(Britt, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) are assisting in a northern Iowa homicide investigation. Authorities say that at approximately 7:10 PM, Saturday, March 4, 2023, the Britt Police Department responded to a disturbance call at the residence of 275 4th Street Southeast in Britt, Iowa. Upon arrival to the residence, officers encountered a male subject identified as Monte Eckels, age 56 of Britt, Iowa.  Officers detained Eckels and entered the residence and observed a female subject identified as Leallen Bergman, age 62 of Ventura, Iowa. Leallen was pronounced deceased at the residence from apparent stab wounds.

Monte Eckels was arrested for Murder in the 1st Degree and transported to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office jail without further incident.

This investigation is being conducted by the Britt Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Hancock County Attorney’s Office. Additional assistance was provided by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Kanawha Police Department, Garner Police Department, and West Hancock Ambulance Service.

(Radio Iowa) – Madison County residents marked the one year anniversary Sunday of the deadly tornado outbreak that included one that dropped down just outside Winterset and left six people dead. Madison County Community Foundation manager Tom Leners says one year later, some people are still working on their insurance settlements. “There’s been a few challenges that way. But I think, overall, for the 50 some properties that were affected in Madison County, we feel like we are making progress,” he says. “And at this point, now people at least have a plan of what they’re going to do to get back in their property or utilize their property again.”

He says volunteers and residents got to work soon after the tornado hit. “There’s been a lot of cleanup, a lot of new construction, a lot of repair work has been done. So, those are all good things. There’s been a lot of folks wanting to help us through donations or an unkind sorts of supplies and that sort of thing,” Leners says. The Foundation handled the donations in the aftermath of the tornado and Leners says there was a great outpouring of help. “Through the generosity of people in our state and from other storm zones, we we raised over half a million dollars,” Leners says. “We had money coming in from really coast to coast and border to border and we were very greatful for that. You could see clusters of checks coming in from communities that had storm damage in the past five years where they donated to ours too.” He says it’s hard to total up all the donations made by people of services.

NWS map of Winterset tornado path.

Some in central Iowa brought in their own equipment paid their own fuel costs to work removing downed trees. “That part of the county was a very mature tree stand. So a lot of trees a lot of damage that way a lot to clean up. And so, so much progress was made in the first week or 10 days of getting roads back open and getting driveways back open to where you could get back into the property,” Leners says. Leners says he’s gotten a few concerned calls from people back in their property when there are storms. “There are still some folks that are concerned as we have storm warnings. And of course, now we’re getting back into that season,” he says. Leners say will continue to work to recover physically and emotionally from the deadly tornado.

The Bridge Community Church held a service Sunday in what Leners says was a kind of the official recognition of the one-year anniversary. The church worked with those who were displaced when their homes where destroyed. Another person who was camping at Red Haw State Park near Chariton in Lucas County was killed on the same day by a tornado. There were 15 tornadoes confirmed in the state on that day.

(Radio Iowa)- A state board has approved a more than four million dollar settlement with former University of Iowa football players who alleged the Hawkeye program was a racially hostile environment for black players. But members of the State Appeals Board raised concerns about management of Iowa athletics. State Treasurer Roby Smith says he has zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind.

Barta, the university’s athletic director, and Ferentz, the football team’s offensive coordinator, were named in the players’ original lawsuit. Despite those reservations, Smith and state budget director Kraig Paulsen voted to approve the settlement, with nearly half of it being covered by state taxdollars and the rest paid out the athletics department budget. Smith called it a good business decision for the state, as Iowans could be on the hook for far more if the case went to trial.

State Auditor Rob Sand opposes having Iowa taxpayers cover two million dollars of the settlement. Sand says this is the fourth discrimination settlement during Gary Barta’s tenure as the university’s athletic director and it’s time for him to go.

Sand held a news conference Monday morning to announce he opposes the settlement and believes Barta should be ousted. Kraig Paulsen, the governor’s budget director, is the third member of the State Appeals Board and he questioned Sand.

Paulsen suggests legislators may have an interest in reviewing the settlement, however.

Barta released a written statement Monday morning about the settlement. He says the University of Iowa Athletic Department remains committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for every student-athlete and staff member involved in the program.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office today (Monday), released a report on numerous arrests and incidents from over the past week. Friday night, 40-year-old Larissa Marie Beaty, of Ankeny, was arrested following a traffic stop for speeding on Highway 92. Beaty was charged with Driving While Barred and released later that night on a $2,000 bond.

There were three separate arrests Thursday night:

At around 9:30-p.m., 40-year-old Dustin Brian Benge, of Greenfield, was arrested in Greenfield, on an Adair County warrant for three Felony charges that include Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree, Theft in the 4th Degree, and Assault causing serious injury. He was later released on $5,000 bond; At around 9:20-p.m., 34-year-old Scotty William Hudson, Jr., of Des Moines, was arrested in the 1700 block of Highway 25 near Greenfield. He was charged with OWI/2nd offense and Open Container as a Driver (21+). Hudson was cited and released.; And, at around 7:15-p.m., Thursday, 37-year-old Jasmine Ray Blaylock, of Greenfield, was arrested on an Adair County warrant for Theft in the 4th Degree. She was later released on a $1,000 bond.

On Feb. 28th, Adair County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 21-year-old Jackson Dirk Bakken, of Creston, following an investigation into a rollover accident at Highway 92 and Riverside. Bakken faces numerous charges, including: OWI/2nd offense; Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – 1st offense; Possession or Carrying of Weapons while intoxicated (a Kimber .9-mm, a black .380 pistol, and an AR-15 with a scope attached); Poss. Controlled Substance/1st offense (Prescription pills not belonging to Bakken); Open Container/Driver (21+), and Failure to Maintain Control.

On the 27th of February, 46-year-old Joseph Eric Funke, and 47-year-old Scott William Richard Funke, both of Fontanelle, were arrested between 6:45- and 7:10-p.m., following a traffic stop in the 1100 block of Highway 25 in Adair County. The driver, Scott Funke, was taken into custody for Driving While Barred. He was released a few hours later on a $2,000 bond. Joseph Funke was arrested on Adair County warrants for (Felony) Violation of Probation (Failure to Appear in Court), and Driving While Barred. He was also charged with driving under suspension and speeding associated with a previous incident. He was released the following day on a $2,000 bond.

On Feb. 26th, 35-year-old Dana Marie Walker, of Adair, was arrested by Stuart Police on I-80 Westbound, near mile marker 85 (near the Greenfield Exit). She was charged with Driving While License Denied or Revoked. Walker was released the next day on her Own Recognizance from the Adair County Jail. And, at around 1:33-a.m. Feb. 26th, Adair County Deputies arrested 26-year-old Andrea Vanessa Lazcano, of Newton, for OWI/1st offense. She was released later in the day on a $1,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – March is National Problem Gambling Awareness Month and the Iowa Office of Problem Gambling is part of the effort to raise awareness of the issue and direct people to help. Karina Bee leads the Iowa office and says they have a list of 12 questions you can ask yourself about your gambling.  “If an individual would answer ‘yes’ to four or more of those questions, that could indicate that they could meet the definition of having a gambling disorder,” Bee says. An example of a question asks have you tried to keep your family or friends from knowing how much you gambled in the last year. Bee says these questions can also let you know that there is some impact on your life from gambling.

“An individual who answers yes to one to three of those criteria could be showing the effects of having problems from their gambling,” Bee says. She says the next step is to seek help and let a professional determine a diagnosis. Bee says the most recent survey indicates good recognition by Iowans of where to get help. “Seventy-four percent indicated that they didn’t know how to access problem gambling treatment services statewide. We also had 83 percent of the respondents indicated that they have seen or heard of one 800-Bets Off. And that’s pretty incredible — 83 percent recognition rate of a helpline is a great number,” she says. Your Life Iowa is another resource along with Betts Off where you can get help. Bee says they had 15-hundred contacts to Your Life Iowa and Bets Off in the last fiscal year.

“Over one-thousand Iowans were provided a problem gambling prevention service, 319 Iowans received a problem gambling crisis intervention treatment and or recovery support service,” Bee says. She made her comments during the recent Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission meeting.

(Hancock, Iowa) – A tire blowout contributed to a rollover-injury accident Friday morning, east of Hancock. According to the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, the driver of an SUV and an eight-month old baby that was properly restrained in a car seat, were injured during crash and transported to Cass Health in Atlantic. Another, adult passenger was injured, but not transported to the hospital.

According to the report, 25-year old Amanda Russell, of Atlantic, was driving a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer westbound on Mahogany Road at 460^th Street when the right rear tire on her vehicle blew out, causing Russell to lose control. She over-corrected, causing the vehicle to spin and enter the south ditch where the Trailblazer rolled one time, coming to rest on its wheels.

The accident happened at around 10:20-a.m., Friday. Damage to the SUV was estimated at $5,000.

Deputies cited Russell for Driving While Suspended and Failure to Provide Proof of Insurance.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood say a man from Omaha was arrested Sunday. 25-year-old Dakota Swaim was arrested for OWI/1st offense. His cash or surety bond was set at $1,000.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Board of Supervisors are set to meet Tuesday morning, at the courthouse in Harlan. Auditor/Board Secretary Mark Maxwell has provided us with a copy of the Board Agenda.

1. Tony Buman, Shelby County Assessor-update on Assessments
2. Todd Valline Shelby County Chamber of Commerce report-
3. County engineer report
4. Cost Advisory Services authorization to sign-Action Item
5. Auditor Transfer authorization- Action Item
6. Set a hearing date of March 21^st, 2023 at 9:00 AM for a public hearing regarding the consideration and possible passage of a resolution officially determining levy and cost funding recommendations. -Action Item
7. Budget discussion Set Max Levy Hearing date and Publication-Action Item
8. Overview of IT Audit by Joel and Micah from ICIT
9. Taryn Knapp with report of current IT and support contracts, and IT Committee recommendation -Action Item
10. Recommendation for future IT support for Shelby County-Action Item

1. Enter Closed session-Iowa Code 21.5 section 1-A  Iowa Code § 22.7(50) (2017) for   Shelby County IT security discussion – Action Item
2. Resume open meeting-Action Item
3. Adjourn

(Radio Iowa) – Voters in 35 Iowa counties will be casting ballots for tomorrow’s (Tuesday’s) bond referendums. According to Iowans for Tax Relief, voters in five cities, 16 school districts and one community college district will decide on a range of projects financed with bonds that would be paid off with local property taxes. Hawkeye Community College is seeking approval for a 35 million dollar to plan to upgrade its campus. The Bettendorf Community School District is asking for approval of a 69 million dollar plan to upgrade athletic and music facilities for high schoolers and remodel a middle school built in the 1960s.

Voters in the Des Moines suburb of Urbandale will decide whether to finance a 43 million dollar U-Plex — a recreation center that would feature pickleball and basketball courts, a walking track and a playground.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors have a light agenda for their meeting that begins at 9-a.m., Tuesday, March 7th. Auditor Kathy Somers explains (as usual), the order of agenda items may change based on when personnel are available and when time allows.

1. Call to order
2. Approve Agenda
3. Approve minutes from the February 28 meeting.
4. Public Comments
5. Report on health insurance rates by Ryan Berven, Assured Partners
6. Approve new jailer, Casey Symonds. Start date March 8th, $21.94/hr; Approve new Operator I, Tony Gustafson. Start date March 8th, $22.50/hr.
7. Report from Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken
8. Appointments (if available):
• Brighton Township Clerk
• Victoria Township Trustee
9. Supervisor Committee Reports
10. Filed Reports:
• Recorder
• Sheriff
11. Approve claims
12. Adjournment
13. Next Meeting: Tuesday, March 14, 2023