2B • FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2014 OMAHA WORLD-HERALD MIDLANDS Britt and Davis said the two got out of a van down the street from the Avalos home and were gone for several minutes. Davis came back first. Then Britt re- turned. One of the wom- en said he was breathing hard, wearing gloves and had a handkerchief covering his face. Davis repeatedly made comments impli- cating Britt. “Cuz went crazy,” he said, accord- ing to the women. Pankonin said there was ample evidence that Britt “participated in the very heinous murder of the Avalos family.” She noted that Britt had a history, dating back to his teens, of violent acts. A sexual assault of an underage girl. A domestic assault. An assault he committed while in jail. “It’s clear you are a very violent person,” Pankonin said. Contact the writer: 402-444-1275, [email protected] Britt: Judge notes his history of violence Continued from Page 1 ference, the stationery he used and the utilities in the people’s office,” Powers said. The university’s previous president, J.B. Milliken, left in April to become chancellor at the City University of New York. His base salary when he left was about $421,000, more than four times what the governor earns. Nebraska statutes say that a public official or public employ- ee shouldn’t use — or autho- rize use — of state personnel, resources, property or funds for personal financial gain. The law makes an exception for any use that’s incidental. Outside of specific laws, there are still general ethical ques- tions raised by this situation, said Hana Callaghan, director of governmental ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. The biggest question is wheth- er there was an abuse of the office while the governor was pursuing this job and using state resources to do it. “You start with a general premise that a public official has a duty of loyalty, and that includes a duty to put the public interest above his own and avoid the appearance of impropriety,” Callaghan said. “In this scenario, it could be said there is the ap- pearance of a potential conflict.” Heineman said at the Wednes- day press conference that he was making his application pub- lic in the interest of transparen- cy. The term-limited governor leaves office in January. Contact the writer: [email protected] 402-444-3185, twitter.com/katehowardperry Ethics: Heineman’s bid raises questions Continued from Page 1 Faculty members fear losing a role in selecting chancellors and deans on university’s campuses BY JULIE ANDERSON WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER A number of University of Nebraska faculty members are objecting to proposed changes to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents’ bylaws that they say would reduce their in- volvement in selecting adminis- trators on individual campuses. Ken Nickerson, the Universi- ty of Nebraska-Lincoln Faculty Senate’s new president, said members are not targeting the process being used to select a new NU president. Their objections go to the process that would be used to select chancellors, vice chan- cellors and deans on individual campuses. They plan to ask the regents during their meeting today to table the matter until October and to separate the processes used to select the president from that used to choose cam- pus administrators. “We would like to work with them,” Nickerson said, “and part of that is participation in the selection of the administra- tors on the campuses.” According to current bylaws, the elected heads of faculty and student governments provide lists of faculty and students for administrators to choose from when creating advisory com- mittees to select candidates for campus administrative posts. The proposed changes appear to eliminate that provision, and one that would allow the advisory committee to assist in reviewing applica- tions. Nickerson said the UNL Faculty Senate only recently learned of the proposal. The new Faculty Senate pres- idents on all four campuses will meet for the first time today. Contact the writer: 402-444-1223, [email protected] NU faculty fights altering regents bylaws WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE COUNCIL BLUFFS — Several administrators in the Council Bluffs Community Schools are playing musical chairs this sum- mer. The school board approved several administrative appoint- ments Tuesday for the 2014-15 school year. Jerri Larson will move from being principal of Walnut Grove Elementary School, which is closing, to become assistant principal at Kirn Middle School. She replaces Melanie Shellberg, who is retiring after 33 years. Larson’s salary will be $99,780 in the new position. Ann Mausbach is leaving as the district’s assistant superin- tendent for curriculum and in- struction to become an associate professor at Creighton Univer- sity. Replacing her will be Corey Vorthmann, currently director of secondary education. He will make $121,000 annually. Replacing Vorthmann is Kerry Newman, an instruction- al coach at Abraham Lincoln High School. Her salary will be $112,000. Bloomer Elementary School Principal Doreen Knuth will become principal of Carter Lake Elementary School after Principal Bill Huggett retired to return to the classroom. Knuth’s salary will be $98,540. At Lewis & Clark Elemen- tary, Amy Glime will replace Principal Casey Moran, who will take over for Knuth at Bloom- er. Glime will earn a salary of $75,411, while Moran will earn $81,920 annually. Council Bluffs district shuffles administrators BY MIKE BROWNLEE WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE COUNCIL BLUFFS — A Council Bluffs man was arrest- ed after a standoff Tuesday. The Southern Iowa Fugitive Task Force tried to serve an ar- rest warrant on a man who lives at 2126 Sixth Ave. about 11 a.m., according to the Council Bluffs Police Department. The man, Daniel E. Hannan, 39, was uncooperative when the task force arrived, Bluffs Police Lt. Dan Flores said. During initial contact, a task force member fired a shot and Hannan retreated into the house, according to a Police Department press release. The police negotiation unit and other agencies were called. About 12:15 p.m., officers en- tered the residence and arrested the man after a brief conver- sation. He was taken out of the house and attended to by Coun- cil Bluffs Rescue personnel, then taken to a hospital where he was treated for a gunshot wound to his upper right arm. According to a Police Depart- ment press release, Hannan was shot by a task force member who is part of the U.S. Marshals Service for the Southern Dis- trict of Iowa. The Council Bluffs Police Department is investigating the shooting. Before the man’s arrest, a crying woman was escorted away from the house. Flores said the woman had not been held against her will. COUNCIL BLUFFS Man wounded in standoff is arrested DES MOINES (AP) — A woman has filed a lawsuit against an Iowa skydiving company and pilot following the death of her husband, who fell to his death from a plane. Attorneys for Cindy Kidrowski, of Brooklyn, Iowa, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Poweshiek County, according to the Des Moines Register. The suit follows the Aug. 16 death of Wayne Kidrowski, 56, who was a passenger on a small aircraft owned by Brook- lyn-based Skydive Iowa, flying from Brooklyn to Grinnell. Cindy Kidrowski is seeking damages for “loss of spousal support” as well as a loss of enjoyment of life and “pre- impact terror.” The suit also calls for punitive damages to punish the plaintiffs for negli- gent or reckless behavior. Plaintiffs named in the suit are Skydive Iowa; company owner Bruce Kennedy; and pilot Andrew Arthur. Kennedy declined to comment, and Ar- thur could not be reached. Wayne Kidrowski was told to wear a parachute, though he had no intention of skydiving, when he went up in the Cessna 206 plane, the lawsuit says. The parachute deployed during the flight when the plane was at more than 1,000 feet. A door on the plane’s right side had been removed, and a “roll-up” style door wasn’t being used, leaving the space open. The wind caught the material of the deployed parachute and pulled Kidrow- ski from the aircraft. “Wayne Kidrowski would not have been pulled from the aircraft and killed if he had not been required to wear a para- chute,” the lawsuit states. Kidrowski had two daugh- ters and two grandchildren. He worked at a grain storage operation in Brooklyn. Iowa skydive company sued in man’s fatal fall WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE DENISON, Iowa — After serving just three months of a 10-year prison sentence for theft, former Denison Fire Chief Michael Todd McKin- non had his sentence and fine suspended and was released last week on three years of probation. McKinnon, 43, was charged with theft in December 2011 after an investigation identi- fied nearly $96,000 in question- able Fire Department spending from 2005 to 2010. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in March 2013. McKinnon lost an appeal of his sentence in January. McKinnon served as Deni- son’s first paid fire chief from Jan. 18, 1999, to Jan. 3, 2010. He resigned to move to New Mexico to teach fire science at San Juan College in Farm- ington. He resigned there last March after being sentenced, according to an article in a Farmington newspaper. McKinnon still must pay restitution of $10,265.53 to the City of Denison and $8,467.21 to the Crawford County EMS Association. Ex-fire chief in prison for theft freed on probation COUNCIL BLUFFS — The murder trial of James Cain Harris has been delayed. Harris, 36, of Council Bluffs, faces first-degree murder charges in the 2003 stabbing of Nelson Alvarez-Hernandez. His jury trial was set to begin Wednesday but was delayed until June 24, said Jon Jacobmeier of the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office. Alvarez-Hernandez died after a fight on July 31, 2003, outside a home at 1613 S. 13th St. The case went cold until late last year, when authorities were able to tie Thom- as J. Sanchez, 47, of La Vista to the case using a DNA profile. Police arrested Sanchez in January and Harris in March. Sanchez is scheduled to go to trial on July 8. — World-Herald News Service Murder trial in 2003 case delayed until June IOWA Ex-city attorney must pay restitution in overbilling case INDIANOLA — A former Indianola city attorney has been ordered to pay the city $35,333 in restitution after being found guilty of fraudulently overbilling the city. The restitution order comes after John Hoyman was sentenced in February to 10 years in prison for the fraudulent billing. Hoyman was arrested in May 2013 after a state audit discovered that Hoyman had put names of fake clients on bills that he was submitting to the city. The audit said Hoyman filed nearly $91,000 in overbillings to the city during a six-year period. Hoyman acknowledged using fake names from the phone book on his invoices, but said he never got any money he didn’t deserve from the city. Hoyman is appealing. — AP Woman’s driving lesson takes wrong turn into pond DES MOINES — Authorities say a woman who was getting a driving lesson accidentally drove her minivan into a Des Moines pond. Crews from the Des Moines Fire Department found the partially submerged minivan in a pond at Water Works Park on Thursday. The driver and a passenger escaped without injury. Officials said the passenger was teaching the woman how to drive. — AP Worker who leſt assisted living residents pleads guilty MASON CITY — Sentencing for a Rudd woman accused of abandoning assisted living center residents has been set for July after she pleaded guilty to several charges in the case. Debra Jean Ihrig, 54, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Cerro Gordo County District Court to three counts: neglect or abandonment of a dependent person, wanton neglect of a dependent adult and third-degree theft. In exchange for her plea, 13 other counts were dropped. Authorities said Ihrig left 15 residents alone on April 5 at County Meadow Place Assisted Living. She was the only staff person on duty. Her sentencing is set for July 7. — AP Jefferson casino plan draws hundreds to 5-hour hearing JEFFERSON — A plan to build a $40 million casino in the Green County city of Jefferson drew hundreds of people to a public hearing before the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. About 500 people attended the five-hour hearing Thursday, and most of the 70 speakers favored the proposal. They pointed to the estimated 325 jobs the casino would bring to the western Iowa community. The commission is expected to vote on the plan June 12 in Burlington. Plans call for a casino resort with restaurants, a conference center and a hotel in Jefferson, a city of about 4,200 people. — AP Man faces prison, fine with plea to bankruptcy fraud CEDAR RAPIDS — A Montour man faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced later this year for bankruptcy fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa said Jay Freese, 51, pleaded guilty and was convicted Wednesday of hiding assets from his creditors. Freese had filed for bankruptcy protection in September 2009 and was required to disclose all of his assets. Freese admitted Wednesday that he kept a skid loader and a tractor he had claimed to have sold. Freese also faces a fine of up to $250,000. — AP Man charged with stealing specialized wheelchairs CEDAR RAPIDS — Police have arrested a Cedar Rapids man suspected of stealing wheelchairs from an organization that holds sports and recreation activities for those with disabilities. Rick Allen Smith, 39, is charged with felony theft and criminal mischief. Police said officers searched Smith’s house and found stolen property, including the wheelchairs. Investigators said most of the chairs had been chopped up and destroyed. The arrest comes after Sportability of Iowa reported its trailer, packed with a dozen specialized wheelchairs worth $36,000 to $60,000, was stolen in December from the parking lot of Stoney Point YMCA in Cedar Rapids. — AP Iowa workers arrested on identity fraud suspicion WEVER — Authorities in southeast Iowa have arrested 12 workers at the construction site of a fertilizer plant on suspicion of identity fraud. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement say officers arrested the employees Thursday as they traveled on buses to a safety meeting for the Iowa Fertilizer Company. Sheriff Jim Sholl said 12 individuals on the buses did not have proper documentation. Authorities say the arrests were made following an anonymous tip. Records show that the Iowa Fertilizer Company is a subsidiary of Orascom Construction Industries. It is building a $1.8 billion fertilizer plant near Wever that’s expected to be completed in 2015. A message for Orascom was not immediately returned Thursday night. — AP Former Newton doctor gets 5 years on drug charges DES MOINES — A former Newton doctor has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for carelessly prescribing controlled substances to addicted patients. Lafayette Twyner Jr. received the sentence Thursday. He was also ordered to three years of home confinement after he finishes his prison sentence. Twyner, 65, pleaded guilty in February to felony charges of health care fraud and illegally distributing a prescription drug resulting in death. A plea deal dropped more than 100 other charges. Twyner’s clinic was raided in 2011 after authorities investigated claims that he was prescribing large quantities pf painkillers without taking basic precautions. Since then, he has surrendered his federal drug- prescribing permit and his state medical license. — AP Boil order liſted for Tiffin; tap water deemed safe to use TIFFIN — A boil order has been lifted for the eastern Iowa community of Tiffin. City Administrator Michon Jackson canceled the order Thursday afternoon. It means residents can return to drinking and using their tap water. The three-day boil order took effect Wednesday, as officials replaced a defective mixer in a new water tower. The announcement Thursday means the order was lifted ahead of schedule. — AP METRO AREA Bluffs church to hold benefit for member with cancer A church will hold a benefit Saturday for member Jessica Greer of Council Bluffs, who is receiving treatment for cancer. The supper and raffles will run from 4 to 7 p.m. at Gethsemane Presbyterian Church, 224 Wallace Ave. Visitors will have an opportunity to buy tickets for themed baskets that will be raffled off, said Paula Woods, one of the organizers. A meal of hamburgers and hot dogs will be served, and activities will be offered for children. Greer’s cancer was discovered in November 2012 and has spread, Woods said. Proceeds will go to Greer and her husband, Rob, who recently celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary, to help cover medical costs and other expenses. — World-Herald News Service Council Bluffs approves new Fire Department chief Council Bluffs made some history Thursday. At age 37, Justin James became the youngest fire chief in city history, according to City Councilwoman Lynne Branigan. “I did some research, and you’re the youngest to be sworn in,” she told James during a special council meeting at which all five members approved Mayor Matt Walsh’s selection of James for the Fire Department’s top position. “You bestowed upon me the greatest honor a fireman could ever have,” James said. James takes over the fire chief’s position on a permanent basis from Alan Byers, who retired last year. — World-Herald News Service @OWHCrime Want to stay on top of the latest public safety news as it breaks? Follow The World- Herald’s crime reporting team on Twitter, at @OWHCrime. While you’re there, don’t forget to follow our public safety reporters @OWHmaggie, @KevinColeOWH and @eclarridge. BRIEFLY
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2B • FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2014 OMAHA WORLD-HERALDMIDLANDS
Britt and Davis saidthe two got out of a vandown the street fromthe Avalos home andwere gone for severalminutes. Davis cameback first. Then Britt re-turned. One of the wom-en said he was breathinghard, wearing glovesand had a handkerchiefcovering his face.
Davis repeatedlymade comments impli-cating Britt. “Cuz wentcrazy,” he said, accord-ing to the women.
Pankonin said therewas ample evidence thatBritt “participated in thevery heinous murder ofthe Avalos family.”
She noted that Britthad a history, datingback to his teens, ofviolent acts. A sexualassault of an underagegirl. A domestic assault.An assault he committedwhile in jail.
“It’s clear you are avery violent person,”Pankonin said.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1275, [email protected]
Britt: Judge notes hishistory of violenceContinued from Page 1
ference, the stationery he usedand the utilities in the people’soffice,” Powers said.
The university’s previouspresident, J.B. Milliken, left inApril to become chancellor atthe City University of New York.His base salary when he left wasabout $421,000, more than fourtimes what the governor earns.
Nebraska statutes say that apublic official or public employ-ee shouldn’t use — or autho-rize use — of state personnel,resources, property or funds forpersonal financial gain. The lawmakes an exception for any usethat’s incidental.
Outside of specific laws, thereare still general ethical ques-tions raised by this situation,said Hana Callaghan, directorof governmental ethics at theMarkkula Center for AppliedEthics at Santa Clara University.
The biggest question is wheth-er there was an abuse of theoffice while the governor waspursuing this job and using stateresources to do it.
“You start with a generalpremise that a public officialhas a duty of loyalty, and thatincludes a duty to put the publicinterest above his own and avoidthe appearance of impropriety,”Callaghan said. “In this scenario,it could be said there is the ap-pearance of a potential conflict.”
Heineman said at the Wednes-day press conference that hewas making his application pub-lic in the interest of transparen-cy. The term-limited governorleaves office in January.
Contact the writer: [email protected], twitter.com/katehowardperry
Ethics:Heineman’s bidraises questionsContinued from Page 1
Faculty members fearlosing a role in selectingchancellors and deanson university’s campuses
BY JULIE ANDERSON
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
A number of University ofNebraska faculty members areobjecting to proposed changesto the University of NebraskaBoard of Regents’ bylaws thatthey say would reduce their in-volvement in selecting adminis-trators on individual campuses.
Ken Nickerson, the Universi-ty of Nebraska-Lincoln FacultySenate’s new president, said
members are not targeting theprocess being used to select anew NU president.
Their objections go to theprocess that would be used toselect chancellors, vice chan-cellors and deans on individualcampuses.
They plan to ask the regentsduring their meeting today totable the matter until Octoberand to separate the processesused to select the presidentfrom that used to choose cam-pus administrators.
“We would like to work withthem,” Nickerson said, “andpart of that is participation inthe selection of the administra-tors on the campuses.”
According to current bylaws,the elected heads of faculty and
student governments provide
lists of faculty and students for
administrators to choose from
when creating advisory com-
mittees to select candidates for
campus administrative posts.
The proposed changes
appear to eliminate that
provision, and one that would
allow the advisory committee
to assist in reviewing applica-
tions. Nickerson said the UNL
Faculty Senate only recently
learned of the proposal.
The new Faculty Senate pres-
idents on all four campuses will
meet for the first time today.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1223, [email protected]
NU facultyfightsaltering regentsbylaws
WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE
COUNCIL BLUFFS — Severaladministrators in the CouncilBluffs Community Schools areplaying musical chairs this sum-mer. The school board approvedseveral administrative appoint-ments Tuesday for the 2014-15school year.
Jerri Larson will move frombeing principal of Walnut GroveElementary School, which isclosing, to become assistantprincipal at Kirn Middle School.She replaces Melanie Shellberg,who is retiring after 33 years.Larson’s salary will be $99,780 inthe new position.
Ann Mausbach is leaving asthe district’s assistant superin-tendent for curriculum and in-struction to become an associateprofessor at Creighton Univer-
sity. Replacing her will be CoreyVorthmann, currently directorof secondary education. He willmake $121,000 annually.
Replacing Vorthmann isKerry Newman, an instruction-al coach at Abraham LincolnHigh School. Her salary will be$112,000.
Bloomer Elementary SchoolPrincipal Doreen Knuth willbecome principal of CarterLake Elementary School afterPrincipal Bill Huggett retired toreturn to the classroom. Knuth’ssalary will be $98,540.
At Lewis & Clark Elemen-tary, Amy Glime will replacePrincipal Casey Moran, who willtake over for Knuth at Bloom-er. Glime will earn a salary of$75,411, while Moran will earn$81,920 annually.
Council Bluffs districtshuffles administrators
BY MIKE BROWNLEE
WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE
COUNCIL BLUFFS — ACouncil Bluffs man was arrest-ed after a standoff Tuesday.
The Southern Iowa FugitiveTask Force tried to serve an ar-rest warrant on a man who livesat 2126 Sixth Ave. about 11 a.m.,according to the Council BluffsPolice Department.
The man, Daniel E. Hannan,39, was uncooperative when thetask force arrived, Bluffs PoliceLt. Dan Flores said.
During initial contact, atask force member fired a shotand Hannan retreated into thehouse, according to a PoliceDepartment press release.
The police negotiation unitand other agencies were called.
About 12:15 p.m., officers en-tered the residence and arrestedthe man after a brief conver-sation. He was taken out of thehouse and attended to by Coun-cil Bluffs Rescue personnel,then taken to a hospital wherehe was treated for a gunshotwound to his upper right arm.
According to a Police Depart-ment press release, Hannan wasshot by a task force memberwho is part of the U.S. MarshalsService for the Southern Dis-trict of Iowa.
The Council Bluffs PoliceDepartment is investigating theshooting.
Before the man’s arrest, acrying woman was escortedaway from the house. Floressaid the woman had not beenheld against her will.
COUNCIL BLUFFS
Man wounded instandoff is arrested
DES MOINES (AP) — Awoman has filed a lawsuitagainst an Iowa skydivingcompany and pilot followingthe death of her husband, whofell to his death from a plane.
Attorneys for CindyKidrowski, of Brooklyn, Iowa,filed the lawsuit Tuesday inPoweshiek County, accordingto the Des Moines Register.
The suit follows the Aug.16 death of Wayne Kidrowski,56, who was a passenger on asmall aircraft owned by Brook-lyn-based Skydive Iowa, flyingfrom Brooklyn to Grinnell.
Cindy Kidrowski is seekingdamages for “loss of spousalsupport” as well as a loss ofenjoyment of life and “pre-impact terror.” The suit alsocalls for punitive damages topunish the plaintiffs for negli-gent or reckless behavior.
Plaintiffs named in the suitare Skydive Iowa; companyowner Bruce Kennedy; and
pilot Andrew Arthur. Kennedydeclined to comment, and Ar-thur could not be reached.
Wayne Kidrowski was toldto wear a parachute, though hehad no intention of skydiving,when he went up in the Cessna206 plane, the lawsuit says.
The parachute deployedduring the flight when theplane was at more than 1,000feet. A door on the plane’sright side had been removed,and a “roll-up” style doorwasn’t being used, leaving thespace open. The wind caughtthe material of the deployedparachute and pulled Kidrow-ski from the aircraft.
“Wayne Kidrowski wouldnot have been pulled from theaircraft and killed if he had notbeen required to wear a para-chute,” the lawsuit states.
Kidrowski had two daugh-ters and two grandchildren.He worked at a grain storageoperation in Brooklyn.
Iowaskydive companysued inman’s fatal fall
WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE
DENISON, Iowa — Afterserving just three months ofa 10-year prison sentence fortheft, former Denison FireChief Michael Todd McKin-non had his sentence and finesuspended and was releasedlast week on three years ofprobation.
McKinnon, 43, was chargedwith theft in December 2011after an investigation identi-fied nearly $96,000 in question-able Fire Department spendingfrom 2005 to 2010.
He pleaded guilty and wassentenced in March 2013.
McKinnon lost an appeal of hissentence in January.
McKinnon served as Deni-son’s first paid fire chief fromJan. 18, 1999, to Jan. 3, 2010.He resigned to move to NewMexico to teach fire scienceat San Juan College in Farm-ington.
He resigned there lastMarch after being sentenced,according to an article in aFarmington newspaper.
McKinnon still must payrestitution of $10,265.53 to theCity of Denison and $8,467.21to the Crawford County EMSAssociation.
Ex-fire chief in prison fortheft freedonprobation
COUNCIL BLUFFS — The murder trialof James Cain Harris has been delayed.
Harris, 36, of Council Bluffs, facesfirst-degree murder charges in the 2003stabbing of Nelson Alvarez-Hernandez.His jury trial was set to begin Wednesdaybut was delayed until June 24, said JonJacobmeier of the Pottawattamie CountyAttorney’s Office.
Alvarez-Hernandez died after a fighton July 31, 2003, outside a home at 1613S. 13th St.
The case went cold until late last year,when authorities were able to tie Thom-as J. Sanchez, 47, of La Vista to the caseusing a DNA profile.
Police arrested Sanchez in January andHarris in March. Sanchez is scheduled togo to trial on July 8.—World-Herald News Service
Murder trial in2003casedelayeduntil June
IOWA
Ex-city attorneymust payrestitution in overbilling caseINDIANOLA — A formerIndianola city attorney has beenordered to pay the city $35,333in restitution after being foundguilty of fraudulently overbillingthe city.The restitution order comesafter John Hoyman wassentenced in February to 10years in prison for the fraudulentbilling.Hoyman was arrested inMay 2013 after a state auditdiscovered that Hoyman had putnames of fake clients on billsthat he was submitting to thecity. The audit said Hoyman filednearly $91,000 in overbillings tothe city during a six-year period.Hoyman acknowledged usingfake names from the phonebook on his invoices, but said henever got any money he didn’tdeserve from the city.Hoyman is appealing. — AP
Woman’s driving lessontakes wrong turn into pondDES MOINES — Authoritiessay a woman who was getting adriving lesson accidentally droveher minivan into a Des Moinespond.Crews from the Des MoinesFire Department found thepartially submerged minivan ina pond at Water Works Park onThursday.The driver and a passengerescaped without injury. Officialssaid the passenger was teachingthe woman how to drive. — AP
Worker who left assistedliving residents pleads guiltyMASON CITY — Sentencingfor a Rudd woman accusedof abandoning assisted livingcenter residents has been setfor July after she pleaded guiltyto several charges in the case.Debra Jean Ihrig, 54, pleadedguilty Wednesday in Cerro GordoCounty District Court to threecounts: neglect or abandonmentof a dependent person, wantonneglect of a dependent adult andthird-degree theft.In exchange for her plea, 13other counts were dropped.Authorities said Ihrig left 15residents alone on April 5 atCounty Meadow Place AssistedLiving. She was the only staffperson on duty. Her sentencingis set for July 7. — AP
Jefferson casino plan drawshundreds to 5-hour hearingJEFFERSON — A plan to build a$40 million casino in the GreenCounty city of Jefferson drewhundreds of people to a publichearing before the Iowa Racingand Gaming Commission.About 500 people attended thefive-hour hearing Thursday, andmost of the 70 speakers favoredthe proposal. They pointed to theestimated 325 jobs the casinowould bring to the western Iowacommunity.The commission is expectedto vote on the plan June 12 inBurlington.Plans call for a casino resortwith restaurants, a conferencecenter and a hotel in Jefferson,a city of about 4,200 people.— AP
Man faces prison, fine withplea to bankruptcy fraudCEDAR RAPIDS — A Montourman faces up to five years inprison when he is sentencedlater this year for bankruptcyfraud.The U.S. Attorney’s Office forthe Northern District of Iowa saidJay Freese, 51, pleaded guiltyand was convicted Wednesday ofhiding assets from his creditors.Freese had filed for bankruptcyprotection in September 2009and was required to disclose allof his assets. Freese admittedWednesday that he kept a skidloader and a tractor he hadclaimed to have sold.Freese also faces a fine of upto $250,000. — AP
Man charged with stealingspecialized wheelchairsCEDAR RAPIDS — Policehave arrested a Cedar Rapidsman suspected of stealingwheelchairs from an organizationthat holds sports and recreationactivities for those withdisabilities.Rick Allen Smith, 39, ischarged with felony theft andcriminal mischief.Police said officers searchedSmith’s house and foundstolen property, including thewheelchairs. Investigators saidmost of the chairs had beenchopped up and destroyed.The arrest comes afterSportability of Iowa reportedits trailer, packed with a dozenspecialized wheelchairs worth$36,000 to $60,000, was stolenin December from the parking lotof Stoney Point YMCA in CedarRapids. — AP
Iowaworkers arrestedon identity fraud suspicionWEVER — Authorities insoutheast Iowa have arrested 12workers at the construction siteof a fertilizer plant on suspicionof identity fraud.The Lee County Sheriff’sOffice and U.S. Immigrationand Customs Enforcement sayofficers arrested the employeesThursday as they traveled onbuses to a safety meeting for theIowa Fertilizer Company.Sheriff Jim Sholl said 12individuals on the buses didnot have proper documentation.Authorities say the arrests weremade following an anonymoustip.Records show that theIowa Fertilizer Company isa subsidiary of OrascomConstruction Industries. It isbuilding a $1.8 billion fertilizerplant near Wever that’s expectedto be completed in 2015. Amessage for Orascom was notimmediately returned Thursdaynight. — AP
Former Newton doctor gets5 years on drug chargesDES MOINES — A formerNewton doctor has beensentenced to five years in federalprison for carelessly prescribingcontrolled substances toaddicted patients.Lafayette Twyner Jr. receivedthe sentence Thursday. He wasalso ordered to three yearsof home confinement after hefinishes his prison sentence.Twyner, 65, pleaded guilty inFebruary to felony charges ofhealth care fraud and illegallydistributing a prescription drugresulting in death. A plea dealdropped more than 100 othercharges.Twyner’s clinic was raidedin 2011 after authoritiesinvestigated claims that he wasprescribing large quantities pfpainkillers without taking basicprecautions. Since then, he hassurrendered his federal drug-prescribing permit and his statemedical license. — AP
Boil order lifted for Tiffin; tapwater deemed safe to useTIFFIN — A boil order hasbeen lifted for the eastern Iowacommunity of Tiffin.City Administrator MichonJackson canceled the orderThursday afternoon. It meansresidents can return to drinkingand using their tap water.The three-day boil order tookeffect Wednesday, as officialsreplaced a defective mixerin a new water tower. Theannouncement Thursday meansthe order was lifted ahead ofschedule. — AP
METROAREA
Bluffs church to hold benefitfor member with cancerA church will hold a benefitSaturday for member JessicaGreer of Council Bluffs, who isreceiving treatment for cancer.The supper and raffles will runfrom 4 to 7 p.m. at GethsemanePresbyterian Church, 224Wallace Ave.Visitors will have anopportunity to buy tickets forthemed baskets that will beraffled off, said Paula Woods,one of the organizers. A meal ofhamburgers and hot dogs willbe served, and activities will beoffered for children.Greer’s cancer was discoveredin November 2012 and hasspread, Woods said.Proceeds will go to Greerand her husband, Rob, whorecently celebrated their 10thwedding anniversary, to helpcover medical costs and otherexpenses.—World-Herald News Service
Council Bluffs approvesnew Fire Department chiefCouncil Bluffs made somehistory Thursday.At age 37, Justin Jamesbecame the youngest fire chiefin city history, according to CityCouncilwoman Lynne Branigan.“I did some research, andyou’re the youngest to be swornin,” she told James during aspecial council meeting at whichall five members approved MayorMatt Walsh’s selection of Jamesfor the Fire Department’s topposition.“You bestowed upon me thegreatest honor a fireman couldever have,” James said.James takes over the firechief’s position on a permanentbasis from Alan Byers, whoretired last year.—World-Herald News Service
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