BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A city in Iowa has agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a woman who was mistakenly shot and killed by a police officer. Attorneys for the city of Burlington and the estate of Autumn Steele notified a federal court of the settlement Wednesday. Details of the agreement weren’t immediately available. Steele was a 34-year-old mother when she was killed in January 2015 in front of one of her young children.

Steele was shot by officer Jesse Hill, who was responding to a domestic disturbance between Steele and her husband outside their home. Hill intended to fire his weapon at a growling family dog but the shot struck Steele in the chest and killed her. Attorneys for Steele’s estate argued last month in federal court that police video that’s been withheld from the public contradicts the official narrative that the dog bit Hill.

A Neola man was arrested early Tuesday morning, for OWI/2nd offense. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports 56-year old Kirk Alan Boyer was arrested at around 2:18-a.m., after a Deputy conducting a stationary patrol near 2nd and Front Streets noticed a northbound vehicle operating without taillights and initiated a traffic stop for improper rear lamps. A man from Council Bluffs was arrested Tuesday afternoon, after he appeared at the Sheriff’s Office to check on the status of a warrant. The warrant for 26-year old Kelly Leroy Kephart was verified. He was taken into custody on a warrant out of Council Bluffs for Theft in the 1st Degree, the bond for which is $25,000. Kephart was transported to the Pott. County Jail.

And, 20-year old Roman Gage Williamson, of Council Bluffs, was arrested just before midnight Tuesday, after a Deputy encountered a suspicious vehicle parked in the roadway near 19376 River Road. Williamson was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance (3.2 grams of marijuana), and Possession of drug paraphernalia (a marijuana grinder and pipe).

Officials with the Cass County Landfill and Recycling Center said today (Wednesday), that effective July 1st, they will no longer be accepting glass as recyclable material. As a result, the green recycling containers located throughout Cass County, will cease to have compartments dedicated to glass recycling. All residents will need to place their glass containers in with their regular garbage.

The decision to eliminate glass recycling was made after careful consideration by the Cass County Environmental Control Agency, and involved several determining factors. Officials say “The most critical of those factors [is] that there are simply no markets willing to pay for the material in our vicinity, and the weight of the material made transportation costs prohibitive.” Other considerations include the need for space in the recycling containers for other materials that are more easily recycled, such as metal and plastic. The ongoing issue of broken glass around the recycling sites also caused safety concerns for residents.

Officials also note, that glass recyclers are not able to process material such as window glass or Pyrex, and any such combination can make the entire load unredeemable, as the glass it likely to break as it is placed in the bins, and the pieces would comingle. There is no environmental concern, however, because glass is no-toxic. It is made of sand, limestone and ash, so there is no problem putting it the landfill.

The Landfill Board wants to thank the residents of Cass County for their continued recycling efforts, and encourages anyone with questions to call the landfill at 243-1991.

An Audubon County man received enough write-in votes to appear on the General Election ballot in November on the Democratic party ticket. According to the Audubon County Auditor’s Office, Dwight Jessen, Tuesday, received 45 write-in votes on the Democratic Ballot for Board of Supervisors. The Auditor’s Office will send Jessen a letter asking if he wants to accept the nomination. He has seven days after the canvas of the elections to accept the nomination. If he accepts, Jessen will challenge Gary VanAernam, winner of the Republican Party’s Primary for County Supervisor.

There were 62 total write-in votes.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Waterloo officials have advanced a proposal for a traffic ticket program despite concerns about whether the new process would unfairly penalize the city’s minority populations. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that the City Council approved the second reading of the ordinance Monday despite requests from the Waterloo Human Rights Commission and NAACP for additional time to review the program. The ordinance would create new municipal fines that police officers can issue instead of state traffic tickets.

Supporters say local citations would be less costly for motorists and add revenue to the city budget. Others had hoped the commission could review the proposal to ensure it wouldn’t encourage racial profiling.
The final reading of the ordinance is scheduled for next week.

Cass County Master Gardeners (CCMG) offer a $1,000 scholarship annually, available to students who are graduating seniors or graduates of any Iowa school districts in which current members of CCMG reside. The 2018 scholarship was awarded to Cole Madsen of Exira-EHK, who will be attending DMAAC, enrolled in their horticulture program.  Pictured with Madsen is Master Gardener Kathy Johnson, who lives in the Exira-EHK school district, presenting the scholarship at the school’s Award Night in May.

Cole Madsen

The goal of the Master Gardener program is to support horticulture education and community service.  CCMG members provide many hours of volunteer service in their communities.  Accordingly, this scholarship is intended to provide post-secondary funds to individuals who are studying, or intend to pursue a career in, a horticulture-related field.  The scholarship winner is selected based upon academic success, history of community service, and career goals. Demonstration of interest and experience in horticulture is also encouraged.

For more information on the Master Gardener Program, contact the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132 or email keolson@iastate.edu, or visit the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman was arrested Tuesday night for being a Fugitive from Justice. 56-year old Kelly Jo Horgdal, of Henderson, was taken into custody at around 9:454-p.m., and held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

Strong to severe thunderstorms remain forecast today into tonight for the KJAN listening area. Large hail and damaging thunderstorm wind gusts look to be the main threat later this afternoon into tonight. Heavy rain is also anticipated and may lead to localized flash flooding by tonight. The weather pattern will stay active Thursday into the weekend with periodic chances for thunderstorms. Severe weather potential is forecast Thursday and Friday.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A former janitor accused of video recording people in a northern Iowa school staff restroom has changed his plea to guilty. Mason City station KIMT reports that 47-year-old David Bemis, of Mason City, entered the pleas to four counts of invasion of privacy. Court documents say the prosecution will recommend a 60-day jail sentence for him and a year of probation in return for his pleas. He’d originally pleaded not guilty. Bemis’ sentencing is scheduled for July 18.

Investigators say Bemis was working at Clear Creek Elementary in Clear Lake in May 2013 when he hid a camera in the restroom and recorded four school employees in varying degrees of nudity. He no longer works for the district. Clear Lake Superintendent Doug Gee has said no students were recorded.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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