The Iowa Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), along with the Iowa Attorney General’s Office have filed additional charges in the Hot Lotto Ticket Investigation. 46-year old Robert Clark Rhodes II, of Sugar Land, Texas, has been charged with two, Class-D Felony counts of Fraud.

Iowa authorities received assistance from Texas Lottery Enforcement officials in the arrest of Rhodes in Texas last night, March 20, 2015. He is currently being held in the Fort Bend County Jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond and is awaiting extradition proceedings to bring him back to Iowa.

This investigation is on-going by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office with cooperation from the Iowa Lottery.

A traffic stop this (Saturday) morning in Red Oak, resulted in the arrest of a man from northwest Iowa. Red Oak Police say 32-year old Chad Curtis McGonagle, of Ruthven, was pulled over at around 2:45-a.m. at the intersection of West Walnut and North Broadway Streets. During an investigation, McGonagle was found to allegedly be under the influence of a controlled substance.

He’s been charged with OWI-Drugged/1st offense, and was being held at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on $1,000 cash bond. Red Oak Police were assisted at the scene by officers with the Shenandoah Police Department.

A fundraiser is being held for an Atlantic man diagnosed with lung cancer. 65-year old Ron Shipley, of Atlantic, was diagnosed with lung cancer in Oct. 2014.

Ron Shipley

A former Marine who served during the Vietnam War teaching machine gunners at a base located in the U-S. He’s been a resident of Atlantic since 1990. Shipley is currently at Methodist Hospital in Omaha, where he has undergone resection of the lower lobe of his left lung.

In light of a recent local, cancer-related scam, and the public’s skittishness at contributing to persons they may be unfamiliar with,  family friend Sherry Toelle  said she has a written statement from the physician caring for Shipley, confirming the diagnosis and prognosis.

Ron Shipley and his wife Betty are both retired and are drawing Social Security benefits. He worked at Abild’s from 1992-1993, then at Service Master from 1994 to 2000 where he was an area supervisor. In 1995, he went to work at Mahle’s as a plant cleaning supervisor for five years before being employed in the maintenance department at WalMart from 2004-2006. He has suffered from knee problems which have limited his ability to work.

1966 photo of Shipley

While eligible for Medicare, Shipley’s finances do not extend to being able to pay for a Medicare Supplement so he is, therefore, responsible for at least 20% of his cancer treatment costs. Toelle says for anyone who has personally dealt with cancer or has friends/relatives who have had cancer, they know what a financial burden even 2-percent can be.

Learning about his cancer diagnosis, friends decided to try to raise funds for Ron. A special bank account—the Ron Shipley Medical Fund—has been set up at the Great Western Bank at 1407 E. 7th Street in Atlantic. Donors can send checks or take cash to that location for deposit in the benefit account which will be used solely to defray Ron’s medical and incidental expenses. Donation canisters have also been placed throughout Atlantic—at HyVee, Fareway, all three Casey’s, Cappels, Deter Motors, and the Atlantic Animal Health Clinic, to name a few.

The fundraising effort is being sponsored by Friends of Ron Shipley. For more information, contact Sherry at 243-4861 or Kathy Kerns at 243-1109.

A traffic stop Friday in Fremont County led to the arrest of two people on drug charges. Sheriff’s officials say 38-year old Michael Beltran and 31-year old Lacey Smalley were taken into custody. Beltran and Smalley both face charges that include Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Child Endangerment. Beltran was also charged with Driving While Suspended.

Beltran was being held in the Fremont County Jail on $7,600 bond, while Smalley was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $4,300 bond.