DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was arrested on Sunday, January 21, 2024, and made his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa on Wednesday, January 24, 2024.

Sharmarke Omar Mohamed, 35, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of Iowa with one felony drug offense: possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

According to the allegations in the unsealed complaint, as part of a Des Moines Police Department investigation, Mohamed was located traveling toward Des Moines from Arizona when the Iowa State Patrol conducted a traffic stop of his vehicle in Decatur County, Iowa. Pursuant to a federal search warrant for Mohamed’s vehicle, approximately 30,000 counterfeit pills suspected of containing fentanyl, weighing approximately 3,182 grams, were located in the luggage area of the vehicle.

This case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Des Moines Police Department is investigating the case, with the assistance of the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa State Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ankeny Police Department, and the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force.

A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports 24-year-old Tyler Bascue, of Glenwood, was arrested today (Wednesday, Jan. 24), on a Mills County warrant. Bascue was being held in the Mills County jail on a $5,000 cash-only bond.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill under consideration in the Iowa Senate would let drivers operate all-terrain vehicles at higher speeds on some Iowa roads. A law passed in 2022 lets A-T-Vs travel on county roads and two-lane state highways at no more than 35 miles an hour. Senator Mike Klimesh, of Spillville, says A-T-Vs can be a hazard when they’re moving at 35 miles an hour. “If they’re about to travel at speed and desire to travel at speed and matches the speed on the highway it eliminates some possible concerns about folks having to go around them that maybe, on the spur of the moment, that was not in their best interest,” Klimesh says.

State law also allows A-T-Vs to travel on gravel roads if they’re being used for farming. Klimesh says A-T-Vs driving at 35 miles an hour or less on a gravel road are at risk of being rear ended. “If I’ve traveled that gravel road every day of my life going to and from my farm unit or going to and from work, I come upon a dust cloud, I’m assuming that that dust cloud is traveling at 45 or 50, which is an average speed for gravel roads I would say for gravel roads throughout the state, except in springtime,” Klimesh says, “then I encounter something that’s limited to 35 miles an hour I don’t know it because it’s inside of a dust cloud.”

Alyson DeMoss, a lobbyist for the Iowa Motorcycle Dealers Association, says the group supports letting A-T-Vs drive up to 35 miles an hour on some roads, but not at higher speeds. “It is our opinion that this raises an increased safety concern in this state. The machines are not made to go at those speeds,” DeMoss said. “…If a machine is able to go those speed limits, oftentimes they have equipment that is not rated to do that. The tires can be rated much less than that.” Senator Tony Bisignano, a Democrat from Des Moines, says he’d like to let Iowa’s largest counties with the most traffic say no to letting A-T-Vs move at higher speeds.”How really important is it we move this speed limit if it risks one child, one young person being killed?” Bisignano asked. “We drive these roads, too, and us being in a car and seeing these vehicles flying at 50 miles an hour.”

The bill cleared a Senate subcommittee this (Wednesday) morning and is eligible for a vote in the Senate Transportation Committee.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, today (Wednesday) approved the hiring of Kelly Mitchell, as an employee for the Recorder’s Office, and Payton Armstrong, of Greenfield, as Sheriff’s Department Dispatcher/Jailer. They also approved hiring Nathan Reed for a temporary/Part-time Snow Removal/Custodian position. Reed – who works in the Adair County Auditor’s Office as Elections and Real Estate Deputy – told KJAN the Board hopes to hire someone full-time, in the near future.

In other business, the Board heard a FY25 $5,000 funding request from Michelle Wilson with Southern Iowa RC&D, based in Creston. The same amount is being requested from all seven counties they serve.

Southern Iowa Resource Conservation and Development provides project leadership and technical services to individuals, groups and communities to conserve, develop and sustain human and natural resources in southern Iowa through proper land conservation, water resource development, land management and community development. The Board took the request under advisement.

Adair County Engineer Nick Kaufmann presented for the Board to approve and Chair Jerry Walker to sign, a Right-Of-Way contract for the N-26 Lincoln (Township) Culvert Project. Kauffman also made his weekly report on Secondary Roads Department maintenance projects and activities. His report, like that of most area County Engineers, delved into the recent snowstorms and the impact on county roads. Supervisor Jodie Hoadley said most of the comments she’s heard with regard to snow removal in Adair County, were positive.

She said some people were upset that some roads seemed to take priority over others.

Kaufmann said crews worked to take care of those persons who needed emergency assistance, first.

In other business, County Auditor Mandy Berg presented her FY 25 Budget requests, which were taken under advisement.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports four recent arrests. Today (Wednesday), 61-year-old Jeffery Richard Pape, of Emerson, was arrested on a warrant for Failure to Appear on an original, Violation of Probation, charge. His bond was set at $2,000.

Tuesday night, 36-year-old Daniel Ruiz-Montoya, of Omaha, was arrested on I-29 at mile marker 40 in Mills County, for Assault on a Law Officer/others (without injury), and Public Intoxication. His bond was set at $1,000.

Saturday evening, 21-year-old Chadrick Justin Taylor, of Windsor, MO., was arrested for OWI/1st offense. Bond set at $1,000.

And, last Thursday, 49-year-old Daniel Michael Wiley, of Glenwood, was arrested in Mills County for OWI/1st offense. His bond was also set at $1,000.