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

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WELLMAN, Iowa (AP) — A former Iowa teacher purged from the state’s sex offender list has been allowed to volunteer at an eastern Iowa school district. The Des Moines Register reports that Trent Yoder has been helping out in the Mid-Prairie schools district, which is based in Wellman. The district granted him special permission to volunteer, after receiving letters of support. Superintendent Mark Schneider says he has informed school principals that Yoder must be with another adult at all times.

Yoder had pleaded guilty to exploiting a minor at an Anita school by videotaping a high school athlete changing her clothes in 1998. Court records say he served a few weeks behind bars and then four years of probation. He was removed from the sex offender registry after 10 years. He told the Register that he hates that he “caused so much pain to that community.”

The Iowa State Patrol, Thursday, released additional details about an accident Wednesday morning involving a Trooper. Authorities report Trooper Dillon Malone, of Council Bluffs, was driving his patrol vehicle, a 2014 Dodge Charger, in Emergency status, while enroute to assist with a vehicle eluding law enforcement. As the Trooper was traveling south on Highway 275 at around 4:20-a.m., and entering the town of Hamburg, his vehicle entered a curve and went out of control. The cruiser went off the road to the left and into a residential yard where it hit a tree before going airborne off an embankment. The vehicle struck a parked 2017 Freightliner semi trailer in the residents’ driveway, and afterward spun around before coming to rest.

Trooper Malone, who was wearing his seat belt, was transported by LifeNet helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), where he was being treated for serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police have arrested a man who they say surrendered after firing a pistol at an officer, who fired back. Police identified the man as 21-year-old Benjamin Perry, who’s been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon on a police officer and other crimes.  Police say no one was injured in the gunfire exchange, which occurred around 2 a.m. Thursday toward the end of a pursuit on northbound Interstate 35.

Officers deployed stop sticks that disabled the vehicle. Police say the man later identified as Perry fired as his vehicle slowed, and the officer returned the fire. Officers say Perry surrendered after a brief standoff and was taken to a hospital for observation.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports Deputies arrested 21-year old Zachary Aaron Thomas, of Red Oak, Thursday evening. Thomas was arrested at around 8:30-p.m. in the 200 block of E. Nuckols Street, for Possession of Marijuana. His cash bond at the Montgomery County Jail, was set at $1,000. A few minutes prior to Thomas’ arrest, Red Oak Police arrested 26-year old old Aaron Gar Nelson, of Red Oak, in the same location. Nelson was charged with Disorderly Conduct and was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where his cash or surety bond was set at $300. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted Red Oak Police in the arrest.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports, early this (Friday) morning, the Fremont County K9 Unit stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. During the course of the stop, 29-year old Marquis O’Neal, of Omaha, NE., was found to be in possession of a controlled substance.

Marquis O’Neal

A subsequent search of the vehicle was conducted that produced a loaded .40 cal handgun in the center console. O’Neal was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center, where he was being held on $1,000 bond, for possession of a controlled substance.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An agency director fired by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds had been accused of harassing female employees for years by routinely making crude sexual comments and pressuring one to go into his hotel room during work travel. Bowing to pressure after keeping the document secret for a month, the governor released a March 21 letter to her that laid out detailed allegations against Iowa Finance Authority Director Dave Jamison. The woman said Jamison talked about her breasts and constantly made sexual remarks.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The director of Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources is stepping down next week. Chuck Gipp announced his retirement Thursday in a news release. He submitted a resignation letter dated April 2 to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. His retirement begins Tuesday. Gipp has been director for six years. He previously served nine terms in the Iowa House, including as majority leader.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a former southwestern Iowa funeral home director has been charged in an insurance fraud investigation. Prosecutors said in a news release Thursday that 43-year-old Michael Dean Kirsch, of Shenandoah, has been charged with ongoing criminal conduct-influencing enterprise and more than 10 counts of theft. Officials say Kirsch sold funeral insurance to people intended to cover funeral expenses, but instead used the money for his personal use.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A judge says an Iowa man is competent to stand trial on allegations that he used an electric guitar to beat his mother to death. Des Moines County District Court records say the judge filed the ruling Monday on 29-year-old Garret Selters, who has been undergoing treatment at a state mental health facility since the killing. Selters, of Burlington, has pleaded not guilty to murder. Prosecutors say he swung the guitar into the head of 56-year-old Linda Selters on Oct. 17.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The director of Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources is stepping down next week. Chuck Gipp announced his retirement Thursday in a news release. He submitted a resignation letter dated April 2 to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. His retirement begins Tuesday.

Gipp has been director for six years. He previously served nine terms in the Iowa House, including as majority leader. He says in the letter that running the DNR was “the crowning achievement” of his public service career.

Gipp says he plans to spend more time with his family in Decorah. Deputy Director Bruce Trautman will take over as acting director. The DNR oversees environmental regulation, state parks and natural resource stewardship programs in Iowa. Some DNR programs have seen significant cuts, and a proposed budget backed by Republicans would spend less on the agency next year than when Gipp became director six years ago.

A motorcyclist died Wednesday afternoon following a collision in Mills County. The Iowa State Patrol said Thursday, 48-year old Andrew Kaczmarek, of Malvern, died when the 2003 Harley Davidson XL 1200 he was riding, for reasons unknown, crossed the centerline of westbound Highway 34 and sideswiped a 2014 Kia Sol.

The motorcycle went out of control, causing Kaczmarek to be ejected. He died at the scene. The driver of the KIA, 60-year old Giselle Roenfeld, of Silver City, was not injured. The accident, which happened at around 4:40-p.m., Wednesday, remains under investigation.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Malvern and Glenwood Fire and Rescue.

An Audubon County woman who pled guilty to two counts of Felony Child Endangerment with Serious Injury, and one count of Neglect or Abandonment of a Dependent Person, was sentenced to prison, Thursday. Cass County Attorney Michael Hooper reports 51-year old Samantha Kay Bailey, of Gray, received 20-years in prison after her grandchildren ate methamphetamine they found on her, while searching for Easter eggs on April 9^th, 2017.

Bailey was originally scheduled to be sentenced this last Monday, April 23rd, after entering a guilty plea to three of four charges against her on February 12th of this year. The case had dragged on for nearly a year before Bailey entered her guilty pleas on February 12th.

Back on February 1, 2017, defense counsel requested its fifth continuance of the trial date. Cass County Attorney, Michael Hooper, entered an appearance in the case as “special prosecutor” to assist Audubon County Attorney Sarah Jennings and he quickly filed a “resistance” to any further continuances. Court records reflect that subpoenas were served on all of the State’s witnesses, and with their back to the wall, the defense entered guilty pleas to three of the four counts against Mrs. Bailey.

On the day set for sentencing Bailey hired a new attorney and made a motion to withdrawal her guilty plea and requested another continuance. Hooper filed a resistance to the motion to withdraw the guilty plea and the motion to continue. The Court denied Bailey’s request to withdraw her guilty plea finding it untimely. Under Iowa law, a motion to withdraw a guilty plea must be filed at least five days prior to the date set for sentencing. Bailey filed her motion just hours before the sentencing hearing was set to begin. After denying Bailey’s motion to withdraw her guilty plea, the Court did grant her one last continuance, but only until Thursday.

Bailey did give a remorseful statement but Judge Christensen pointed out that she wasn’t remorseful just days prior when she attempted to withdraw her plea. In handing down the consecutive sentences Judge Christensen indicated that Bailey will serve ten years for each victim of her crime.

The mother of the two children who ingested the meth said in court, “Sam, you didn’t have to witness what I witnessed that day, and I’m still not sure that you fully grasp just how much your addiction has affected your grandchildren. Your struggle with drug addiction nearly cost my children their lives. Everyday I wonder…. at what point is enough truly enough.”