A Davenport man is in custody on multiple charges, including two counts of attempted murder, following an incident that began late Friday night and ended early Saturday morning. The Iowa County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday, Deputies responded Friday to a car on fire near the 226 mile marker of Interstate 80 at around 9:50-p.m. Upon arrival, they found a 1996 Oldsmobile on fire. The vehicle had been stolen out of Davenport. It was also learned the car had been involved in an armed robbery earlier in the day, Friday, in Davenport. Deputies and officers from several agencies searched for the driver for several hours, without success.

Jeremy Lee Krapp (Iowa County S/O booking photo)

At around 5:42-a.m., Saturday, Iowa County Deputies…following up on public reports of a man walking along the interstate, dangerously close to traffic, located the subject walking on Interstate 80 near Exit 225. When the deputies attempted to make contact, the man pulled a hand gun on officers and ran into a farm field. Several officers from area agencies assisted in the attempt to locate the subject.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A former director of a Jewish center in Iowa City has been convicted of molesting a 9-year-old boy. A Johnson County jury found 29-year-old David Weltman guilty Thursday of second-degree sexual abuse. Prosecutors say Weltman abused the boy last year as he gave the boy Hebrew lessons at the Hillel House.

Police say the boy reported that Weltman once picked him up, carried him into another room and touched him inappropriately. Police say Weltman also confessed to a one-time friend that he has touched a child and that he is sexually attracted to young boysl Weltman is set to be sentenced on April 27.

DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds has ordered a partial activation of the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Johnston to ensure State of Iowa agencies are prepared in the event COVID-19 is detected in the state.

“While no positive tests of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Iowa at this time, we are proactively coordinating plans across state agencies to protect the health of Iowans and assess our operational needs so we are as prepared as possible,” said Gov. Reynolds. “We will continue to work with President Trump and his Coronavirus Task Force to make sure Iowa has the resources, information, and expertise to keep our communities safe.”

The partial activation began on March 4th and was followed by a state agency conference call led by Gov. Reynolds on March 6th to discuss preparedness strategies. The SEOC  provides a mechanism for face-to-face coordination and information sharing between State agencies and other partners. Beginning Monday, March 9th, twice-weekly agency coordination briefings will be held to provide the latest information on COVID-19 and to ensure necessary preparedness measures are in place. Should the situation change, the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is prepared to transition the State Emergency Operations Center to an increased level of activation.

President Trump recently signed a $8.3 billion spending bill to combat the coronavirus through prevention, research, and other efforts. The governor’s office continues to receive regular updates from Vice President Mike Pence and President Trump’s Coronavirus Task Force.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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BEIJING (AP) — U.S. officials are deciding where to dock a cruise ship in California with 21 virus cases aboard and four American universities canceled in-person classes as Western countries follow China’s lead by tightening travel and other controls to contain the outbreak. The cruise ship Grand Princess, with 3,500 people aboard, was circling off San Francisco. Among the passengers are a couple from eastern Iowa’s Dubuque County. Shelley and George Goeppner, of Asbury were headed home when the outbreak was reported.

Officials want the cruise ship to dock in a non-commercial port for everyone aboard to be tested. Authorities in Florida reported the first two U.S. deaths away from the West Coast. The Netherlands reported its first virus death, while Serbia, Slovakia, Peru, Togo, Colombia and Cameroon announced their first infections. The number of cases worldwide has climbed past 100,000. More than 3,400 people have died.

A traffic stop late Friday morning in Red Oak resulted in an arrest. Red Oak Police say 59-year old Dennis Edward Elliott, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 10:15-a.m., for OWI/1st offense, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Driving Under Suspension.

Elliott was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond.

Two people were injured when two pickups collided head-on Friday, in Montgomery County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2001 Ford F-150 driven by 19-year old Kammi Conrade, of Red Oak, was traveling southbound on D Avenue at around 6:20-a.m., at the same time a 1998 Chevy S-10 driven by 30-year old Jacob Woods, of Shenandoah, was traveling northbound. The vehicles collided just below the crest of a hill. Woods was not wearing a seat belt.

Conrade and Woods were each flown by LifeNet helicopter to the UNMC in Omaha. The accident remains under investigation. The State Patrol was assisted at the scene by Red Oak Fire & Rescue, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Montgomery County EMA.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:00 a.m. CST

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Colorado man who threw a cup of water on Iowa Congressman Steve King has been sentenced to two years of probation. Blake Gibbins, of Lafayette, Colorado, had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault on a member of Congress. Gibbins admitted he approached a table at a Fort Dodge restaurant on March 22 last year and threw a cup of water at the Republican. Gibbins’ attorney has said Gibbins’ actions were out of character and may have resulted from recent emotional pressure. Gibbins was in Iowa for a family funeral when he approached King, and Gibbins had no criminal history.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A panel has forwarded three finalists to fill an Iowa Supreme Court vacancy to Gov. Kim Reynolds. After interviewing 15 lawyers and judges Friday, the State Judicial Nominating Commission selected Mary Chicchelly, a district court judge from Cedar Rapids; Matt McDermott, a Des Moines lawyer who for five years represented the Republican Party of Iowa; and David May, an appeals court judge from Polk City. Reynolds now has 30 days to choose from the finalists. A position on the court became available because of the retirement of Justice David Wiggins. Reynolds has seated three judges since becoming governor.

SPENCER, Iowa (AP) — A northwest Iowa collision with a semitrailer has fatally injured two people in a pickup truck. The crash occurred a little before 1:30 p.m. Thursday on U.S. Highway 71 on the north end of Spencer. Authorities say the northbound pickup halted at a stop sign and then turned left into the path of the southbound semi. The couple in the pickup have been identified as 85-year-old Patricia Juber and 86-year-old Harvey Juber. They lived in Melvin. The semi driver and his passenger weren’t injured.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Johnson County officials says a man serving more than 80 years for two separate murder-for-hire plots died of natural causes. Clayton Schuneman with the county medical examiner’s office told The Gazette that Justin Dewitt died of a heart disease on Feb. 7. Dewitt was sentenced to 35 years in prison for a murder-for-hire scheme in which he sought to have someone kill his business associate, the associate’s wife and their two children. In 2019 Dewitt was sentenced to 50 years for trying to organize from behind bars the killings of witnesses in his first case so they couldn’t testify against him.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Johnson County officials says a man serving more than 80 years for two separate murder-for-hire plots died of natural causes. Clayton Schuneman with the county medical examiner’s office told The Gazette that Justin Dewitt died of a heart disease on Feb. 7.

Dewitt was sentenced to 35 years in prison for a murder-for-hire scheme in which he sought to have someone kill his business associate, the associate’s wife and their two children. In 2019 Dewitt was sentenced to 50 years for trying to organize from behind bars the killings of witnesses in his first case so they couldn’t testify against him.