IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A University of Iowa student who was expelled for repeated academic misconduct has been reinstated after the school failed to use his written confessions against him in court. A judge says her order that reinstated business student Pengzhen Yin now appears unjust given that he admitted to plagiarizing the paper in question after he was sanctioned for cheating twice previously. But she says the university failed to provide Yin’s emails admitting the plagiarism during his appeal and she wasn’t aware of them before ruling that Iowa lacked evidence of his misconduct.

In one email, Yin admitted to a top school official that, “In fact, I didn’t write the paper” that he had been expelled for plagiarizing. He had earlier claimed otherwise. Yin has re-enrolled following the December order by District Judge Karen Romano. He’s on track to graduate this spring while the university appeals. His attorney declined comment.

Officials with the Mills County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday (Today), that a traffic stop at around 11:30-p.m. Saturday in Glenwood, resulted in multiple charges. The Mills County K9 Unit conducted the traffic stop, and upon searching the vehicle, located nearly one-pound of methamphetamine and just over $7,800 in U-S currency.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested and transported to the Mills County Jail on numerous charges, including Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Deliver. The name of the suspect was being withheld as of the latest report, due to a further investigation into the incident.

Members of the Griswold and Lenox School District Boards of Education will meet in a joint session 6-p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6th, in the Lenox High School Library. According to the agenda, the purpose of the joint meeting is to discuss the possibility of extending the current Superintendent sharing agreement, as well as the Superintendent’s individual contract.  During the meeting, following discussion with regard to both topics, the combined Boards may decide to enter into a closed session (as allowed under Iowa Code), “To (evaluate) the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring, performance of discharge is being considered….and that person requests a closed hearing.”

Afterward, the joint Boards will reconvene in an open session to consider approval of the sharing agreement and Superintendent Contract.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department say two people were arrested on separate charges last Saturday. 24-year old Khadijah Meeks, of, Harlan, was arrested for Public Intoxication. And, 38-year old Dollie Bradley, of Manchester, was arrested in Harlan for criminal mischief in the 5th degree, and public intoxication. Both women were brought to the Shelby County Jail.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — One of the men charged in a southeast Iowa slaying has been sentenced to prison for 20 years. Des Moines County District Court records say 29-year-old Antoine Spann pleaded guilty Monday after making a deal with prosecutors. He’d been charged with first-degree murder. That charge was dropped, and Spann entered guilty pleas to murder conspiracy, aiding and abetting to commit willful injury, and criminal gang participation.

Spann’s trial was scheduled to begin March 12. His plea agreement says he must testify against any others charged in the slaying of 26-year-old Demarcus “Peanut” Chew. He was fatally shot in a car outside his mother’s Burlington home on Sept. 10, 2017. The court records say another Dalton, Illinois, man, Derrick Parker, also has been charged with murder and conspiracy.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have released the name of a 74-year-old man who died at a burn center after a fire at his home in Ottumwa. The Ottumwa Fire Department identified him Monday as William Beall. The department says he died at 7:45 p.m. Sunday at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics Burn Treatment Center.

Firefighters report finding a man later identified as Beall just outside the house’s front door when they arrived Sunday afternoon. He was taken to an Ottumwa hospital before being transferred to the burn center in Iowa City. The fire cause is being investigated. The house is considered a total loss.