law enforcement in Iowa is used to buy new equipment or pay for officer training, but The Register’s investigation found some counties are using the confiscated funds for questionable things, like buying “tropical fish, scented candles, mulch and other items that appear to have little or no direct link to law enforcement activities.” Wolfe, a member of the House Government Oversight Committee, cited the newspaper’s accounts during the committee’s meeting on Thursday.

“It’s something that somebody needs to address,” Wolfe said. “And I would love to see us do it and do it in a very decisive manner and in the relatively near future.” Republican Representative Bobby Kaufmann, of Wilton is chairman of the Oversight Committee agrees the panel should address the issues that have been raised.  “I’ve had a lot of law enforcement contact me and say, ‘Hey, let’s see if we can find a way to narrow this down so that we’re not endangering the 98 percent of law enforcement that do this properly,” Kaufmann says.

And Kaufmann says legislators should find a way to close loopholes that allow civil forfeiture laws to “be abused.” The issue is being raised on the presidential campaign trail in Iowa, too. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who will formally enter the G-O-P race next week, is sponsoring legislation to reign in forfeitures and is bringing up the issue during campaign speeches here.

(Radio Iowa)