Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater today (Tuesday) released a report on arrests that have taken place over the past week. Two people were arrested Saturday: 25-year old Dalton James Cormeny, of Fontanelle, was arrested in Fontanelle for Harassment in the 1st Degree and Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree. Authorities say he intentionally damaged a coffee table and threatened to kill a woman in the home if she tried to call the police, all the while holding onto a chain saw. Cormeny was being held in the Adair County Jail on $2,000 bond.

And, 36-year old Kiley Marie Hannan, of Des Moines, was arrested in Fontanelle, for Driving Under Suspension. She was subsequently cited and released on the scene.

Last Friday, Adair County Deputies arrested 49-year old Shannon Lea Hogan, of Fontanelle, for Assault, after she allegedly tried to strike her ex-boyfriend Michael Huddleson, by driving toward him in a threatening manner. She then got out of her vehicle and tried to pepper spray Huddleson. The incident followed an earlier altercation between the pair. Hogan was later released on $2,000 bond. 37-year old Michael Lynn Huddleson, of Fontanelle, was arrested that same day in connection with the altercation, for 1st Degree Harassment and Trespass. Authorities say he allegedly threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend if she didn’t give him a dog he’d given her, back. During an altercation, he allegedly jumped in front of her truck while it was moving. He was released later, on $2,000 bond.

45-year old Jason Edward Caldwell, of Stuart, was arrested by Stuart Police for Driving While Barred. Caldwell was subsequently released on $2,000 bond.

On May 4th, 38-year old Daniel Richie Vais, of Casey, was arrested following a traffic stop by the Iowa State Patrol on Interstate 80. He was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (multiple hypodermic syringes) and OWI/1st offense. Vais was later released on $1,000 bond. Sheriff Vandewater said also, 62-year old James Jeffrey Reese, of Bridgewater, was arrested May 3rd on warrants for Theft in the 4th Degree and Trespassing. Reese was also cited for Driving While Revoked and Operating a non-registered vehicle. He was released the following day on $1, 300 bond. 27-year old Matthew Ryan Johnson, of Fontanelle, was arrested May 3rd also, on an Adair County warrant for Trespassing. He was later released on $300 bond.

On May 2nd, 47-year old Donald James Noggle, of Stuart, was arrested by Stuart Police for Domestic Assault causing Bodily Injury. And, on May 1st, 18-year old Spencer Douglas Calkins, of Corning, was arrested for OWI. He was cited at the scene and then released.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has legalized the sale of bottle rockets, roman candles and most other consumer fireworks, sparking enthusiasm from vendors eager to expand into the state. Branstad signed a bill Tuesday approved by the Legislature that allows sales between June 1 and July 8 as well as from Dec. 10 to Jan. 3.

Iowa has long been among the few states that ban the sale and use of most fireworks. Several vendors now are scrambling to sell fireworks in Iowa. Under the law, cities and counties may forbid the use of fireworks, but they cannot prohibit their sale. However, local governments can control locations of firework sales.

Firework sales in Iowa are expected to bring in about $1.5 million in sales tax revenue for the 2018 fiscal year.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Sioux City Community School District board has approved paying a nearly $263,000 settlement of a lawsuit filed by a mother who said school staff didn’t protect her son from another student’s bullying behavior.

The Sioux City Journal reports the dismissal of the lawsuit was filed April 28 by the attorney for Amber Greene. The district doesn’t admit any liability in the settlement, which is being paid by its insurer.

Greene said in her August 2015 lawsuit that as her son returned to Riverside Elementary School after having a corneal transplant, she’d asked officials to keep another boy away from her son because of the boy’s bullying. She said the boy punched her son in the eye his first day back, causing him to need a second transplant.

A text message distracted a driver Monday afternoon in Atlantic, resulting in a collision. Atlantic Police say Dylan Russell, of Atlantic, was cited for Failure to Provide Proof of Insurance, Driving While Suspended, and Following too Close following the collision on 7th Street just east of Pine. He was also given a warning for Use of an electronic communication device.

Russell was driving behind a vehicle driven by Tiffany Winford, of Atlantic when the accident happened on at around 3:25-p.m. Authorities say Russell told Officers he looked down at a text message and when he looked back to the road, saw Winford had slowed down, but was unable to stop in-time. No injuries were reported. Damage from the collision amounted to $3,100.

The Atlantic Police Department reports 21-year old Angel Knowles, of Atlantic, was arrested Monday on Cass County warrants for Delivery of a Controlled Substance/marijuana and methamphetamine. Knowles was also charged with Probation Violation. She was booked into the Cass County Jail.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report several warrants were served on inmates at the Pott. County Jail over the past week. 34-year old Daron Dean Blackman, of Elliott, was served with a warrant May 4th for OWI/1st offense.  29-year old Kirk Kincaid Kinser, of Oakland, was arrested May 2nd,  on a warrant for Driving While Barred.

31-year old Robert Earl Otis, of Council Bluffs, was arrested May 3rd on a warrant for Probation Violation. 23-year old Amber Marie Condie, of Council Bluffs, was served with a Pott. County Bench warrant May 4th for Violation of Probation. 23-year old Kyle Robert Smith, of Council Bluffs was arrested May 4th on a warrant for Probation Violation, also.

And, 23-year old Madison Cayte Peterson, of Papillion, NE., faces a charge of  OWI/1st offense pending the results of a drug test. Authorities say Peterson was involved in an accident that happened at around 5:30-p.m., May 4th, when her1997 Honda Civic went into the ditch near 19390 Grand Avenue. Peterson was found lying next to the vehicle. She was transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center by Crescent Rescue for treatment of unknown/possible injuries.

WASHINGTON (AP) – A Senate panel has approved Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad as U.S. ambassador to China. Tuesday’s decision all but assures full Senate confirmation of President Donald Trump’s pick for the key diplomatic post.

Members of the Foreign Relations Committee approved Branstad’s nomination by voice vote. Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, the committee’s top Democrat, says Branstad is “fully qualified” for the job at a time when the Trump administration is pushing the Chinese to act more aggressively to defuse North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

Branstad has pledged to confront Beijing on a range of thorny subjects, including human rights and trade. The 70-year-old Branstad has headed Iowa government for more than 22 years and is the country’s longest serving governor.

Audubon County Sheriff Todd Johnson reports a Crawford County man was arrested early this (Tuesday) morning on two outstanding, Audubon County warrants. 37-year old Spencer Reigh Lile, of Manilla, was taken into custody at around Midnight. Lile faces two-counts of Revocation of Probation, for allegedly violating the terms of his probation following a Nov. 2016 sentencing for two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance/2nd offense.

Lile was arrested at a residence in the 200 block of Church Street, in Audubon, and transported to the Audubon County Jail, where he was being held on $4,000 bond. Audubon Police assisted in conducting the arrest.

Lile is set to appear in District Court Monday afternoon, May 22nd.

“Russian Interference in the 2016 United States Election” was the title of the subcommittee hearing Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley chaired on Monday afternoon. While he says he’s no closer to drawing a conclusion on the topic, Grassley says testimony from former national intelligence director James Clapper was significant.

“There’s no doubt Russia tried to influence our elections, Clapper made that very clear,” Grassley says. “The point is, there’s no evidence that they did anything that changed the direction of the election as far as getting into computers and getting votes counter one way or the other.”

Grassley, a Republican, says another national security issue that concerns him — which is related to the alleged Russian actions — has yet to be addressed. “Who leaked it to the press, particularly The Washington Post?” Grassley says, “because when you leak classified information, it’s a felony and there needs to be prosecution.”

Clapper confirmed that British intelligence first contacted the U-S government to say there were suspicious interactions between then-candidate Donald Trump’s associates and Russian spies. The Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism also heard testimony from Sally Yates, the former acting attorney general. “Everybody’s worried about Russia interfering in our election,” Grassley says. “That is bad, but it also needs to have equal attention given to who did the leaking.”

Yates refused to answer several questions from Grassley and others on the panel, because the investigation is still underway. Grassley is calling for more “follow-up” that would produce more definitive answers.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – U.S. Rep. Rod Blum angrily walked out of a televised interview in front of a group of schoolchildren in Dubuque, Iowa, when pressed about screening attendees to his public meetings.  The second-term Republican got up two minutes into the KCRG Monday interview , saying, “I’m done … this is ridiculous,” after being asked whether he accepts donations from outside his district.

He said before leaving the room, “I mean, he’s going to sit here and just, and just badger me. Unbelievable.” The question about donations followed reporter Josh Scheinblum asking Blum why he requires audience members at his town hall meetings for identification.

Blum said audience members are vetted to ensure they are from his district. Blum was met by an angry crowd at his town hall meeting later Monday.