DAVENPORT, Iowa (The Des Moines Register) — The Iowa attorney general’s office wants to close down a telemarketing company that authorities say has been scamming small businesses in Iowa, Nebraska and other states. A court filing says Scott County residents Paul and Misty Barnes have been operating PM Specialties and Milestone Consulting. The filing says they’ve been using lies and deception to make unauthorized charges to consumers’ credit cards or accounts and to force consumers to pay for goods and services they would never receive.

The Barneses told The Des Moines Register they have not defrauded anyone. They say they operate a consulting firm for artist and business management.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests took place over the past week. On Saturday, Deputies arrested 23-year-old Joshua Steven Gessert, of Council Bluffs, following a traffic stop. Upon further investigation Gessert was taken into custody and charged with Operating while Intoxicated 1st Offense. He was released later that morning under his own recognizance and given a future court date. Also arrested Saturday in Shelby County, was 35-year-old Aubree Jasmine Cline, of Council Bluffs. She was arrested for Violation of Probation and failure to serve jail time. Cline was being held in the Shelby County Jail on a $1,000 cash/surety bond, and on a 2-day jail sentence mittimus.

Last Friday, 42-year-old Timothy Duane Snyder, of Elk Horn, turned himself into the Shelby County Jail per a court order to complete a 90-day sentence for a charge of child endangerment out of Cass County. And, on Thursday, 61-year-old Randy Lee Sorensen, of Irwin, was arrested for an outstanding warrant for Violation of Probation and failure to serve jail time . Sorensen was being held in the Shelby County jail under a $10,000 cash/surety bond and a 10-day jail sentence mittimus.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports Deputies arrested 35-year old William Ray Bonar, of Bayard, Sunday afternoon.  Bonar was taken into custody at his home, on outstanding arrest warrants for: Probation Violation; Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd Offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Following his arrest, a search warrant was executed at Bonar’s residence. Evidence recovered during the execution of the search warrant resulted in additional charges being file, including:  (2) counts of Possession of a Prescription Drug w/o a Prescription; Possession of Methamphetamine 3rd Offense; Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Domestic Abuse Offender in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Additional charges are currently pending.

Authorities say the search warrant executed on Bonar’s residence is a derivative of a series of thefts and burglaries occurring at the Sparkie’s Convenience Store in Bayard during the months of January and February of 2020.

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

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The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest of a Red Oak woman on Sunday afternoon. At 1:25pm Officers arrested 64-year-old Sheryl Lynne Franzen of Red Oak on 2 counts of Shoplifting and Cited for Trespassing. She was arrested at 1605 North Broadway Street in Red Oak. She was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (The Gazette) — Closing arguments are expected Monday in the trial of a man accused of killing an Iowa high school student more than 40 years ago. Testimony has concluded in the trial of Jerry Burns. He’s accused of fatally stabbing 18-year-old Michelle Martinko on Dec. 19, 1979, in Cedar Rapids. His defense called only one witness. A forensic consultant testified that he didn’t know whether the DNA that prosecutors say came from the killer came from blood or from another bodily fluid. A rebuttal witness called by prosecutors said the only biological fluid screened was blood from Martinko’s dress.

The Creston Police Department reports one, recent arrest. At around 2:13-a.m. Sunday, 36-year old Clay Pettit, of Creston, was arrested for Driving While Suspended. He was also cited for Operating a Non-Registered Vehicle. Pettit was later released from the Union County Jail on a $300 bond.

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

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(Radio Iowa) – The Internal Revenue Service is looking for several people in Iowa — to pay them — not take money from them. Spokesman Chris Miller explains: “The I-R-S hopes to hire up to 150 new seasonal employees to work at our call center in West Des Moines,” Miller says. He says they are taking applications right now. “Both the seasonal and permanent employees at the call center will earn just under 17 dollars an hour. And seasonal employees generally will work the tax season from around March through September. And many return year-after-year to work these seasonal jobs,” according to Miller.

Miller says only one other tax center is hiring as many employees as the one in Iowa. “The call center employees will be reaching out to taxpayers across the country — not just in Iowa — to help them resolve unpaid tax bills,” Miller says, “by giving them the help and the tools to meet their responsibilities.” Miller says you don’t have to be an accountant to get one of these jobs. “Certainly we will train employees so they understand how to do the call center job. You do not have to have a financial background,” Miller says. “We base hiring on relevant work experience and education or a combination thereof. And so people should not think that they have to have special qualifications to apply for these jobs.”

He says you can apply on-line.”Anyone interested in working at the West Des Moines call center can go to U-S-A jobs-dot-gov, and search for open positions in the Des Moines area,” Miller says. The jobs will be open for applications until February 28th.

A woman from Adams County was arrested at around 5:30 this (Monday) morning, in Red Oak. 41-year old Joleen Mary Most, of Nodaway, was arrested in the area of Circle Drive and Summit Street, for Driving While Barred, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Most was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, and held on a $2,000 bond.