(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports numerous arrests took place from Friday through early today (Monday).  Three people were arrested Friday, in Creston:

• 50-year-old Jill Delores Lozano, of Colorado, was arrested at the Creston Walmart Store at around 1:35-p.m., Friday. Lozano taken into custody on a Wapello County Warrant for Forgery and Unauthorized Use of Credit Card under $1500. She was taken to the Union County Jail then transported to Clarke County Jail to await extradition to Wapello County. Her bond was set at $5,000 cash.
• At around 2:20-p.m., Friday, Creston Police arrested 53-year-oldJose Antonio Garza, of Ottumwa, at the Creston Walmart. Garza was cited and charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Driving while Revoked. Garza was also charged on a Wapello County Warrant for Unauthorized Use of Credit Card under $1500. Garza was taken to the Union County Jail then transported to the Clarke County Jail to await extradition to Wapello County. His bond was set at $2000;
• And, at around 6:10-p.m., Friday, 23-year-old Jeremiah Lee Whitney, of Creston, was arrested at his residence. Whitney was charged with Driving while Barred. He was cited and released from the scene on Promise to Appear in court.

At around 2:50-a.m., Saturday, Creston Police arrested 39-year-old Nicole Adrienne Siders, of Creston. She was arrested at the Creston/Union County LEC and charged with OWI 1st Offense. Siders was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on $1,000 cash or surety bond. Late Saturday evening, 45-year-old Brady Gale Richert, of Creston, for Consuming an Alcoholic Beverage in a Public Place/1st Offense. Richert was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on $300 cash or surety bond.

Early Sunday morning, Police in Creston arrested 31-year-old Kelsey Nicole Moore, of Orient, for OWI/1st Offense. Moore was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on $1000 cash or surety bond. 25-year-old Keifird Kewaun Griffith, of Mississippi, was also arrested early Sunday morning. Griffith was charged with Consuming an Alcoholic Beverage in Public Place-1st Offense, Harassment 2nd Degree-Threaten Bodily Injury, Disorderly Conduct-Fighting/Violent Behavior, and Assault with Intent to Cause Pain/Injury. He was being held in the Union County Jail on a $1,900 bond.

Griffith was arrested again Sunday afternoon at the 24 hour Casey’s Store in Creston. He was charged with Disorderly Conduct-Loud Raucous Noise. Griffith was taken to the Union County jail and later released on $300 cash or surety bond.

Early this (Monday) morning, 33-year-old Robert Curtiss Murphy, of Creston, was arrested for Driving while Suspended. Murphy was cited and released from the scene. And, 18-year-old Jack Alan Butler, of Creston, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance Marijuana 1st Offense and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Butler was taken to the Union County Jail and held on a $1,300 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says foreign adversaries have a proven track record of using apps and websites to secretly collect data from Americans, and he’s introducing legislation that aims to thwart such efforts. Grassley, a Republican, is sponsoring the measure with Nevada Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto. “Our bipartisan bill gives Americans further control over their own data,” Grassley says. “Our legislation would shine light on malicious foreign actors that store, expose and transfer Americans’ personal data.” Those illegal actions threaten national security and violate privacy rights, Grassley says. His bill is called the Internet Application Integrity and Disclosure Act.

“It would require websites and apps owned by China, North Korea, Russia and Iran to disclose their ownership to potential users,” Grassley says. “This helps consumers make informed decisions on when and with whom they share their private information.” He says the goal is to keep Americans’ private information private, and away from the eyes of foreign enemies.  “Americans have a right to keep their data protected from malicious actors, and especially if that’s our nation’s greatest adversaries, from a national security standpoint.”

Cortez Masto introduced an earlier version of the bill last year that required websites and apps to disclose ties with the Chinese Communist Party.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest of a man on drug charges at around 2:30 this (Monday) morning. Michael Scott Gardner (whose city of residence was not listed) was taken into custody in the 100 block of W. Coolbaugh Street, for Possession of a Controlled substance/3rd offense – a Class D Felony, Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia (Simple Misdemeanor), and Keeping a vehicle for controlled substance use (Aggravated Misdemeanor). Gardner was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

Sunday evening, Red Oak Police arrested 29-year-old Tylor Daniel Fine, of Red Oak, for Driving While Suspended (Simple Misdemeanor). His bond was set at $491.25.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court is likely to issue a ruling on Friday that will determine whether most abortions will be outlawed in Iowa. Last July, Governor Reynolds signed a law to ban abortions most around the sixth week of a pregnancy, when fetal activity can be detected, but the law was quickly put on hold due to a legal challenge. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird says the 2022 U-S Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v Wade has paved the way for state action.

“That makes a law like our ‘Heartbeat Law’ here in Iowa a legal possibility and we’ll hope that after the decision comes out, a legal certainty, right? That we can uphold that law,” Bird said. Bird spoke Saturday at the “March for Life” at the Iowa Capitol. Her office defended the six week abortion ban in court.  “We know nothing is more precious than life and we know who the Creator with a capital C of life is,” Bird said, to applause. “And especially as a mom I’m thankful I get to protect everybody, both the born and unborn.”

Opponents of Iowa’s six week abortion ban are set to hold events this week. The law includes exceptions for rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother. Critics say the rules prepared to enforce the law aren’t clear enough and women will be denied abortions in medical emergencies.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says flood related losses in northwest Iowa are staggering and she is asking for a presidential disaster declaration to trigger federal aid for flood victims. Governor Reynolds says the preliminary estimate is at least 19-hundred properties in 22 counties have been swamped by flood waters and hundreds of homes have been destroyed.

“I can tell you the devastation is severe and it’s widespread,” Reynolds says. “In almost every community impacted the rivers crested several feet above record levels from the floods of 1993.” Over a thousand Iowans stayed in emergency shelters Saturday night. By Sunday, at least 10 communities had no drinking water. “The seven day forecast calls for more rain,” Reynolds said, “which means flooding may continue to be an issue and may impact other parts of the state as well.”

Sixteen river gauges in northwest Iowa have already recorded historic flood levels. On Sunday night, Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management director John Benson met with local officials about making preparations in the other places where those flood waters are headed. “This is a very serious flood that we’re in right now and it is not going to cease,” Benson says. “It is going to blossom across the state.” Benson says the key is protecting critical infrastructure, like drinking water plants.

Governor Kim Reynolds and top aides took a helicopter tour of flooded areas of northwest Iowa on Saturday. (Photo from Office of Governor Kim Reynolds.)

“Where it does become a challenge is if you have, like we had up in northwest Iowa…a completely excessive, unforecastable rainfall,” Benson said, “…but if we get normal stuff, they’re on top of it…We’re already having those conversations about what we can do to get better prepared for what we’re going to see here in the future.” Last week over 10 inches of rain fell in northwest Iowa and the nearby river basins in Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota that drain into northwest Iowa. Donna Dubberke, the meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service in Johnston, says that’s eight times the average amount.

“That water is now working its way down through the system,” she says, “so the concern with the forecast is we remain in an active weather pattern, which means periodic rain chances throughout the next week to 10 days.” The governor is urging Iowans who get evacuation orders to heed those warnings. Helicopters were deployed to rescue residents after a levee was breached in Rock Valley and Iowa Department of Natural Resouces staff performed 250 water rescues throughout northwest Iowa on Saturday. Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephen Bayens says state troopers witnessed two drivers who ignored a “road closed” sign.

“Kind of barrelled headlong into floodwaters, ended up getting swept away,” Bayens said. “We had one individual that was on the cusp of losing his life had the Iowa State Patrol Air Wing not spotted his heat signature in the water and was able to dispatch boats in a timely way to rescue him.” Iowa Department of Transportation director Scott Marler says his agency has moved 23 pumps into northwest Iowa to try to clear water from roadways. On Sunday, the Iowa D-O-T moved five-thousand Hesco barriers to build temporary levies in key locations.

“If you see those barricades that say, ‘Road Closed,’ please turn around and don’t try to go around those barricades and proceed past them,” Marler says. Reynolds is asking President Biden to activate federal assistance for individuals as well as low interest Small Business Administration loans for businesses in nine counties. She’s also seeking federal help for local governments in 22 counties that are dealing with damage to public infrastructure and the cost of removing debris. Governor Reynolds says Rock Valley may be unable to quickly revive its drinking water plant and the Iowa National Guard may step in with a temporary system that produces drinking water for the community.

(As previously mentioned), Reynolds is asking President Biden to activate federal assistance for individuals as well as low interest Small Business Administration loans for businesses in nine counties. Those nine counties are Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Plymouth and Sioux. The governor’s also seeking federal help for local governments in 22 counties that are dealing with damage to public infrastructure and the cost of removing debris. Those counties are Buena Vista, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Floyd, Hancock, Humboldt, Kossuth, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sioux, Webster, Winnebago, Woodbury, Worth and Wright.