Two people were arrested on separate charges Wednesday, in Creston. Police say 28-year old Amanda Steinbach, of Creston, was arrested at Oak/Devoe on an Adams County Warrant for Failure to Appear on the original charge of Driving While Suspended. She was released to the custody of Adams County. And, 23-year old Cody Lamaak, of Creston, was arrested at Chestnut/Fremont on the charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance – Marijuana, and Possession of Paraphernalia. He was released on a $1300 bond.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -A Judge in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, Wednesday sentenced a Council Bluffs man on drug charges. 30-year old Dalton Lee Dukes was ordered imprisoned for nearly 12 1/2 years, for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Carrying a Firearm in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime. His sentence will be followed by an additional 60 months for carrying a firearm in relation to drug trafficking, plus five years of supervised release after his prison term ends.

The sentencing was the result of an investigation originating in Cass County regarding the distribution of methamphetamine delivered from Omaha, Nebraska. The investigation revealed that Dukes was distributing methamphetamine in numerous locations throughout Southwest Iowa. After a confidential informant purchased methamphetamine from Dukes, he was arrested on February 15, 2019. At the time of his arrest, Dukes was found with money from drug sales and a loaded .9-mm Taurus handgun.

Prior to being sentenced in the case, Dukes was charged with First Degree Murder in Douglas County, Nebraska and he is awaiting transfer to answer those charges. The matter was investigated by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Omaha Police Department, and Iowa Division of Narcotics Investigation. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa today (Thursday), said that on Wednesday, 55-year old Shawn Morgal, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, to a little more than two-years in prison, for being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. The Judge also ordered Morgal to serve a three-year term of supervised release, upon completion of his sentence.

On May 21, 2018, the Council Bluffs Police Department received a report of a theft from a local gun store. Morgal admitted to stealing a pistol from the gun store and later trading it in exchange for controlled substances. The case was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Senate has voted to toughen penalties for animal abuse. Senator Brad Zaun, a Republican from Urbandale, has been working on the issue for the past few years. “I am sick and tired of hearing in the news on almost a daily or weekly basis of these cases where these companion animals are being abused,” Zaun says. Senator Tony Bisignano, a Democrat from Des Moines, agrees. “This is needed in my community,” Bisignano says. “It’s gotten out of hand and we need to send the signal.”

The House voted last year to enhance penalties for animal neglect, torture and abuse. Senators working on the issue struck a compromise and kept the penalty for a first conviction on an animal torture charge as an aggravated misdemeanor rather than a felony. Republican Senator Tom Shipley, a farmer from Nodaway, opposed the House-passed plan, but supported the scaled back bill which deals with abuse of pets and wild animals. “We can’t fix bad people, but I think we can go a long ways towards dealing with these issues and keeping the animal agriculture business out of it,” Shipley says. “…I want to just also remind the body that we’re talking about animals here and I’m afraid sometimes there’s people out here in this world that get their animals confused with people.”

The bill cleared the senator on a 44 to three vote and it goes back to the House for consideration of the senate’s changes.

Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Alexander Londo reports today (Thursday), that the county is “Currently in Extreme Fire Danger,” and Tthere will be no burning allowed until further notice.” The County is under a Wind Advisory until 6-p.m. Gusty winds and low humidities will create a very high risk of grassland fires today. Do not carelessly discard smoking materials, and use extra caution when driving high profile vehicles.

Pottawattamie County is also under a ban on opening burning until further notice.

The Atlantic Police Department reports five arrests, include the arrest on Monday, of 26-year old Robert Joens, from Exira. He was taken into custody for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Poss. Controlled Substances/Meth & marijuana, Open Container, Interference with Official Acts, and a Controlled substance violation. Last Sunday, Atlantic Police arrested 29-year old Alicia Dellaca, of Avoca, for Driving While License Revoked. And, 18-year old Allison Campbell, of Walnut, was arrested for OWI/1st offense.

On Feb. 21st, 48-year old Daniel Laws, of Elk Horn, was arrested by Atlantic Police, on a Cass County warrant for Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree. On Feb. 20th, A-PD arrested 30-year old Alen Sisira, of Atlantic, for OWI/2nd offense.

All subjects were transported to the Cass County Jail and booked-in. As of Wednesday, only Joens remained held in the jail.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (The Gazette) — A plan developed by MidAmerican Energy and Iowa City calls for using a portion of a city park for MidAmerican’s first solar energy project. The Iowa City Council has scheduled a public hearing March 24 on leasing nearly 19 acres at Waterworks Prairie Park to MidAmerican, which would install about 10,000 solar panels. The system is expected to generate three megawatts of energy that would be tied into the electric grid.

The lease would run for 30 years and could be extended. The city would receive an annual payment starting at $13,440, and it would increase by 3% annually.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa legislature has sent the governor a compromise bill on solar energy. Last year, utilities sought permission to charge new fees to customers with solar panels on their homes or businesses. The bill now calls for studying the value of solar power starting in 2027 and establishes some alternative billing methods. Representative Gary Carlson, a Republican from Muscatine, says the compromise was developed by representatives of the state’s electric utilities, pork producers and the solar industry. “It’s gratifying to see that the groups came together and have come with a solution that’s good not only for the growth of the solar industry and utilities, but for Iowans,” Carlson says.

Last year Republican Senator Michael Breitbach, of Strawberry Point, was the lead advocate for charging new fees to customers who tap into the electric power grid when their solar panels aren’t producing power. Breitbach says this year’s deal gives some certainty to solar customers. “It also gives us a pathway forward on how the determination will be on the value of solar,” he says. Senator Eric Giddens, a Democrat from Cedar Falls, says solar power helps reduce reliance on fossil fuels for electricity. “It will strengthen the solar industry in this state, make distributed solar installations more affordable for homeowners, businesses and farmers,” he says.

The bill passed the House unanimously Tuesday and the Senate passed it 48-to-zero, Wednesday afternoon.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne says she’ll support a multi-billion-dollar spending package to respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, is among the members of Congress who signed a letter to House and Senate leaders, urging passage of the bill. She expressed hope the legislation can be finalized before the end of the week. “They’re working on a vaccine for it,” Axne says, “but that’s sometime down the road. We hope to pass a funding package to help fight the greater impact of coronavirus getting deeper into our country.”

Axne says one of her biggest concerns is that any vaccine developed will be affordable to the public. “We’re absolutely looking to ensure that the funding doesn’t get pulled from other accounts, but is strictly used for this, that the vaccines are affordable and available to every single person that needs it,” she says. “We are looking at hopefully giving things like interest-free loans being made available to small businesses impacted by the outbreak.”

Under the plan, Axne says state and local governments would be reimbursed for costs incurred, while also assisting the federal response. She expressed concern over the funding bill’s delay and questioned whether the federal government is as prepared as it should be to handle COVID-19, especially with spending cuts made by the Trump Administration. “We have a lot of positions within the CDC that were left unfilled, unfortunately,” she says. “We certainly have gaps within the system that this administration decided not to fill in positions, and not to support as much with the resources that were needed. I have faith that we have incredibly smart scientists in this country and we’re going to be able to get this figured out.”

To avoid spreading the virus, Axne says to avoid close contact with people who are sick, stay home when you are sick, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth as much as possible, and wash your hands.

DES MOINES, Iowa (The Des Moines Register) — A public information advocate says the appointment of an Iowa Human Services Department spokesman to the state public records board will make it easier for the department to deny access to information. Matt Highland was named Wednesday to the Iowa Public Information Board, which enforces open records laws.

Randy Evans is director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, and he told The Des Moines Register the appointment could mute cases beyond just those involving the human services department. The governor’s office says Highland is “a perfect candidate” for the board. Highland says he would excuse himself from department-related complaints.