KELLOGG, Iowa (AP) — Four people have been charged in the strangulation death of a man whose body was found burning last week in a rural central Iowa ditch. The Iowa Department of Public Safety says 31-year-old Steven Vogel, of Grinnell, was arrested Tuesday in the death of 44-year-old Michael Williams, of Grinnell. Police acknowledged that the killing of Williams, who is Black, had led to fears that he may have been targeted because of his race. But police said Williams and Vogel, who is white, were well acquainted and a police statement says investigators have found “no evidence” that race was a factor. It wasn’t immediately known whether Vogel had a lawyer who could comment on his behalf.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of 52-year-old Darren Keith Brooks of Oakland on warrants for 2 counts of Violation of Probation. Brooks was served the warrants at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Pottawattamie County Corrections. Brooks was being held on $10,000 bond.

The Creston Police Department reports an arrest early Wednesday morning. At 2:33 a.m. Officers arrested 65-year-old Hal Stewart of Lenox at the intersection of Highway 34 and New York Avenue on a charge of OWI 1st Offense. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

w/ Chris Parks

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Red Oak Police report the arrest of two individuals following a traffic stop on Tuesday evening at 8:55 p.m. The stop was conducted in the 800 block of S 8th Street in Red Oak. Upon investigation Officers arrested 46-year-old Justin Matthew Dufek of Omaha for Violation of a No Contact Order, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Drug Trafficking-Methamphetamine. Also arrested during the stop was 46-year-old Renea Dawn Dufek of Red Oak for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Both individuals were taken to and booked into the Montgomery County Jail. Justin Dufek was being held on $50,000 bond and Renea Dufek was held on $300 bond.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports an arrest on Tuesday. Deputies arrested 23-year-old Eric Xavier Wiggins of Corning on a charge of Unauthorized Use of a Credit Card (A Class D Felony). Wiggins was taken to the Adams County Jail and held on $5,000 bond.

The Glenwood Police Department reports five arrests with the past five days.

On September 18th Officers arrested 41-year-old Rebecca Leeper of Glenwood on a Mills County warrant on 3 counts of Forgery. Leeper was taken to the Mills County Jail and later posted bond set at $5,000 cash or surety.

On September 19th Glenwood Police arrested 37-year-old Jeremy Williams of Glenwood for OWI 3rd offense and Eluding, Williams later posted bond set at $6,000 cash or surety.

On September 21st Officers arrested 39-year-old Kenneth Jenkins of Glenwood for Public Intoxication. He was taken to the Mills County Jail and held on bond set at $300 cash or surety.

Also on September 21st Glenwood Police arrested 39-year-old Luke Jensen of Glenwood on a Mills Co. Warrant for 2 counts of unauthorized use of credit cards. His bond set at $2,000 cash or surety.

On Tuesday, September 22nd Glenwood Police arrested 44-year-old Christopher Lausten of Pacific Junction for OWI 1st offense. He was taken to the Mills County Jail and later posted bond set at $1,000 cash or surety.

The Griswold School Board on Monday evening discussed changes to their traditional Veterans Day program. The Board was in agreement that it wouldn’t be best to hold the traditional large event this year due to the ongoing pandemic.

Superintendent Dave Henrichs indicated that they would still like to do something to honor area Vets and the Board asked the organizing group to come up with some alternative activities to celebrate Veterans Day in the district this year.

Further discussion will be held on the matter once some ideas have been developed.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors are set to meet on Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. in the Adair County Courthouse. One of the major items on their agenda is discussion of an Engineer Sharing Agreement with Union County.

The Board will also discuss a Tourism Council Resignation and Appointment along with a Tourism Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement.

The Board is also set to hear from Sarah Gomez with Midwest Partnership with an economic development update.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Joan L. Larsen climbed so quickly through the conservative legal ranks that it even surprised her at times. In five years, she has transformed from a little-known University of Michigan legal scholar to a prominent federal appeals court judge and now a top finalist for a U.S. Supreme Court appointment.

Larsen is among a small group of female lawyers whom President Donald Trump is considering to replace Justice Ruth Bader.  Trump called Larsen “very talented” in an interview with a Michigan television station.