(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – The Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office issued a statement with regard a verdict in the case of a woman who – while dying from a fentanyl overdose, was sexually assaulted at a motel in Council Bluffs late last year. The report said 49-year-old Jesse William Smith, of Denver, Colorado,  was convicted of Sex Abuse in the 3rd Degree. The verdict was handed-down Thursday by a jury in Pottawattamie County District Court. It took them about two-hours to render their verdict.

Immediately following the ruling, Smith’s trial proceeded to an enhanced punishment phase, where District Court Judge Michael Hooper found Smith to be the same individual as had been previously convicted of multiple felony sex offenses in Colorado. The combination of the jury’s verdict and the Judge’s enhanced punishment determination, means that Smith will be sentenced to a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. His sentencing hearing was set for 9-a.m. on August 1st.

The investigation of Jesse William Smith began when a housekeeper at the Super 8 Motel in Council Bluffs was found deceased in a room during her regular work shift on Sept. 7, 2023. It was determined the housekeeper, Natalia Manriquez Sepulveda (a native of Chile’), has died from an accidental fentanyl overdose, and while she was dying, Smith sexually assaulted her and then locked the door to the room behind him, and left the motel. Sepulveda was found dead several hours later.

Smith was arrested by Council Bluffs Police Department Detectives on Sept. 13, 2023, when he was found hiding in a Council Bluffs home. It was determined that while Smith had nothing to do with the overdose, he made a decision to sexually assault Natalia Sepulveda while she was incapacitated and dying. The Pott. County Attorney’s Office charged Smith with felony sex abuse and asked for the penalty to be enhanced to life in prison, due to Smith’s prior criminal record from Colorado.

Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber said:

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — Red Lobster wants to close several dozen more restaurants following its bankruptcy, and it has identified which ones are in danger of shutting down if the court approves its plan — including one Iowa location. The chain, which brought affordable shrimp and lobster to middle-class America and grew to become the largest seafood restaurant chain in the world, filed for bankruptcy last month.

A few weeks prior to its bankruptcy, it abruptly closed around 50 locations across the United States, including locations in Council Bluffs and Waterloo, both of which are listed as “temporarily closed” on Red Lobster’s website. The new list of locations in danger of closing, which includes the Ames Red Lobster, was revealed in court filings last week, and all could be shuttered if they can’t renegotiate their leases.

Iowa locations currently listed as open on Red Lobster’s website:

• Ames: 1100 Buckeye Avenue
• Cedar Rapids: 163 Collins Road NE
• Coralville: 26712 2nd Street
• Davenport: 3420 East Kimberly Road
• Sioux City: 4290 Sergeant Road
• West Des Moines: 3838 Westown Parkway

Iowa locations currently listed as temporarily closed on Red Lobster’s website:

• Council Bluffs: 3040 Dial Drive
• Waterloo: 941 East San Marnan Drive

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Auditor/Commissioner of Election Kathy Somers, reports that on Thursday, June 6, 2024, she oversaw the post-election audit of the Cass County Primary Election. The audited number of votes matched the election night ballot count 100%.

Post-election audits are mandatory in all Iowa counties. Following election day, the Secretary of State’s office selects one precinct, by lot, to be audited. The Atlantic 4 precinct was selected, and the post-election audit board, consisting of representatives of both the Republican and Democratic parties, was instructed to hand-count the race for U.S. House of Representatives. Each step of the audit process was a successful match.

Somers said “I want to thank everyone involved in the election-day process, including precinct election officials, other support volunteers, and the auditor’s office staff members who worked diligently to ensure Cass County residents were allowed to vote securely, and in accordance with state laws.”

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld the sexual exploitation conviction of a former Independence High School teacher.Kari Schwartz was convicted of sexual exploitation by a school employee for actions with a female student in August of 2009. She appealed, saying there was a lack of evidence she went beyond a normal teacher-student relationship, and that the jury was improperly instructed that sexual conduct includes hugging.

The Supreme Court says the prosecutor argued that the hugging in this case was sexual and that Schwartz engaged in two or more acts constituting a systematic plan to engage in sexual conduct. Chief Justice Susan Christensen wrote a dissent, saying she agrees there was substantial evidence for a conviction, but says she is not convinced that the instruction on hugging did not prejudice the defendant, and she should get a new trial.

Two other justices agreed with Christensen’s dissent. The Supreme Court ruling upholds the Court of Appeals and District Court rulings.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau report, 35-year-old Amanda Manatt, of Marshalltown, was recently charged with one count of Insurance Fraud – Presenting False Information (Class D Felony). The charge was the result of an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau that began in April of 2024.

According to the criminal complaint filed by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau, while working as a Registered Nurse at a hospital, Manatt falsified patient records causing the submission of an insurance claim to an insurer for medical services that were not provided. Manatt was arrested on May 31, 2024 and transported to the Marshalltown Police Department. Manatt posted a $5,000 bond and was released.

Amanda Manatt. Photo courtesy of the Marshalltown Police Department.

Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-654-6556.

Note: A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – The Page County Sheriff’s Office has released a report on arrests conducted between May 22nd and June 6th. Most recently:

• 42-year-old Andrew Swisher Parrott, of Clarinda, was booked into the Page County Jail June 6th, on an active warrant for Failure To Appear (FTA).
• 40-year-old Joshua Wayne Baer, of College Springs, was arrested June 4th, for Violation of a No Contact Order. Baer was previously arrested June 2nd, for Disorderly Conduct and Interference with Official Acts.
• There were four arrests in Page County on Monday (June 3rd):
  • 64-year-old David Allen Mulkins, of Clarinda, was booked into the Page County Jail on Tuesday, to serve time.
  • 25-year-old Lyndon Daniel Bright, of Shenandoah, was also booked into the Jail to serve time.
  • 27-year-old Nash Andrew Graham, of Clarinda, was arrested on an active FTA warrant
  • 74-year-old Leonard Leroy Good, of Shenandoah, was booked into the Jail to serve time.
• On June 2nd, 25-year-old Devonci D. Combs, of Shenandoah, was arrested in Page County for Possession of a Controlled Substance (PCS), Child Endangerment and Domestic Abuse.
• And there were two people arrested May 31st, in Page County:
  • 40-year-old Jody Lee Lisk, of Clarinda, was arrested for Child Endangerment
  • 43-year-old William Harold Bailey, of Shenandoah, was arrested for Violation of Probation.

See the entire list of those arrested (and cited) in Page County, by clicking on the PDF link below:

5-22-2024–6-6-2024

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Produce in the Park on Thursday, June 6th, 2024. The Ambassadors gathered to welcome the new Produce in the Park manager Maria Miller.

Pictured Left to Right Back Row: John Bricker, Jeremy Butler, Dr. Keith Leonard, Bill Saluk, Jim Kickland, Cole Doherty, Ann Quist, Jeff Christensen, Tori Gibson, Dolly Bergmann, Lana Westphalen, and Sue Liston Pictured Left to Right Front Row: Grace McAfee, Alisha Wagner, Nina Welter, Elaine Otte, Jennifer McEntaffer, Maria Miller, Heidi Hinman, Julie Waters, and Kate Olson (Photo submitted)

Maria moved to Atlantic from Omaha, Nebraska two years ago with her husband and four kids. Wanting to get away from the hectic city life, Atlantic was the perfect spot for a slower paced lifestyle. The family fell in love with the community and opportunities offered in Cass County. The position as Market Manager came up unexpectedly for Maria. She took a chance at applying for the position and could not love it more after starting in March.

Produce in the Park is a homemade/homegrown style farmers market that is held every Thursday from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM in the summer months at the Atlantic City Park. With a wide variety of vendors, shoppers can find anything from produce, meats, plants, candles, and so much more. There are a lot of exciting things happening in Produce in the Park this year. You’ll find a mix of new and old vendors, food trucks, entertainment, activities, and theme nights. Maria is excited to give the entrepreneurs in the community a space to do their own thing and show off what they have been working on!

Produce in the Park is located at 102 Chestnut St. Atlantic, Iowa 50022.

For more information, contact 402-680-2029 or visit their website at https://www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com.

(Radio Iowa) – An emergency medical physician is urging Iowa parents who have small kids living in their homes to avoid buying any sort of health-related gummies. Dr. Benjamin Orozco, who’s a medical toxicologist with the Gundersen Health System, says kids get curious and they love candy, and if gummies are in the house, there’s a chance your child could end up seriously ill — or worse — if they find the bottle. “Any supplements, whether it be gummy vitamins, melatonin, recreational marijuana use in adults that’s in gummy form, any of that stuff is a very high risk to be eaten by children, especially toddlers in large amounts,” Orozco says. “They’ll eat the whole bottle, and depending on what the product is, you can actually have a fair amount of toxicity associated with that.”

Despite what the label says, he says the concentrations may be all over the map. If your child is discovered feeling woozy with the container nearby, you’d better make a fast call to the Iowa Poison Control Center. “If you call the poison center and your kid is alert and talking, they can walk you through the treatment and observation for that,” he says. “Many times, you’ll be able to keep the kid at home, but they’ll appropriately identify the kids that need to be in the hospital. I always put in a plug for the poison center at 1-800-222-1222.” Orozco says he’s not a fan of children being given melatonin for help with sleep as he says many supplements are “littered with problems.”

“First of all, it may not get to the root cause of why the child is having poor sleep,” Orozco says. “Second of all, even if you buy melatonin and there’s a labeled amount on the bottle, recent studies show you could have three or four times as much melatonin in there than you think you’re getting your child, none at all, or potentially CBD or some other substance all together.” There are plenty of non-medical ways to help a kid with sleep, including enforcing a regular sleep schedule, banning screens before bedtime, having regular meal times and plenty of physical activity. Orozco says it’s risky to have this sort of supplement in the house with kids, and he recommends if adults need any of these products, get them in pill or tablet form so they don’t tempt a child.

“Avoid gummies, chocolate bars, things like that, at all costs,” Orozco says. “Don’t have them out where your kids can see them. Don’t take them in front of your kids, because they’ll look for them later. They need to be locked up high and out of sight. And really, I don’t like gummy and candy forms for any sort of supplement or recreational substance in the house with small children.” If a child takes an adult dose of any medication, he says “any is too many,” but gobbling an entire bottle of gummies could land them in the I-C-U. It’s safer, Orozco says, to simply not allow them in the house.

Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.

Volunteers, Atlantic Parks & Rec Personnel & Trees Forever Representatives gather gather to plant trees at the Schildberg Recreation Area Campground in Atlantic, Iowa (6-7-2024)

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A little more than a dozen volunteers and Parks and Rec personnel gathered at the Schildberg Recreation Area RV campgrounds this (Friday) morning, in Atlantic, to help plant a variety of 32 trees. Local Trees Forever representative Dolly Bergmann, said Alliant Energy provided funding for the project in the form of a $3,000 grant.

Trees Forever also made the trees available through a grant. Bergmann said City employees did some prep work before today’s (Friday’s) tree planting.

She informed the volunteers (and for that matter, anyone who wishes to plant trees on their own property), of the right and wrong ways to plant a tree.

Schildberg RV Park playground

RV’s fill the camping pads at the Schildberg Rec Area RV Park (6-7-24)

Schildberg Campground Shelter House

She advised putting three-to four-inches of mulch for each tree, but not right up against it. “Leave a little doughnut hole around [the tree].” City employees will water and eventually place stakes and protective barriers around the trees to keep the deer away. The RV Pads at the Schildberg Campground were mostly full this (Friday) morning, with campers taking advantage of the Schildberg Recreational Trail, the fire pits, playground and shelter-house amenities. (Ric Hanson – Photos)