DES MOINES, Iowa –  The Iowa Department of Public Safety, Friday evening, said school districts and law enforcement across Iowa worked together to address perceived threats against schools across the nation being posted on social media platforms.  On Thursday, officials said the general threat toward all U.S. schools declared Friday, Dec. 17, as “American School Shooting Day.” The posts warned about the possibility of nationwide shootings or bomb threats associated with this day.

The DPS said Friday, “Many school districts and local law enforcement agencies proactively addressed these concerns with parents, students, and staff.  The Iowa Department of Public Safety monitored the situation throughout the day, and worked with school districts and local law enforcement on a small handful of concerns.  No creditable threats of immediate action were received by the Division of Intelligence.

“Public coverage highlighting these types of concerns is clearly important,” authorities say, “but we always need to be careful about sensationalizing that coverage.  A person on a path to violence may seek out the notoriety that comes with sensationalized coverage.”

The Department of Public Safety says it will continue to monitor social media threats, and will continue to work with local law enforcement partners and schools to ensure the safety of the public.

(Mason City, Iowa) – Police in Mason City said Friday that an arrest has been made in connection with the death of a woman whose body was found in a burning house in September. Authorities report 28-year-old Dominick Daniel Degner, of Mason City, faces a charge of 1st Degree Murder in the death of 25-year-old Tonette Nadine Wolfe. He was being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail. Officials indicated Degner and Wolfe lived together.

The arrest stems from an investigation into a house fire that took place a little after 5-a.m. Sept. 7, 2021, at 123 N. Tennessee Avenue, in Mason City. After the fire was extinguished, Wolfe’s body was found in the home. The Mason City P-D was assisted in its investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Iowa State Fire Marshal.

(Radio Iowa) – A middle school student in Cedar Rapids has been charged with a felony for bringing a loaded gun to school. According to a news release from Cedar Rapids Police, a student told school officials another student brought a gun into the building, school officials did a locker search and found a small caliber handgun that was loaded with bullets.

A boy was arrested and has been charged with carrying a firearm on school grounds.

(Radio Iowa) – As rumors of school shootings spread on social media, six Sioux City students have been charged with harassment — accused of creating online threats against schools in the community. Sergeant Jeremy McClure is with the Sioux City Police Department. “A lot of the ones that are posting this on social media are doing it to cause panic and alarm among their fellow students,” he says. “And then a few of them, I don’t know if they just think it’s funny or a joke or what, but it’s obviously a serious matter and it’s one that we’re not taking as a joke and we’re charging people appropriately when we find out who is creating these posts.”

McClure says some of the threats were tracked down before school in Sioux City started today, then police were notified of a possible copy cat message. “We’ve been pursuing that one, so additional charges will probably be filed against several of these students as they become known to us and as we figure out who they are and locate them,” McClure says, “and then we’re also working with the schools to keep those students out of the school until they can be dealt with appropriately by the school.”

McClure says Sioux City Police received a report that one student told others he was planning to bring a gun to school today — other alleged threats were made against two different middle schools — and videos posted to TikTok allegedly showed several students from Sioux City East High School brandishing their phones like guns. McClure says parents need to know what their kids are doing on social media.

“It’s important for parents to have these discussions with their kids and know what their kids are posting online,” McClure says, “and if they’re juveniles, they don’t have any right to ownership or possession and as parents, we can take their cell phones and look at exactly what they have on them.” Also today (Friday), central Iowa authorities announced five middle school students face charges for alleged threats at their West Des Moines school last week.

According to a news release from West Des Moines Police, two students will be charged with terrorism and three other students will be charged with first degree harassment. The Iowa Department of Public Safety has been monitoring potential online threats to schools in Iowa, but according to a statement from the agency, none have been identified as credible. A 12-year-old in Dubuque faces a terrorism charge for posting a threat on social media.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Friday, said there were two arrests conducted over the past week, and one non-injury accident investigated. As we reported earlier, 56-year-old Lorisa Buckley, of Red Oak, was arrested Tuesday (12/14), on a warrant for Forgery. She was later released from the Cass County Jail, on bond.

And, on Dec. 10th, Cass County Deputies arrested 30-year-old Tera Reyes, of Clarinda, on a warrant for Failure to Appear. She was later released upon serving her required jail time.

At around 8:36-a.m. Thursday (12/16), Cass County Deputies responded to a collision at the intersection of Highway 71 and Wichita Road. Authorities say a 2011 Chevy Malibu driven by Diedra Nelson, of Griswold, was turning onto Wichita Road, when sun glare obstructed her vision. When she turned the corner too tightly, Nelson’s car struck a 2018 Chevy Colorado pickup driven by Randall Frank, of Griswold. The accident resulted a total of $4,000 damage.

DES MOINES – Iowa’s Third Congressional District will receive over $22 million in rural development grants and loans from the United States Department of Agriculture to improve critical rural infrastructure. Representative Cindy Axne’s office says the investments will expand access to high-speed internet, clean water and dependable electric power in rural Iowa.

Those receiving USDA Rural Development  include:

• Southern Iowa Rural Water Association – $12,000,000 to go toward new water treatment plant that will serve approximately 9,000 Iowans
• City of Neola – $3,900,000 to improve the main line water distribution system and replace and improve the chemical feed system at the city’s water treatment plant
• Lenox Municipal Utilities – $2,270,000 to replace aging watermains, complete loops within the existing distribution system, and repair infiltration issues to improve the health and safety of the drinking water for nearly 1,500 residents
• City of Farragut – $2,268,000 loan and a $772,000 grant for renovating the city’s existing lagoon cell, to construct a chlorination and de-chlorination system, an aeration blower, an effluent lift station building, new piping and make modifications to the existing lift station
• City of Lewis – $628,000 grant and a $145,000 loan for improvements to its wastewater collection system and repairs to manholes
• City of Carter Lake – $509,000 to reline sewer pipes and replace manhole covers

The grants and loan are part of a $5.2 billion investment to improve critical rural infrastructure in 46 states and Puerto Rico.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, Friday, said 71-year-old Hershel James Ratliff, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced Thursday December 16, 2021, in U-S District Court, to serve 30 years in prison for six counts of Human Trafficking, and one count of Distribution of a Controlled Substance to a Minor. His prison term will be followed by ten years of supervised release. A jury found Ratliff guilty of the offenses on July 23, 2021.

The Council Bluffs Police Department began investigating Ratliff in August 2019 after a mandatory reporter made a report to the Iowa Department of Human Services about information reported by a fourteen-year-old child that involved inappropriate sexual conversations and advances by Ratliff. As the investigation continued, numerous other young adults were identified as being victimized by Ratliff while they were in high school. Ratliff provided drugs, alcohol, and a place to party for teenagers.

Ratliff groomed teenagers and after cultivating a trusting relationship with them, convinced them to engage in various sex acts with him and his friends for money, alcohol, or drugs. Ratliff also used his business, Jimmy’s All-American Diner and his rental properties to groom and recruit victims. This illegal activity spanned from 2012-2019.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Cass County Republicans recently made a $500 donation to the Rock Island Society Enterprise (ARISE) to be used for roof repairs and maintenance of the American Legion Memorial Building.

ARISE was organized and incorporated in 1992 as a non-profit entity with the purpose of combating community deterioration; to promote and encourage historical research; to purchase, preserve and protect historical buildings, records and relics; and to educate the community and mark places of national interest.  ARISE has spent more the $207,000 on major expenses.

ARISE has signed short form business property leases in 2008 and 2010 for 99 year terms to ensure that the American Legion, American Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Atlantic Color Guard Team, the American Legion Auxiliary  and the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War have a rent-free place to hold their meetings.

Delivering the donation are Cass County Republican Central Committee Treasurer Kathy Zimmerman (center) and Member and Past CCRCC Chair David Wiederstein (right).  Receiving the donation on behalf of ARISE is group President Steve Livengood (left).

If you or your group is interested in touring the American Legion Memorial Building contact Steve at 712-243-5445.  With rising costs to maintain the buildings, donation are always needed and appreciated.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest of 31-year-old Nathan Michael Tripp of Booneville, MO on a valid warrant out of Montgomery County for Kidnapping 1st Degree, a Class A Felony. The warrant stems from an incident that occurred in May of 2021. Tripp was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $100,000 bond.