(Atlantic, Iowa) – Sentencing for an Atlantic man facing five felony charges in connection with a Sept., 2022 incident, will take place next week. According to online court records, 54-year-old Edward Allen Davenport waived his rights and through his attorney, entered a written plea of guilty to the charges on February 1^st.

Davenport was charged with Burglary in the 1^st Degree, Assault (with serious injury) while participating in a felony, Willful Injury Causing Bodily Injury, Going Armed with Intent, and Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon, all of which are felony offenses. He was set to stand trial in Atlantic on February 28^th. The trial had previously been continued twice before. Davenports remains held in the Cass County Jail on $60,000 bond. His sentencing is set for 9-a.m. Monday, Feb. 13, 2023.

Authorities say at around 2:20-a.m. on Sept. 5, 2022, Atlantic Police were notified an assault had occurred at a residence in the 800 block of Walnut Street, in Atlantic. During an investigation, officers made contact with the victim, who stated they had been assaulted by being struck multiple times with an object.

The victim said shortly after she arrived home, there was a knock at the door. After the door opened, a man entered the residence and began assaulting the victim. On Sept. 6th, Officers made contact with Davenport and arrested him in connection with the incident that occurred the previous day.

(Anamosa, Iowa) — The Iowa Department of Corrections reports it is redesignating the Anamosa State Penitentiary from a Maximum-to strictly medium-security facility. The Anamosa State Penitentiary (ASP) is a maximum/medium security institution that currently houses approximately 950 offenders, both medium- and maximum-security level inmates.  Its current maximum security inmates will now be moved to the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison. The department says the move comes as Iowa’s prison population drops. Both the Anamosa prison, with 915 inmates, and the Fort Madison prison, with 721, were over capacity as of Tuesday (Feb.8), according to I-DOC, although not all of Iowa’s nine prisons were. The state’s prison system Tuesday was over capacity by nearly 13.7 percent — that there were 7,946 inmates Tuesday but capacity for 6,990.

The Department of Corrections says the move to a medium security facility will allow them to focus on treatment opportunities for minimum security inmates.

In 2021, two staff members died after an assault at the State penitentiary. The prison has already undergone significant changes to its security following the murders of officer Robert McFarland and nurse Lorena Schulte during an attempted escape.

A review found the prison was overcrowded, understaffed and in need of stricter work assignment policies. Along with the security change, Anamosa and the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility are also swapping wardens. Anamosa prison’s warden, Kris Karberg, will be transferring into the warden position at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility, effective Feb. 17. The current Fort Dodge warden, Nick Lamb, will be transferring to the warden position at Anamosa. Both wardens have multiple decades of experience in security operations and correctional work.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Red Oak Police, Tuesday evening, arrested 20-year-old Anthony Ray Castle, of Red Oak. Castle was arrested for Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree, a Simple Misdemeanor. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 bond.