A western Iowa man was sentenced Tuesday in U-S District Court, to serve 10-years in prison for possession of child pornography. 56-year old James Lee Palmer, of Missouri Valley, will also be subject to ten years of supervised release following his incarceration.

On April 20, 2017, Palmer entered a guilty plea to a federal indictment charging Palmer with possession of child pornography on or about May 11, 2016. The charge was the result of an investigation into the posting of an image depicting child pornography upon a cloud based storage service. Law enforcement followed up with a search warrant of Palmer’s residence and located computers that contained over 300 of images of child pornography.

The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Missouri Valley, Iowa Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports that on Tuesday, September 5th, 65-year old William Henry Adkins, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced to 30-years in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and firearms offenses. Co-defendant, 40-year old Windy Marie Hannon, also of Council Bluffs, was sentenced on August 9th, to 12-1/2 years in prison for her role in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

On April 17, 2017, Adkins proceeded to a jury trial and was found guilty on all counts — conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Co-defendant Hannon previously entered a plea of guilty on April 4, 2017.

Evidence at trial proved Adkins was responsible for conspiring to distribute over 2,300 grams of methamphetamine. Upon his arrest on federal charges in January 2017, Adkins was found in possession of methamphetamine, scales, baggies, drug ledgers, a loaded .40 caliber handgun, and deposit receipts totaling over $32,000.

The investigation was conducted by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, which consists of the Council Bluffs Police Department, Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The United States Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted with the investigation. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) — Police in St. Cloud have released the name of an Iowa man who was fatally stabbed during a visit. Authorities on Wednesday identified the victim as 22-year-old Andre Tirrel Reaves of Deloit, Iowa. That is the same city where the 22-year-old suspect lives.

Police say Reaves and the suspect traveled together to the home in St. Cloud to visit and stay for the weekend. Officers were called to the home Tuesday morning after Reaves was stabbed during an argument. The victim died at St. Cloud Hospital about an hour later.

The suspect was arrested and remains in jail, pending charges.

An investigation into an accident over the weekend resulted in a man from Anita being arrested on an OWI charge. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office said they received a call at around 11-p.m. Saturday, about a single-vehicle accident at Main and Locust Streets in Anita. A 1997 Nissan Pathfinder owned and driven by 42-year old Troy Allen Grimes, of Anita, was northbound on Main Street when it left the roadway and struck a retaining wall.

Grimes then attempted to back the vehicle away from the wall and struck a utility pole, before leaving the area on foot. He was located and subsequently arrested for OWI 3rd Offense (D Felony). Grimes was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $5,000 bond. The charge has been since changed to OWI 2nd Offense (Aggravated Misdemeanor).

Numerous arrests over the past week were reported by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, today (Wednesday). On Saturday, 34-year old Matthew Wayne Echternach, of Atlantic, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Echternach was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $10,000 bond.

On Friday, September 1st, 37-year old Travis James Armstrong, of Cumberland, was arrested on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Fraudulent Practices 1st Degree (C Felony). Armstrong was booked at the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $10,000 bond. That same day, 42-year old Tara Marie Brosam, of Griswold, was arrested on a charge of Criminal Mischief 5th Degree. Brosam was taken to the Cass County Jail and released on $300 bond.

On August 30th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 42-year old Melvin Ray Timberlake, of Tampa, FL, on a charge of Simple Assault. Timberlake was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $300 bond.

And, there were two arrests in Cass County on August 29th. 32-year old Summer Lynn Cole, of Atlantic, was taken into custody on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Cole was taken to the Cass County Jail where she remains held on $5,000 bond. 28-year old Justin Kyle Patton, of Liberal, KS, turned himself in at the Cass County Sheriff’s Office on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear. Patton was booked at the jail and later released upon serving time.

A woman and man from West Des Moines was arrested Tuesday on numerous drug charges, in Cass County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 37-year old Danielle Marie Dedoncker, faces charges that include: Possession with Intent to Deliver More than 10gm Cocaine (B Felony); Possession of Heroin 2nd Offense; Possession Psilocybin Mushrooms 1st Offense; Possession of Marijuana 1st Offense; and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; and 48-year old Kendall James Wallendal was arrested on charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver More than 10gm Cocaine (B Felony); Possession of Heroin 1st Offense; Possession of Psilocybin Mushrooms 1st Offense; and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Both subjects were taken to the Cass County Jail.  Each remains held on $100,000 bond.

In an unrelated case, 51-year old Philip Reed Thompson, of Lewis, was arrested Saturday on charges of OWI 1st Offense and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Thompson was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.

(Updated) —

CRESTON, Iowa (AP) — A southern Iowa high school said Wednesday it had disciplined several students who appeared in a photo on social media wearing white hoods and waving a Confederate flag next to a burning cross. At least one of the five people pictured is holding what appears to be a rifle.

Creston Community High School Assistant Principal Jeff Bevins first told the Creston News Advertiser that the school became aware of the photo early Wednesday morning.

In this screen shot image taken from Twitter, five men wearing white hoods wave a Confederate flag next to a burning cross. The principal of Creston Community High School in southern Iowa says the school has disciplined several students who appeared in the photo, which circulated on social media, after officials became aware of it on Wednesday morning, Sept. 6, 2017. (Twitter via AP)

Principal Bill Messerole told The Associated Press that the students involved have been disciplined, but would not say what that discipline entailed, citing the school’s student confidentiality policy. Messerole said school officials met with the students, but declined to comment on what was discussed. He declined to say whether he had spoken to the students’ parents or guardians.

“I’m new to this,” Messerole said when pressed for more information. “I haven’t had any situations like this before.” The photo, Messerole said, was not taken on school grounds. “Our investigation is ongoing,” Messerole said. “I would say that picture does not reflect the values of Creston High School, our school district or our community whatsoever.”

An investigation into a single-vehicle accident last Friday night in Page County resulted in the arrest of a Pottawattamie County man. Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports a deputy responded at around 9:30-p.m. Friday, to an accident on Highway 2 near O Avenue, which is about 2 miles west of Clarinda. During the investigation, Deputies determined that 26-year old Jesse Warren Bozarth, of Council Bluffs, was driving a Dodge Durango westbound on Highway 2 east of the intersection with O Avenue.

Jesse Bozarth

Bozarth swerved into the eastbound lane, almost striking a vehicle that was eastbound on Highway 2.  He then corrected the vehicle, swerving back into the westbound lane and then into the north ditch.  Bozarth drove the SUV out of the ditch and parked it in the traveled portion of Highway 2, blocking traffic.

He was arrested for OWI/1st offense and transported to the Page County Jail, where he was unable to post a $1,000 bond, and was being held pending further court proceedings.