(AMES, Iowa/KCCI) — One of the three Iowa State University students involved in a harassment case has been cleared. Tyler Ekstrom was charged with assault and extortion. He originally pleaded not guilty. Police say he and two other Farmhouse Fraternity members tried to force another member to perform a sex act and threatened to shoot that person with an airsoft gun if he didn’t do it. On Friday, a judge granted a motion to dismiss the charges against Ekstrom. Another member, Grant Kuehnast, was sentenced earlier in the week to two years probation and an $855 fine.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa/KETV) – The Council Bluffs Police Department is ending 2023 with a new police chief. Matt Davis was sworn in at a ceremony in late November. Davis is settling into his position as the top cop in Council Bluffs.  He previously worked for the Illinois State Police for 25 years and worked right under the chief there. With 2024 on the horizon, Davis already has goals for his 118 sworn officers. He already knows recruitment is a top priority. The chief said he’s ready to lead. Davis replaced Chief Tim Carmody, who retired earlier this year. Carmody spent 40 years with the department.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports a man was arrested early this (Sunday) morning on multiple charges and a repeat charge. Authorities say 36-year-old Brandon Hurshel Whitfield, of Creston, was arrested at this residence on Five Union County Warrants and Probation Warrants. His original charges include: Violation of Probation/Domestic Abuse Assault (a simple misdemeanor)  – no bond; Violation of Probation/Eluding (a serious misdemeanor) – no bond; Possession of Controlled Substance/2nd Offense, and Possession of Controlled Substance/Marijuana-2nd offense, with a $2,000 cash-only bond; Violation of no Contact/Protection Order – $300 cash or surety bond; 2 counts of Violation of no contact/protective order, and Interference with Official Acts. Whitfield also face a new/additional charge of Interference with Official Acts. He was taken to the Union County Jail and was being held without bond.

A little before 10-p.m., Saturday, Creston Police arrested 28-year-old Joseph Jason Blakely-Luddington (no known address) at the Creston Union County LEC.  Blakely-Luddington was charged with Disorderly Conduct-Loud Raucous Noise. He was taken to the Union County Jail and held on a $300 cash or surety bond.

(Dawson, Iowa) – A man from Audubon County died Friday afternoon, when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a pickup truck west of Dawson, in northwestern Dallas County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2017 Dodge RAM pickup driven by 64-year-old Gary Bugger, of Boone, was traveling west on Highway 141 at around 1:30-p.m., and attempting to turn left onto C Avenue, and in doing so, turned into the path of an eastbound 2010 BMW motorcycle operated by 56-year-old Daniel Royce Beattie, of Audubon.

Beattie was ejected from his motorcycle during the collision. He landed in the south ditch and died at the scene.

The State Patrol was assisted at the scene and during the investigation, by the Dallas and Guthrie County Sheriff’s Departments, and the Dallas County Medical Examiner.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with SWIPCO (Southwest Iowa Planning Council), in Atlantic, report Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding continues to spur downtown revitalization in rural Iowa communities, and a recent project in Atlantic is nearing completion.

The building located at 509 Chestnut Street is nearing completion of two one-bedroom upper-story apartments. SWIPCO helped the building owner apply for the Upper Story CDBG in the Fall of 2021 and the project was awarded funding in 2022. The grant is awarded to the City of Atlantic, and the owner is the sub-recipient/developer of the project. SWIPCO administers the grant, with funds running through the city.

The upper story housing project (pictured to the right) received $199,999 in CDBG funding, with $243,209 in match funds provided by the owner. The units are nearing completion and are required to be rented to a low to moderate income tenant for a period of 5 years, with maximum allowable rents set under the HOME program. The Upper Story Housing Conversion program is part of a federal initiative to provide more available and affordable housing in geographical areas of need. The program provides assistance for the conversion of existing downtown building space into new residential units.

The building was one of seven buildings on Chestnut Street, between the Fourth and Sixth blocks in downtown Atlantic, that were assisted with the downtown facade program in 2020. The buildings had their front facades updated, which included tuckpointing, painting, windows, etc, with a collaboration of 50% CDBG, 25% City, and 25% owner funding.

For more information on the Downtown Revitalization or Upper Story Housing Conversion CDBG grants, please contact SWIPCO at 712-243-4196.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Auditor of State Rob Sand, Thursday, released an audit report on City of Shenandoah, Iowa.

The report said the City’s receipts amounted to more than $11.8-million dollars ($11,869,174) for the year ended June 30, 2023, an 8.4% decrease from the prior year. Disbursements for the year ended June 30, 2023 were slightly more than $11.6-million ($11,642,816), a 4.1% increase over the prior year. The significant decrease in receipts is due to a prior year bond issuance. The increase in disbursements is due primarily to increases in business type activities for golf course repairs, water capital outlays and public works street repairs during the year.

Sand reported four findings related to the receipt and disbursement of taxpayer funds. They are found on pages 54 through 57 of this report. The findings address a lack of segregation of duties, disbursements exceeding budgeted amounts before amendment, deficit fund balance and co-mingling of City funds with the Shenandoah Library Foundation. Sand provided the City with recommendations to address each of the findings.

Three of the four findings discussed above are repeated from the prior year. The City Council has a fiduciary responsibility to provide oversight of the City’s operations and financial transactions. Oversight is typically defined as the “watchful and responsible care” a governing body exercises in its fiduciary capacity.

A copy of the audit report is available for review on the Auditor of State’s website.

(Fairfield, Iowa) – A collision between a pickup truck and a tractor Friday evening in Jefferson County (IA) resulted in two people being transported to the hospital. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2008 Ford F-250 driven by 58-year-old Charles Heisel, of Fairfield, and a 2002 John Deere tractor driven by 45-year-old Orlado Oregon-Espino, were traveling east on Highway 34 near Farifield, when the pickup rear-ended the tractor. The accident happened at around 6-p.m., Friday.

Authorities say following the collision, the pickup came to rest on the road. The tractor ended-up in the south ditch. Heisel was transported by helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Oregon-Espino was transported by Jefferson County EMS to the Jefferson County Hospital, in Fairfield.

The State Patrol was assisted by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and ambulance services, Fairfield Fire Department and Police, and MedForce Air Ambulance.

WAUKEE — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports a boil advisory issued on Dec. 7 for the southwest side of Waukee has been lifted.

The advisory was issued due to a water main break near the intersection of 6th Street and Crosscreek Road, resulting in pressure loss. Repairs to the main have been completed, and the affected area has been disinfected and flushed. Water samples have tested negative for bacteria.

The incident affected 1500 connections in the area, including the neighborhoods west of Ute Avenue between Westown Parkway and Interstate Parkway and the east side of Ute Avenue between Westown Parkway and Interstate 80.