(Red Oak, Iowa) – A man from Red Oak was arrested late Sunday night, on an Assault charge. Authorities say Officers arrested 31-year-old Matthew Allen Boyce at around 11:15-p.m., in the 1100 block of N. 3rd Street. Boyce was charged with Assault causing bodily injury – a Serious Misdemeanor. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 cash bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa district court judges are paid less than judges in every state that touches Iowa. While the Iowa Supreme Court’s chief justice has recommended a more than six percent salary hike for Iowa judges, that still won’t bring their pay in line with any surrounding state. In January, Chief Justice Susan Christensen told lawmakers Iowa district court judges have gone without pay raises in 10 of the last 15 years and they now make 16-thousand dollars less per year than South Dakota judges and 38-thousand dollars less than judges in Nebraska.

“Being appointed by our governor should be the pinnacle of a lawyer’s career, not a deep financial sacrifice,” Christensen said. Bob Gast, the state court administrator, says the number of applicants for district court judgeships has declined 61 percent in the past 20 years. “Fewer of those applicants are coming from the private practice of law,” Gast says. “There has been a 65% decline from 2009 to 2023.” State Representative Brian Lohse, a Republican from Bondurant, is chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that drafts a budget for the the state’s court system. He says raising the salaries of district court judges is a goal he hopes to achieve this year, but lawmakers haven’t settled on a number yet.

“Being a judge is a difficult job, but it’s also not the most lucrative when compared to the private sector,” Lohse says. “If we’re going to really move forward in the law and have the kind of decisions we want and good, good justice, we need to be able to put bright legal minds in the benches and, as a lawyer myself, you want a good person sitting in that judicial seat, making the decisions for your case.”

The annual salary for a district court judge today is just over 158-thousand dollars. The average salary for an attorney in Iowa’s capitol city of Des Moines is four-thousand dollars higher.

(Pilot Mound, Iowa) – A collision Saturday evening in Boone County resulted in three injuries. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2017 Chevy Equinox SUV driven by 17-year-old Dylan Joseph Herout, of Omaha, was traveling north on H Avenue, and a 20020 Chevy Silverado pickup driven by 59-year-old Robbie Thomas Schreier, of Fort Dodge, was traveling west on 130th Street. When the SUV entered the intersection, it was struck by the pickup. The accident happened at around 5:20-p.m.

Both drivers were injured, along with a passenger in the SUV, 18-year-old Britney Alexis Herout, of Omaha. All three crash victims were flown by Life Flight helicopter to the hospital. Dylan Herout – who was not wearing a seat belt -and Robbie Schreier were transported to Methodist in Des Moines. Britney Herout was transported to Iowa City.

The collision remains under investigation.

(Shenandoah, Iowa) – Officials with the Shenandoah Police Department, Saturday evening (March 2nd), released a report on arrests that occurred between Feb. 16th and the 29th. The report is shown below:

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Two men were arrested on separate charges, Saturday, in Red Oak. According to Red Oak Police, Officers conducted a traffic stop at around 2:10-p.m. at the intersection of Highway 34 and N. 4th Street. Upon further investigation, 57-year-old Joseph Jay Ireland, of Burlington (IA), was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond at the Montgomery County Jail was set at $1,000.

And, at around 5:35-p.m., Saturday, Red Oak Police were called to the 800 block of N. 2nd Street for a physical altercation. After a brief investigation, 22-year-old Noah Donald Groves, of Red Oak, was arrested for Simple Assault. His bond was set at $300.

SAC CITY, Iowa — The reward for a missing Iowa man is growing again. David Schultz hasn’t been seen since November of last year. According to Sac County Crime Stoppers, the reward is now $28,400. That includes $25,000 that the Sac County Board of Supervisors approved from its allotment of Federal American Rescue Plan funding.

The rest of the reward comes from community contributions. Donations for the reward fund can be made at Iowa State Bank in Sac City, or to the Sac County Crime Stoppers Venmo account @Saccocrimestoppers.

David Schultz

(Davenport, Iowa) – The driver of a 2011 Nissan Maxima died early this (Sunday) morning, following a crash in Davenport. The Iowa State Patrol says the unidentified driver was attempting to elude the Iowa State Patrol northbound on N. Brady Street at E. 53rd, when the vehicle went out of control  and crashed  at around 12:43-a.m.

The individual was transported to Genesis East Hospital by Davenport EMS, but died from their injuries.

The Patrol was assisted by Davenport Police and Fire Department.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department say two people were arrested on separate drug charges, Friday night. At around 8:15-p.m., 53-year-old Jerry Robert Mercer, of Creston, was arrested at the intersection of Summit and Maple. Mercer was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of a Controlled Substance-Marijuana 2nd Offense. He was taken to the Union County Jail where he was later released on $1300 cash or surety bond.

And, a little after 11-p.m., Friday, 20-year-old Gunnar Lee Millslagle, of Cromwell, was arrested at the intersection of Oak and Howard. Millslagle was charged with Possession of Cannabidiol 1st Offense and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Helagle was taken to the Union County Jail where he was later released on $1300 cash or surety bond.

Saturday morning, Creston Police arrested 56-year-old Jeffrey K Hunt, of Illinois. He was arrested in the 1300 block of E. Howard Street, for Assault. Hunt was cited and released from the scene

And, at around 8:25-p.m. Saturday, Creston Police arrested 39-year-old Yarioska Rondoncama, of New York, for Driving while Revoked and Tampering with or Circumvent Ignition Interlock Device. Rondoncama was taken into custody at 800 Laurel Street and transported to the Union County Jail, where he was being held on $1300 cash or surety bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – [CORRECTION ON DATE] The Atlantic City Council will hold a regular meeting beginning at 5:30-p.m. TUESDAY, March 5th, in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. Among the items on agenda, is:

• A Presentation by the Retail Coach.
• A Public Hearing on Plans, Specifications & Form of Contract for the 2024 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation –UV (Ultra Violet) SIPP (Spray-in-Place Piping) Lining Project.

According to Wastewater Superintendent Tim Snyder, the line runs north of [the] Noddle site and south of Atlantic Carrier, from Ash down to 3rd Street Place. It was noted the bottom of the creek has eroded to the point where the sanitary sewer line is showing in spots along the stream bed, and some manhole covers are exposed.

City Administrator John Lund said previously, a dam was added on the east end to to the ditch back-in, and that helped a small portion. Snyder & Associates Engineers looked at doing a series of small dams, to allow sediment to fill back in on the western side, as well as moving the entire line away from the ditch. Both options would cost $500,000.

The option to line sections of the sanitary sewer under the creek and taking care of work on the exposed manhole is being proposed. The lining will increase the strength of the existing clay pipe & hopefully prevent it from being shattered, in which case the creek would flow into the line at some point, causing “Some potentially catastrophic backups in basements all the way to the plant,” according to the City. The Public Hearing is to allow feedback on the project.

• Resolution #11-24 “Approving Plans, Specifications and Form of Contract for the 2024 Sanitary Sewer
  Rehabilitation – UV SIPP Lining Project.”
• Review Construction Bids and Bid Tabulation for the 2024 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation – UV SIPP
  Lining Project.
• Resolution #12-24 “Making Award of Contract for the 2024 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation – UV SIPP
  Lining Project to Hydro-Clean LLC for $91,500.00. The Des Moines company’s bid is under the engineer’s estimate of $194,280. Snyder & Associates – which was one of the bidders -supports awarding of the project to Hydro-Clean.
• Resolution #13-24 “Adopting the City of Atlantic Vulnerability Assessment and Emergency Response
  Plan.”
• Resolution #14-24 “Setting the Date of Public hearing for March 20, 2024, at 5:30 P.M. in the Atlantic
  City Council Chambers on a Proposal to Enter into a General Obligation Solid Waste Management Loan Agreement and to Borrow Money Thereunder in a Principal Amount Not to Exceed $90,000.” The resolution is an annual agenda item every budget season, Lund notes, and is required as part of a 28-E agreement to support the Cass County Landfill. The Landfill charges a per capita fee to cities in the County, of $12 per resident, to be assessed annually. Atlantic’s total amount of $85,344 is payable in four equal installments over the course of the fiscal year.
  
• Resolution #15-24 “Adopting the Emergency Leave Bank Policy to the Personnel Handbook.”