SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – An 18-year-old Sioux City man has pleaded not guilty to kidnappings linked to a dispute over drug dealings. The Sioux City Journal reports  that Isaiah Mothershed entered his plea Monday in Woodbury County District Court. He’s charged with two counts of kidnapping and two counts of willful injury.

Court documents say two people who went to buy marijuana from Mothershed on July 7 were bound and blindfolded by him after he accused them of helping another person steal his pot. The documents say he used a hot object to burn their faces and struck one of them with a shotgun. The documents say Mothershed then forced them into the trunk of his car, but they escaped later when he stopped and left the car to go into a house.

Police in Red Oak arrested two men on assault charges, Tuesday. 36-year old Philip Michael Eshelman, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 4:30-p.m., in the 2400 block of N. Broadway Street, on a warrant for Assault Causing Serious Injury. And, at around 6:55-p.m., 23-year old Cody Dean Johnson, of Red Oak, was arrested on Trespassing and Simple Assault charges. His arrest stems from an incident that  occurred at around 12:30-p.m. Tuesday where Johnson allegedly entered a home without permission, in the 300 block of 1st Avenue, and hit a resident there.

Johnson was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 cash bond, while Eshelman was being held in the jail without bond.

Two people were arrested Tuesday evening on forgery charges, in Montgomery County. According to Red Oak Police, 31-year old Christopher Ivan Long, of Red Oak, was arrested on 11 Felony counts of Forgery. 33-year old Bobbie Jo Bruce, also of Red Oak, was arrested on three Felony counts of Forgery.

Officials say Long committed acts of Forgery from April 27th until July 11th, while Bruce’s acts dated from June 23rd to July 11th. Each of the Forgery incidents were allegedly committed at the United Farmers Mercantile Cooperative, in Red Oak.

The suspects were being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 cash bond, each. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted in the investigation and arrests.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad has extended a state of disaster emergency through Aug. 30 in response to the bird flu outbreak in the state. The virus has infected more than 31.5 million birds in Iowa, mostly egg-laying chickens, making the state the hardest hit in the nation. Branstad’s declaration activates disaster response programs, allows the use of state supplies and makes other efforts to speed response efforts.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A former field hockey coach who was fired at the University of Iowa last year has filed a state civil rights complaint. Tracey Griesbaum’s action is a step toward filing a lawsuit. Her attorney, Tom Newkirk, says he and Griesbaum have exhausted efforts “to get the university to investigate and remedy this without a lawsuit.” Griesbaum has said gender bias under athletics director Gary Barta led to her firing.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the federal government expects to pay chicken and turkey farmers $191 million to cover their bird flu losses. That’s in addition to the $400 million spent on cleaning up dead birds and disinfecting barns. The government also is paying to research and stockpile a bird flu vaccine.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A lockdown is still in place at the Iowa State Penitentiary, more than three weeks after a dangerous felon escaped the maximum security lockup in Fort Madison and made it to Illinois. Inmates are mostly confined to their cells and there will be no visitors allowed this coming weekend.