The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reports four men from Louisiana were found guilty of poaching Iowa deer from a case that started when someone made a call to the Turn in Poachers hotline. The four men pleaded guilty to various wildlife crimes in Kansas as well.

Michael Fralick, of Ponchatoula, La., was convicted on all 32 counts of deer hunting violations in four southwest Iowa counties. Fralick was assessed $6,123.90 in fines and court costs, forfeited two rifles and received a five year license suspension. He was ordered to pay $22,500 in civil damages.

James Moore, of Ponchatoula, La., pleaded guilty to discharge firearm from roadway, having a loaded gun in vehicle, failure to tag deer, illegal method of take in Adams County, Iowa, and was fined $604.50.  He also pleaded guilty to two counts unlawful transportation/possession of whitetail deer, no valid non-resident hunting license, no valid non-resident any-sex deer license, no habitat fee, illegal method of take in Montgomery County, Iowa, and was assessed $1,688.50 total fines and court costs. Moore received a five year license suspension and was ordered to pay $10,000 in civil damages. Moore was in possession of an illegal deer in Oklahoma when he was served with the Iowa citations by officials in Oklahoma.

Stanley Russel, of Roseland La., and William “Heath” Chambliss, of Kentwood, La., were both found guilty in Montgomery County, Iowa, of no valid non-resident hunting license, no valid non-resident any sex deer license, no valid non-resident antlerless deer license (required) and no habitat fee. Their fines and court costs totaled $1,433.40 each and they received a two year license suspension. 

The investigation into the men’s activities began in late November 2011 when the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Department received a TIP call from a concerned citizen about the activities of these men. The information led authorities to possible illegal activity in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources received a TIP call about illegal deer activity around the same time that linked the two cases together.

The convictions were the result of a 10 month investigation by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Bureau, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Louisiana Department of Game & Fish, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Officials say information received through the TIP hotline in both Iowa and Kansas was critical in this investigation.  If you have information on wildlife crimes call TIP of Iowa at 1-800-532-2020. You can remain anonymous.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, approved the first reading of a 5.5-percent rate increase for sewer service. Two more readings are necessary before the increase is passed. City Administrator Doug Harris says if approved on the third and final reading, the monthly base fee for usage up to 3,000 gallons will increase $1.50 per month, from $27.00 to $28.50. Additional usage above 3,000 gallons will increase 30-cents, from $5.50 to $5.80 per thousand gallons over 3,000.Harris said the increase is needed to fund Debt Service and Operating costs of the new wastewater treatment plant.

The Council also held a public hearing on the sale of a lot at 314 Walnut Street. After receiving no written or oral comments on the matter, the Council gave its permission to sell the property for $30,000 to Jacob Weitzel, who plans to build a restaurant/sports bar on the site, with office space and luxury condominiums possible in the future, for the structure’s upper floors. The sale was contingent on the City having the first right of refusal to buy back the property, if a building is no erected on the site within a reasonable time frame.

And, the Atlantic City Council approved the issuance of General Obligation Bonds for $2.7-million. The G-O bonds will fund the cost of construction for various infrastructure improvements and a grant to Iowa Western Community College for building improvements. The Council tabled action pertaining to a purchase agreement for just over $7-million in Sewer Revenue Bonds, until their June 5th meeting.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a man and his 2-year-old daughter have escaped unharmed from a Council Bluffs house fire. The Daily Nonpareil reports  that the fire was reported just after 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Michael Large told the newspaper that he smelled smoke and then discovered flames on the outside of the house. He says he grabbed his daughter, ran outside and then across the street to safety.   The fire cause is being investigated.

The National Weather Service in Des Moines says scattered thunderstorms are possible today over far southern and western Iowa. The focus for thunderstorms will shift to northern Iowa overnight before ending on Friday. Saturday will be mostly sunny and warm ahead of a system that will impact the state Sunday and Monday. Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to develop Sunday afternoon into Monday. Large hail, damaging winds and even a few tornadoes will be possible with this activity. Wednesday set the Iowa tornado free consecutive day streak with 356 straight days.

Convicts who’re guilty of many aggravated misdemeanors in Iowa will have to submit a D-N-A sample after July 1st. That’s when the bill Governor Terry Branstad signed into law Wednesday goes into effect. “Justice is a balance and I believe that DNA is a valuable tool that can help us both convict people that have committed dangerous crimes and also exonerate people that have been convicted of crimes they didn’t commit,” Branstad told reporters. Representative Clel Baudler, a Republican from Greenfield who is a retired state trooper, has been trying to pass this law since 2003. “I’ve been opposed by the extreme left and the extreme right and this year we kind of whipped ’em,” Baudler says.

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller predicts a “significant number of cases” will be solved with the D-N-A evidence that will be collected. “We can look a little bit to New York. It’s a little different state, but it gives us some idea,” Miller says. “Since 2006 when they went into the misdemeanor field, they solved and had matches for 965 cases — 51 of which were murder cases.”  People convicted of third offense drunk driving and aggravated misdemeanors involving assault, drug crimes and burglary will now have to submit a D-N-A sample to authorities. “The experience has been that for some sort of property crimes — larceny crimes — for some reason there is a significant match to violent crimes,” Miller says.

Felons in Iowa’s prison system have been required to submit their D-N-A for years. Supporters of expanding D-N-A collection to those guilty of aggravated misdemeanors say it may help solve some future crimes. Critics call it a violation of civil liberties, as the D-N-A evidence won’t be erased from the database once a criminal has paid his or her debt to society by serving their time, paying their fines to the court and paying restitution to their victims.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa legislators have approved a compromise budget plan for the state justice system.  On Wednesday, lawmakers in the state House and Senate approved $547 million in spending that largely goes to prisons and public safety.

The budget plan is an increase over the spending in the current fiscal year. It is more than the $534 million proposed by the House and less than the $560 million pushed by the Senate.  It includes some of the funding sought by Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller to regionalize state domestic abuse and sexual assault assistance. Miller wants to shut down some domestic abuse shelters and hire more advocates to assist victims. Miller had wanted $6 million and the plan offers nearly $4 million.

Next, the plan moves to the governor’s office.

An Atlantic Middle School student was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, after a light fixture in a recently renovated classroom broke loose and fell from the ceiling at around 9-a.m., Wednesday.

School officials said two students suffered from scratches, while another had a bump on the head. The trio were treated by the school nurse. One was subsequently transported to the hospital for additional examination and treatment. The classroom was evacuated while the general contractor examined the remaining light fixtures to find out how the incident occurred.  

A traffic stop late Wednesday night in Montgomery County has resulted in the arrest of a minor female on alcohol charges. Sheriff’s Officials say 17-year old Cheryl Ann Hallcock, of Elliott, was arrested at around 11:10-p.m. on a charge of OWI/1st Offense. The teen was processed at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center before being released to the custody of her mother.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Engineers at Iowa State University are working on a way to make wind turbine towers taller by building them from concrete instead of the steel currently used. Increasing tower height to about 328 feet from the current 260 feet would mean steadier less turbulent wind conditions and longer turbine blades. ISU Professor Sri Sritharan says those changes could increase energy production by 15 percent.

He says the work he’s done with engineering graduate student Grant Schmitz and other engineers at Iowa State shows towers made of precast concrete panels and columns withstand necessary stresses. He says the concrete towers would last longer than steel towers and would be easier to transport. A $109,000 Grow Iowa Values Fund grant from the state helped fund the research which is ongoing.