News from home

Private forensics firm to assist crime labs

LITTLE ROCK - A private forensics lab specializing in DNA testing opened in Little Rock on Thursday, and the company is expected to help state crime labs across the U.S. cut down on their backlogs.

The small company, called Arkansas Genomics, also aims to work with attorneys preparing for trials and people seeking paternity tests.

"The bulk of our work will probably come from out of the state," said Jimmy Threet, a DNA analyst who founded the company.

The company held its grand opening Thursday but won't start testing until it gets accreditation, which is expected in November, said Berch Henry, the company's lab director.

Illinois

WWII landing craft visiting 2 river towns

PEORIA - A restored World War II U.S. Navy landing craft will dock in two Illinois River towns over the next weekend and offer tours to the public.

The USS LST 325 arrived in Peoria on Thursday. It will head to Henry and stay there through Tuesday before traveling back down the river to Peoria for a stay through Sept. 12.

The craft was used in North Africa and Europe during World War II. It ferried troops and supplies to France in the days and weeks after the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

LST 325's home port is in Evansville, Ind. The town produced landing craft during the war.

Iowa

Tweet threat on college gets student, 18, arrested

DES MOINES - A Twitter post that read like someone wanted to shoot up a Des Moines Area Community College campus prompted police to question and charge an 18-year-old student.

His post: "Who wants to shoot up the DMACC Ankeny campus the same time I shoot up the Urban campus?"

The student, Paul George Jr., told police on Friday that he was only joking.

College President Rob Denson told The Des Moines Register that after officials looked at George's background, the post didn't seem like a credible threat. But, Denson told the Register, the college has "a zero-tolerance policy in matters of this kind."

George has been charged with first-degree harassment.

Louisiana

18 deadbeat parents owe $945K, state figures show

BATON ROUGE - The Department of Children and Family Services has published its "Most Wanted" poster, a list of 18 non-custodial parents who owe nearly $945,000.

The poster, which features individuals owing at least $10,000 who have not paid child support in at least six months, includes a photo, last known address, number of children and how much each owes.

Topping the list again this year is Richard C. Miller, a 51-year-old electrician last known to live in Chesterton, Ind., who has not paid more than $128,220 in court-ordered child support for his five children.

Louisiana's unpaid child support to DCFS totals more than $1.2 billion. There are more than 53,000 cases of unpaid child support in the state.

Michigan

World Trade Center girder installed at fire station

FRANKENMUTH - A girder from the World Trade Center wreckage now stands outside a Michigan fire department as a memorial to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The Saginaw News reported that the 10-foot-long, 930-pound piece of metal was installed Friday in Frankenmuth, southeast of Saginaw. A ceremony is scheduled on Sept. 11.

The girder sits on a pedestal with markers showing photos of the collapsing World Trade Center towers after hijackers flew two passenger planes into them a decade ago.

A third plane was crashed into the Pentagon in Washington D.C., while a fourth crashed in Pennsylvania as passengers fought with hijackers.

Minnesota

Woman finds intruders, one trying on her clothes

WINONA - A Winona woman came home to find two teens playing dress-up in her bedroom, police said.

The woman told investigators she came home last weekend and noticed that a window leading from the porch to the living room had been opened. She said she went into her bedroom and found a boy and a girl who appeared to be in their teens.

Police Sgt. Chris Nelson said the girl was trying on the woman's clothes and jewelry, while the boy "just stood there."

Nelson said that when they saw the woman, the girl took off the clothes and jewelry, and the pair fled out a side door.

The woman wasn't immediately sure whether anything was missing.

Missouri

Teen held in 160 break-ins of vehicles in a month

TROY - An eastern Missouri teenager was jailed and accused of breaking into more than 160 vehicles - in one month.

KSDK-TV reported that 19-year-old Joseph Walker III of Winfield reportedly confessed to the crimes. He faces several counts of theft and is jailed on $35,000 cash-only bond. He did not yet have an attorney.

Lincoln County authorities said they had been looking for an older model black GMC Sonoma pickup truck caught on camera at a restaurant in Troy. Someone in the vehicle used a stolen credit card.

Walker was arrested Friday. Authorities said he confessed during interviews, saying he worked alone in committing the break-ins.

Wisconsin

La Crosse program helps heroes with housing

LA CROSSE - A program new in La Crosse helps hometown heroes purchase, sell or refinance a house.

Real estate agents, insurers, home inspectors and others offer their services for free to people that meet the criteria of a hero.

The program has a wide definition of a hero. It might be veterans, military members, police officers, firefighters, teachers or health care workers.

Tri-State paramedic Crystal Johnson was able to purchase a home for herself and her three children with help from the program. Johnson said she doesn't consider herself a hero, but is appreciative to have help with the first home she bought on her own.

WKBT-TV said the program was created by a group of Minnesota business owners in 2002 who were inspired by the heroes of Sept. 11.

The Associated Press