(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who want a crash course in severe weather can be a part of the storm spotter classes starting next month. Meteorologist Allen Curtis, at the National Weather Service in Johnston, says COVID-19 threw a wrench in their training efforts in recent years, but they’re getting back on track now. “We are actually reintroducing some of our in-person spotter training this year,” Curtis says, “but we will also be continuing to do a handful of virtual classes, for people who want to do that.” All sorts of people of all ages can sit in on the courses.

“Whether you have an interest in severe weather, a casual interest in weather, or even if you have a fear of weather and you just want to get more familiar with it,” Curtis says, “this is the kind of class we recommend to the public.” The classes include a multimedia presentation containing information about identifying and reporting severe weather, spotter safety, severe weather climatology in Iowa, thunderstorm structure and threats, and more. Students will learn about derechos, too.

“We’re going to cover a number of things, ranging from recent severe weather — so if people remember December 15th, that’s a big one that we’ll cover,” Curtis says. “We’ll transition into things you can do to stay safe, individually, traveling with your family, things to look for in the sky, and things like how you can prepare at home, what items to have ready.” The courses run about an hour, they’re open to anyone and they’re free.

The first class will be held on March 15th in Adel, with more to follow in cities including: Hampton, Creston, Eldora, Corning, Fort Dodge and Grinnell, in addition to several virtual classes. Learn more at: www.weather.gov/dmx and click on the Storm Spotter link.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Monday, said there were four arrests that took place over the past few days, and one accident investigation. Sunday night, 28-year-old Dakota Shawn McDonald, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a warrant for Theft in the 1st Degree. His bond was set at $10,000. Early Sunday morning, 30-year-old Catalinia Virginia Domingo, of Omaha, was arrested on Bunge Avenue, for Theft in the 1st degree and Assault. Her bond was also set at $10,000.

Saturday evening, 31-year-old Kayla Leigh Wood, of Malvern, was arrested for Ongoing Unlawful Criminal Conduct, and Theft in the 1st Degree. Her bond at the Mills County Jail, was set at $30,000. And, late Friday morning, 37-year-old Tyanna Karee Monrreal-Robles, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pott. County Jail, on a Mills County warrant for Failure to Appear on drug charges. Her bond was set at $10,000.

Sheriff’s officials said also, a woman from Bellevue, NE., was transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, following an accident that occurred at around 1:15-p.m., Thursday. Authorities say 34-year-old Ashley Horn was driving a 2012 Honda westbound on Highway 34, when she lost control of the vehicle. The car entered the eastbound ditch and struck a tree. The sheriff’s report said “The driver [Horn] was in an altered state of mind, so no other information was available.”

(Atlantic) A 34-year old man from Atlantic who was charged with Attempted Murder and Willful Injury Causing Serious Injury and originally plead Not Guilty, has instead entered a plea of guilty to the lesser, Willful Injury, charge. The case against Richard Doss was set to go to trial on March 22^nd. Cass County Attorney Vanessa Strazdas explains why they moved to dismiss the charge of Attempted Murder.

The charge he plead guilty to, Strazdas says, is a forcible felony, which offers no option for probation, or any suspended sentence.

Doss was sentenced Monday (today) to 10-years in prison (indeterminant), meaning he will be eligible for parole before the sentence is completed, most likely within a couple of years, depending on his behavior. Strazdas said Doss and the victim knew each other, and may have worked together. The victim’s name was never publicly released. When asked why Doss accepted the plea agreement, Strazdas said it likely was because he was not being “Hit with a mandatory minimum.”

If the weapon had been a gun, it would have automatically been considered a dangerous weapon. Strazdas said since they couldn’t find the knife to identify, it could not automatically be considered a dangerous weapon.

The incident that resulted in Doss’ arrest happened during the late night hours of December 5th. Doss was arrested without incident a few hours later, following an investigation.

(Stuart, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Stuart was arrested Feb. 21st by Stuart Police. Authorities say 46-year-old Shawn Robert Clark was arrested following an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a woman. The incident reportedly took place at a residence in Stuart the night before. Clark faces charges that include Sexual Abuse in the 3rd Degree for sex acts that were considered forcible, and two counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, after a search warrant executed at Clark’s residence resulted in the recovery of two shot guns, and numerous boxes of loose ammunition.

As a convicted felon – with convictions in Johnson, Linn and Greene Counties – Clark was not legally allowed to own firearms. The weapons and ammo were seized as evidence. Clark was released from the Adair County Jail on Feb. 22nd, after positing a $50,000 cash or surety bond.

Atlantic, Iowa – In conjunction with the Health Resources and Services Administration, officials with Cass Health announced today (Monday), the facility has received its first shipment of free at-home COVID-19 tests for the public. Beginning March 1, individuals can receive up to four free test kits per household. Each test kit includes two tests. Test kits can be picked up from the entrance screeners in Atlantic, or from Registration staff members in Anita, Griswold, and Massena.

The tests can be used by individuals who are mildly to moderately ill but do not feel like their symptoms need to be evaluated by a healthcare professional. If their symptoms and condition worsen, patients are advised to seek care.  These antigen tests can also be used by those who have been exposed to COVID-19 but do not have symptoms.

These at-home tests may be appropriate for some travel-related requirements, but antigen tests are not always the required method of testing. Travelers are urged to check with their airlines and destination regarding testing requirements.

For more information, please visit casshealth.org/covidtesting.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest Sunday evening, of 25-year-old Zachary Dean Sindt, of Neola. He was arrested on an outside agency warrant, when a Pott. County Deputy was making a routine warrant check at an apartment, in Neola. Sindt was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Pott. County Jail. A little after sunrise, Sunday, an inmate at the Pott. County Jail, 39-year-old Anthony Joseph Moreno, of Council Bluffs, was charged with Felony, Possession of Contraband (A weapon) in a Correctional Facility. Bond on that charge was set at $5,000. Moreno was also being held on $300 bond for a previous charge of Domestic Abuse Assault.

Friday afternoon, a man who came into the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office to retrieve some Civil Papers, was arrested on a Council Bluffs Police warrant for Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree. 29-year-old Jeffery Lee Harris was subsequently turned over to Corrections Staff. Early Friday morning, a Deputy dispatched to the scene of a person sleeping at the wheel on I-80 eastbound, at Exit 34. When the Deputy arrived, a man was seen trying to wake the female driver.

As the Deputy approached, he noticed the vehicle’s engine was still running and the driver had an odor of alcoholic beverage on her breath. After she was told to move her vehicle off the traveled portion of the road, the woman, 30-year-old Jasmine Marie-Diamond Saunders, was transported to Love’s Truck Stop just around the corner, and given a Field Sobriety Test. Afterward, Saunders was arrested for OWI/1st offense, and Driving While License Suspended, Canceled or Revoked.

The Glenwood (Iowa) Police Department reports 32-year-old Ashley Bolton, of Glenwood, was arrested Friday, for Domestic Abuse Assault, and Interference with Official Acts. Bolton was being held in the Mills County Jail without bond, until seen by a magistrate judge.

(Radio Iowa) – Reynolds has ordered the state agency that controls wholesale liquor sales in Iowa to pull vodka made in Russia from the for-sale list. Governors in New Hampshire and other states have also pulled Russian-made vodkas with brand names like Green Mark and Russian Standard from state liquor store shelves. Iowa is one of 17 states that control the sale of alcohol at the wholesales level. Reynolds says barring the sale of Russian-made liquor in Iowa demonstrates Iowa’s solidarity with the brave people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom against Putin’s tyranny.

Reynolds is also calling for ending Iowa’s “Sister State” relationship with the Stavropol region in Russia. Former Governor Terry Branstad helped established that relationship as Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began a series of political and economic reforms. Gorbachev was born in Stavropol and Branstad led an Iowa delegation to the region in 1987. Reynolds also is calling on the Iowa Sister States organization to enhance its relationship with the Cherkasy province, which is in central Ukraine.

(Radio Iowa) – The chair of Calhoun County Democrats is urging the state party to take a stand against land seizures for the carbon pipelines being proposed in Iowa. Emma Schmit is a member of the Iowa Democratic Party’s State Central Committee. “Come out and support rural Iowa. We’ve seen Democrats continuously lose votes and this would be a huge opportunity to finally start moving that needle back,” she says. “Instead, we’re choosing to just sleep on the issue and ignore it.”

This weekend, Schmit proposed that the Iowa Democratic Party’s governing board pass a resolution opposing development and construction of carbon pipelines, but it was tabled. “The debate was cut off almost instantaneously before we could even explain why it’s so critical that the Democratic Party speak out in support of the impacted landowners and the communities that are going to be threatened by these pipelines,” Schmit says.

The Iowa Democratic Party’s 2018 platform supports carbon sequestration, but opposes eminent domain abuse. Schmit says there will be efforts this weekend at county conventions to try to ensure the Iowa Democratic Party’s 2022 Platform includes a plank opposing carbon pipelines, but Scmit says no one reads the platform and a statement now from the party’s governing board would be more effective. “In 2017, we saw resolutions about supporting the folks up at Standing Rock,” Schmit says.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe opposed construction of the Dakota Access pipeline. Schmit is an Iowa-based organizer for Food and Water Watch, an environmental group that recently hosted an anti-pipeline rally at the Capitol. Pipeline developers say it’s wrong to change state regulations in the middle of the project and say they have gained hundreds of voluntary easements from Iowa landowners.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors held their regular weekly meeting today (Monday), instead of their normal, Tuesday. The Board held a Public Hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2023 Maximum Property Tax Dollars, during which there were no comments made.

Superintendent Steve Baier said the increases amount to 2.98% in General County Services and two-percent for rural County Services.

Afterward, the Supervisors set March 15^th as the date for a Public Hearing on the FY 2023 Cass County Budget. The Board received word from County Engineer Trent Wolken, that rock prices have increased 10-percent ($1.50 per ton), since their last purchase in December.

The Board approved an application from, and appointment of, Curtis Bierbaum of rural Griswold, to the Condemnation in Eminent Domain Board, serving the Owner-Operators of Agricultural Property. Board Chair Steve Baier…

The Supervisors acted also on appointing Doreen South as a Deputy in the Auditor’s Office, with no change in her rate of compensation, effective March 1, 2022. South currently serves as a Clerk in the Auditor’s Office. Deputy Auditor Sheri Karns…

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors passed the renewal of a 28-E agreement for a multi-county agreement regarding the Juvenile Detention Center (located near Council Bluffs), and Emergency Services.

They also approved a 28-E agreement for the ISAC (Iowa State Association of Counties) Group Benefits Program (effective 7/1/22).