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.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three people suffered minor injuries during a rollover accident Friday northwest of Atlantic. Authorities say a 2000 Chevy Monte Carlo driven by 16-year old Cal Jeffrey Heuton, of Atlantic, was traveling east on Glacier Road when Heuton failed to stop at the controlled intersection with Buck Creek Road. The car left the road and overturned. Heuton was treated at the scene for minor injuries. One passenger in the car suffered minor injuries, while a second passenger was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital by ambulance for treatment of leg injuries. The names of the passengers were not released. Heuton was cited for Failure to Maintain Control and Failure to Obey a Stop Sign. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $5,500.

And, officials say no injuries were reported following an accident Saturday, on Tucson Road. A 2005 Pontiac Grand Am driven by 18-year old Chelsey Noel Nicklaus, of Griswold, was westbound on Tucson Road between 670th and 680th Streets,  when the woman lost control of the car, which slid into the north ditch and rolled through a fence. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $10,000.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa jury has convicted a woman of murder in the 2001 death of her neighbor, rejecting her claim that she shot him in self-defense during a home invasion. Forty-five-year-old Tracey Richter says she shot 20-year-old Dustin Wehde to protect herself and her three children after he and another man broke into her home in December 2001. She says the second intruder fled.

But Monday’s verdict supports prosecutors’ claim that there was no home invasion and Richter shot Wehde to keep him quiet about his role in a plot to frame her ex-husband. Richter was involved in a custody battle at the time.

Richter later moved to Omaha, Neb., where she was arrested last summer. She faces life in prison at sentencing.