Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports the arrest Sunday night of 44-year old Verlyn Duane Richardson, of Audubon. Richardson was arrested by Mills County Deputies at around 8:45-p.m. in Glenwood, on an Audubon Police Dept. warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault, Interference with Official Acts and Disorderly Conduct. Richardson was transported to the Audubon County Jail and after appearing before the magistrate, was released on a Promise to Appear later, in  court.

On Sunday, 36-year old Angela Marie Cerda, of Audubon, was arrested for Theft in the 3rd Degree. She was later released by the magistrate on a Promise to Appear in court.

And, on Feb. 17th, 35-year old Amanda Lynn Thompson, of Audubon, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. She was later released on bond.

(7-a.m. News)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A county-owned hospital in western Iowa has released to the public how much it paid the husband of a woman whose death was blamed on a botched colonoscopy. Settlement documents released by Crawford County Memorial Hospital show it and its insurer paid $500,000 to Eugene Christiansen, whose wife, Carole, died in November 2014 after her colon was accidentally torn.

The hospital had refused to release the settlement documents, saying the money was deposited into an estate account that was sealed by a judge. State law bars government agencies from entering into secret settlements of lawsuits.

The Carroll Daily Times Herald and the Iowa Freedom of Information Council took the matter to court. On Friday a judge ordered the hospital to disclose the settlement publicly.

A new Police Officer and City Clerk will officially be sworn-in Wednesday evening, during a regular meeting of the Atlantic City Council, which begins at 5:30. First up on the agenda (After approval of the agenda and related items), is Mayor Dave Jones, who will administer the Oath of Office to Police Officer Brock Thompson, who hails from the Cedar Rapids area and comes from a background of military service. Thompson, his wife Hilary and young daughter Natalie, will be settling in Atlantic. He’s one of two new Officers to join the City since the beginning of the new year. Officer Cameron Ward, from Griswold, was sworn-in early last month. Both men were hired as a result of openings created on the Atlantic Police force, with the promotions of two officers, and of Lt. Dave Erickson to Chief of Police.

The Mayor will also administer the Oath of Office to City Clerk Barb Barrick, who succeeds Deb Wheatley-Field. Deb retired after more than 35-years with the City. Her last official day was on Friday.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on closing certain streets for the May 20th Ba-da-Ba-da Bing Bang Military vehicle rally and cruise, that has been well attended since its inception two-years ago. The road closures are similar to those which took place last year along the route, which begins and concludes at the Armory (2nd & Poplar) and will result in temporary Atlantic Police Department traffic control efforts at several intersections along the way. The vehicles and their drivers will get a 30 minute break at 3-p.m. that day in the Wal-Mart parking lot, before returning to the Armory.

The Atlantic City Council will also hold a Public Hearing on a proposal to enter into a General Obligation Equipment Acquisition Loan Agreement and borrowing of money not to exceed $360,000. The funds will be used to purchase two major pieces of equipment for the Street Department (a new boom truck for $180k, and a new loader for $179k). The five-year contract, if approved, would be with TS Bank at an annual interest rate of 2.9%. The Council will act on a Resolution to approve the agreement following the hearing.

They’ll also hold a Public Hearing on the FY 2018 City of Atlantic Budget, which amounts to just under $12.5-million, a decrease from last year of 14.78%, or more than $1.847-million. The proposed Budget calls for a property tax increase of 1.48-percent. In addition, the Council will act on setting the date for a Public Hearing pertaining to the amending of the Code of Ordinances by repealing a Chapter and amendments with regard to Zoning and replacing it with an updated Zoning Ordinance that took more than five-years to revamp and an 11 page Executive Summary to cover it all.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa group has devised a strategy to keep monarch butterflies off the national endangered species list. The Des Moines Register reports that the 135-page plan issued Monday is aimed at helping farmers, backyard gardeners and others boost monarch butterfly habitat in Iowa. Nearly 40 agriculture, conservation, business, utility and government groups, calling themselves the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium, pulled together the strategy.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering protecting monarch butterflies under the Endangered Species Act. Supporters of the protection say farming in the Midwest is among the reasons for monarch’s decline.

Steve Bradbury is an Iowa State University entomologist, and he says it’s unclear exactly how many habitat acres Iowa should add to help keep monarch butterflies off the national endangered species list.

A Red Oak man was arrested this (Tuesday) morning on an assault charge. Police say 36-year old Luke Daniel Rinehart was taken into custody at around 3:18-a.m. in the 300 block of 2nd Avenue, in Red Oak. Rinehart was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault. He was being held without bond pending an appearance before a Magistrate.

A traffic stop Monday night in Adams County resulted in the arrest of a woman on multiple charges. 28-year old Trisha Mitchell, of Lenox, was placed under arrest at around 7:30-p.m., for OWI/1st offense, Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Carrying Weapons, and Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs. Her bond at the Adams County Jail, was set at $5,300.

Police in Red Oak, Monday, arrested 35-year old Bobbie Jo Bruce, of Red Oak, on a Montgomery County warrant for Probation Violation. Bruce was taken into custody at around 3:50-p.m. and brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where her bond was set at $5,000.

The Iowa Democratic Party’s chairman says the party’s new NATIONAL leader has committed “in writing” to keeping Iowa’s Caucuses first in the presidential selection process. Tom Perez was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee Saturday night with the support of Iowans on the committee, including Iowa Democratic Party chairman Derek Eadon.

“He talks a lot about changing the culture of the DNC,” Eadon says. “He talks a lot about upgrading our technology, the importance of Iowa’s role as well as caucuses in this process.” Eadon and other officers from the Iowa Democratic Party met with Perez earlier in mid-February and got a personal commitment from Perez on the positioning of Iowa’s Caucuses. Perez, who grew up in Buffalo, New York, served as U.S. Labor Secretary during the last three years of the Obama Administration.

As the new leader of the Democratic National Committee, he will soon appoint a “unity commission” and the 2020 calendar for presidential contests will be on the agenda. “I imagine the Caucuses will come up during that,” Eadon says, “but you’re hearing a lot more talk about ‘super delegates,’ you’re hearing a lot more talk about the make-up of the DNC leadership as well.” Perez supported Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Perez asked a key Bernie Sanders supporter to serve as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and Eadon says that’s a significant move from Perez. “I think he’s a true change agent for the Democratic Party,” Eadon says. Perez, the new Democratic National Committee chairman, endorsed Clinton during an event in Sioux City back in early December of 2015. Last summer, Perez was rumored to be on Hillary Clinton’s list of potential running mates.

(Radio Iowa)