(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office released a report on multiple arrests over the past week. Two people were arrested on separate warrants, two were arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order, four people were arrested on drug charges, and three were arrested for Assault.

The Sheriff’s Office says deputies arrested 40-year-old Kristin Nicole Ladd, of Greenfield, on Oct. 14th in Stuart, on four Adair County warrants for: Driving While License Denied or Revoked; Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree; OWI/1st offense, and Violation of Probation. She was being held in the Adair County Jail on $5,000 bond for one of the warrants, and without bond on the other three.  Also arrested on the 14th, was 62-year-old Nicholas Dave Allen, of Des Moines. He was picked-up at the Polk County Jail on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation, and was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

Those arrested for Assault include, on Oct. 19th: 21-year-old Wilyer Johan Velasquez-Bermudez, of Chicago, Il; 20-year-old Johan Angel Ramirez-Navas, of Gary, IN, and 26-year-old Yonder Eduardo Sanoja-Mosqueda, of Chicago.  All three were taken into custody by the Iowa State Patrol, following an incident at a motel in Adair. The three were later released on separate bonds.

Those arrested on drug charges include:

• 27-year-old Dante D. Ynoquio Chuqilin, of Hoffman Estates, IL, who was arrested Oct. 15th following a traffic stop on I-80 in Adair County. He was later released on a $7,000 bond.
• 36-year-old Heather Marie Santos, of Des Moines, was arrested on drug and weapon charges during a traffic stop Oct. 16th, on I-80 by Stuart Police. Her bond was set at $25,000; During that same traffic stop, 47-year-old Daniel Pavian-Ramos, of Des Moines, was arrested on drug charges. His bond was also set at $25,000; and, 31-year-old Maximino Mendez-Jarquin, of Des Moines, was arrested on drug, weapon and false ID charges. His bond was set at $25,000. Pavian-Ramos and Mendez-Jarquin were also being held on a detainer for an Immigration warrant through the Department of Homeland Security.
• 50-year-old Jason James Masolini, of Stuart, was arrested Oct. 14th by Stuart Police, on methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia charges. He was later released on a $25,000 bond.

Two men were arrested last week for Violation of No Contact Orders in Adair County:

• 30-year-old Jeffrey Dewayne Ott,of Des Moines, was arrested by Greenfield Police on Oct. 14th. He was later released on a $300 bond, and,
• 58-year-old Ronald Joseph Schaecher, of Greenfield, was arrested by the Greenfield Police at the Casey’s Store on Oct. 14th. He was later released on a $300 bond, also.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests took place last Thursday: 29-year-old Corey James Wentz, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation. Wentz was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $5,000 bond; 73-year-0ld James Edward Pontow, of Malvern, was arrested Thursday for Arson in the 3rd Degree. His bond was set at $2,000; and, 48-year-old Lisa Marie Elliott, of Malvern, was arrested for Arson in the 3rd Degree and Public Intoxication. Her bond was set at $2,300. Pontow and Ellliott were arrested at around 5:25-p.m. Thursday, in the area of 8th Avenue in Malvern.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg today (Monday), announced $68 million for funding in Iowa as part of more than $4.2 billion in funding from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda through two major discretionary grant programs, the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) grant program and the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program, both of which have historic levels of funding thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

As a resultof today’s (Monday’s) round of selections, Iowa will be receiving $68,662,000 for the Southwest Mixmaster Interchange Reconstruction through the INFRA program. This project will improve the Interstates 80, 35, and 235 interchange. Officials say the reconstruction effort will increase capacity and improve interchange geometry to meet current standards, allowing for reliable speeds and reduced weaving, reducing crashes.

A total of 44 projects were selected nationwide in this round of funding, including projects that improve safety, mobility, and economic competitiveness, constructing major bridges, expanding port capacity, redesigning interchanges, and more.

To date, nearly $12.8 billion in funding through the INFRA and Mega programs has been announced for 140 projects across 42 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, including approximately:

• 35 large bridge projects
• 18 large port projects
• 20 rail projects
• 85 highway improvement projects

Approximately 53% of projects that have received funding to date are in rural communities, and about 42% of projects are located in disadvantaged communities.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Auditor Kathy Somers reminds residents that today, Monday, October 21, 2024, is the last day to request an absentee ballot to vote by mail in the November 5, 2024 General Election. To request an absentee ballot, voters must submit the official request form to the Cass County Auditor’s office by 5:00 PM this evening. The request form is available at the Auditor’s office, or at the Iowa Secretary of State’s website, sos.iowa.gov/elections. Those who have requested an absentee ballot may also confirm their ballot’s status on the Secretary of State’s website.

The post office has informed county auditors that election-related mail may take up to seven days to be delivered. Voters are strongly encouraged to return their ballots to the Auditor’s office as early as possible to ensure their ballot will arrive by 8:00 PM on election night.

In-person absentee voting is currently taking place at the Cass County Auditor’s office from 8:00 – 4:30, Monday – Friday, until the day before the election. The office will also be open on the Saturday before the election from 8:00 – 5:00.

For more information regarding the November 5, 2024 General Election, including polling locations and ballot content, view the Public Notice of General Election on the Cass County website at https://www.casscountyia.gov/.

(Radio Iowa) – Outdoor burning is now banned on 61 Iowa counties and fire departments in western, central and eastern Iowa have battled field fires in the past few days. Investigators have not determined the cause of a Thursday afternoon fire between Lake Park and Spirit Lake. Lake Park Fire Chief Brandon Ehret says luckily no homes or buildings caught fire. “When we got there…it had jumped the gravel road and was moving north at a high rate, probably burned about three-quarters of a mile north,” he says. “…Then we did some back burning to the grasslands to the south of it and basically got it stopped from going any farther north.”

The fire chief says the Little Sioux River was on the northeast side of the fire zone and the fire stopped at the river. “Three farmers had discs, got some fire lines to the north and on each side of it,” Ehret says, “so we were able to contain it that way as well.” The latest National Weather Service forecast indicates it will be dry, warm and breezy today (Monday) and there is a high or very high potential for grassland fires.

There is a chance for rain late this (Monday) afternoon and evening in some parts of the state.

(Radio Iowa) – The military has identified the remains of an Iowan who was reported missing in action during World War II. Nineteen-year-old Melvin Huff of Iowa Falls was a corporal in the U-S Army Air Force and was deployed to what is now New Guinea. He was the machine gunner in a bomber attacking Japanese positions that made two successful runs on January 20th, 1945, but the plane did not return to the air base and search missions could not find it. Sixty-six years later, an Australian military officer and a local guide reported seeing an aircraft crash site in a swamp.

Cpl. Melvin Huff (dpaa.mil photo)

In late 2022, an underwater team from the U-S military recovered possible human remains from the site that have recently been confirmed to be Huff’s. A rosette will be placed next to Huff’s name at the Walls of the Missing at the American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila to indicate his remains were found.

A news release from the U-S military indicates Huff will be buried in Iowa Falls, but no date has been set for the service.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors have a brief session scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 22nd. During their 9-a.m. session at the courthouse in Atlantic, the Board will act on approving a Class-B Retail Alcohol License for the 21st Century Cooperative, in Massena. They will also present their Supervisors and Committee reports.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Two public hearings will take place Tuesday morning, during the regular weekly meeting of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, in Red Oak. The first hearing at 8:45-a.m., is with regard to upgrading 210th Street from a Level B (dirt) to a Level A (gravel) road. The second hearing at 9-a.m., is for the same type of upgrade, to 150th Street. Action will follow each hearing on passage of a resolution to approve the upgrades as presented. Public comments will be limited to two-minutes, and persons wishing to speak must state their name and address when addressing the Board.

In other business, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors are expected to reschedule the Tuesday, Nov. 5th Board meeting to Wednesday, Nov. 6th, due to the General Election. And, Schedule a canvass of the election votes for November 12th at 8:30-a.m., with their regular meeting to follow.

The Board’s Oct. 22nd meeting begins at 8:30-a.m. in the Supervisor’s Board Room inside the Montgomery County Courthouse.

(Radio Iowa) – As October 31st approaches, Iowans are preparing to deck themselves out for costume parties and trick-or-treating as everything from presidential candidates to Wednesday Addams. Juanita Cameron, at the Theatrical Shop in West Des Moines, says many popular Halloween disguises this fall are based on movies that were big earlier in the year, especially Beetlejuice, the bride of Beetlejuice, and Deadpool.

With Election Day looming, Cameron says they’ve already sold out of Donald Trump masks, while they have more Kamala Harris masks on order. She says Joe Biden masks also remain a hot commodity, and while she’s not sure why, Cameron says Bonnie and Clyde is a popular “couples” costume this year.

(Radio Iowa) – The director of the Iowa Department of Public Safety says the staff and students at Perry High School responded appropriately and heroically during the shooting in January as they found secure locked locations. In his first in-depth discussion of the fatal shooting investigation, Stephan Bayens pointed out other important actions from that day. “Assistant Principal Brad Snowgren is a hero. Assistant Principal Snowgren was the one who activated the school safety radio within that first ten seconds,” Bayens says. “I can tell you that he was actively avoiding gunfire and trying to make his way to the principal’s office to act, to hit the hit the button.” He says that allowed a quick response from police. Bayens also detailed the actions Principal Dan Marburger took to try and stop the shooter Dylan Butler.

He says Marburger said Butler’s names several times to try and get through to him. “And in part why that’s important is it’s not so much the empathy that Marburger showed towards the shooter, but every time he called that name out, the shooter heard his name, he looked and turned towards the sound,” he says, “and when he did that, it diverted his attention from who he was intending to shoot.” Bayens says that action saved lives. “And each time principal Marburger called that name out and diverted that attention, it bought those students another two seconds, another three seconds, another five seconds. And when we’re talking about school shootings, those sorts of seconds matter, and in this case, they did matter, and it made sure that those kids got out of that commons area around the corner and off to safety,” Bayens says.

Stephan Bayens. (RI photo)

Marburger was shot and died ten days later. Bayens says Perry police officer Micaela Zager was inside the school two minutes and 59 seconds after the emergency radio was activated. “Micaela Zager is a lion. She got out of her squad car with just a handgun, went through those doors. She did not wait for backup. She did not wait for a supervisor. She was through those doors and she was there to protect the kids inside,” he says. Bayens says that is exactly what law enforcement officers are expected to do, and the community of Perry should be extremely proud of Micaela Zager. Bayens says he watched body cam footage of what happened inside the high school when officers arrived. He says he could see in their eyes that they were fierce protectors looking to protect the kids.

“And when they finally determined that threat no longer existed, that the shooter take took his own life, the switch in those officers was immediate. They went from fierce protector to caretaker in a snap of a finger,” Bayens says. He says we should be incredibly proud of the police officers for their ability to do that and the compassion that they showed in the midst of horrible circumstances.

Bayens made his comments at a new conference Friday.