The Creston Police Department is investigating a report of shots being fired at a car in the area of the 300 block of North Sycamore Street. The incident happened at around 2:30-a.m. Wednesday (8/22).  Evidence was recovered from the scene, and investigators are asking the public, if you have any information, to please call the Police Department at 641-782-8402.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The Creston Police Department reports Timothy Alvin Newton, of Lamoni, was arrested Thursday afternoon. Newton was taken into custody for Theft in the 3rd Degree, with regard to an incident at the Creston Wal-Mart store. He was being held in the Union County Jail on a $2,000 bond. And, a man residing in the 200 block of Myrtle Street, in Creston, reported to police late Thursday morning, that sometime between 9-p.m. Wednesday and 10-a.m. Thursday, someone took a blue scooter from his property. The loss was estimated at $600.

(7-a.m. News)

GLENWOOD, Iowa (AP) — A western Iowa woman convicted of causing the death of her young daughter by giving her unprescribed antidepressants has been sentenced to 50 years in prison. The Daily Nonpareil newspaper reports a judge on Thursday sentenced 34-year-old Misty Frazier, of Glenwood, to the prison term following her earlier conviction for child endangerment resulting in death. Frazier was found not guilty of other charges, including second-degree murder. She will be immediately eligible for parole.

An autopsy showed Frazier’s 8-year-old daughter, Kathleen Tafta, died in October 2016 of an overdose of the antidepressant amitriptyline, commonly sold under the brand name Elavil. Frazier’s lawyer argued during the trial that her actions were due to an intellectual impairment.

The Cass County Democratic Party’s 7th Annual School Supplies Drive is now history. County Chair Sherry Toelle says with over 1000 items donated, the drive was considered a success. “We were able to partially meet the needs of our Cass County students. On behalf of their students, school staff were grateful for the outpouring of donations from the community. I know my car was filled to the brim on the day of delivery. It was a good day.” Toelle thanks the community for once again stepping up to the plate with their donations “To help our next generation start off the new school year with so many new supplies.”

Terri Smith, Cass County Democratic Party Vice-Chair, and Cheri Chester, CAM Elementary School Secretary

Katie Elwood, Griswold MS/HS Principal , Sherry Toelle, County Chair, and Terri Smith, Vice-Chair

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa judge has sentenced a Colorado man to life in prison in the death of his estranged wife nearly two decades ago. The Hawk Eye newspaper reports District Judge Mark Kruse on Thursday sentenced 58-year-old Michael Syperda, of Rifle, Colorado, to the life term for the death of Elizabeth Syperda. She was 22 when she disappeared in July 2000 in Mount Pleasant, and her body was never found. Court records say the couple had been estranged before her disappearance because she was leaving him for a woman.

Michael Syperda declined to speak before he was sentenced. He showed no emotion when the judge handed down the mandatory life sentence in the Henry County courtroom. Despite the lack of a body, murder weapon or crime scene, Kruse says he based his guilty verdict on circumstantial evidence, including threats made by Syperda.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Cindy Axne, the Democratic candidate for Iowa’s 3rd District congressional seat, is calling on Rep. David Young to reject a telephone poll that includes a statement about the death of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts and misstates Axne’s position on immigration. The 15-minute poll asks voters whether the statement would affect their vote. The statement says Tibbetts’ assailant is an immigrant in the country illegally and says Axne “wants to join extreme liberals” in abolishing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Axne says Thursday that she has never supported abolishing the agency and finds it unconscionable anyone would politicize Tibbetts’ death. A spokesman for Young says his campaign has nothing to do with the poll, has no knowledge of who is behind it and rejects politicizing Tibbetts’ death.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) A Dubuque-based company reported on Thursday, fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of $2.2-million. Flexsteel Industries Inc. (FLXS) said it had net income of 28 cents per share. The furniture maker posted revenue of $113.1 million in the period. For the year, the company reported profit of $17.7 million, or $2.23 per share. Revenue was reported as $489.2 million. Flexsteel shares have decreased 17 percent since the beginning of the year. The stock has declined 14 percent in the last 12 months.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies this (Friday) morning, arrested 20-year old Dustin Lee Jones, of Red Oak, for Driving While Suspended. In addition, Jones, who was taken into custody near Highway 48 and 140th Street at around 2:25-a.m., was cited for Possession of Alcohol under Legal Age.

(Radio Iowa) — A college student in Omaha who loves to run started a running club on her campus as she didn’t feel safe running alone after Iowan Mollie Tibbetts vanished. Ashley Tagart, a sophomore at the College of Saint Mary, says she’d just gotten home from a run in mid-July when her dad told her the news about Tibbetts disappearing after she went for a jog.

“I didn’t think anything of it and I was like, ‘It’s fine, I’ll just bring my mace,’ but then I noticed I kept looking over my shoulder a lot more and it started to feel more real,” Tagart says. “She wasn’t getting found and it started to scare me even more, so I tried apps that showed my location and I’d share it with my family and I still wasn’t feeling safe.”

Tagart and other club members launched an online campaign to sell t-shirts in honor of Tibbetts, the University of Iowa student from Brooklyn, Iowa, who authorities now say was murdered. “It’s a black tank top. We also have blue and pink and also t-shirts for men. It says ‘Mollie Strong’ on the front,” Tagart says. “It’s to bring awareness that we can all still keep running. We just have to do it safer.” The shirts cost $20 with a sales goal of 50 shirts. Tagart says they won’t make a dime from the shirts as all proceeds will be sent to Tibbetts’ mother, Laura Calderwood.

Many of the running club members share the feeling “that could have been me,” so Tagart says they’ve learned to run smarter. “At least find one person to run with,” Tagart says. “If that’s impossible for you, get one of the apps that share your location. Tell someone before and after when you’re running. Also, change up your route every once in a while because if you stay with the same route at the same time, that’s when predators can easily find you.”

Tagart, a Grand Island native who’s majoring in nursing and forensic science, says she’s getting in better physical shape in addition to being more motivated by her new clan of fellow runners.
Link to t-shirt sale:
https://www.customink.com/fundraising/mollie-strong?side=front&type=1&zoom=false