(Updated) — PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A man already sentenced to prison for firing at Iowa officers during a chase has been given Nebraska prison time for his crimes in that state.
William Stanfill III was sentenced Tuesday at the Sarpy County (Nebraska) Courthouse in Papillion, to 30 to 45 years. The Omaha World-Herald reported that he’d pleaded guilty in June to attempted assault of an officer, two counts of felony assault and two weapons crimes. Prosecutors dropped nine other charges in exchange for his pleas.

Stanfill fired at a man who’d chased him after he sped through the man’s Bellevue, Nebraska, neighborhood on April 24 last year, authorities said. Stanfill later shot and lightly wounded a man picking up mail near the man’s home just south of Bellevue. Officers returned to the wounded man’s neighborhood the next day to look for a car believed to have been driven by Stanfill. They spotted it, but it got away after a pursuit. Police said the car returned to the area later that day and Stanfill fired two shots at officers. The car sped away again, eventually crossing Bellevue’s Missouri River bridge into Iowa and headed south.

Fremont County, Iowa, authorities said a new chase began when Stanfill fired gunshots at officers after passing a patrol car in Tabor. More shots were fired as the pursuit continued south on U.S. Highway 275. The chase ended when the car driven by Stanfill turned onto a gravel road and then a levee road before vaulting into the Nishnabotna River. Stanfill and a companion were soon arrested. Stanfill’s companion, Jacqueline Streich, later pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a felony eluding and was given two years of probation. Prosecutors dropped three other charges in exchange for her plea.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests. Tuesday afternoon, 57-year old James Martin Decker, of Omaha, was arrested after he turned himself-in to the Sheriff’s Office on warrants for Harassment in the 3rd Degree/3rd offense, and Theft in the 4th Degree. Bond was set at $2,000. 52-year old Bruce Allen Rankin, of Council Bluffs, was also arrested Tuesday, after turning himself-in to the Pott. County S/O. Rankin was taken into custody on a bench warrant for Failure to Appear on a Non-felony offense and prior to conviction/appeal.

34-year old Rachel Suzanne McDaniel, of Council Bluffs, who was already serving a sentence in the Pott. County Jail, was presented with two warrants for Violation of Probation. She was then returned to the custody of Corrections staff. And, 33-year old Nicholas James Weare was arrested at the Pott. County Courthouse, on warrants for Credit Card -ATM Fraud/with a value $1,500 for each of the three counts.

INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) — Warren County supervisors have rejected construction bids for a new courthouse and jail because they came in millions over budget. The board decided Tuesday not to award a contract so they can scale back existing plans or start over. The county has spent $2.6 million so far on the project. In August last year voters approved issuing bonds to cover its anticipated cost of $29.9 million. All of the bids were over $37 million.

The county had planned to break ground this month, having already removed most of the former courthouse and jail. The state had ordered the county to close the jail. Among its problems: failing a state fire marshal’s inspection, inadequate water supplies, inmate escapes, mold, cleanliness. The jail was on the third floor of the Indianola courthouse.

Police in Creston arrested a woman following a traffic stop today (Wednesday), at around 3:20-a.m.  19-year old Sophia Groumoutis, of Creston, was arrested at Stone & Howard Streets for OWI/1st offense. She was later released on a $1,000 bond.

Cass County Democratic Party Chair Sherry Toelle reports Democrat Presidential candidate John Delaney will be speaking to the monthly meeting of the Cass County Democrats on August 20th at 7-p.m. The meeting will be held in the Cass County Court House Basement Meeting Room. The public is invited to attend.

Delaney is an attorney and businessman who is from Maryland where he served from 2013 to 2019 in the US House of Representatives.

John Delaney

ROCK RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a northwest Iowa sheriff’s deputy has died following a crash in her patrol vehicle. The Lyon County Sheriff’s Department says Deputy Stephanie Schreurs died Tuesday afternoon.

Deputy Stephanie Schreurs

She was injured Friday morning when her sport utility vehicle ran off a road while entering a sharp curve. The SUV ran into a ditch, vaulted over a private driveway and rolled, coming to rest on the driver’s side. She was flown to a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, hospital.

The Iowa State Patrol is investigating the crash. Officials say Schreurs was a 24-year-old veteran of the department.