(Radio Iowa) – A central Iowa woman has pleaded guilty to felony charge of presenting false information for an insurance claim. Thirty-five-year old Tonya Weber of Marshalltown made the plea after an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division of Weber’s report of an injury from a fall in the shower of a hotel room at the Meskwaki Bingo and Casino Hotel in February 2024.

Weber provided an image of a bruised limb that was later discovered to have been a picture downloaded from the internet.

Weber received a five year suspended prison sentence and was also ordered to pay a fine of one-thousand-25 dollars and restitution in the amount of one-thousand-152 dollars.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests:

Last Friday, 19-year-old Brok Uriah Brule, of Glenwood, was arrested on a Pottawattamie County warrant for Escape from Custody. Brule was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

Sunday night, 41-year-old Deandre Bernard Jennings, of Omaha, NE, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a Mills County warrant for Failure to Appear on a on an original, Possession of Controlled Substance, charge. Bond was set at $1,000.

And, at around 3:40-a.m. Monday, 48-year-old Lee Alfred Miles, of Tabor, was arrested at the Pott. County Jail, on a Mills County warrant for FTA on a Theft in the 2nd Degree charge. Bond was set at $7,500.

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 10, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today announced that USDA is investing $35,796,000 loans and $3,583,000 in grants to five water and electric projects in rural Iowa.

– The City of Defiance received a $1,596,000 loan through the Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants to help upgrade its wastewater treatment facilities. This project will establish a three-cell controlled discharge lagoon system, replace aged components, and add a diffuser to the wastewater effluent outfall. The project will alleviate an imminent sanitary hazard by constructing facilities to comply with water quality requirements for ammonia and chloride levels. Once completed, this project will promote the health of 245 residents of this rural Shelby County community.

Director Greenfield says “A strong rural Iowa economy is rooted in our people and in the delivery of safe, reliable water and electricity to support the needs of families as well as for the growth of employers and the workforce. USDA is making these investments to better position rural America to compete in a global economy, while ensuring people who live and work in these communities can find success right at home in Iowa.”

Today’s news is part of a larger national announcement made by USDA Secretary Vilsack. Read the full announcement here.

Other cities/entities receiving USDA loans include:

-Calhoun County Electric Cooperative Association received a $6,000,000 loan through Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee program to help build and improve 58 miles of line and connect many households to modern service. This project includes $322,128 for smart grid technologies. The co-op is headquartered in Rockwell City and serves 1,694 consumers over 795 miles of line in five counties in west central Iowa—Calhoun, Greene, Pocahontas, Sac, and Webster counties.

-University of Northern Iowa in Black Hawk County received a $83,000 grant through the Solid Waste Management Grants program to help provide compost operations and conduct training. This project will identify rural communities to assist and will then provide on-site training in composting food waste, incorporating best practices, using the finished products, and protecting water resources from pollutants and contaminants. Once completed, this project in Black Hawk County will help reduce water pollution and harmful methane emissions from food waste in landfills.

-City of Nichols received a $1,200,000 loan through the Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants program to help improve its waste water treatment facility and collection system. This project will repair manholes, line the collection system, improve the lift station, rehabilitate the lagoon, and replace the force main. This project will help reduce sewer backups and excessive infiltration to meet water treatment quality standards. Once completed, the project will promote the health and safety of 340 residents of this rural Muscatine County community..

– City of Emmetsburg received a $27,000,000 loan and a $3,500,000 grant through the Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants program to help renovate its wastewater treatment facility which was built in the 1970s. This project will replace the rotating biological contactor treatment with an activated sludge treatment utilizing the University of Capetown concept process. The new method will be resilient to slug loading and peak weather events and will provide ease of operations. This project will replace other aging infrastructure and obsolete equipment. The project will help the city comply with modern sanitation regulations and will promote the health and safety of residents of this rural Palo Alto community.

AMES, Iowa – Dec. 10, 2024 – Today, the Iowa Transportation Commission approved more than $2.1 million in grants for four intercity transportation providers for the calendar year 2025 Intercity Bus Program. The Commission approved the funds for eight projects submitted by the following four entities.

• Burlington Trailways
• Greyhound Lines
• Jefferson Lines
• City of Fort Dodge

With the current trend in intercity bus transportation moving away from rural connectivity into more urban-to-urban service, these funds play a vital role in keeping rural Iowa connected to other areas within the state of Iowa, the Midwest, and the nation. This funding comes from the Federal Transit Administration’s 5311(f) program intended to support intercity bus providers that serve communities with less than 20,000 residents.

Eight applications were approved this year with $2,185,829 in funding, highlighting the important role of this program. Burlington Trailways received funds to replace two over-the-road motorcoaches. Greyhound Lines received funds to assist with start-up service support.  Jefferson Lines received funds to replace one over-the-road motorcoach, existing and start-up service support, marketing of their existing services, and rental assistance for two of their Iowa facilities. The city of Fort Dodge received funding for marketing of their existing services.

A listing of the individual projects and funding amounts is available on the Iowa Department of Transportation’s website https://iowadot.gov/transit/funding-programs-and-applications/funding-programs.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Corrections (DOC) is proud to announce that six counties have been recognized as having top-performing jails in the state. This recognition celebrates jails that demonstrate excellence in operations and management, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of both prisoners and staff.

The DOC evaluates jails across three categories based on capacity:

• Small Jails (up to 30 beds): Fremont and Ringgold Counties
• Medium Jails (31–100 beds): Wayne and Allamakee Counties
• Large Jails (101 beds or more): Black Hawk and Warren Counties

Per Iowa Code 356, all jails in Iowa undergo an annual inspection conducted by the DOC to ensure compliance with the Iowa Administrative Code’s Jail Standards. These inspections include a comprehensive review of daily jail documentation, a facility tour, interaction with prisoners, and an operational review conducted by a DOC Inspector.

“Iowa is one of only 21 states where jail standards are overseen by the state’s Department of Corrections,” said DOC Director Dr. Beth Skinner. “Iowa consistently ranks among the top states for jail management, and that is a testament to the hard work and dedication of jail staff across our state.”

In 2017, the Iowa DOC launched the “Best of the Best” award to formally recognize exceptional efforts in jail operations. The achievement underscores the diligence and professionalism demonstrated by all staff every day.