DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Charges have been dropped against two cybersecurity workers arrested after breaking into an Iowa courthouse in September as part of a security test conducted by state court administrators. A judge entered a dismissal order Thursday for Justin Wynn, of Naples, Florida, and Gary Demercurio, of Seattle.

They work for Colorado-based Coalfire which had contracted with state court officials to conduct security tests at Iowa courthouses. The men were caught inside the Dallas County Courthouse in Adel on Sept. 11. They faced trespassing charges.

Their attorney, Matthew Lindholm, says they are relieved but frustrated their reputations have been damaged.

(Radio Iowa) — We’ve heard for weeks about the high risk for more flooding in Iowa once the snow starts to melt this spring, but one forecaster says all of that water in the soil may actually help bring about a cooler summer. Doug Kluck, the region’s climate service director at the National Weather Service in Kansas City, says the saturated soil will prevent much in the way of rapid heating.

“It’s hard to get hot if we have a lot of soil moisture,” Kluck says. “Once the plants and things start growing and evapotranspirating, my famous word, once that starts happening more and more, yes, some of that moisture gets sucked out of the soils, but that moisture also goes into the air and makes it harder to warm up and keeps thing relatively cool.”

While some climate models are hinting at a very warm weather pattern developing by mid-summer, Kluck says drought chances will stay low. “In some of those places that are super-wet right now, chances of them going into a really bad drought are lower than normal,” he says, “and chances of them having a hotter-than-normal summer are lower than normal as of right now as well.”

Some Iowa communities saw the flooding start last March along with repeated bouts of high water throughout 2019. A number of residents in parts of southwest Iowa, in the Missouri River valley, haven’t been able to return to their homes in ten months.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A northwestern Iowa man has pleaded guilty to reduced charges in the drunken driving death last year of his cousin. The Sioux City Journal reports that 39-year-old Darrick Toel, of Le Mars, pleaded guilty Thursday to vehicular homicide while driving recklessly and to operating while intoxicated. In exchange, a more serious charge of vehicular homicide while driving intoxicated was dropped.

Under the deal, Toel also agreed to an 11-year prison term. Authorities estimated Toel was traveling 90 mph on July 1 when he lost control of his car and struck a tree. Toel’s passenger, 37-year-old Ryan Toel of Struble, died two days later from his injuries.

Authorities in Mills County report a woman wanted on Union County warrants was arrested late Wednesday evening.

Autumn L. Vandry

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says 20-year-old Autumn Lynn Vandry was arrested on warrants for 1st degree Burglary and Willful injury. She was arrested at around 8-p.m. and was being held in the Mills County Jail on $35,000 bond.

Police in Council Bluffs report two suspects who were allegedly involved in an assault this (Thursday) morning, were arrested on Class-C Felony charges of Willful Injury. Multiple witnesses reported seeing both suspects, 19-year-old Hunter Dunn and 21-year-old Thomas Smith, both of Council Bluffs, run up to 60-year-old Adolph Phillips, Jr., of Council Bluffs, and begin punching him. After Phillips was knocked to the ground, he was then repeatedly kicked in the head and body until he lost consciousness.

(Left to right) Thomas Smith and Hunter Dunn

He was taken to a Council Bluffs hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries, and then released. The incident happened near North 17th Street and West Broadway Street at around 9:36 a.m.

While officers were en-route to the call, several witnesses called into the Pottawattamie County Communications Center and relayed information to dispatchers about the suspects’ description, direction of travel as they left the area on foot, and the victim’s condition.

The Council Bluffs Police Department would like to thank the citizens of Council Bluffs for helping them with this case.

Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce said today (Thursday), they were made aware of a woman who is calling area businesses claiming to be an accountant out of Texas. She claims to be calling on behalf of the Atlantic Area Chamber and Cass County Sheriff’s office.

The caller asks for information regarding an expired credit card, and is said to be very persistent. The Chamber warns this is not a legitimate call and business owners/managers should refrain from giving out any information. The number she is calling from is 817-395-1044.

(DES MOINES) – This week, Representative Tom Moore (a Republican from Griswold) welcomed students involved in Creston and Southwest Valley FFA programs, to the Iowa House of Representatives. The students were visiting the Capitol for the Legislative Symposium, which is designed to build character and promote citizenship, volunteerism and patriotism.

Pictured here is Rep. Tom Moore (Griswold) and students with the Creston FFA.

Pictured here is Rep. Tom Moore (Griswold) and students with the Southwest Valley FFA.

LUCAS, Iowa (AP) – A judge has ordered a lumber company to pay the state nearly $28,000 for timber harvested without permission from a state forest in south-central Iowa. The attorney general’s office also said Thursday that Moravia Hardwoods, of Moravia, lied to the state on a bond renewal application, so the judge banned the company from buying timber for a year. A company representative said he couldn’t immediately comment. The trees were cut down in the Chariton Unit of Stephens State Forest. The state sued the company, and a trial was held this past August. The judge issued the ruling Monday.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa D-N-R is asking you to take make a donation to help the state’s wildlife when you file your state taxes. D-N-R wildlife biologist, Stephanie Shepherd, says the number of people who donate through the “Chickadee Check-off” has been dropping. “In 2003 we had almost 13-thousand people donating. In this last year — in 2018 — roughly 73-hundred folks donated to the checkoff,” Shepherd says.

She says the amount of money has fortunately not dropped as much as the amount of donors. Shepherd says the donations go to species that don’t get funds from dedicated sources like hunting and fishing licenses. “We have a thousand plus other species in the state that also require habitat, and require research and conservation,” according to Shepherd. She says there are probably several reasons the Chickadee Checkoff gets missed at tax time. “We don’t spend a lot of money on marketing — we want most of the money that comes in for the checkoff to go towards wildlife conservation,” according to Shepherd “We don’t do a ton of market besides word of mouth or putting out a press release or two. So, maybe that’s just not bringing in a lot of new folks who aren’t aware of the Fish and Wildlife on the state tax form.”

The check-offs are one of the last things you have to do in filling out your return, and Shepherd says that may work against them. “A lot of times folks can be in tax return preparation fatigue by the time you get to the bottom of the state tax form where the checkoff line is — so a lot of times it just gets overlooked,” Shepherd says.  Shepherd says you don’t have to donate thousands of dollars to help out the cause. “I always like to point out that we have about one-and-half million taxpayers in the state of Iowa and so if every one of them just donated one dollar on the checkoff that would be one-point-five millions for wildlife conservation in the state,” Shepherd says. “So even a little bit can make a huge difference — especially if we can get more people donating.”

The Fish and Wildlife Check-Off, line 57 on Form 1040. Or tell your tax preparer you’d like to donate to the fund.

Atlantic School District Agriculture Instructor/FFA Advisor Eric Miller reports five members of the Atlantic FFA and other FFA members from across Iowa, converged this past Tuesday on the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines, to build character and promote citizenship, volunteerism, and patriotism. Atlantic FFA members Alyssa Derby, Tate Den Beste, Corri Pelzer, Taylor McCreedy, and Craig Alan Becker attended the event. Approximately 560 high school students wearing blue corduroy from 87 schools flooded the Iowa State Capitol Building in Des Moines. The students visited with legislators, exhibited skills learned in the agriculture classroom, and learned the importance of citizenship.

Left to right Craig Alan Becker, Taylor McCreedy, Alyssa Derby, Senator Tom Shipley, Tate Den Beste, Corri Pelzer

Sitting in chair Tyler Comes; middle row Taylor McCreedy,Corri Pelzer, Alyssa Derby, Craig Alan Becker and Tate Den Beste; Back row Atlantic FFA Advisor Eric Miller and Representative Tom Moore. (Photos courtesy Eric Miller)

The event was all part of the 35th Annual Iowa FFA Legislative Symposium and FFA Day at the Capitol. During the morning, FFA members heard from Iowa Farm Bureau Federation President, Craig Hill, about the important roles young agriculturalists can play in the agriculture industry. Then, Julie Kenny, Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, addressed students about the importance of agriculture in Iowa and abroad. Kelsey Tyrrell of the World Food Prize addressed students about the future of Iowa agriculture and the importance of being involved with statewide issues.

Governor Kim Reynolds presented and signed the FFA Week Proclamation, declaring February 22-29 FFA week in Iowa. The proclamation signing took place in the State Capitol Tuesday afternoon with the Iowa FFA state officer team. After the event, Taylor McCreedy said she was glad that she took part in the event. McCreedy said “I thought it was a lot of fun, and it was a good opportunity for kids to meet with state representatives.”

The 35th Annual Iowa FFA Legislative Symposium and FFA Day at the Capitol was made possible with support from Iowa Farm Bureau Federation through the Iowa FFA Foundation.