Police in Creston say a man from there reported Tuesday night, that sometime between January 30th and June 30th, someone took all four of the tires that were on his vehicle. The incident happened while the vehicle was parked at the Southwestern Community College’s Automotive Department. The loss was estimated at $600.

Police in Red Oak this (Wednesday) morning, assisted by Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies, arrested a man on drug and other charges. 27-year old Randall Wesley Butts, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 1:30-a.m. in the 600 block of E. Hammond Street, on charges that include: Interference with Official Acts; Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Butts was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – A man who ran a meth distribution ring in eastern Iowa will spend 25 years in prison. Forty-eight-year-old Brian Ausborn of Fort Dodge admitted he worked with other individuals over a two-year period from 2013 to 2014 to make multiple trips to purchase large quantities of methamphetamine that were then redistributed in the Dubuque area. His admission came after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He had previously been convicted of felony drug charges in Black Hawk, Polk, and Calhoun counties.

(Update 11:15-a.m.) The Iowa Department of Public Health today (Wednesday), reports five more people have died from COVID-19 since yesterday’s report, for a total of 717, and 349 more people tested positive for the virus, for a total of 29,290. Of those who have tested positive, 7,276 had a pre-existing medical condition that would likely have made them more susceptible to the virus. Negative test results number 278,947, and 409 more COVID-19 patients have recovered, for a total of 23, 447. A total of 817, 657 assessments and 308,658 tests have been completed.

In Regional Medical Center Coordination (RMCC) data: 149 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized (compared to 119 yesterday); 37 are in an ICU (3 more than yesterday); 29 were admitted to a hospital (4 more than yesterday), and 21 are on a ventilator. In RMCC Region 4 (western/southwest IA): 4 patients were in a hospital (1 less than yesterday); 2 were in an ICU and no one was admitted over the past 24-hours, and one person was taken off of a ventilator.

Long-Term Care (LTC) facility outbreaks are down again, from 21 yesterday to 20 in today’s report. At those facilities, 548 persons (Staff & patients) have tested positive,. Recoveries from the virus amount to 419, while deaths at LTC’s number 366, one less than yesterday. In Cass & surrounding counties, here are the latest numbers of positive COVID-19 test results and the number of persons recovered (  ).

• Cass: 17 (16)
• Adair: 15 (11)
• Adams: 8 (8) [1 more recovered since Tue.]
• Audubon: 17 (15)
• Guthrie: 64 (58)
• Montgomery: 10 (8)
• Pottawattamie: 691 (588)
• Shelby: 106 [3 more than yesterday] (79) [14 more than Tuesday]