The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Massena woman late Friday night on a prior warrant. Deputies arrested 19-year-old Kalyn Smith of Massena at 11:40pm following a traffic stop. Smith was arrested on an Adams County Warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Marijuana) 1st Offense that stems from a traffic stop back on April 15th.  Smith was held on $1,300 bond.

A Pottawattamie County man was sentenced Friday (May 19th) to slightly more than eight-years in prison on child pornography charges. According to the U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, 41-year old Mitchell Eugene Obrecht, of Carter Lake, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger to 97 months in prison for possession of child pornography. Obrecht will be required to serve 10 years of supervised release following his imprisonment.

On January 30, 2017, Obrecht pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with possession of child pornography on or about September 18, 2015. The charge resulted from an investigation into the posting of a video and an image, each depicting child pornography, on a social networking site. Law enforcement followed up with a search warrant of Obrecht’s residence and located two computers that contained over 1,000 of images of child pornography.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Carter Lake Iowa Police Department, and Douglas County Nebraska Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Iowa Supreme Court issued a mixed ruling in a lawsuit against an Iowa City landlord. Tenant Joan Walton sued landlord Martin Gaffey in 2014 saying some of the fees and charged in the lease — including carpet cleaning — were not legal. Walton also sought to have the lawsuit made a class action to include other tenants. Gaffey contended the contested provisions are not prohibited under Iowa Code, and Walton has no claim because the provisions were never enforced against her.

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled the carpet-cleaning provision is unenforceable, but left open the possibility that other fees and damages are recoverable by Gaffey after the case goes back to the district court for review. The Supreme Court also reversed the class action ruling in favor of the tenant, but says that does not rule out that Walton can establish the grounds for certification when the district court reviews the case.

The Supreme Court issued a similar ruling in a case involving tenants of Southgate Property Management. It also sent that case back to the district court for review.

(Radio Iowa)

Governor Terry Branstad says the parents accused of mistreating two Iowa teenagers who’ve recently starved to death will be held accountable by the justice system — and the governor says staff in the Department of Human Services who did child welfare checks in both homes are trying to do the best they can.

“We have to review what went wrong and how we can do a better job to prevent these kind of things from happening in the future,” Branstad says. An outside consultant is being hired to review the state’s child welfare system. Natalie Finn of West Des Moines starved to death last fall, despite reports from neighbors and school officials who raised concerns about her home environment. Sabrina Ray of Perry, who also was 16, died last week and the medical examiner says she was severely malnourished. Child abuse investigators had visited her home as well.

“It just breaks my heart to see this happening in our state and I want to do all I can to try to prevent it from happening again,” Branstad says. A few Democrats in the legislature have called for the resignation of Iowa Department of Human Services director Chuck Palmer after this second case of an adopted teenager dying of starvation. Branstad says Palmer’s running the biggest agency in state government and it deals “tens of thousands” of child welfare cases.

“It’s such a terrible tragedy when you have a teenage child that starves to death or is mistreated,” Branstad says. “But I also want you to know that Chuck Palmer is a very dedicated public servant who has worked hard to deal with a lot of important issues, everything from the redesign of our mental health system to Medicaid, to protecting children.” Branstad says Palmer has “done a lot of good”and the agency has prevented tragedies.

“But we are very, very disappointed and upset that we have lost these young children and we obviously want to make sure we do everything we can to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Branstad told reporters this afternoon. The Republican chairmen of the Government Oversight Committees in the House and Senate released a statement about their own investigation of the state agency.

The G-O-P legislators say the starvation death of a second child who was “on the Department of Human Services’ radar…confirms the need” for an examination of the state’s foster care system and how child abuse reports are handled.

(Radio Iowa)

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Sioux City teen has been arrested and charged with a felony after police said he intentionally shot his 3-year-old sister twice in the face with a BB gun, severely injuring her. The Sioux City Journal reports that the 17-year-old shot the preschooler Wednesday, breaking her jaw and requiring surgery.

The teen has been charged with willful injury. The Associated Press generally does not name juveniles charged with crimes. Doctors say one BB was removed during surgery, but the other BB entered near her eye and lodged next to her brain. Doctors say it was too risky to remove, so has been left in place.

The teen is being held in Woodbury County Jail.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A judge has signed off on the charges against a man accused of killing a sheriff’s deputy and wounding another while escaping from an Iowa jail. The Pottawattamie County District judge on Friday (today) also scheduled 24-year-old Wesley Correa-Carmenaty‘s arraignment hearing for June 19.

Authorities say Correa-Carmenaty had just been sentenced on May 1 to 45 years in prison in an unrelated murder case when he managed to grab one of the deputies’ guns while being transferred to a Council Bluffs jail. He shot them both and used the jail van to escape. He was recaptured after authorities say he carjacked a woman at gunpoint and forced her to drive to Omaha, Nebraska.

Correa-Carmenaty is charged with murder, attempted murder, escape, kidnapping and other counts.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says three people were arrested on separate charges over the past few days. Yesterday (Thursday), 47-year old Robert Edmund Elmore, of Omaha, was arrested for OWI/2nd offense. Bond was set at $2,000. And, 35-year old Aaron Lee Gillespie, of Glenwood, was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant for Failure to Appear in court on an original charge of Theft in the 5th Degree, for which he was arrested on Wednesday. On Tuesday, 20-year old Austin Ray Jerrett, of Glenwood, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault.

And, the sheriff’s office says no injuries were reported following a single-vehicle accident that happened Tuesday evening. Authorities say Alice Benscoter, of Tabor, was driving a 2006 Chevy southbound on Main Street in Tabor, when she lost control of the vehicle, which entered a ditch on the west side of the road. The vehicle struck a driveway culvert and speed limit sign, knocking it over.

The vehicle continued for about five-to six blocks with heavy front end damage, before it was stopped by a Fremont County Sheriff’s Deputy. Benscoter initially claimed the wind had blown her off the road, then that a tire had blown out, causing her to drive off the road.

Authorities noted the tire was flat, and there was heavy damage to the front passenger side fender, bumper and grill areas. There was also damage along the side of the truck on the passenger side.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa man has changed his plea and admitted to killing two Des Moines-area police officers last fall. Scott Michael Greene withdrew his not guilty plea at a Friday morning hearing and pleaded guilty to the shooting deaths of Urbandale officer Justin Martin and Des Moines Sgt. Anthony Beminio. He was immediately sentenced to life sentences for two counts of first-degree murder.

The 46-year-old Greene admitted he shot both men in the early morning hours of Nov. 2, 2016. The officers were killed as they sat in their patrol cars, about 2 miles apart. Police arrested Greene later that day.

The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department and Nishna Valley YMCA in Atlantic, have teamed-up to offer free Outdoor Exercise programs at Sunnyside Park and the Schildberg Recreation Area. Ashton Koehlmoos, Fitness Director at the Nishna YMCA, told KJAN News the programs begin this coming Monday (May 22^nd).

She says there are three different weeks the exercise programs will be held outside, with the idea being to showcase the amazing parks we have here in Atlantic, and the classes available to you at the Y. Members and non-members of the Y are welcome to participate in the classes.

The first series of outdoor exercise classes run from Monday through Friday this coming week (May 22^nd-26^th). Some deal with cardiovascular fitness, others encompass the mind and body, such as Yoga and Pilates. They will be held on the west side of the Schildberg Park. Zumba, which is like an exercise party, will be held in the Camblin Shelter at Sunnyside Park, and Boot Camp for those who enjoy a high intensity workout and strength training, will be held at the west side of Schildberg Park.

Ashton says you don’t have to worry about a Drill Instructor barking at you through the Boot Camp, though. The instructors here are much more friendly, and accommodating. The next set of classes take place June 12^th through the 16^th, and include Zumba, Boot Camp, and “Balance and Flex together.” There’s also “Yogalates,” which…as you might guess…is a blend of Yoga and Pilates, which something new they’re trying this summer.

The third and final series of “Exercise in the Park” events takes place Sept. 11^th through the 15^th. Classes are available during the mid-morning and late evening hours, and are held on specific days. No pre-registration is necessary, and again there is no charge. If the weather is not cooperating, classes will be moved indoors and the YMCA.

For more information check out the Atlantic Parks and Rec Department website, on Facebook, or call Parks and Rec Director Seth Staashelm at 243-3542.

Officers with the Atlantic Police Department, today (Friday), arrested 22-year old Bryce Baker, of Atlantic. Police Chief Dave Erickson reports Baker was taken into custody for Domestic Abuse Assault/3rd or subsequent offense. He was booked into the Cass County Jail.