DENISON, Iowa (AP) – Officials say the police chief in the western Iowa city of Denison has been disciplined for the lewd images that he created and that ended up on the department’s shared computer drive. Former Denison police officer Ray Ohl told Sioux City television station KTIV that Chief John Emswiler had pictures of his staff on his computer and that Emswiler would use editing software to put “their heads on different stuff.”

City attorney Derrick Franck says information on the chief’s computer somehow got onto the department’s shared drive. Franck says the situation was investigated, the chief was disciplined and the city considers the matter closed. He declined to describe the discipline.

A man wanted in Sac County for attempted murder in connection with an alleged, intentional hit-and-run, was arrested Wednesday, in Fort Dodge. According to KCCI-TV, 36-year old Jeremy Werneberg was captured after a brief struggle, at a Wal-Mart store after Officers with the Fort Dodge Police Department received a tip.
Ft. Dodge Police Officer Matt Burns attempted to place Werneburg in handcuffs and Werneburg began to fight back. Burns suffered an injury to his left knee and was forced to use his stun gun to subdue Werneburg.

Jeremy Werneburg

Werneburg was later transported to the Webster County Jail, where he was charged with assault on a peace officer causing injury and interference with official acts causing injury. The attempted murder charge steams from an incident on February 14, 2016 where Werneburg is alleged to have hit a Glidden man on purpose with his car.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources State Parks Bureau is looking for job applicants for approximately 50 summer recreational aide openings in 22 parks around the state. Jobs duties include assisting park staff in patrolling the park, helping visitors, monitoring reservations, registering campers and doing seasonal park maintenance such as mowing, trimming, trail work and facility repair and cleaning.

Applications need to be made through the individual parks. For a detailed job description, list of parks with openings and their contact information, visit http://www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/Employment

The 7:06-a.m. report with some of the area’s top News, and funeral announcements, from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Police in Council Bluffs arrested a man wanted on numerous warrants late Wednesday night, following a brief pursuit and a crash. Authorities says at around 11:45-p.m., Officers tried to stop a four-door Plymouth for no registration and an obstructed view due to a broken windshield. The vehicle slowed and turned into an alley off of N. 21st St. between Avenue C and Avenue D.

After turning into the alley the vehicles’ driver accelerated in an apparent attempt to elude the officer however the vehicle slid on a patch of ice causing it to collide with a fence where the vehicle came to a stop. Officers conducted a felony stop on the vehicle which was occupied by four people.

Johnathan Featherstone

One of the passengers was identified as 22-year old Johnathan Featherstone. A warrant check revealed that Featherstone had four warrants issued for his arrest on charges that include Burglary in the 3rd degree, Forgery, Burglary in the 2nd degree, and Escape from custody. A firearm was located in the vehicle which Featherstone said was his.

Council Bluffs Officers transported Featherstone to the Pottawattamie County Jail.
The driver of the vehicle, 20-year old Russell Barker, of Council Bluffs, was charged with Eluding a Police Officer.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, spent a good deal of time discussing the proposed Fiscal Year 2017 Budget. City Administrator John Lund said only minor changes will be made to the nearly $14.35-million Budget. Some of the changes were in wording, while others took the form of unexpected changes in revenue and/or expenditures, and how those monies are categorized.

Among the changes, was that there will be no increase in the amount of money the City provides to the Cass-Atlantic Development Corporation and Atlantic Chamber of Commerce. The initial budget had proposed a $2,500 increase for each entity in the next Fiscal Year, but Mayor Dave Jones thought the increase was not necessary. He said “I feel they get enough money as it is right now.”

Jones said “CADCO and the Chamber, they’re both very healthy. I think $35,000 a year is plenty for both of them. Plus they get money out of the CPC (Community Promotion Commission). John Lund said the last time adjustments were made to the amount of funds CADCO and the Chamber receive, was in 2009.

Jones said the Chamber gets money from the Local Option Sales tax to cover its employees’ wages, so “They should not have any more employees down there than we have at City Hall.”  He said “I just think we do enough for those organizations, and they’ve got other options to go with. And they have [their] membership [dues]. The taxpayer does enough as it is to take care of them. I think we could use [the funds] someplace else.” He referred to the Ann Wickman Daycare Center, which Jones says is likely to come before the City asking for operational funds to makeup for a shortfall. Jones said the Daycare Center is “A very valuable asset to the City of Atlantic.”

John Lund summed-up the City’s Budget by saying the only reason he would be concerned is if in the foreseeable future, there wasn’t enough revenue coming in or expenditures dramatically increased, or if the solution to those problems was to raise taxes. Lund says because a State-mandated 10-percent increase in commercial property valuation has played a role in reducing the residential property tax.

The City’s tax asking for residential properties will decline by six-cents per thousand dollars valuation to $16.79. Any changes people see to their property taxes will be due to the changes of value to their property or the levies set by the County and School District. Commercial property taxes will increase, but again that’s because of the State mandate.

Overall, the FY 2017 Budget is down 3.77-percent from the total estimated expenditures for the current year, FY 2016.

Authorities in Council Bluffs have cited a resident for having dangerous animals in his house. According to the Daily NonPareil, the Council Bluffs Police Department police area representative (PAR) unit was called to the home of 36-year old Jeremy Maschmeier, after receiving complaints that Maschmeier had an unlicensed pit bull.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A big year from Iowa’s football and basketball teams means a big raise for athletic director Gary Barta. Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that Iowa President Bruce Harreld and Barta reached a five-year contract extension last month. It guarantees Barta $4.6 million in compensation through June 30th, 2021.

The deal increases Barta’s base salary from $400,000 to $550,000 in July and guarantees $250,000 in annual deferred compensation. Both amounts increase by $50,000 in 2018. Despite fan unrest last year, Barta stuck by football coach Kirk Ferentz. Ferentz led the Hawkeyes to 12 wins and a Rose Bowl appearance.

Barta’s biggest hire, basketball coach Fran McCaffery, has turned a once-moribund program into the nation’s fourth-ranked team. Barta’s department is also facing a federal investigation into sex discrimination allegations.