The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports a woman from Nebraska was sentenced last week to slightly more than six years in prison for the distribution of methamphetamine. 54-year old Kimberly Ann Jacobsen, of Omaha, received her sentence July 16th in Council Bluffs U-S District Court.

Jacobsen was also ordered to serve a four-year period of supervised released upon completion of her 74 month sentence, and to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund. There is no parole in the federal system.

Authorities say in Oct. 2019, Jacobsen sold 97 grams of meth during two separate undercover law enforcement operations. She plead guilty to the offense March 6, 2020. It was Jacobsen’s second federal felony methamphetamine conviction.

The case against her was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Dept., the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, and the D.E. A.  It was prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A U-S District Court Judge on July 14th, sentenced a Pottawattamie County man to slightly more than 5-years in prison, for being a felon and drug user in possession of a firearm. 27-year old Jimmy Joe Gappa, of Council Bluffs, was also ordered to serve a period of supervised release of three years to follow his prison term and pay a $100 special assessment payable to the Crime Victims’ Fund. There is no parole in the federal system.

On June 8, 2019, Gappa and a friend were in Mills County driving when their vehicle broke down. As they walked away from the vehicle, a law enforcement officer stopped them. Gappa had an outstanding warrant and he was arrested. Gappa was in possession of a stolen pistol, ammunition, and methamphetamine.

The investigation was conducted by the Mills County Sheriff’s Office and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports a judge has sentenced a Shelby County man to serve five-years in prison for being a drug user in possession of a firearm. 51-year old Blake Edward Cooper, of Harlan, had plead guilty to the charge and was sentenced July 14th in Council Bluffs U-S District Court. Cooper was ordered to serve a period of supervised release of three years to follow his prison term and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund. There is no parole in the federal system.

On July 29, 2019, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office was advised that Cooper made threats to kill law enforcement officers and innocent civilians. Specifically, Cooper sent a text message to a person he knew, which read: “There gonna come for me: I bet this week. Collateral damage is key to whether or not people get informed· as to how rigged the whole family law system is. It’s sad to say, but I need as much collateral damage as possible. If a cop gets shot -in the leg while serving a warrant, that’s local news. If 6 cops get killed, 4 wounded and several innocent civilians get killed or severely wounded, then it becomes national news. And that’s the only way anything is ever gonna get stuff changed. And now· that my whole plan had to be revealed to you, you will be an accessory.”

Cooper also sent the same person a photo of a box along with the following message: “Package came today; 50lbs of -ammonia nitrate. Google that.” In addition, Cooper sent an order confirmation email showing that he purchased 50 pounds of ammonium nitrate on July 25, 2019.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Cooper’s residence on July 30, 2019. They found 21 firearms, ammunition, 50 pounds of ammonium nitrate, and materials that could be used to make an explosive device. They also found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Cooper admitted to being a regular user of methamphetamine. The investigation was conducted by the Iowa State Fire Marshal, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have identified a man who died after becoming trapped in a grain bin in northwest Iowa. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office says 65-year-old Daniel Cronin died Tuesday after becoming trapped in the bin located about five miles east of Le Mars. Officials said deputies and other first-responders were called Tuesday morning to the grain bin for a report of a man trapped. Investigators say Cronin had been loosening stuck corn when the crust broke, and he sank into the grain.

Officials say the accident happened despite the use of safety measures. Officials say Cronin had died by the time his body was recovered about an hour after rescuers arrived.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report 43-year old Gabriel Angel (On’hell) Rodriguez-Medina (Muh-dee’nah) was arrested Tuesday evening, following a traffic stop in Council Bluffs, Rodriguez-Medina was taken into custody for Driving While Barred/Habitual Offender.Wednesday afternoon, 30-year old Kimberly Marie Salnicky, of Plattesmouth, NE., turned herself-in to the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office. Salnicky was wanted on a warrant for (Felony) Forgery by altering a written check or document, (Felony) Possession of a firearm or offensive weapon as a felon, and Theft in the 5th Degree. Her bond on the Forgery charge was set at $5,000.

Wednesday evening, 38-year old Eric Michael Mertz, of Walnut, was arrested in Walnut, on charges of Domestic Abuse/Simple Assault, and Child Endangerment with substantial risk. He was taken into custody for allegedly assaulting his wife. Mertz was being held on $2,000 bond associated with the Child Endangerment charge. And, 23-year old Michael Christopher Edwards was arrested at around 6:20 this (Thursday) morning, in Minden. Edwards was charged with Assault without intent, causing injury or mental illness, and Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense – causing injury.

(Radio Iowa) — Multiple teams of F-B-I agents are in eastern Iowa to aid in the search for a Davenport girl who’s been missing nearly two weeks. Ten-year-old Breasia Terrell was reported missing July 10th and extensive searches in the Quad Cities and Clinton County have turned up little. F-B-I Special Agent in Charge Kristi Johnson says the bureau has assembled agents in Davenport from Waterloo, Des Moines, Omaha and Lincoln, and well as from Washington D-C and elsewhere.  “The assistance has included interviews, searches, our Evidence Response Team has been present,” Johnson says. “We also have had a team that is called the Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team. That team is made up of about 12 special agents who are trained and have experience and knowledge in working these investigations.”

Breasia Terrell

Johnson says there’s also a team in Davenport that focuses on cellular analysis and surveillance that combs through phone records and works on location information. “Because of the nature of our work, you may not have seen the FBI out and about in this investigation as you may have seen uniformed police officers, but we certainly have been here along the way,” Johnson says, “and we will continue to be here and ensure that we are using all of the investigative tools and analytical methods available to us.”

The F-B-I has added 65-hundred dollars to the existing Crimestoppers reward in the case, taking the new total to 10-thousand dollars for information that leads to the missing girl. “Our number-one goal is to find the person that is responsible for the disappearance of Breasia and bring that person to justice,” Johnson says. “We are also obviously working very hard to make sure the family is supported and that we do everything we can to bring this case to a successful conclusion.”

The girl was last seen heading to spend the night with her younger half-brother and his father, 47-year-old Henry Dinkins. A convicted sex offender, Dinkins is being held in the Scott County Jail on unrelated charges. Police say Dinkins is a person of interest in the missing girl’s case.

A traffic stop about three-miles northwest of Braddyville, Wednesday, resulted in the arrest of 51-year old Steven William Wells, from College Springs. The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports during the traffic stop, Wells was arrested for Driving while license is barred, Possession of a controlled substance 2nd Offense, and Possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to the Page County Jail ad held on $4,300 bond, pending further court proceedings.

The Iowa Department of Public Health, mid-morning Thursday, reports two new positive cases of COVID-19 in each of Cass, Adair, Guthrie and Shelby Counties. That brings the total number of cases to: 32 in Cass County; 22 in Adair County; 113 in Guthrie County, and 127 in Shelby County. Audubon County had one new case over the past 24-hours. Montgomery County reports 25 cases, Pottawattamie County 973, and Adams County 12 cases.

In other Coronavirus news, Iowa has surpassed 40,000 positive cases. As of 10 a.m. today (Thursday), IDPH reported 716 new positive cases and 7 additional deaths. There have been a total of 40,509 positive cases, 28,863 recoveries and 815 deaths in Iowa since the pandemic began. IDPH reported 436,734 Iowans have been tested for COVID-19. That means 1 of 7 Iowans have been tested. One of 78 Iowans have tested positive. IDPH reported 3,908 Iowans were tested Wednesday.

Iowa’s coronavirus hospitalizations continue to climb. There are currently 232 hospitalized patients, up from 223 the previous day. There are 73 patients listed in intensive care, up from 71 the previous day. IDPH reported 32 patients on ventilators, up from 31 the previous day. There were 33 patients admitted into Iowa hospitals over the last 24 hours, up from 29 the previous day. IDPH reported approximately 3,110 available hospital beds, 476 available ICU beds and 758 available ventilators in the state. In RMCC Region 4 (southwest/western IA), six people are hospitalized with COVID-19, four are in an ICU, there was one new hospital admission, one person remains on a ventilator.

IDPH data shows there are COVID-19 outbreaks in 20 of Iowa’s long-term care facilities. There are currently 515 positive cases and 135 recoveries in those facilities. There have been 437 deaths in Iowa’s long-term care facilities.

Here is the latest data for confirmed cases and the number of persons recovered from COVID-19, in Cass and surrounding counties, plus any change in the numbers (Highlighted number indicate a change from Tuesday):

• Cass: 32 positive cases, 28 recovered
• Adair: 22 positive cases, 16 recovered
• Adams: 12 cases (recovered data still not available from the IDPH)
• Audubon: 22 cases, (No recovery data available)
• Guthrie: 113 cases, 66 recovered
• Montgomery: 25 cases, 16 recovered
• Pottawattamie: 973 cases, 719 recovered
• Shelby County: 127 cases, 124 recovered