(UPDATED)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating allegations of financial misconduct by a woman who had worked as city clerk for neighboring Iowa towns, a county sheriff said Tuesday. State auditors said in newly released reports that they’ve identified thousands of dollars in improper and unsupported spending by Yale and Bayard when they employed Renee Van Gundy. Guthrie County Sheriff Marty Arganbright confirmed that his deputies and state agents are investigating Van Gundy, whom he said has moved out of Iowa. Arganbright said the investigation hasn’t been completed and a report hasn’t yet been sent to the county attorney for a decision on any charges..

Sheriff’s Deputy Jesse Swensen said he’ll likely recommend charges of theft and felonious conduct in office. “She has given us a full confession,” Swensen said, and has been cooperating with investigators.
Her attorney, F. Montgomery Brown, said: “If there are criminal charges we’ll resolve them promptly. I can’t say how she’ll plead — she hasn’t been charged.” He declined to say where she’s moved.
The Yale audit said the improper spending included more than $5,800 paid for Van Gundy’s personal natural gas and electric bills; nearly $4,700 for her personal cellphone bills; and more than $4,000 for personal purchases made with the city’s credit card.

The Bayard audit said the improper spending included more than $26,000 for personal purchases made at grocery stores and other retailers and for meals at various restaurants.

The Iowa Department of Public Health has approved five licenses for distributing medical marijuana. The department says it has offered dispensary licenses to Have a Heart Compassion Care for facilities in Council Bluffs and Davenport and one for the Iowa Cannabis Company in Waterloo. And it has also offered licenses for two MedPharm facilities in Windsor Heights and Sioux City. Those five have until nine a-m Wednesday to accept.

The information from the department says 10 other applicants met the requirements for a license, but will not be awarded one unless one of the first five applicants doesn’t take a license. They included applications in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Coralville. Five other applicants did not meet the minimum requirement to obtain a license. Changes in the medical marijuana law allow for the five dispensaries to distribute the products created by MedPharm Iowa, which was the only company licensed to produce the products.

Sheriff’s deputies in Pottawattamie County, Monday afternoon, served a warrant on an inmate at the Pott. County Jail. 46-year old Strozier Darnell Moore, of Council Bluffs, was read a warrant for Violation of Probation, and then returned to the custody of Jail staff. A call about a domestic disturbance at a residence on Chapel Ridge Lane, resulted in the arrest of 27-year old Alexander William Everage, of Council Bluffs. Everage was arrested for Child Endangerment, Domestic Assault Simple, and Possession of Controlled Substance Marijuana, and was being held without bond at the Pottawattamie County Jail.

A traffic stop Monday on a pickup at the intersection of Birdsley Road and Perry Road resulted in the arrest of the driver, 31-year old Ricky Lee Paulsen, of Council Bluffs. He was arrested after a records check showed he was wanted on three valid warrants out of Council Bluffs for Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order (2 counts), and Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. Paulsen was also arrested on a warrant out of Nebraska, for being a Fugitive from Justice, and he was charged with OWI/3rd offense.

A Pott. County Deputy on patrol late Monday night in Walnut, noticed a Red Chevy Impala in park, idling with the engine on in front of Haystackers Diner. He observed a younger male subject in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, as well. A check of the license plate and registered owner revealed 20-year old Austin Daniel Malloy, of Walnut, had a valid warrant for Violation of Probation on an original charge of driving while revoked, and his driver’s license was listed as barred. He was charged in Pottawattamie County for Driving Barred and placed on Hold for the warrant out of Cass County.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 26-year old Samuel Branigan, of Red Oak, was arrested Monday afternoon on active warrants for five-counts of Sexual Abuse in the 3rd Degree, Harboring a Runaway, and Trespass. Branigan was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $10,000 cash bond.

Glenwood Police report the arrest on Monday, of 51-year old Belynda Daniels. The Glenwood woman was arrested for OWI/2^nd offense. Her bond was set at $2000 cash or surety

Patrons of the Atlantic Community School District will see a reduction in the tax asking for FY2018-19. Superintendent Steve Barber told KJAN News the rate, set to be published this week, will be reduced by about 70-cents per thousand dollars valuation. The rate went down to $15.08, as compared to $15.778 last year. Barber said the adjustment is due to some corrections. He said “A few years back, the board was faced with a cash shortage situation. And over the last two-or three-years they’ve corrected that and our cash position is healthier, and therefore we’re able to lower the rate.

Barber says the Board will continue to look at the cash balance and make the best decisions to keep the balance in place while providing every opportunity for the kids to be successful and responsible to the taxpayers. Prior to the Board’s work session Monday night, the proposed tax rating was at $15.50 per $1,000, but a reduction in one of the funds made that rate unnecessary. He said there Management Fund didn’t need as much as listed on the original computation form, so they lowered the amount in that fund from $587,000 to $400,000, which reduced the levy by about .41/$1,000.

Public hearings on the 2018-19 School Calendar and 2018-19 Certified Budget will be held April 11^th at 5:30- and 5:45-p.m. Respectively, in the Atlantic High School Media Center.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron Corbett says he’s “not sure why” a fellow Republican is challenging his campaign’s legitimacy. Corbett has been campaigning around the state for months as a G-O-P challenger to Kim Reynolds. Last week, former Iowa Republican Party political director Craig Robinson challenged Corbett’s nominating petitions, arguing there are too many duplicate signatures and Corbett doesn’t have the number of petition signatures he needs to qualify for the primary ballot. “If the governor really wants to knock me out of the race, then she should deliver the knock out punch on the debate stage and (that’s) why we’re challenged her to debates around the state,” Corbett says. “…We feel confident we have the appropriate number of petition signatures and will prevail.”

Corbett uses the word “underhanded” to describe the challenge of his nominating petitions. “For the governor to try to skate buy and not have debates and try to get me knocked off the ballot, I mean this doesn’t seem like she’s following in the tradition that has been set for elected officials and the governor in this state,” Corbett says.

Robinson — the former Iowa Republican Party official — says the Corbett campaign’s effort to collect signatures on nominating petitions was “incredibly pathetic” as Corbett barely submitted the minimum number of signatures required — and Robinson says there are more than 100 duplicate signatures. Iowa’s secretary of state and attorney general will convene with the state auditor this (Tuesday) afternoon to decide whether Corbett qualifies for the June Primary ballot. Similar challenges have been filed against seven OTHER candidates, including Congressmen Steve King and David Young as well as a Republican who hopes to run against Democratic Congressman Dave Loebsack in November.

(Radio Iowa)

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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A man and woman were arrested on separate warrants this (Tuesday) morning, in Creston. The Creston Police Department reports 38-year old Matthew Neipert, of Creston, was arrested at around 1:20-a.m. at his residence, on a Union County Warrant for the charge of Theft 4th. Neipert was later released from the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond. And, at around 12:35-a.m., 20-year old Natalie Eslinger, of Creston, was arrested at her residence on a Union County Warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault – Injury or Mental Illness. Eslinger was being held in the Adams County Jail, while awaiting a bond hearing.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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