(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports six people were arrested on separate charges over the past week. Early today (Monday), 29-year-old Dakota John Allen, of Hastings, was arrested on Interstate 29, for Driving While Barred (Bond: $2,000). Sunday evening, 37-year-old Justin Lee Parson, of Pacific Junction, was arrested for Criminal Mischief 3rd/offense, Attempted Burglary 3rd Degree, Possession of Burglary Tools, and Trespassing (Bond: $9,300).

Saturday afternoon, Mills County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 36-year-old Steven Wayne Wurtele, Jr., of Omaha, NE, on a Mills County warrant for failure to appear. Wurtele was taken into custody at the Pottawattamie County Jail, and was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

Last Thursday, Mills County Deputies arrested 54-year-old William Joseph Cox, of Missouri Valley, on a Mills County warrant for two counts Contempt of Court. He was also arrested at the Pott. County Jail, and held without bond in the Mills County Jail. And, 30-year-old Patrick Clayton Giesting, of Malvern, was arrested Thursday night following a traffic stop on I-29 in Mills County. Giesting was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Bond: $300).

On July 30th, 18-year-old Hunter Travis Kaufman, of Thurman, was arrested at the Mils County Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Possession of Controlled Substance (Bond: $1,000).

(Radio Iowa) – The University of Iowa’s Stanley Museum of Art has become the first North American institution to return artwork from its collection directly to the royal family of Benin in Nigeria. The two pieces are part of a group of thousands of artifacts, known as the Benin Bronzes, stolen from the kingdom during a British invasion in 1897. Peju Layiwola is a curator at the museum, who attended a ceremony at the royal palace in Benin City to return the art to the oba, or king, of Benin.

“The palace still exists. The lineage and the kings are still there,” Layiwola says, “and so going to the palace of the oba of Benin, to the very place that was sacked, that was plundered, is absolutely the right thing to do.” Cory Gundlach, the museum’s curator of African art, also attended the ceremony. “It’s very exciting for the Stanley Museum of Art to be a leader in this particular context,” Gundlach says, “and to develop a direct relationship with the royal family and the oba in particular.”

His Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, holds up the brass plaque presented to him by Dr. Cory Gundlach (right) during the restitution ceremony at the Royal Palace. (Photo courtesy Stanley Museum of Art)

The pieces that were returned included a brass plaque and a wooden altarpiece.

(contributed by Josie Fischels, Iowa Public Radio)

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports there were four arrests that took place Friday evening through Sunday night. At around 10:30-p.m. Sunday, 33-year-old Anthony Roger Cross, of Creston, was arrested for Burglary in the 3rd Degree. He posted a $5,000 bond and was released from the Union County Jail. A little after 1-a.m., Sunday, Creston Police arrested 40-year-old Brian James Ferry, of Gowrie, for Driving While Suspended. He was cited at the scene and then released on a promise to appear in court.

At around 1:30-a.m. Saturday, Police in Creston arrested 31-year-old Kevin William Wessel, of Creston, for Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree, Public Intoxication/1st offense, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Interference with Official Acts. Wessel was later released on a $1,200 bond.

And, at around 6:35-p.m. Friday, Ryan James Corder, of Storm Lake, was arrested for Theft in the 3rd Degree. Corder was being held in the Union County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors are set to meet at 9-a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6th in their Atlantic courthouse Board Room. On their agenda, is: Action on a resolution approving the use of Valley Business Park (VBP) interest for use by CADCO’s (Cass-Atlantic Development Corporation) Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to support local economic development; action on the EMS Advisory Council’s recommendation to place a Public Measure on the November General Election ballot, with regard to making Emergency Medical Services an essential service in Cass County, and an associated levy that supporters say will provide a revenue stream that is a dedicated county fund that can’t be redirected by politicians to less important needs.

The levy would not exceed 75-cents per $1,000 assessed property evaluation in Cass County, plus a 1% surtax upon the State individual income tax. Supporters say passage of the measure in November would allow cities, the hospital and county to reduce their respective tax levies, since they would no longer be funding EMS through their budgets, as is currently the case. The fund would pay for 24/7 paramedic service, and help to fund all the volunteer EMS departments in the County, with regard to operational expenses, training and equipment. The Cass County EMS Association, which is made up of EMS members from every town in the County, will set a budget and distribute funding.

The Cass County Supervisors will also discuss remaining ARPA request priorities, and hear reports from County Conservation Director Micah Lee (Quarterly report), as well as a monthly report from Cass County Community Services Director & Mental Health Advocate, Debbie Schuler. Engineer Trent Wolken will present his regular report to the Board, also.

See the full agenda below:

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County will hold their regular, weekly session on Tuesday (Aug. 6) beginning at 8:30-a.m.  On their agenda is action on approving the designation of Snyder and Associates, Inc., to serve as Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline inspector during construction of the carbon transport pipeline.

The full agenda is shown below: