Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports 59-year old Charles Frederick Fancher, of Audubon, was arrested Feb. 28th. He was taken into custody for Simple Assault and Disorderly Conduct.  Fancher was later released on bond from the Audubon County Jail. And, on Thursday (March 7), 22-year old Zeth Lee Petersen, of Audubon, was arrested for Filing a False Report to Law Enforcement.  Petersen turned himself in on a warrant and was released after posting bond. The incident remains under investigation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A woman has been accused of stealing thousands of dollars from several businesses in Polk County. Polk County court records say 65-year-old Janet Cole is charged with six counts of theft, three of forgery, two of fraudulent practices and one of money laundering.  Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 18. Court documents say since 2012 she wrote unauthorized checks to herself and forged signatures on checks written to the companies. The records say she lives in Altoona.

Police in Creston report 40-year old Seth Jacob Preston, of Creston, was arrested Thursday afternoon. Preston was arrested at the Adult Probation Office, for a State narcotics warrant – controlled substance violation, a Class-B Felony. Preston was being held without bond, in the Union County Jail.

And, Creston Police say a resident reported to them on Wednesday, that a lock on his truck was cut. A drill and grinder were reported missing. The incident resulted in a loss of about $150.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County, Thursday, reported three recent arrests. On Wednesday, 42-year old Travis Matthew Handley, of Glenwood, was arrested in Glenwood, on two warrants for Violation of Probation. His bond was set at $20,000. And, 32-year old Jessie James Baker, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Clarinda Correctional Facility, on a Mills County warrant for Theft in the 1st Degree. His bond was set at $10,000.

On Thursday, 50-year old Roger Wayne Brock, of Kansas City, was arrested following a traffic stop on I-29 in Mills County. Brock faces charges that include Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Theft in the 5th Degree, Fraudulent use of Registration, and Failure to provide proof of insurance. Brock was also cited for improper license plate lamp. His bond was set at $1,600.

Mills County Sheriff’s officials said also, two people were transported to the hospital in Red Oak, following a collision at around 6:10-a.m. Thursday. A 2015 GMC driven by 50-year old Peter Phillips, of Glenwood, was traveling east on Highway 34, when the front and rear tires on the passenger side of his vehicle left the road and entered the deep snow on the shoulder. When Phillips over-corrected, the vehicle went across the center line of the highway and collided head-on with westbound 2002 Dodge, driven by 52-year old Barbara Stegall, of Emerson. Both drivers were transported to the hospital by Malvern Rescue,

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A man charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a Des Moines resident has been convicted of assault. The Des Moines Register reports that 32-year-old Cornelius Davis was found guilty Wednesday of two counts of assault causing injury. He’d been charged with robbery, willful injury and first-degree murder in the slaying of 42-year-old Thurmon Cole. He’d been killed Oct. 4 on Des Moines’ north side.

A defense attorney says Davis was attacked by Cole when Davis went to Cole’s apartment to sell him marijuana. Police had said Davis went there to rob Cole, thinking Cole had money and drugs. Cole’s girlfriend was injured during the incident.

West Central Valley School District Superintendent Lance Ridgely reports the West Central Valley School Board held a special meeting Wednesday night to address the issue of weather-related delays & cancellations for the 2018-19 school year. Ridgely says “Due to the number of weather-related school closings/delays/early releases we need to make up some of the time that we’ve lost. Our total lost time at this point is 55 hours (7 full days and some late starts and early dismissals).”

To compensate for the lost time, he says the Board approved the following adjustments to the 18-19 calendar.

1. Students will attend school 4/19, 5/28, 5/29. These will be full days of school and recover 19.5 instructional hours

2. The last day of school for students will be 5/30. This will be a 1:30 dismissal and bring the total instructional hours recovered to 24.

3. Students will attend 4/3, 4/17 & 5/8 as full days of school. This brings our total instructional hours recovered to 33.

4. Any further weather cancellations (full days) will be added to the end of the school year.

The remainder of the hours missed are accounted for through time spent during Parent Teacher conferences last fall and this spring.