ANAMOSA – The Iowa Dept. of Corrections report two staff members were assaulted by an inmate at the Anamosa State Penitentiary, Monday morning. Officials say at around 7:55 a.m., a correctional officer was struck in the face with a closed-fist strike by an inmate. The officer was able to use pepper spray to bring the inmate under control, but the attacking inmate continued displaying aggressive behavior.

Additional staff arrived to assist in restraining the inmate, and one of the responding officers also received injury to his hand during the struggle, but they were successful in restraining the inmate.

Both injured officers were treated and released from the local hospital for minor injuries, and are recovering at home. The inmate did not suffer major injury during the incident.  The incident remains under investigation.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 2:50 a.m. CST

DOW CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have charged a Crawford County woman with murder in the shooting death of her boyfriend. The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were called about 9:15 p.m. Sunday to a home in Dow City to check on a resident. When they arrived they found 46-year-old Jeremy Frank unresponsive and bleeding. Frank was taken to a hospital in Denison, where he was pronounced dead from a single gunshot wound. Investigators charged 44-year-old Beth Guzman, of Dow City, with first-degree murder. She was identified as Frank’s live-in girlfriend.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The federal government announced Monday that it will support the ethanol industry in a lawsuit over biofuel waivers granted to oil refineries under President Donald Trump’s administration. The Environmental Protection Agency said it is reversing course and will support a January 2020 decision by the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a lawsuit filed by the Renewable Fuels Association and farm groups. The lawsuit is headed to arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court this spring. The move by the EPA comes roughly a month after President Joe Biden took office.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A 22-year-old Iowa City has been charged with first-degree murder in a fatal shooting during a robbery. Sammy Hamed was charged Monday in the Feb. 12 death of 19-year-old Quincy Russom, of Iowa City. Russom as found shot to death after officers responded to a call that someone had been killed during a robbery. A police complaint alleges Hamed was present in the apartment during the shooting, which occurred 30 minutes before emergency responders were called. The complaint says when Hamed was stopped several hours later, he had Russom’s cellphone and other possessions, as well as a gun police said was used in the shooting.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Ames police say they have issued an arrest warrant charging a man with murder in the death of a woman whose body was found Saturday night in an apartment. Police found the body of 37-year-old Ranea K. Bell of Ames on Saturday night in an apartment. On Monday, investigators issued a warrant charging Richard G. Fleck, 33, with first-degree murder. Police said they believe Fleck is in the Kansas City, Missouri, area but noted he also has ties to communities in Texas and Mississippi.

A Hastings man was arrested on Monday by Red Oak Police on Theft charges. 40-year-old John Robert Washburn of Hastings was arrested at 6:52 p.m. at 106 West Coolbaugh Street in Red Oak on charges of Theft 3rd Degree and Theft 5th Degree. Those charges stem from an investigation of a theft that occurred in the 1600 block of North Broadway Street in Red Oak. Washburn was booked in to the Montgomery County Jail on $2,000 bond. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the arrest.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The federal government announced Monday that it will support the ethanol industry in a lawsuit over biofuel waivers granted to oil refineries under President Donald Trump’s administration. The Environmental Protection Agency said it is reversing course and will support a January 2020 decision by the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a lawsuit filed by the Renewable Fuels Association and farm groups.

The lawsuit is headed to arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court this spring. The move by the EPA comes roughly a month after President Joe Biden took office.

Ethanol tanks

A case of road rage and reckless driving resulted in a collision at around 8:42-a.m. Monday, in Creston.  According to Creston Police, a 1999 Honda Accord driven by 38-year old Cody Lee Witt, of Story City, was driving in an erratic manner on Townline Road, near Bunn-O-Matic, and trying to speak with 56-year old Christine Larkin, of Creston, who was driving a 2001 Buick LeSabre. Authorities said the pair had been in a relationship.

Police said Witt was driving recklessly when he swerved off the road and continued back on the road in a reckless manner, before his car hit the Buick. The Buick was traveling westbound at the time of the collision. Police say the Honda backed northbound in a reckless manner. Witt was cited for reckless driving. No injuries were reported. Damage from the collision totaled $2,000.

(Radio Iowa) – It’s taken months, but the long-predicted La Nina weather pattern seems to have taken hold, impacting much of the nation’s climate — and the effects may linger through spring. After Iowa’s prolonged, bitter cold weather during most of February, climatologist and drought specialist Becky Bollinger says the March temperatures should follow a La Nina pattern and be warmer.

“Most of the country is showing a leaning towards more likely to have warmer-than-average conditions,” Bollinger says. The weekly U-S Drought Monitor shows wide sections of Iowa are abnormally dry, while much of western Iowa is under moderate to severe drought, with portions of northwest Iowa considered in extreme drought. Bollinger says the regions that are in drought now will likely stay that way.

“Areas that have been dry, unfortunately, have an enhanced chance of continuing to be drier than average into March,” she says. Bollinger says the outlook for March, April and May are likely to follow the same pattern. “We see most of the region showing increased chances of above-average temperatures through the spring,” she says. Bollinger says the climate outlooks predict the La Nina will fade to neutral conditions by summer.

A La Nina occurs when Pacific Ocean surface temperatures cool below normal, which then has a wide-ranging impact on North American weather.

The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will hold a Special Meeting 6-p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24th, at the High School Media Center. On the agenda is discussion with regard to a Public Hearing for the Certified Budget, and the 1:1 Computer Plan.

Action items on the Board’s agenda include:

• The High School HVAC Replacement Project
• Approving the resignations of Chemistry/Physics Teacher James Todd, as well as HS 1:1 Paraeducator Rebecca Drake.
• The Board will also act on Open Enrollment Applications and
• 2021-22/2022-23 Master Contracts with the Atlantic Education and Employee Associations.

Following regular business, the Atlantic School Board will enter into a closed session to conduct Superintendent Steve Barber’s annual evaluation.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A southwest Iowa man was sentenced Friday, February 19th in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, to serve 15-years (180 months) in prison in connection with a child pornography charge. The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports 63-year old Mark Fredrick Sandell, of Red Oak, must also serve five years of supervised release among completion of his imprisonment.

At the time Sandell committed the present offense, he was on supervised release for a previous conviction of Receipt of Child Pornography. At sentencing, Sandell’s term of supervised release on the prior conviction was revoked and he was ordered to serve 30 months in prison consecutive to the 180-month sentence – for a total sentence of 210 months. Both sentences were imposed by a United States District Court Chief Judge.

The investigation began when the Nebraska State Patrol conducted peer-to-peer Internet network investigations and discovered that an Internet Protocol address associated with Sandell
received child pornography files. On February 27, 2020, a search warrant was obtained and executed at Sandell’s home located in the 1800 Block of Eastern Avenue in Red Oak. Sandell was
at his home and admitted to police he was in possession of child pornography. Officers seized numerous electronic devices and a forensic examination identified a total of 483 videos and 125
images of child pornography.

The case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security – HSI, Nebraska State Patrol, and the Bellevue, Neb. Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the
United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports, that on Friday, February 19th, 33-year old Casey Gantt, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced to nearly 12.5 years (151 months) in prison, and must serve five years of supervised release. On December 15, 2020, Gantt’s co-defendant, 42-year old Angela Garges, also of Council Bluffs, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Both sentences imposed by a United States District Court Chief Judge in Council Bluffs District Court.

The investigation was initiated by the Iowa Department of Correctional Services Fourth Judicial District when Gantt failed to meet with his parole officer. Iowa parole officers went to
Gantt’s home located at the 300 Block of Huntington Avenue in Council Bluffs and upon arrival encountered numerous people, including Garges, inside his home. Officers located over 500 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and $4,600 in United States currency in Gantt’s home.

On January 24, 2020, Council Bluffs Police responded to Best Western Inn in Council Bluffs to serve a warrant for a room rented by Garges. Officers searched the hotel room for the wanted person and located 111 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

The investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, and the Iowa Fourth Judicial District Probation and Parole Office. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.