(Radio Iowa) – Marshalltown plans to install a free public Narcan dispenser next week, a box that represents a huge step in the city’s ongoing opioid awareness campaign. The city and its Youth and Shelter Services branch hope the free public access to the overdose-reversing drug will complement its existing community policing initiatives. David Hicks, the Y-S-S Director of Community Engagement for Marshall County, says it’s only the eighth free Narcan box in the state.

Hicks says the box will be placed outside the Y-S-S building. He says it helps everybody in the city, from its police force to its hospitals to its taxpayers.

Y-S-S has embedded two social workers within Marshalltown’s police force and has brought on a dedicated addiction counselor.

(Radio Iowa) – After about two-and-a-half years on the job, Burlington Police Chief Marc Denney has stepped down, with his resignation taking effect immediately. City Manager Chad Bird says for the time being, he will not appoint an interim chief.

Bird says he will talk to the city council, police department staff, and citizens about the department’s future and the qualities they would like to see in a police chief. He says Denney did not give a reason for his resignation.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office today (Friday), issued a report on arrests conducted from Sept. 16th through the 30th. Most recently, on Sept. 30th:

43-year-old Jose Misael Rivera, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop at 12th St and Morningview Drive, in Harlan. Rivera was charged with Driving while License is Suspended, and Failure to Maintain or Use Safety Belt. And, 39-year-old Kyle James Yost, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop Sept, 30th at 12th St and Industrial Ave., in Harlan. Yost was charged with Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Improper Registration Plate Lamp.

On Sept. 29th, Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 47-year-old Sherry Lee Musich, of Oakland. Her arrest followed a traffic stop at 12th and Walnut Streets, in Harlan. Musich was charged with Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, Possession of Controlled Substance 2nd, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

On the 28th, 38-year-old Tiffanie Ann Newcomb, of Kirkman, was arrested following an investigation. Newcomb was charged with Possession of Controlled Substance 3rd, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Driving while Barred, and Theft 2nd.

There were two arrests Sept. 27th, in Shelby County: Deputies arrested 28-year-old Daniel Jacob Brown, of Elk Horn (IA), and 43-year-old Faith Merritt Peterson, of Harlan, were arrested on separate, active Shelby County warrants for Violation of Probation. There were also two arrests on Sept. 26th: 61-year-old William Joseph Daeges, of Harlan, was arrested in Harlan for Violation of a No Contact Order. Daeges was previously arrested Sept. 25th, for Interference with Official Acts and Public Intoxication; 60-year-old Barbara Kleymann, of Portsmouth, was arrested Sept. 26th on active Shelby County warrants for Violation of Probation, and Failure to Appear.

Others arrested in September include:

• 34-year-old Jesse Eugene Hutton, of Harlan, for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense.
• 58-year-old Randall Josepeh Schwery, of Earling, for Child Endangerment and on two counts of Intimidation with a dangerous weapon.
• 25-year-old Jeffery John Stephens, JR., of Dow City, was arrested in Shelby County for Failure to Maintain Control and OWI/2nd offense.
• 36-year-old Allen Ray Newell, of Harlan, was arrested for Interference with official acts.
• 40-year-old Brent Michael Swisher, of Avoca, was arrested in Shelby County on active Shelby County warrants for 4 counts of Failure to Appear.
• 24-year-old John William Erlbacher, of Harlan, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense.
• 43-year-old Faith Merritt Peterson, of Harlan, was arrested Sept. 21st, on an active Shelby County warrant for Failure to Appear.
• 38-year-old Amber Lea Nelson, of Denison, was arrested on active Shelby County warrants for 3 counts of Failure to Appear.
• 60-year-old Kevin Raymond Reisz, of Dunlap, was arrested in Shelby County, for Failure to Obey a Stop Sign, Open Container, and OWI/1st offense.
• 31-year-old Obed Martinez Martinez, of Kirkman, was arrested in Harlan for OWI/1st offense, Open Container, OWI/1st offense. He was also cited for Improper rear lamps.
• 19-year-old Ian Austin Hill, of Harlan, was arrested by Shelby County Deputies for Criminal Mischief.
• 47-year-old Brian Scott White, of Harlan, was arrested for Driving while license suspended.
• On Sept. 16th, Shelby County Deputies arrested 61-year-old Jeffrey Richard Pape, of Emerson, on an active Shelby warrant for Failure to Appear for Sentencing. And, 32-year-old Melissa Marie Allmon, of Omaha, NE, was arrested following a traffic stop in Irwin. Allmon was charged with Operating a Non – Registered Vehicle, Failure to provide Proof of Financial Liability, Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, Possession of Controlled Substance Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and 2 counts of Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drug.

Note: Criminal charges are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Sheriff’s Office Disclaimer: All arrests reported on the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page (and to the media) are arrests made by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office with charges originating from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. If an arrest originated by another Agency (Iowa State Patrol, Division of Criminal Investigations, Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Department of Natural Resources, Etc.) but the individual was brought to the Shelby County Jail that arrest would not be reported on the social media page. Additionally, a person arrested on an arrest warrant from another County and brought to the Shelby County Jail to be held until picked up by a different County/Agency would not be reported on the page.

(Radio Iowa) – What’s billed as a celebration of the freedom to read, a Des Moines bookstore is hosting a Banned Books Festival this weekend. The event will feature readings by authors, panel discussions, and even a banned books trivia contest. Jan Danielson Kaiser, spokeswoman for Beaverdale Books, says there’s a real buzz over this topic and they decided to devote a full day to discussing and debating this hot-button topic. “We’ve had people who stopped into the store recently and they’re looking for titles for their book clubs to read,” she says, “and they specifically are looking for books that have been challenged or banned just so that they can speak more intelligently about maybe why they shouldn’t be banned.”

While it may be obvious from the covers why some books have raised controversy, Danielson Kaiser says it’s mystifying why other titles are being vilified, like “Charlotte’s Web.” “We’re featuring the authors of, ‘And Tango Makes Three,’ which is a delightful board book for kids,” she says. “It’s the story of two male penguins who are raising a chick and it’s based on a true story that happened in Central Park Zoo. It’s a beautifully illustrated little book.”

The festival will run from 10 A-M to 5 P-M on Saturday at the Franklin Events Center in Des Moines, and Danielson Kaiser says the store will have a wide selection of banned books available to browse and buy. She says one of the managers started making a list and was quickly overwhelmed. “He’s guessing we probably will have about 600 books for sale, now you know there’ll be duplicates,” she says, laughing, “but there’s going to be a lot of books there!”

Danielson Kaiser says she’s heard about one Iowa publisher who’s suggested he’d like to see one of the books he’s printed get banned, as the publicity almost guarantees a boost in sales. “The other funny thing is that when books are challenged, the schools oftentimes have to buy more copies just so that they can review, you know, they have a panel that reviews them, so that might help book sales that way as well.”

The daylong fest will feature a reading of banned poetry, story time for kids, a panel discussion on “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and a chat with Ashley Hope Perez, author of “Out of Darkness.” The event is free.