SAC CITY, Iowa | A judge on Friday moved John Green's murder trial from Sac City to Fort Dodge in Webster County.

Public defender Charles Kenville requested the change of venue Thursday, saying that it would be hard for Green to receive a fair trial in Sac County. Because of extensive media coverage the case has received and the county's small population, the jury pool would be "... saturated with persons with preformed opinions on this case ...," Kenville said in his motion.

Prosecutors did not resist the request, and District Judge Gary McMinimee ordered the move after a Friday morning pretrial conference.

His trial remains scheduled for Dec. 8 in the new location, 45 miles away.

Green, 55, is charged in Sac County District Court with first-degree murder for the 2009 death of his former roommate, Mark Koster. Green is accused of choking Koster to death in Koster's home. Koster's body was found hidden in the basement in 2012, when the new homeowner was remodeling the basement.

Green was arrested in March in Florida.

Kenville said that during depositions, witnesses have said the case was a topic of general discussion in the community, and Sac County's small population increases the chance that potential jurors have talked about the case with witnesses or Koster's relatives.

Two previous Sac County murder trials were moved to Webster County for similar reasons.

Kenville on Thursday also asked that statements Green made to police after his arrest be suppressed because he was questioned without first being advised of his Miranda rights to counsel. Any statements made before Green was informed of his rights should be considered tainted, Kenville said in his motion to suppress.

McMinimee scheduled a hearing on that motion, and all other pretrial motions yet to be filed, for Nov. 19.

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Sac County murder trial moved to Fort Dodge

Leola, PA (PRWEB) October 30, 2014

Eagle Wings Business Network, LLC offers basement finish and remodeling in the Downingtown Pennsylvania and Wilmington Delaware area. Rueben Stoltzfus and his team of well qualified personnel have over 30 years of experience in construction industry. They work with customers closely to transform their unused basement space; into a living space they are able to entertain guest and unwind from the day.

Eagle Wings Business Network work very closely with their customers, to ensure the customer receives the basement that meets their interest and needs. With the unique and inspired creativity of Eagle Wings Business Network professionals, the possibilities for a basement upgrade or renovation are simply endless.

John H. speaks highly about Eagles Wings Business Network and the experience he had with refinishing his basement.

An advantage to Eagle Wings Business Network is that they have experts in every aspect in finishing a basement. I didnt have to worry about bringing in different independent business; it was all well managed in a professional technique. The communication and the attention to detail was there to serve my needs. Personally, it is important to work with someone you trust and someone that has the communication and the attention to the small details to ensure the project is done correctly.

Eagle Wings Business Network is a well-established business; they specialize in hardscape, landscape, decks, home additions, roofs over decks, and more. Rueben and his team dedicated their careers to creating an outdoor living areas and remodeling customers homes to create an environment they can unwind and entertain their guest.

Eagle Wings Business Network partners with a network of companies to serve their customers with great quality and experience throughout the process of remodeling their home. The network of businesses (Keystone Business Network, KBN) ranges from well qualified flooring professionals to certified electricians. Each business including Eagle Wings Business Network has been in partnership for years to enhance the experience of remodeling each basement. With great relationships between every business the customer is ensured that communication and attention to detail is carried throughout the project. Eagles Wings Business aims to serve their customers with a great experience throughout the remodeling process; in parenting with this network of businesses, Eagle Wings Business Network is sure the customer is completely pleased with the results.

Media Contact Sam Stoltzfus 717-556-0741 info(at)ewbn(dot)net

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EWBN Provides Basement Finishing & Remodeling near Lancaster, Pa

After years of planning and playing musical chairs between buildings, Pitkin County and city of Aspen officials are ready to spend nearly $60 million to rectify space issues in the county courthouse, City Hall and elsewhere.

Under the countys facilities plan, the sheriffs office would move from the courthouse, where it has been located for 130 years, into a new structure immediately west of the jail, County Manager Jon Peacock said Thursday.

The roughly $20 million project calls for a 17,000- to 18,000-square-foot building, and the gutting and remodeling of the courthouse, which will get a third courtroom to handle an increased civil docket. The assessor and treasurer departments also are to be housed in the new building as the courthouse will be completely devoted to judicial services. A public meeting space would be included in the new building as well.

Obviously were short on those because were begging, borrowing and stealing from everyone we can at this point just to hold our regular public meetings, Peacock said, noting that county elections staff have taken over the county commissioners regular meeting room.

A facilities master planning process conducted in 2006 established space deficiencies across the county, particularly in the public safety realm.

If you think about it, the sheriffs department has been in the same building for the last 130 years, Peacock said. The practice and professionalism of law enforcement has changed a lot in that time.

There are different standards for evidence storage, and how and where interviews with victims and witnesses are conducted, for instance. The recession impacted putting the 2006 recommendations into place, but the Nancy Pfister homicide case earlier this year laid bare the current shortcomings of the sheriffs office infrastructure. Witnesses and relatives of the victim often sat in the hallway as other members of the public passed by, and investigators were forced to buy two large shipping containers to store evidence.

Design work for the proposed building is projected for next year, with construction to begin in 2016.

Were serious about addressing these needs, Peacock said.

The city scheme

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Separate public safety buildings being planned for city, county

Construction of a built-in pool in a charming section of Riverton came to a "screaming" stop when a worker discovered a human skull Monday afternoon.

Tuesday, the normally quiet riverfront neighborhood with turn-of-the century mansions was transformed into a crime scene with police, detectives, and an anthropologist studying what appeared to be particularly old remains.

How old? Joel Bewley, spokesman for the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office, could only say "very" old until experts do a thorough analysis to determine the age, gender, identity, and cause of death, and how the skeletal remains got to the spot about six feet deep in the 600 block of Bank Avenue. No coffin or clothing were found.

Although crime scene tape hung from the towering trees that shade a mix of newer and older homes, and a crime scene truck stood by, this might not be a crime scene at all, authorities agreed.

In the early 1800s, the land was being farmed, houses were few, and servants and fishermen were part of the landscape. Monday's discovery, close to Halloween, added to the area's folklore, as conflicting stories were repeated down the grassy lane less than 24 hours after the find.

A pool digger was hacking at the perimeter of the already excavated 20- by 40-foot pool when his shovel met resistance, said David Curzie, an interior painter and a friend of the Zimmermanns, who said he was working when the skull emerged.

"He hit what he thought was a rock and out comes the head," Curzie said. "Then he went screaming out of the hole."

Randy Budd, owner of Budd Pools in Deptford, was not there, but had a different version of events. Workers had finished working on the deep end of the pool and were preparing to install steel supports before concrete could be poured, he said.

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Discovery of remains halts Riverton renovations

If youve thought about remodeling or finishing your basement, you may already have an idea of how you and your loved ones will utilize your new living space. Maybe you want to turn it into a home theater, a playroom for the kids, or even a man cave. While you may already know how youll make use of your finished basement, you may not know how youll go about completing your basement renovation. For a basement remodeling product that has been designed specifically for this area of the home and that offers a wealth of impressive features, turn to the Owens Corning Basement Finishing System. Below are a few of our unique features:

Take a look at the reviews of the Owens Corning Basement Finishing System to see what our past customers have to say about us! To begin the exciting process of remodeling your basement, click here to find a local franchisee installer in your area or call us today at 1-800-Basement.

*While the materials and design of the Owens Corning Basement Finishing System resist mold and mildew, the system cannot prevent or mitigate mold if the conditions necessary for mold growth otherwise exist in your basement.

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Basement Remodeling | Basement Finishing | Owens Corning

Photo: premiernj.net

Do you feel like your home is shrinking? Are the kids growing up and accumulating more stuff? Is your teenager demanding a room of his own? Has the college grad come back to the nest? Are you looking to provide room for an elderly parent or rent out space to help makes ends meet? Regardless of the reason, the space solution may actually be right under your feet.

Basements are typically about one third of the entire homes available space, 600 to 800 sq. ft. in the average home. And while some basements have been finished to create more living area, the majority of these spaces are used as makeshift laundry rooms, home offices, and storage repositories for everything from spare freezers to pantries, paints, and paperwork. In other words, most basements are underused.

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There are definitely benefits to considering a basement remodel: Unlike a room addition, there is no need to excavate for new footings or worry about structural loads. Utilities (including water, electricity, gas and sewer lines) are typically close at hand, further reducing costs. Heating and cooling loads are relatively light for basements. Basements almost always have stairs leading to them, unlike many attics (another popular house expansion candidate).

Converting a basement, however, is not without its challenges. Below-grade spaces are subject to water and moisture, two common enemies of home construction. Mold and mildew are also common, and natural light is limited. Overhead pipes and ductwork can add further challenges, and if you didnt anticipate a bathroom when the house was built, the basement toilet may have to flush up.

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Basement Remodeling Ideas - Bob Vila - BobVila.com

By Katie Aberbach October 26 at 8:15 AM

In his 15 years of working as a home contractor, Michael Holmes has heard it all including the tale of a homeowner who was blindsided when a basement renovation she had submitted an $8,000 down payment for turned out to be a scam.

The contractor dropped off his tools and never came back, says Holmes, the owner of Northeast Washington-based Holmes Handyman. In his toolbox were a brick and a rusty hammer.

Theres always risk involved when you hire a stranger to work in your home. Residential contractors individuals who do repairs and renovations to properties, often with a special focus such as electrical work or plumbing are hired on a job-by-job basis, so its sometimes difficult to predict what the experience might be like. When selecting someone new, a few key considerations will help you choose the right person for the right purpose.

Research and plan

Unless its a simple repair or appliance fix, figure out exactly what type of work you want and need, before you contact any professional, says Joe Normandy, executive director of the Metro D.C. chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. A plan in your head wont cut it (nor will a collection of Pinterest photos). You have to sit down and sculpt out the project on paper, Normandy says.

Be as specific in writing down your plan (or even sketching it) as you can. Get answers ready for the questions youll inevitably be asked, says John Biechman, an Alexandria homeowner who is currently in the middle of a home addition.

The size of your windows, the size of your doors, which wall you want the shower head on, Biechman says. The contractors not going to make it up. Hes going to ask you.

Having everything written down on paper and agreed-upon in advance is also crucial when putting together a contract the more details you have outlined, the less chance of disappointment (and the better protected youll be if things dont go as planned).

You can use online resources to estimate the amount of materials that will be needed and their cost; itll be helpful as you compare bids.

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Confidently pick home contractors with these tips

Helenans dont just like to admire art, they like to make it.

The second annual This is Helena multimedia, community art show has drawn more than 100 entries -- from 20-year-old emerging artists to veteran artists in their 70s.

The opening reception is from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at The Studio Art Center, 650 Logan St., with music by John Dendy and Greg Hayes.

The art show is the brainstorm of Emily Free Wilson and her husband, Matt Wilson, and they were just putting the finishing touches on it Friday morning.

The front gallery space of their new Studio Art Center was bursting with all sorts of colorful and fun sculptures, paintings, pastels and more.

Its been a really great reminder to me of how important art is in our lives, said Emily. Artists have been coming through the front door to drop off their work and sharing stories of how important art is in their life.

Im really happy; were at 100 or 101 pieces, she said.

Its a great opportunity for new artists, or ones new to Helena to show their work, she said. But well-established artists like Richard and Penny Swanson and Robert Harrison wanted to be part of it, too.

One fun example by one of Helenas newer artists is Adam Riggs Sheep Go to Heaven, Goats Go to Hell. His painting, an oversized and ornate playing card, shows a well-dressed and imperial-looking mountain sheep at the top of the card and an equally imperial mountain goat at the bottom -- until you spin the card.

Adam works at a taxidermy on the edge of town, she said. Between his job and his kids, he doesnt have much time to paint.

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Multimedia art show This is Helena opens Saturday

Published: Friday, 10/24/2014 - Updated: 41 seconds ago

BY MARK REITER BLADE STAFF WRITER

Editor's note: This version of the article corrects the operating hours of the West Toledo Library.

A steady stream of patrons with young children and others, many toting books and DVDs, have been in and out of the West Toledo Library this week as the branch reopened after being closed for more than a year.

With its original multicolored slate roof, tudor-style architecture, and exposed wood support beams, the branch in the Five Points-Library Village neighborhood is among the oldest in the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library system

The library at 1320 Sylvania Ave. now ranks among the most technologically advanced branches in the county system and offers patrons renovated, enhanced gathering space and a 2,500-square-foot addition for the new childrens section.

Julie Bursten, branch manager, said parents and children lined up outside the door, eagerly waiting to get through the new back entrance on the first day Monday.

After we changed the sign on the door on Monday to open, there were maybe 10 kids and their parents in here, she said.

Once inside, they got to play, read, and learn among the enchanted forest of one-of-kind sculptured trees, adorned with tiny gnome doors, dragon tail, snails, and birds in the childrens area.

Everyone who comes in wants to know if the doors open. Its very cool, Ms. Bursten said about the eight-foot tall pieces.

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West Toledo Library retains charm

Basement Remodel Renovation South Shore MA - Plymouth
Basement finishing, general contractor for the South Shore, MA As our company name implies, this is one of our top specialties. We love nothing more than to take a basement space that is currently...

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Basement Remodel Renovation South Shore MA - Plymouth - Video