The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office, Monday, posted a report on arrests dating back to early January. Most recently:

• 41-year old Scottie Lynn Mitchell, of Exira, was arrested Monday morning (2/4), for Domestic Abuse 1st Offense. His arrest was the result of an investigation into an incident that occurred on January 26th. Mitchell appeared in front of the Magistrate and was released.
• 28-year old Blake Daniel Johannes, of Audubon, was arrested Friday morning, for Harassment in the 1st Degree. Johannes was released a short time later after appearing before the Magistrate.
• On Jan. 30th, 30-year old Jessica Lynn Pedrin, of Audubon, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for four counts of Violation of a No Contact Order. Pedrin was being held in the Audubon County Jail on a $1,200 bond.

Other arrests in January:

• Jan. 16th, 32-year old Robert Lee Crawley, of Hamlin, was arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order. He was released after appearing before the Magistrate.
• Jan. 7th, 30-year old Jay Robert Pedrin, of Audubon, was charged with six counts of Violation of a No Contact Order while being held in the Audubon County Jail on Burglary 2nd and Willful Injury/Domestic Abuse charges. He currently has a $35,800 bond.
• 31-year old Andrew Michael Templemeyer, of Storm Lake and 35-year old Brandon Michael Barringer, of Brayton, were arrested on outstanding warrants for two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drug. The charges stem from a traffic stop that occurred on January 1st on Highway 71 near 335th Street. Both appeared before the Magistrate and were released.
• 30-year old Craig Brian Torgerson, of Foxboro, Wisconsin, was arrested January 6th, for OWI-1st Offense. The arrest was the result of a traffic stop that occurred on January 6th at the intersection of 345th & Lark Avenue.Torgerson posted a $1,000 bond the following morning and was released.
• 31-year old Allison Marie Martin, of Manning, was arrested January 1st, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Her arrest stemmed from a traffic stop that occurred on Highway 71 near 335th Street. Allison was cited and released on the charge, but an arrest warrant was later requested for her arrest for two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drugs stemming from the same stop. Martin turned herself in on the warrant January 31st, and was released after appearing before the Magistrate later that morning.
• And, 43-year old Dale Langenfeld Jr., of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, turned himself in on an outstanding Audubon County warrant for Leaving the Scene of an Accident. The warrant stemmed from an accident that occurred on September 7th in the 200 block of Fairview Street in Exira. He posted a $300 bond and was released.

Red Oak Police, Monday night, arrested a woman on an assault charge after officers responded to a residence in the 1300 block of Sunnyslope Drive, for a physical domestic assault in progress. Officers separated both parties and arrested 26-year old Bailey Anne Bostwick, of Red Oak, for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. Bostwick was taken into custody at around 8:30-p.m. and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where she was being held without bond, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

(Radio Iowa) — Republican Governor Kim Reynolds and key Republicans in the legislature met yesterday (Monday) and settled on a “per pupil” spending level for the 2019/2020 school year. They’ve agreed to boost general state support of public K-through-12 schools by a little more than two percent, slightly less than what Governor Reynolds recommended last month. Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver of Ankeny says the deal includes more money to offset transportation costs and address inequities in the state funding formula — for a total package of nearly 90 million more dollars to public schools.

“I think the most important thing when it comes to school funding is we promise an amount that we can actually fund,” Whitver says, “and this amount that we’re promising today is an amount that we’re very confident we’ll be able to fund in the future.”

The state’s education community had been lobbying for more. Melissa Peterson is a lobbyist for the Iowa State Education Association which represents 34-thousand Iowa teachers.  “While we appreciate that 2.06 percent is better than the rates that have been assigned that last couple of years,” she says, “we know that school districts in Iowa need at least three percent to keep up with the cost of inflation.”

Last year, the Republicans at the statehouse approved a one percent hike in per pupil state funding for the current school year. The previous year, the increase was one-point-one percent. Legislative leaders expect the G-O-P’s general school spending level for NEXT year to gain final approval in the House and Senate next week.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:350 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state of Iowa will pay $4.15 million to two executive branch employees who were sexually harassed for years by an agency director who had been a longtime friend of Gov. Kim Reynolds. The money will go to former Iowa Finance Authority business development director Beth Mahaffey and its current communications director Ashley Jared. The state appeal board voted 2-1 to approve the deals. State Auditor Rob Sand dissented, saying Jamison and not taxpayers should be required to pay

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A bill that would dramatically change the way Iowa selects judges for the Iowa Supreme Court and the district court level has been introduced in the Iowa House. The bill would end appointments by attorneys to judicial nominating commissions and gives the power solely to the governor and legislative leaders.

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — Police in the Des Moines suburb of Ankeny say a grand jury has declined to indict an officer who killed a Missouri man after he pointed a gun at the officer. Police announced Monday that the Polk County grand jury met last week and decided not to indict officer Todd Webb. Webb responded to a reported robbery on Sept. 15 and located a suspect nearby. Police say the suspect, Christopher Lee Leonard, of Springfield, Missouri, pointed a handgun at the officer, who then shot and killed Leonard.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County say there were seven arrests made over the past four days. Four people were arrested Monday (2/4), including:

• 18-year old Kaitlin Nicole Geronimo, of Council Bluffs, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia & Speeding. ($300 bond)
• 26-year old Andria Lyn Thramer (Homeless), on a warrant for Failure to Appear in court (FTA). ($2,500 bond)
• 36-year old Sherice Nicole Dismang, on a warrant for Probation Violation ($1,000 bond)
• and 19-year old Alize Savannah Torres, of Omaha, on a warrant for FTA. (Bond $5,000).

On Sunday, 33-year old Brandon Scott Bryen, of Malvern, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, Child Endangerment and Open Container ($2,000 bond). Last Saturday, 57-year old Luis Joel Mendez, of Missouri Valley, was arrested for DUS (Driving Under Suspension) ($300 bond). And, on Friday 37-year old Jessica Lynn Ballinger, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a warrant for Violation of Probation, and DUS (Bond $5,000).

The Glenwood Police Department reports four recent arrests. On Friday, 20-year old Dixson Briggs and 24-year old Cody Anderson, both of Red Oak, were arrested for Possession of Marijuana. For Anderson, it was his second offense. Their cash or surety bonds were set at $1,000 for Briggs and $2,000 for Anderson.

Also arrested Friday, was 35-year old Kristy Wilson, of Glenwood, for Public Intoxication. Her bond was $300. And, on Jan. 31st, 42-year old Travis Handley, of Glenwood, was arrested on two Mills County warrants for Probation Violation, with total bond set at $20,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state of Iowa has tentatively agreed to pay $4.15 million to two executive branch employees who were sexually harassed for years by an agency director who had been a longtime friend of Gov. Kim Reynolds. Settlement agreements released by the state Monday show the money would go to former Iowa Finance Authority business development director Beth Mahaffey and its current communications director Ashley Jared. The state appeal board will consider approving the deals this (Monday) afternoon.

Both women came forward last year to the governor’s office to detail the sexual harassment and hostile work environment they endured under Iowa Finance Authority executive director Dave Jamison. The deals call for the state to pay $2.35 million in cash and monthly annuities to Mahaffey, 53, who left state employment and moved last year after complaining about Jamison’s behavior. Another $1.8 million would go to Iowa Finance Authority communications director Ashley Jared, 35.

The City of Audubon is asking residents to please check their basements, to make sure you do not have any broken pipes or meters due to the extreme temperatures we’ve experienced over the past few days. If you find any issues, call the Audubon City Hall.

FOREST CITY, Iowa (AP) — Winnebago Industries says it’s shifting to its Forest City, Iowa, campus the production of Class A diesel motorhomes from the company plant in Junction City, Oregon. Winnebago announced Monday that the change will consolidate product development, supply chain and assembly for the company’s diesel motorhome business. Winnebago Vice President Brian Hazelton says the strategic decision to move diesel product manufacturing to the former Country Coach facilities in Junction City years ago did not achieve “our targeted operating efficiency and profitability goals.”

The company expects to begin the transition immediately. Winnebago says the 250 positions in Junction City will be reduced to about 30 and that there will be an increase of about 175 positions at the Forest City campus by the end of fiscal year 2020.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report a man from Cass County was arrested on drug charges, Sunday morning. Authorities say 36-year old Jason Mitchell Fulk,, of Atlantic, was driving a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer on Interstate 80 at the 30-mile marker, and had stopped his vehicle at around 12:40-a.m., in the traveled portion of the roadway. Fulk was passed out while his vehicle was running, with its light off. A Pott. County Sheriff’s Deputy who made contact with Fulk conducted an OWI investigation. Officials say Fulk was found to be in possession of 6.4-grams of marijuana and a marijuana smoking pipe. He was arrested at around 1:35-a.m.  for Possession of a controlled substance, and Possession of Paraphernalia, with an OWI/1st offense charge pending drug test results.

A call about a possible stolen vehicle late Saturday night, resulted in the arrest of 34-year old Ian Robert Caldwell, of Dunlap. Authorities say deputies were called to a residence in the 1000 block of Old Lincoln Highway to locate a vehicle reportedly stolen out of Missouri Valley. The stolen 2010 Ford Focus was found outside the residence in the driveway, along with the registered owners’ cell phone, which was also reported stolen. Caldwell, who was the owners’ boyfriend, was taken into custody on the stolen vehicle charge out of Harrison County, and transported to a location where he could be picked-up by Missouri Valley Police.

An accident Saturday night in the 21,000 block of Mudhollow Road in Pott. County, resulted in the arrest of 61-year old Franklin Lugene Stricklett, of Crescent. He was taken into custody on a warrant for Contempt of Court, and cited for Failure to Maintain Control of his vehicle. And, Pott. County authorities say 25-year old Jricka J. Rothermund, of Council Bluffs, turned herself-in to the Sheriff’s Office, Friday afternoon. She was wanted on a warrant and transported to the Pott. County Jail to be booked-in.