The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a Cass County woman was arrested Saturday afternoon following a reported assault in Walnut. Officials say 28-year old Jessica Lynn Gross, of Atlantic, was charged with Assault Causing Injury, following the incident that took place at Haystacks Diner on Antique City Drive, in Walnut.

Deputies were dispatched at the restaurant at around 2:45-p.m. following a report of an assault in progress. Brandi Smith, of Walnut, reported to the deputy her sister, Jessica Gross, had just assaulted their other sister, 19-year old Mary Smith, of Casey, and then left the scene. Mary Smith was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, for treatment of a cut to her forehead.

Atlantic Police, having been notified Jessica Gross was on her way back to Atlantic, located the woman on the western edge of the City, during a traffic stop. The Pott. County Deputy arrived not long afterward, and took Gross into custody on the assault charge.

(DES MOINES) – Today (Monday), Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds were joined at the Administration’s weekly press conference by the State’s Chief Information Officer Bob Von Wolffradt and the Director of the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Mark Schouten in announcing the first ever Iowa Cybersecurity Strategy.

On Dec. 21, 2015, Gov. Branstad signed Executive Order 87 which directed executive branch agencies to work together to develop the Iowa Cybersecurity Strategy by July 1, 2016. The Cybersecurity Strategy was completed and presented to the governor’s office by July 1, as required. By implementing the recommendations outlined in the strategy, Iowa will be better able to not only respond to cybersecurity events, but also proactively mitigate risks for its citizens and government operations.

The Office of the Chief Information Officer was the lead agency in this effort and was assisted by the Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Iowa Communications Network, and the Iowa National Guard. The State of Iowa Cybersecurity Strategy details the steps the State of Iowa needs to take to increase our resilience to cyberattacks. The strategy primarily focuses on lifeline critical infrastructure sectors, such as energy, transportation, and communication, and state government as it relates to the protection of digital government services and citizens.

The strategy also outlines recommendations in the areas of risk assessment, implementation of best practices, awareness training for state employees, public education, collaboration with the private sector and educational institutions, STEM education and training programs to foster an improved cybersecurity workforce, data breach reporting and notification requirements, and updating Iowa’s emergency response plan to specifically deal with the physical consequences of a cyberattack on our state’s infrastructure.

Hard copies of the Iowa Cybersecurity Strategy were handed out to reporters at the press conference. However, the strategy is currently being finalized for publishing online and the governor’s office will send out a press release when the online version is published.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Creston Police today (Monday) issued a report on recent arrests and incidents. Officials say early Sunday morning, 31-year old John Foster, of Creston, was arrested on two counts each of Public Intoxication 3rd or Subsequent offense, Harassment 1st degree, and Assault on Police Officer Causing Bodily Injury. Foster was also charged with Criminal Mischief/2nd degree, Interference with Official Acts and Interference with Official Acts with Injury. He was  being held in the Union County Jail on a $5000 bond.

Saturday night, Creston Police arrested 55-year old Robert Fleharty, of Creston, on a charge of Public Intoxication/2nd offense. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a $1000 bond. Two people were arrested early Saturday morning, in Creston: 38-year old Brian Krauth, of Blockton, was arrested on charges of Driving While Revoked and OWI 1st. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a $1000 bond. And, 42-year old Dwain Ripperger, of Afton, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a $1000 bond.

Friday night, Creston Police arrested 45-year old David Webb, of Creston, on a charge of Driving While Suspended. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a $300 bond.

The Creston P-D also received three reports of Theft or vandalism. A resident in the 900 block of W. Jefferson Street reported Saturday morning that sometime between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, someone stole a Blackflag Bug Zapper from her residence. The loss was estimated at $60. Later that same morning, a resident of the 1000 block of N. Chestnut Street in Creston, reported that sometime between 11:30-a.m. Friday and 8:50-a.m. Saturday, someone had broken the back door of
her residence. The damage was estimated at $300. And, a resident in the 900 block of W. Montgomery Street in Creston reported to the Creston Police Department, that sometime between Friday and early Saturday morning, someone stole change from his vehicle while it was parked at his residence and several cans of used spray paint from his garage. The loss was estimated at $5.

The area’s top news at 7:05-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The search for a three-year-old boy in Webster County came to a happy ending on Sunday. Volunteers spent three hours searching for the child in the area surrounding the Brushy Creek State Recreation Area south of Duncombe. TJ and Jennifer Vit reported that their son wandered away from their home. Fire department members from Dayton,Duncombe and Lehigh were joined by the Webster County sheriff’s deputies and Iowa Department of Natural Resources staff in the search. The boy was found safely as he emerged from a bean field near his home at about 6  p.m.

(Radio Iowa)

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

GRANDVIEW, Iowa (AP) — Iowa authorities are still searching for a man who went swimming in the Mississippi River, but he’s now presumed dead. The Hawk Eye in Burlington reports that the man went missing north of Port Louisa on Friday night. Authorities say the unidentified man was swimming with a small group of people around 6 p.m. when he ventured too far from shore and disappeared underwater.

DENISON, Iowa (AP) — Officials in a western Iowa county are trying to decide what to do with a damaged bridge that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Beaver Creek Bridge was damaged when a vehicle or towed equipment snagged the bridge’s west truss. The Daily Nonpareil reports that it can’t be repaired and was permanently closed in April.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa is seeing a surge of delicate white flowers that some people view as a nuisance and others want to photograph. The Queen Anne’s Lace, or wild carrot, is abundant this year because of optimal weather conditions and roadside management practices such as less mowing and herbicide spraying. The Des Moines Register reports the flowers are spreading through roadside ditches, along bicycle trails and on the fringes of public parks.

INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have identified one of the two people killed in an Iowa plane crash north of Indianola. Twenty-two-year-old Alex Michael Winter of Indianola died when the Piper PA-11 crashed around 11:40 a.m. Friday. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. The name of the second victim has not been released.

Iowa is one of the “toss up” states in this year’s presidential election — something Donald Trump drove home during his rally here on Friday. It was a few minutes into his hour-long speech in Des Moines when Trump told the crowd he’d raised “60 million dollars cash” in July for his campaign. “I’m spending a lot of money, folks. I’ll tell you what: if we don’t pull this off, I’m blaming Iowa,” Trump said, getting laughter from the crowd. “If we don’t pull this off, I’ll say: ‘We wasted a lot of money, time and energy.'”

Trump later repeated his promise that, as president, he would ensure Iowans get to cast the first votes in the 2020 presidential campaign. “I learned a lot about the world of politics from Iowa. I don’t love the caucus system, by the way. I could do without the (caucus). I like a vote. I like when you walk in and vote and leave. Not when somebody takes your people and they wine ’em and dine ’em. ‘Let’s go have dinner.’ ‘Let’s take a flight.’ ‘Would you like to see Iowa from a helicopter?’ Right? Nah,” Trump said, adding a sort of verbal shrug: “But — the caucus system.”

Trump landed his helicopter near the Iowa State Fairgrounds last August — during the state fair — and gave children rides. Last Friday, Trump thanked all the Iowa delegates at the G-O-P’s national convention in Cleveland for voting for him. And Trump concluded his speech by saying Iowa’s Caucuses are a thing of “a great beauty.”
“Iowa is an amazing place. You’re going to keep your place in history. You’re going to be that ‘first state,'” Trump said. “…I know so many people, good people — politicians, that came and they thought they were going to be president and they came and they had to go through Iowa and New Hampshire and they went to Iowa. And that was the end of their presidency.”

Trump campaigned on Saturday in New Hampshire, another swing state in the General Election. Indiana Governor Mike Pence, Trump’s running mate, will campaign in Sioux City and Council Bluffs later today (Monday). Hillary Clinton campaigned last week in Omaha, but Clinton has not appeared in Iowa since the Caucuses.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa is awash in a sea of delicate white flowers in nearly every roadside ditch, along bicycle trails and on the fringes of public parks. The Des Moines Register reports  that they’re known as Queen Anne’s Lace, or wild carrot.

The flower is abundant this year because of optimal road conditions and roadside management practices. Some view it as a nuisance, while others see it as a wildflower or weed. Photographers enjoy the flowers’ beauty, while gardeners yank them out.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources ecologist John Pearson says the plant has flourished because it’s free from normal pest controls in its native Europe.

DENISON, Iowa (AP) — Officials in a western Iowa county are trying to decide what to do with a damaged bridge that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Daily Nonpareil in Council Bluffs reports the Beaver Creek Bridge was damaged when a vehicle or towed equipment snagged the bridge’s west truss. It can’t be repaired and was permanently closed in April.

The Crawford County Board of Supervisors is gathering public input on how to proceed. About a dozen people attended a hearing on Tuesday. Some local residents say the bridge is too important to close. One idea is to replace the central part of the bridge at a cost of $100,000 to $125,000. That option would let the bridge handle light traffic but not necessarily a loaded truck.