NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — An Ankeny man has been sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl in Jasper County. The Des Moines Register reports that 58-year-old Jeff Altmayer was sentenced Monday in Jasper County District Court. Last month a jury found him guilty of kidnapping, sexual abuse and two counts of enticing a minor.

Prosecutors say Altmayer was arrested after he approached a girl and her friend in Colfax on Aug. 16, 2016. Police say he offered them $100 to come to his home in Des Moines and do yard work. Police say the 11-year-old got into his car, where Altmayer assaulted her.

A pretrial conference is scheduled March 5 in Grundy County for similar charges Altmayer faces there.

The Creston Police Department reports six recent arrests. Arrested Sunday, Feb. 18th, was: 20-year old Tyler Ray, of Creston, for Driving While Suspended, and on a Union County warrant for Probation Violation. His bond was set at $2,000; 21-year old Jeffrey Campbell, of Des Moines, was arrested for Possession of Paraphernalia, and on a Polk County warrant for Theft in the 3rd Degree. He was being held in the Union County Jail pending transfer to Polk County; And, 58-year old Jonathan Selim, of Creston, was arrested Sunday for OWI/2nd offense. Selim was later released on $2,000 bond.

Saturday, Creston Police arrested 32-year old Cassondra Arni, of Creston, on a Clinton County, MO., warrant for Failure to obey a Judge’s Order on an original charge of two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Arni was transferred to the custody of Clinton County authorities. Last Friday, Creston Police arrested 43-year old Lois Taylor, of Creston, for Theft in the 5th Degree. She was released on a promise to appear later, in court. And, 35-year old Mathew Scherer, of Creston, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. He was later released on a $1,000 bond.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — A former city accounting clerk has been charged with stealing from the Des Moines suburb of Johnston. A city news release says Teresa Osburne surrendered to police Monday morning and was charged with three counts of theft and related crimes.

A state audit of the city books determined that nearly $14,000 collected from library fines and fees and other revenue sources had not been deposited in city accounts between July 1, 2015 and July 31, 2017. The city says Osburne falsified those records and was fired.

The state’s legal community is warning proposed budget cuts in the state’s court system “will still cause significant disruption.” House Republicans propose cutting far less than Republicans in the Senate. Steve Eckley, president of the Iowa State Bar Association, thanked House members for that move Monday during a public hearing at the statehouse — but Eckley says Iowans will still notice a one-point-six million dollar cuts to the courts for THIS budgeting year.”These include people involved in domestic abuse cases who need immediate attention to their very charged situations, mothers and fathers involved in domestic relations matters ending marriages and affecting children,” he said, ” the prosecution of criminal cases that may ultimately be dismissed because of the speedy trial requirements.”

More than half a MILLION cases will move through the state’s courts this year. Eckley told lawmakers the court delays caused by state budget cuts will hit every county. “Whether it be your constituents waiting to close a probate matter so that the proceeds of an estate can be distributed, criminal cases that need to be prosecuted or civil cases that have been set for trial for months or even years, they will all be negatively impacted,” Eckley said.  Danny Homan, president of AFSCME Council 61, says “several thousand” state employees who are members of his union will be adversely affected by the cuts. “Overall, state government has been cut to the bone and I know these departments cannot effectively and responsibly provide essential services under this bill,” Homan says. Homan told lawmakers there will “real life consequences” in the state’s prison system. “As president of this union that represents these workers, this keeps me up at night: when will an officer be killed? Please, don’t vote this budget through,” Homan said.

State tax collections are lower than expected so cuts must be made in the CURRENT year’s state budget. Today’s (Monday’s) hour-long public hearing on the House G-O-P’s budget-cutting package attracted University of Northern Iowa students who thanked the House for shielding the Cedar Falls campus from this latest round of cuts. Students from the other two state-supported universities expressed concern about the cuts they’ll see on the campuses in Ames and Iowa City.

(Radio Iowa)