(Creston, Iowa) – A collision in Creston this (Thursday) morning resulted in one person being transported by ambulance, to the hospital. Creston Police report 51-year-old Jody Lynn Johnson, of Creston, suffered possible (unknown) injuries, and was transported by Greater Regional Hospital medics to be checked out.

Johnson was driving a 2019 Cehvy Equinox (SUV) westbound on Townline Road/Highway 25 at around 8:05-a.m., and preparing to turn south onto Cottonwood Street, when her vehicle was struck by a 2001 Ford Escort.

Police say 15-year-old Owen Jacob Weis, of Creston, was driving the car north on Cottonwood and approaching the controlled intersection, when the car started sliding on the snow/slush covered road, and collided with the SUV.

Officers said while the road conditions may have played a role in the collision, the teen was also driving too fast for conditions. No citations were issued. Damage to the vehicles amounted to $10,000.

(Radio Iowa) – A managed care company has agreed to pay a 44-point-four million dollar settlement after being accused of submitting excessive prescription drug bills to the Iowa Medicaid program. The Missouri-based insurance company Centene does not admit wrongdoing. A news release from the Iowa Attorney General’s office indicates there were irregularities in the way a pharmacy benefits management company that’s a Centene subsidiary was billing for medications provided to Iowa Medicaid patients. Centene operates under the name Iowa Total Care in Iowa. It’s one of three private companies that oversee care and billing for 800-thousand Iowans who are enrolled in the government’s Medicaid program.

Senator Pam Jochum, a Democrat from Dubuque, says the huge settlement is a sign Centene defrauded the state and a stark reminder the privatization of Iowa Medicaid isn’t working.

Attorney General Tom Miller’s office has announced a series of legal settlements for Iowa and other states in the last month, regarding allegations about the marketing of opioids. “There’s going to be considerable money coming into Iowa and all the states to deal with opioids and that’s really important,” Miller says. In late November, Miller announced opioid makers Teva  and Allergan would pay the State of Iowa a 46-point-six MILLION dollar settlement.

Miller and his top deputy were the lead negotiators for all states in that case — and the national settlement from these two companies is six-point-six BILLION. Miller, a Democrat who has served as Iowa’s attorney general for 40 years, lost his bid for an 11th term. Republican Brenna Bird’s term as attorney general begins in January.

(Carroll, Iowa) – A collision early this (Thursday) morning, north of Carroll claimed the life of a woman from Auburn, Iowa. According to the Iowa State Patrol, 26-year-old Lorraine Haley Wuebker died, when the 2007 Chevy Equinox SUV she was driving, crossed the center line of Highway 71, she was heading southbound. The vehicle struck a northbound 2022 International semi head-on. The semi was driven by 64-year-old Edward Peterson, of Sioux Falls, SD. The accident happened at around 5:51-a.m.

Following the impact, the SUV came to rest  in the west ditch. The semi came to rest in the east ditch. Wuebker died at the scene. She was wearing a seat belt. Peterson was not injured.The Patrol says weather and road conditions may have been a contributing factor to the crash, which remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s unemployment rate increased two tenths of a percent to three-point-one percent in November. Iowa Workforce Development Director, Beth Townsend says the drop was due to more lost jobs than new people entering the workforce. “Unfortunately, more people were unemployed — but the difference this month with people moving from employed to unemployed — but that we did not see a drop in the labor force. So that means those folks are still continuing to look for work and remained in the labor force, which is good for employers who have been looking for help,” Townsend says.

Townsend says several sectors saw job losses. “Trade and transportation utilities lost about 11-hundred jobs, we saw, professional and business services lost one thousand jobs, finance and insurance, lost 800 jobs, education, health care and social assistance lost 700,” she says. “And we saw a slight decline in manufacturing of 300 jobs, which is the first decline we’ve seen in manufacturing over the last year.” Townsend says there were the gains in leisure and hospitality jobs — one of the areas hardest hit in the pandemic — and construction added one-thousand jobs. Townsend says the increase in unemployment is not good news — but the overall outlook for those who are looking for a job remains very positive.

IWD director Beth Townsend.

“It also indicates that we’re not immune from what’s going on nationally, you know, inflation, supply chain issue, those kinds of things are going to have and continue to have some impact here in Iowa,” Townsend says. Townsend says Iowa’s labor force participation rate is five-and-a-half points above the national rate — but is an area they want to improve. “We still are below where we were pre-pandemic by about two points. And so what we want to do is get those folks who dropped out of the labor force during the pandemic back to work back into the workforce, help them find those jobs or the training that they need to get the jobs that they want. That’s kind of what we’re focused on,” she says.

While there’s a lot of talk about people who retired during the pandemic — that’s not the most important group that needs attention. “I think what we really need to focus on is getting the younger folks who dropped out of the workforce back into the workforce,” Townsend says “So young men…18 to 24. How can we get them from wherever they are, interested in working again.”

The total number of working Iowans decreased by 34-hundred in November — but remains more than 48-thousand more than one year ago.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Quinn Matthew Sorensen, age 23, of Missouri Valley, was sentenced on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, to 168 months in prison following his plea of guilty to Transportation of a Minor and Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Sorenson will be required to register as a sex offender. He was ordered to 12 years of supervised release following his release from prison.

In March 2022, a school resource officer at Millard West High School was provided information from other students that a female freshman student was dating Sorenson. Sorensen was corresponding with several teenage girls at the high school through text messages and Snapchat. Sorenson picked up one female student in Omaha, Nebraska and transported her to his apartment in Missouri Valley. Sorenson encouraged high school freshmen to date him and engage in sexual acts. Sorenson also provided students alcohol and marijuana.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case and the Missouri Valley Police Department assisted in the execution of a search warrant.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Hector Javier Torres Tapia, age 32, a Mexican citizen, formerly of Council Bluffs, was sentenced on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, to 18 months in prison following his plea of guilty to illegally reentering the country.

On May 21, 2022, Torres Tapia came to the attention of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following on a traffic stop by the Council Bluffs Police Department. ICE Officers arrested Torres Tapia three days later. In 2015, Torres Tapia was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine in the Nebraska District Court for Douglas County.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated the case.

DES MOINES, IA – A federal grand jury in Des Moines returned an indictment on December 14, 2022, charging Adair Chief of Police Bradley Wendt with unlawfully obtaining and possessing machine guns. According to unsealed court documents, Wendt, age 46, exploited his position as the Adair Chief of Police to acquire 10 machine guns purportedly for the official duties and responsibilities of the Adair Police Department, but later resold several of those machine guns at a significant profit. Wendt also acquired 13 machine guns for his Denison-based gun store, BW Outfitters, through false statements to the ATF that the machine guns were being demonstrated for future potential purchase by the Adair Police Department.

Wendt also exploited his position as the Chief of Police to obtain 10 machine guns for Williams Contracting LLC, a federal firearms licensee operated by his friend, Robert Williams, age 46, of Manning. Williams solicited false documentation from Wendt indicating the Adair Police Department wanted a demonstration of each of the machine guns for future potential purchase by the Adair Police Department.

Between July 2018 and August 2022, Wendt sought to demonstrate or purchase approximately 90 machine guns for the Adair Police Department, which serves a town of less than 800 people. Wendt and Williams hosted public machine gun shoots, where they charged patrons money to shoot machine guns registered to their gun stores and the Adair Police Department. Wendt and Williams intended to stockpile machine guns to later sell at a personal profit.

FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said “Brad Wendt is charged with exploiting his position as chief of police to unlawfully obtain and sell guns for his own personal profit. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who violate their oath of office to enrich themselves.”
“This case demonstrates the importance of ATF’s vigilance in regulating federal firearms licensees and bringing to justice those who willfully circumvent federal law in favor of personal profit and abuse public trust. Today’s indictment is the result of seamless collaboration by ATF and our law enforcement partners,” said Fred Winston, Special Agent in Charge, ATF – Kansas City Field Division.

Both defendants are charged with conspiracy to make false statements and defraud the ATF. Wendt is charged with 18 counts of making a false statement to the ATF and one count of illegal possession of a machine gun. Williams is charged with three counts of making a false statement and aiding and abetting a false statement to the ATF. The indictment may be viewed here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdia/press-release/file/1558036/download.

If convicted, Wendt faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years. Williams faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.

The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The investigation remains ongoing.
U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mikaela Shotwell and Ryan Leemkuil are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.