UPDATE: IOWA DPS STATEMENT at 10:35-A.M., 1/6/23…Mount Ayr, Iowa – “Missing 3 year old Fallon Wells has been located, safe, in Missouri. She is now with law enforcement and human services representatives. This matter is still under investigation by the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa DCI. We would like to thank the public for their assistance in locating Fallon.”

Mount Ayr, Iowa – The Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation have issued an Endangered Person Advisory/Be On the LookOut, for 3 –year-old Fallon Wells. Fallon was reported missing on December 30, 2022. She was last known to have been with Michelle Grady and Monty Parkhurst. They may be traveling in a silver 1997 Oldsmobile with Missouri license plate XE2V8V.  Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Fallon Wells, Michelle Grady, or Monty Parkhurst is asked to contact the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office at 641.464.3921 or call their local law enforcement agency.

Fallon Wells is three-years old. She is 36-inches tall and weighs about 30-pounds. She has Blue eyes and blonde hair. Michelle Grady is 54-years-old, stands 5-feet 10-inches tall, weighs 165 lbs., has blue eyes and blonde hair. Monty Parkhurst is 58-years-old. He stands 5′ feet 11 inches tall and weighs 175 lbs. He has blue eyes and brown/gray hair.

Monty Parkhurst

Michelle Grady

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday for their first session of the new year. According to the minutes provided by Auditor Mark Maxwell, the Board’s first order of business, was to elect officers. They re-elected Steve Kenkel as Board Chair, and Steve Parkhurst as Vice-Chair for the 2023 Calendar Year. Later on during their meeting, the Supervisors in Shelby County acted to appoint Board members to the many numerous, various County Commissions and Committees. Other administrative matters were approved as well, including naming of the City’s Official newspapers for 2023 (The Harlan Tribune & News Advertiser), where Public Notices will be posted, and a list of Official Shelby County Depositories.

In other business, Todd Valline Executive Director of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce was present and notified the Supervisors that the Shelby County Citizen of the year nominations are now being accepted at the Chamber office. He said also, the recent Christmas season generated over $88,000 in Shelby County Gift certificates and all these funds must be spent in Shelby County. The three recent winners of the Shopping in Shelby County contest were announced and two were from out of County, indicating the number of out of County shoppers drawn to Shelby County. It was also mentioned that the City of Harlan has completed two of the three needed hearings to change their Hotel Motel Ordinance. This is part of the reorganization of the Hotel/Motel funds collected in Shelby County and how they are distributed.

The Board approved Resolutions pertaining to: an Economic Development Purpose Statement; the appointment of Deputy County Officials; A Non-discrimination Resolution; and the authorizing of a partnership with the Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund the allows the Board to contribute $1,000 per housing unit assisted in the County, outside the city limits of Harlan, not to exceed $6,000 in calendar year ’23.

Brandon Burmeister, Shelby County Solid Waste Board Director asked for the Supervisors to Re-Appoint certain members to the Shelby County Solid Waste Board. The request was approved. The Board then set the mileage reimbursement rate at $ .655 a mile for County Employees on Official Business, as well as the the days that will constitute paid holidays for the 2023 Calendar Year. The appointment of Scott Markham as County Medical Examiner was approved, along with a proposal that other previously approved individuals will also act as medical examiner. The Supervisors also approved members of the Compensation Board for the Condemnation of Private Property.

They also acted on approving County Employee health insurance costs and benefits, and incentives for physicals/online assessments that serve to reduce the County’s insurance rates.

The Board received FY 24 funding requests as part of their budgeting process:

• Kyle Lindberg Shelby County Jail Administrator presented a budget with spending for fiscal year 2024 estimated at $716,972.00. Staffing issues and office administration does not allow for sufficient jail fund recovery time. The current part time person at the Sheriffs office could be given full time responsibilities that include recovery of funds from inmates with longer stays. The money recovered would be placed in the Jail Room and Board fund for jail improvements. This would lessen the burden on the Capital fund for jail improvements.
• The Veterans administration budget was presented with expenditures for fiscal year 2024 being budgeted at $51,220.00
• Alex Londo of Shelby County EMA presented his Department’s funding request from Shelby County at $867,131 for fiscal year 2024.

(Radio Iowa) – January is typically one of Iowa’s coldest months of the year, but forecasters say this January could be less frigid than in the past. State climatologist Justin Glisan says new computer models being released by the Climate Prediction Center indicate Iowa could be starting off 2023 a bit balmier than usual. “They’re suggesting warmer-than-average temperatures across the state,” Glisan says, “and for January, the statewide average is about 20 degrees, so still cold temperatures, of course, but we’re looking like it could be above average temperature-wise.” The weather pattern known as La Nina, which impacts conditions all across the continent, is lingering for a third straight year, which is exceptionally rare. Glisan says that pattern may bring Iowa more than its usual share of precipitation during January, and that’s much needed, given the long-running drought.

“A slightly elevated shot at wetter conditions in eastern Iowa, but no clear guidance on the rest of the state,” Glisan says. “So we’re still stuck in that La Nina pattern, which if we look at wintertime La Nina behavior, we are slated to see above-average snowpack across the state given the weakness of the La Nina.” Last year was a very dry year, with drought worsening across much of Iowa. December was one of only three months during 2022 where Iowa’s precipitation was above-average.

“So the statewide average was about 1.73 inches and that’s a little over four-tenths of an inch above average,” Glisan says, “and a lot of the moisture that we received on the front end of the month was actually able to infiltrate into the soil profiles, given that temperatures were above-average and the soil profiles were still not frozen.” Parts of northwestern Iowa got more than 13 inches of snow this week, but Glisan says it takes between eight and 12 inches of snow to equal just one inch of rainfall.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Thursday, said a man from Nebraska was arrested at around 5-p.m., Thursday, on an active Montgomery County warrant. Matt Staley, of Chapman, NE, was taken into custody on an original, Possession of a Controlled Substance/ 2nd offense, charge. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is the first of five statewide officials elected in November to hold a public ceremony to recite their oath of office.

Bird, who officially started her term on Monday, told a big crowd in the Capitol’s rotunda yesterday (Thursday) that she was just getting used to speaking about her new post in the present tense. “I’m going to take the values I learned on the farm, work hard, do the right thing and get the job,” Bird said. “That’s my commitment: to uphold the laws and the constitution.” Bird is the first Republican in 44 years to serve as Iowa Attorney General. She acknowledged Tom Miller, the Democrat she defeated, who attended the ceremony.

“You have been so helpful to us, so gracious to us in every way. I appreciate your service and your courtesy and your approach to your work as a lawyer. Thank you,” Bird said and the crowd stood to applaud. Republican Governor Kim Reynolds, who will be inaugurated for a new four year term next Friday, campaigned extensively for Bird. Reynolds says Bird is taking office at just the right moment — to challenge Biden Administration policies.

“America’s form of government rests on federalism, which limits the powers of Washington, D.C. while protecting the rights of the states and most importantly the rights of its citizens, but so often our leaders in Washington get it backwards,” Reynolds says. “They disregard the democratic process within the states on issue after issue.” The governor says Iowa’s new attorney general will fight federal mandates and open borders as well as what Reynolds called social engineering.

“To them, the states are simply in the way,” Reynolds says. “Well, they’re right about one thing, at least. States like Iowa are definitely in the way and with Brenna in the AG’s office it will be no easy thing to push us aside.” Earlier this week, Bird joined a lawsuit challenging President Biden’s plan to cancel some student loan debt as well as three other lawsuits challenging COVID-19 vaccine requirements.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican U.S. Senator Joni Ernst says failure of HOUSE Republicans to elect a House Speaker could be sending the wrong message to foreign adversaries.  “If they continue this, then it’s disrupting what we’re able to get done as members of congress. It’s important than we do our work,” Ernst says. “They will need to recognize that and find a consensus around a leader.”

Ernst, who is part of the Senate’s G-O-P leadership team, says the situation in the House is frustrating, but will be resolved. “We’re going to have a fair process and we’re going to have a solid governing body at the end of the day after this discussion is over,” Ernst said. Ernst made her comments Thursday, after a town hall meeting in Glenwood.

Iowa’s other U.S. Senator, Republican Chuck Grassley, has not commented on the G-O-P stalemate over the speaker’s election in the House. Congressman Randy Feenstra, the Republican representing Iowa’s fourth congressional district, has issued a written statement on the impasse. Feenstra says the days-long delay in organizing the House for action helps Democrats block the G-O-P’s conservative agenda.

(Radio Iowa) – Many people are warming up their cars on these cold winter days to melt the snow and ice off the windshields before they head out. Sioux City Police Department spokesman, Jim Clark says that has led to a surge of stolen cars Wednesday. “Yesterday we had six of those that were taken people warming up their cars is leaving them,” Clark says. The unlocked cars were all stolen within a half-hour period.

Sergeant Clark says you need to take steps to lock the car if you are going to start it and then come inside. “So we’re gonna recommend that you either go get a remote start putting your car sir there’s plenty of places around here that do that,” Clark says. “Or at least make an extra set of keys for your car, start up go back in the house and lock it.”

Clark says there was another car left running that was stolen this (Thursday) morning.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State Patrol spokesman, Alex Dinkla, says 2022 ended with 338 fatal traffic accidents. “That number is down from the past few years. But again, it still is over our goal of trying to obtain 300 fatalities, which has not been done in Iowa since 1925,” Dinkla says. Sergeant Dinkla says they haven’t had time to analyze all the numbers yet –but there was one that stuck out. “This year, we did have 11 A-T-V or U-T-V fatalities. That’s the highest number that we’ve had in a number of years,” he says “And so that is pretty alarming when we look at that statistic.” He says part of the increase could because more people are driving them.

“These are becoming more and more popular as we see those being used all around Iowa and on our roadways. And the recent legislation did allow those vehicles to be driven on our roadways, legally now. And so now that we see those being legally operated on our roadways, those are just becoming more prevalent,” he says. Dinkla says they do know that some of the traffic death could have been prevent if people had buckled up.

“A hundred and 14 people failed to buckle that seatbelt in collisions had they buckled that seatbelt, there’s no doubt that we would have had more lives saved and possibly not even had as many people injured in those car crashes,” Dinkla says. “Whether you’re in the front seat back seat, no matter where you’re at, think of safety as the forefront when you get in that vehicle. And before you head out somewhere.”

Iowa State Patrol spokesman, Sergeant Alex Dinkla

Dinkla says their ultimate goal is to have zero fatal accidents on the roadways — and they plan to continue working to get below 300. He says they will step up the effort throughout this year with special efforts across each Patrol district. “And so, they are going to be proactively setting up projects every month that are geared towards reducing crashes on our roadways. So moving forward, there’s no doubt that you’re gonna see clusters of officers work against impacts, to drive down these fatality numbers,” Dinkla says.

Dinkla says each fatal accident affect families, friends and loved ones all over Iowa.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Officials with the Council Bluffs Fire Department today (Thursday), identified a man who died as the result of an explosion that occurred late Tuesday morning. 56-year-old Martin Desomma died, when a compressed natural gas cylinder exploded in a garage near Avenue G and North 35th Street.  Authorities said an autopsy will be performed as part of the investigation. According to the fire department, there are no indications that the explosion was caused by a gas leak from the utilities at the property.

Council Bluffs police said Desomma was cutting the tank, resulting in a gas explosion. Two additional compressed natural gas containers were removed from the property “as a safety precaution.”