COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced Tuesday, December 14, in United States District Court, to 15-months in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. According to court documents, 42-year-old Matthew Michael Loth plead guilty to the methamphetamine and firearm offenses in July of 2021.

Authorities say that on March 4, 2021, Loth was parked at a gas station and law enforcement stopped to talk to him after noticing the car did not have a front license plate. Communications advised the officers Loth had a warrant for his arrest for a violation of supervised release. A trained and certified narcotics-sniffing dog alerted and indicated to the odor of a controlled substance in Loth’s vehicle and police searched the car. A firearm with a loaded magazine and 109 grams of  methamphetamine were located.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department, Douglas County (Nebraska) Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Rising and volunteers could be seen out delivering food boxes on Thursday, December 16th in the evening. The organization began collecting donations and nominations in early November and completed another successful program. Atlantic Rising Social Chair, Kelsey Beschorner says “We anticipated to see a continued increase in nominations due to the sustained challenges of COVID-19. We were over-joyed to see the constant support of our community in both donations and volunteers.”

Photos submitted by Kelsey Beschorner

This year, Atlantic Rising was able to provide a holiday meal to over 165 individuals and families all throughout Cass County. The donations received from the community totaled over $5,500, which allowed each box to contain more items and each nomination to be fulfilled. Atlantic Rising also teamed up with the Cass County Creators, a local 4-H group, who helped assemble, pack, and load the vehicles with the Christmas boxes which made the process run smoothly. Beschorner said “Atlantic Rising is proud carry on and continue to grow this tradition of the Christmas Box program, and we are so thankful that we are able to partner with HyVee who makes this big project the success that it is.”

If you are interested in joining Atlantic Rising and finding out what they are involved in throughout the year, you can contact Kelsey at 712-243-3017 or kelsey@atlanticiowa.com. The membership application can also be found at www.atlanticiowa.com.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The second jury trial an Anita woman facing 1st Degree Murder and Child Endangerment resulting in Death, charges, has been continued. A hearing in the case of Iowa vs. Alison Dorsey is scheduled for March 22nd at 10-a.m., with trial set for 9:30-a.m. June 20^th , instead of the previously announced date of Jan. 31, 2022. It’s not clear if the trial will be held once again in Atlantic. A motion requesting a change of venue was filed by Cass County Attorney Vanessa Strazdus on Nov. 11th.

Dorsey’s first trial ending in a mistrial on Nov. 4th, after the jury deadlocked and failed to reach a verdict. The trial was in connection with the death of an infant that was in her care, in October of 2019.

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports a Council Bluffs man was sentenced Tuesday, December 14th, to10-years in prison for being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. According to court documents, 58-year-old Clarence L. Woolsoncroft, plead guilty to the firearm offense in August of 2021. Woolsoncroft will serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.

In April of 2021, the Council Bluffs Police Department received an anonymous telephone call reporting Woolsoncroft, who was a convicted felon, used drugs and had firearms. The caller
also reported Woolsoncroft threatened them. Council Bluffs Police Department began an investigation which led to a search warrant being served on Woolsoncroft’s residence and the
subsequent recovery of two handguns and three shotguns with a large amount of assorted ammunition. The investigation also developed Woolsoncroft regularly used methamphetamine, and an incident in which after Woolsoncroft had used methamphetamine, he pointed an unloaded handgun at a person and pulled the trigger, before telling the person the firearm was not loaded.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa.

DES MOINES – Iowa is receiving more than $24.5-million ($24,547,901) in new federal funding for its airports from a bipartisan infrastructure law signed earlier this year. The funding administered by the Federal Aviation Administration is part of more than $5 billion that is projected to reach Iowa over the next five years.

In our area, the following airports will received $159,000 each: Atlantic; Clarinda; Council Bluffs; Creston; Red Oak, and Winterset. The Greenfield and Guthrie Center airports are receiving $110,000 each.

Iowa 3rd District Representative Cindy Axne says “Iowa relies on its airports – both big and small – to transport our goods to market and our people to where they need to be. This investment will help our airports develop vital infrastructure to keep them safe. I’m proud to have voted to ensure our airports received this much-needed funding so they can meet our needs for years to come.”

Rep. Axne previously announced the state will receive over $650 million in the first round of new funding for Iowa’s roads and bridges and $110 million to upgrade Iowa’s aging water infrastructure from the bipartisan infrastructure law.

US Property, Inc. constructs new division in Council Bluffs:

US Property, Inc., a real estate development company based in Lincoln, NE that develops and manages both industrial and mixed-use commercial properties across North America, created a cold storage division that will support the local and regional protein manufacturers. The company will construct a 160,000 square foot facility to include racking, freezing and transportation components to serve the modern cold storage distribution industry. The project represents a $49.3 million capital investment and is expected to create 58 jobs, of which eight are incented at a qualifying wage of $23.56 per hour. The board awarded the company tax benefits through the Targeted Jobs Withholding program.

Iowa State University’s College of Design approved for Strategic Infrastructure Program grant:
The board approved a $1.4 million grant to Iowa State University’s College of Design for the 3D Affordable Innovation Technologies Housing Project, which will support the development of a 3D printed housing industry in Iowa. To meet a strong housing demand and identify a cost-effective and thoughtful labor strategy, the project will design an innovative 3D construction printing program that combines advanced technologies for the construction of affordable, resilient housing. Iowa State University will use the funding to acquire a 3D Construction Printer, materials, and a vehicle for transportation of the printer and equipment, which will help establish the infrastructure necessary to develop the suite of tools, research and curriculum.

(Pottawattamie County, Iowa) – A judge in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, Thursday, sentenced a Mills County man to prison for Possession with the Intent to Distribute/Methamphetamine. Authorities say 42-year-old Joshua Matthew St. John, of Glenwood, was sentenced to 11-years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

According to court documents, St. John pleaded guilty to the methamphetamine offense in May of 2021. His co-defendant, Sarah Diane  Adams, is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7, 2022.  On April 2, 2020, a confidential source arranged with St. John to purchase a quarter pound of methamphetamine. The confidential source traveled to St. John’s residence in Glenwood and was instructed by Adams to follow them to a stash location. The quarter pound of methamphetamine was measured from a larger amount and delivered by Adams to the confidential source.

On April 24, 2020, the confidential source met St. John at his residence to purchase methamphetamine and reported seeing a large quantity of methamphetamine. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on St. John’s residence and recovered approximately a half pound of methamphetamine and distribution paraphernalia.

The Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Council Bluffs Police Department, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Mills County Sheriff’s Office, and Glenwood Police Department investigated the case, which was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa

(Atlantic, Iowa) –The Trial date was set Thursday afternoon, for an Atlantic man charged with Attempted Murder. According to online court records, during a preliminary hearing for 34-year-old Richard J. Doss, Jr., 4th District Judge Michael Hooper set Doss’ arraignment for Jan. 10th, 2022. His trial will be held Feb. 22nd, 2022.

Doss was arrested during the early morning hours of Dec. 6th, following a stabbing incident. The victim, whose name has not been released, arrived at Cass Health E-R in Atlantic on Dec. 5th at around 11:50-p.m. The incident took place at the Walnut Hill Terrace Apartments, in Atlantic. The victim suffered serious injuries and was subsequently flown to the UNMC in Omaha.

Doss, Jr., was taken into custody without incident. He faces felony charges of Attempted Murder and Willful Injury – Causing Serious Injury. Doss remains held in the Cass County Jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond.

DES MOINES, IA – Officials with the U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, Friday (Today), said a man who is formerly of the Des Moines and Ottumwa areas, was sentenced to a little more than 15.6-years in prison Thursday, on child pornography-related charges. A judge sentenced 26-year-old Matthew Eric Mason to 188 months in prison for Receipt of Child Pornography. Mason pleaded guilty to the offense on August 25, 2021.  Following completion of his prison term, Mason will be required to register as a sex offender and  will be on supervised release for ten additional years.

According to court documents, Mason began communicating with multiple minor boys in  2019 while playing online video games. Multiple times in early February 2019, Mason knowingly persuaded and enticed a 13-year-old boy, who resided in New Hampshire, to take “selfie” photographs of that boy’s genitals and send the photos to Mason via an online application. The boy did so. Mason knew that the boy was 13-years old when Mason used the boy to create and send the photographs. In the summer of 2019, Mason knowingly persuaded and enticed a 12-year-old boy, who resided in Maryland, to take a photo of the boy’s genitals and send the photo to Mason via text message. The boy did so. Mason knew the child was in middle school when Mason used the boy to create the photograph. Police searched Mason’s Des Moines apartment in November 2019 and discovered several electronic devices that contained dozens of
videos of child pornography depicting adolescent boys.

The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Nashua (New Hampshire) Police Department, Ottumwa Police Department, Wapello County Attorney’s Office, and the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the United States Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children.

Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.