(Adel, Iowa) – The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office reports a stand-off that took place this (Wednesday) morning in Waukee, ended peacefully. Authorities say just before 9-a.m., Dallas County Deputies arrived at 680 SE Jonas Circle in Waukee to execute a court ordered writ of removal on the property. Deputies knocked on the door to see if the resident had vacated the property, per the court order. After knocking on different doors with no answer, Deputies heard two loud noises that sounded like gunshots that came from inside the residence.

Deputies immediately backed off and set up a perimeter while contact was attempted with the resident. Phone contact was eventually made and lone occupant inside the residence was talked into coming outside where they were detained without incident. The resident was believed to be having a mental health episode and was taken for a mental health evaluation and treatment.

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, Waukee Police Department, and the West Des Moines Police Department were involved in the incident. The incident remains under investigation.

Iowa Counties impacted: Buena Vista, Fremont, Pottawattamie and Shelby

DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 21, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today announced that the Agency is investing $21,457,000 in loans and $4,695,000 in grants to provide clean, safe water and promote economic growth in rural Iowa communities as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.  The investments in Iowa are part of a larger national announcement made today by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack totaling $772.6 million for 216 projects. A full list of projects from today’s national announcement is available online.

The six investments for Iowa came through the  Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants program. This program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas. In southwest Iowa….

–City of Randolph in Fremont County received a $351,000 loan to provide additional financing to help improve the lift station and sewer collection and lagoon systems. The project will help reduce excessive infiltration and inflow levels which have caused hydraulic overload and discharges more frequently than allowed by permit. The project will help improve water service and promote the health and safety of community residents, businesses, and visitors.

–Regional Water received a $4,324,000 loan to expand water service. This project will construct 12.25 miles of rural potable water piping infrastructure to two housing developments under construction in rural Pottawattamie County. The project will promote the health and safety of the rural community’s residents, businesses, and visitors.

USDA staff stand beside the East Nishnabotna River near Audubon, site of a 2020 USDA-funded water project

–Harlan Municipal Utilities received a $2,644,000 loan to provide additional funding to improve the water system in the city of Harlan. This project will drill four new wells, construct four new well houses, install new raw water mains to connect the new wells to the existing distribution piping, and install new electrical conduit in the well field. The aged raw water transmission main currently limits available capacity to the treatment plant, which presents a health risk during an extended demand period. Once completed, the project will provide adequate water supplies and will promote the health and safety of the residents of the rural Shelby County community.

–City of Elk Horn received a $2,739,000 loan to improve the controlled discharge lagoon wastewater treatment facility. This project will replace aged components and remove accumulated sludge. This project will slipline and seal sewers and manholes to reduce infiltration and inflow. Once completed, the project will mitigate an imminent health and sanitation hazard, enable the city to meet wastewater standards, and promote the health of residents of the rural Shelby County community.

ANKENY, Iowa [KCCI] —An Ankeny teacher was booked Wednesday into Polk County Jail after being accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student. Rachel Whiteside, 34, of Ankeny, is facing several charges stemming from alleged exploitation of a student. Whiteside, a teacher and coach in the Ankeny Community School District, engaged in sexual conduct with a student in the district between 2015-18, according to Ankeny police. The victim recently reported the relationship to the district, leading to a police investigation.

Whiteside is charged with third-degree sexual abuse, four counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee, and lascivious conduct with a minor. The charges of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation are felonies.

Whiteside is listed on the Ankeny Community School District website as a staff member at Northview Middle School and an assistant varsity softball coach at Ankeny Centennial High School.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Adair County met in a regular session this (Wednesday) morning, and approved several items on their agenda. The Board approved Board Chair Jerry Walker’s signature on about a dozen letters with regard to Ag & Family Farm Disallowances. Auditor Mandy Berg explains.

The Supervisors also approved a Child Abuse Prevention Grant Draw-down, and Walker’s signature on the form. They also approved FY2025 Insurance renewal forms for Medical, Dental, and Vision, along with ISAC County plans for FY 2025 Elections, and Assured Partners Commission Disclosure and related administrative agreements.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater requested and was granted Board approval to begin the process of hiring a Sheriff’s Department replacement for a dispatcher/jailer scheduled to retire on April 8th. Vandewater said it takes three months (sometimes longer) to train an individual for the position.

In his report to the Board, Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman presented a proposal for repairs to the North 6/Grand River Bridge.

The proposal was accepted, and the repairs will be paid for through the Local Option Sales Tax. Kauffman said also, South Central Iowa Regional 9-1-1 contacted him about replacing street signs in Adair County.

Kauffman said new posts and mounting fixtures would amount to another $100-thousand dollars. He said the current signs are at least 20-years old. The materials would be purchased in the next fiscal year, with SCIR paying the invoice for the signs. Kauffman will have to make some adjustments to his budget to account for the extra expenditure.

He said it’s a good deal for the county, because some signs are damaged each year.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic, will hold a Budget Work Session 3-p.m. Thursday (Feb. 22), in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. During their session, the Council is expected to receive a presentation by Produce in the Park President, Bailey Smith, and Produce in the Park Board Member Ciara Hoegh, on Produce in the Park. They’re also expected to receive a presentation from Christina Bateman, on Economic Development for 2024 and 2025.

The Council will discuss Economic Development Goals for 2024 and 2025 before acting on an order to enter into an Exempt Session (under Iowa Code), for Collective Bargaining strategy purposes. At 10-a.m. Thursday, City officials are expected to exchange Collective Bargaining proposals with the City’s Public Works’ Union of Operating Engineers Local 234.

Afterward, in open session, the Atlantic City Council will discuss the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST), including recommendations for a Local Option Sales Tax Allocation Formula. The discussion will also cover: LOST Streets Funds – West 22nd Street Project Update; LOST Progress Funds – City Coalition Update; and other Discussion regarding LOST Funds.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The body found near Amana Lily Lake over the weekend has now been identified as that of a Marion woman. Investigators say Melody Hoffman, 20, was found Sunday morning near the picnic area of the lake. A man from Hiawatha, McKinley Louisma, 23, is in the Linn County jail on charges of first-degree kidnapping and conspiracy to commit forcible felony.

Court filings detail what investigators say happened after Louisma picked Hoffman up at 11:00 p.m. Saturday. Investigators used data from Hoffman’s iPhone and Apple watch to piece together the story. They determined Hoffman was at Morgan Creek Park in Linn County when her Apple Watch recorded her heartbeat intensify before “it either stopped or the device deactivated.”

Louisma told investigators he and another unidentified person bound Hoffman’s wrists with duct tape, put her in the trunk of the car, and drove to several locations until they reached Lily Lake in Amana. Louisma admitted Hoffman begged to be let go, was beaten, and had numerous stab wounds. The Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office says the preliminary cause of death was strangulation.

Court documents show Louisma was part of two previous investigations involving accusations of violence. One was in Manchester involving sexual assault. The other was in Cedar Rapids claiming Louisma attacked a man, causing serious injury. Louisma was out on bond when investigators say he kidnapped Hoffman.

According to the family, a Memorial Account has been established for donations at Collins Community Credit Union under “Memorial for Melody.” Family members are also accepting donations via Venmo using the account @memorial-for-Melody. Family members say the donations will be used to help pay for funeral services.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — The Iowa Democratic Party says more than 19,000 voters requested presidential preference cards by their Feb. 19 deadline — and they’re still working through the final numbers. The cards are a response to changes on the national primary calendar in the wake of slowly reported results in Iowa in 2020. It’s the first time the Iowa Democratic Party is casting their presidential preference ballot through mail.

The party began sending out the preference cards on Jan. 12, and the last batch of cards will be mailed out on Monday. They should arrive within 24 hours, according to the IDP. Iowa Democrats have until March 5 to return their cards. Cards that are postmarked by March 5 will also be accepted. The party said it encourages cards to be returned through the mail rather than be dropped off at the Iowa Democratic Party headquarters or local county party offices.

The Iowa Democratic Party said they will begin the tabulation of preference cards around March 1. Results will be released on March 5, 2024, commonly known as “Super Tuesday.” The exact time of the release will be shared closer to the date.

Iowa Democrats held their caucus on Jan. 15, but did not vote on their pick for a presidential nominee.

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – The Exira-Elk Horn Kimballton School Board met Monday evening. According to the meeting minutes provided by Business Manager, Board Secretary/Treasurer Mallory Meyer, during their session, the Board approved action items on their agenda that included:

• A Contract Amendment with INVISION Architecture, LLC.
• 2023-24 Athletics Sharing Agreement with the Audubon Community School District
• 2024-25 School Business Official (SBO) & HR/Business Office Specialist Sharing Agreements with the Audubon CSD.
• A 2024-25 Clinical Experience Placement Agreement with Morningside University.
• The Board accepted a RFP (Request for Proposal) for Auditing Services for FY24-28.
• And, they passed an FY 2025 Budget Adjustment (Guarantee) Resolution

In other business, the Exira-EHK School Board passed the first reading of a policy adoption for policies related to Artificial Intelligence, and Responsible Technology Use & Social Networking. They held and approved after the first and final reading, a policy review with regard to Policy pertaining to Parent and Family Engagement District-Wide.

The Exira-EHK Board also approved the hiring of Associates: Nichole (Nicki) Brown, Margaret Haley, and Angela Immel.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner and A-A-R-P State Director are holding stops across the state to try and educate residents about scams. A-A-R-P director, Brad Anderson, says the latest scam uses A-I to fool elderly Iowans. “A criminal impersonates a grandchild and uses artificial intelligence to impersonate that grandchild’s phone, or even the grandchild’s voice,” he explains, “and calls a well-intentioned grandparent and then scams that grandparent out of thousands of dollars.”

This is a new version of what are called imposter scams. “Imposter scams, according to the F-T-C had been the dominant scam in Iowa for nine years running. Nine years running, and that beats out credit-based scams, it beats out investor scams, online shopping scams,” Anderson says. Insurance Commissioner, Doug Ommen, says they hope to update Iowans on the issue. “Our effort in this tour is really to get out into communities to talk to people about what it is they can do to spot a scam. But also, once you’ve reported a scam, what you can expect from law enforcement in dealing with that,” Ommen says. He says his office has worked with securities broker dealers and investment advisors in our state for years to help with scams in these areas.

“Our laws allow those financial professionals to report financial exploitation. And that allows us then to make sure that individuals that are being targeted for a romance scam or a charity scam or a gift card scam or any of the number of scans that scammers tried to perpetrate on Iowans — we can we can intervene and make every effort to stop that.” He says their new Department of Insurance and Financial Services has people working with the banking industry and the credit union industry to bring them into this effort to protect older Iowans. Attorney General Brenna Bird says the scammers don;t care how old you are, they just want to get your money.

“We’ve seen people lose their life savings to a scam and that is absolutely heartbreaking. We want to do everything we can to try to help and we always try to get the money back if we possibly can,” Bird says. She says getting the money back is not easy, especially if the scam is run from a foreign country. “Many scammers are overseas. But there are also scammers right here in the state,” Bird says. “And those folks can be very dangerous when they come to pick up their ill gotten gains in person. It makes me very concerned. So we urge Iowans if you think there might be a scam, please call law enforcement, please call our office and we will do what we can to help.”

Bird says nationwide ten billion dollars was stolen in 2023 by scammers, and that’s just the scams that were reported. The three are calling their tour the “Stop the Scammer Roadshow” and held the first one in Des Moines Tuesday. They will also make stops in Ames, Carroll, Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Council Bluffs, Newton, Creston, Davenport, Dubuque, Fort Dodge, Johnston, Marshalltown, Mason City, Mt. Pleasant, Ottumwa, Sioux City, and Waterloo.

Go to iowafraudfighters.gov to find out how you can sign up.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A woman from Red Oak was arrested Tuesday evening on an assault charge. According to the Red Oak Police Department, 27-year-old Tori Shanelle Bergerson, was arrested at around 6:25-p.m. in the 2400 block of N. 8th Street, for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. Bergerson was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail. Red Oak Police were assisted in handling the incident by deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.