COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum has announced that on September 18th, 28-year old Jorge Alejandro Salazar Machado, of California, was sentenced in Council Bluffs United States District Court, to 10-years in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Salazar is required to serve a five-year term of supervised release, following his incarceration.

In January 2019, Salazar Machado was arrested by Council Bluffs Police for possession of drug paraphernalia. A subsequent search warrant was executed on his vehicle. During the search, officers located two packages containing a total of 1,891.28 grams of heroin. Salazar Machado pleaded guilty to the charge in May 2019.

The case was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Montgomery County Auditor’s Office has released a list of candidates who have filed for the November 5th City Elections. It should be noted that the Mayor’s term is 2 years, except in Stanton & Coburg, where the term is 4-years. And, Council members serve 4-year terms, except in Grant, where the term is for two-years. (TVF= To Fill a Vacancy)

The Candidates in Red Oak include:

• Mayor–Vote for One (2yr term): Karen Blue, Bill Billings
• Council Member Ward #1–Vote for One (4yr term): Scott Keith
• Council Member Ward #3 –Vote for One (4yr term): Peter Wemhoff
• Council Member At Large–Vote for One (4yr term):Jeanice A. Lester
• Council Member At Large-TVF -Vote for One (2yr term):Terry Koppa, Brian Lee Bills

Elliott City Offices and Candidates Filed:

• Mayor–Vote for One (2yr term): None filed
• Council Member–Vote for Two (4yr term): Jessica Rasmussen, Travis Johnson, Leta Rush
• Council MemberTFV –Vote for Two (2yr term): None filed

Stanton City Offices and Candidates Filed:

• Mayor –Vote for One (4yr term): Kirk Requist, Jeff Magneson
• Council Member–Vote for Two (4yr term): Pier Schenck-Osweiler, James Cavner

Villisca City Offices and Candidates Filed:

• Mayor–Vote for One (2yr term): Marilyn Halda
• Council Member–Vote for Three (4yr term): Robert Narup, Marsha S. Shepherd

Coburg City Offices and Candidates Filed:

• Council Member–Vote for Three (4yr term): None filed

Grant City Offices and Candidates Filed:

• Mayor–Vote for One (2yr term): Lyn Sliger
• Council Member –Vote for Five (2yr term): Zelda Swartz, Jeff Brown, Steve Williams, Nancy Taylor, Emerson Hill.

MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa grandmother has been convicted of the 1992 killing of her former boyfriend. The Quad-City Times reports that Annette Cahill was found guilty Thursday of second-degree murder in the death of bartender Corey Wieneke.

Prosecutors said the 56-year-old Cahill used a baseball bat to kill 22-year-old Wieneke. He was found dead on the floor of his bedroom in rural West Liberty in October 1992.

Police have said Cahill had been in a sexual relationship with Wieneke, and they had a heated argument about his involvement with another woman. The case against Cahill relied on testimony from a woman who said she was 9 when she overheard Cahill confess to killing Wieneke weeks after the slaying.

Cahill is now a mother of three adult children and a grandmother of four.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some 2020 candidates are trying out new strategies to appeal to voters just over four months until Iowa’s leadoff caucuses begin the process in which Democrats will select their presidential nominee.

Kamala Harris announced a substantive shift on Thursday, saying she would spend half of October in Iowa and add some 60 staffers there. Bernie Sanders is shuffling his early state staff, and Beto O’Rourke has turned his impassioned calls for gun control laws into a nationalized strategy that has led him to places far outside the early voting states.

The shifts signal that the race for the Democratic nomination is entering a new stage, with precious few months for candidates to change their fortunes before the first votes are cast.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — The former administrator of Iowa’s third-largest city is suing the area’s biggest newspaper, claiming that its coverage was unfair and cost him his job. Former Davenport city administrator Craig Malin’s lawsuit against the Quad-City Times is set to go to trial Monday. He argues that the paper published false stories and opinion pieces about his official actions, forcing him out after 14 years with the city.

The trial will not be a traditional libel case because a judge has ruled Malin did not meet the high bar for proving the newspaper defamed him. Instead, the case will be about whether the paper improperly interfered with Malin’s employment contract.

The newspaper’s reporting on Davenport’s handling of financial negotiations for a new casino prompted the mayor to call for Malin’s termination. The newspaper has defended its coverage as accurate watchdog journalism protected by the First Amendment.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Agriculture is proposing a new set of administrative rules that could significantly improve the lives of dogs, cats and other companion animals in a state long regarded as among the worst in the nation for animal protection. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says Wednesday he will submit the new set of rules to the state on Friday, beginning a process that requires a legislative panel review and public comment.

Animal rights groups celebrated it as a huge victory for pets in state-licensed commercial breeding facilities, animal shelters, pet dealers, rescue organizations and boarding kennels. The rules include increased access to water, larger cages and more stringent temperature, cleaning and sanitation requirements.

Iowa has 500 dog breeders, half licensed by the state and half by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in addition to boarding kennels, shelters and other pet care facilities. It was ranked 48th in the nation for animal protection last year by the nonprofit Animal Legal Defense Fund.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Bankers in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states expect slow growth in the months ahead, but the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China is weighing on the economy.
The Rural Mainstreet survey’s overall index climbed into positive territory at 50.1 in September from August’s 46.5. Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy, while a score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, says bankers are less confident because of the ongoing trade disputes and the lack of approval for a new North American trade agreement.

The confidence index remained low at 42.9 in September — up slightly from August’s 42. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Page County, Wednesday, arrested 62-year old Jerry Lee Mutchler, of Shenandoah. He was taken into custody on a warrant for OWI/1st offense. Mutchler was arrested at the page County Sheriff’s Office, where he was being held on a $1,000 bond, pending further court proceedings.

Sheriff Lyle Palmer said also, 39-year old Phillip Jay McClish, of Clarinda, was arrested Monday on a Page County Warrant for Failure to Appear for a Pretrial Conference. The warrant stems from an original charge of Theft 2ndDegree which McClish had bonded on.

McClish was arrested at the Page County Courthouse. McClish was unable to post the $10,000.00 bond. He was transported to the Page County Jail where he is currently being held pending further court proceedings.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 43-year old Molly Beth Carr-Gross, of Silver City, was arrested Wednesday evening, following a traffic stop. Carr-Gross was charged with OWI/1st offense, and two-counts of Child Endangerment. Her bond was set at $5,000.

Montgomery County Auditor Stephanie Burke reports polling place changes will be in effect for the combined regular City and School Elections, effective the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of odd-numbered years. Burke says “The first-ever combined City/School Election has caused us to review our polling locations for this election. The new law establishing this combined election requires the General Election polling places to be used.

“The General Election polling place is where you normally would go to vote for the Governor and Presidential races. This law will affect some voters.” Burke said “The Montgomery County Auditor’s Office will be mailing out a postcard as a notice to households that have registered voters living there that will have a change of polling location. Watch for this notice in the mail in the near future.”

Because the City/School Election are combined this year, Burke says some school voters may not be voting at their traditional School Election polling location. Requesting an absentee ballot and voting early may be a good option for some voters. Voters wishing to receive a ballot by mail for this election will need to complete an absentee ballot request form and return it to the Auditor’s office by Friday, October 25.

You can vote in-person in the Auditor’s Office starting October 7th and up to the day before the election held on November 5. If you have moved, you need to fill out a new voter registration form. Remember to bring your driver’s license or required ID to the polls on Election Day! If you don’t have one of the approved IDs for election day, then contact the Auditor’s Office for a free Iowa Voter Identification Card.

If you have any questions, please contact the Montgomery County Auditor’s office at 712-623-5127.