The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office got caught-up on their posted (media) reports today (Wednesday), after being several days behind. There were several arrests and incidents to note, among them:

On Saturday:

• 33-year old Jeremy Theron Harriman, of Avoca, was arrested at around 3:50-p.m., for Violation of a No Contact Order/Contempt of Court, after he was allegedly trespassing near a residence in the 500 block of S. Cedar Avenue, in Avoca. Harriman was found sitting on the sidewalk in front of the residence where the protected party associated with the Protection Order, lives.

On Sunday:

• 33-year old Jill Marie Mastin, of Hastings (IA), was arrested at around 1:45-a.m., for OWI/1st offense. The arrest took place following a traffic stop for speeding 74 in a 55 zone. It occurred at Highway 59 and Magnolia Road.  When the Deputy made contact with Mastin, he noted she displayed numerous cues of impairment.
• At around 3-a.m. Sunday, 31-year old Idris Akeeb, of Country Club Hill, IL, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail after he was brought in on a warrant charging him with five counts of  Forgery, and one felony count of Ongoing Criminal conduct – Criminal Network.
• At around 7-p.m. Sunday, a Deputy on routine patrol in Pott. County, came upon an SUV. A check of the license plate showed the driver’s status was Revoked. Following a traffic stop, the Deputy noticed inside the vehicle several signs of drug use. 47-year old Jeffrey Allen Ronfeldt, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance (1.9-grams of meth in a baggie), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Meth pipe), Driving while revoked and OWI/1st offense.

On Monday: A 30-year old woman identified only as “Jane Doe,” was arrested just before 9-p.m., following a disturbance at the Wings America Truck Stop/Restaurant, north of Avoca. A business reported the woman threw items inside the store and then went outside before throwing landscaping rocks at three windows, causing about $900 damage. The woman was found walking in the area of the 39 mile marker on Interstate 80 and placed under arrest. She was charged with Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree and Disorderly Conduct.

And, on Tuesday a Council Bluffs woman upset about turning herself in on a warrant, became even more upset when she managed to slip out of her handcuffs while in her cell, and was told she would be charged with escape if she tried that again. 42-year old Michelle Renee Emmert thought she had already served her 14-day required stay at the Pott. County Jail.  Once the situation was explained to her, she was booked into the jail without further incident.

A woman from Nebraska who had reportedly gone to the scene of a house fire in Pottawattamie County to repair her vehicle, was arrested on a warrant for Probation Violation and Possession of a Controlled Substance (2.2-grams of meth). The Pott. County Sheriff’s Office says 33-year old Ashley Lynn Votherms, of Bellevue, NE. was taken into custody at around 11:30-p.m. Friday.  Another person, 34-year old Andrew Sanwick, of Omaha, had a valid warrant for Theft in the 5th Degree. Both were arrested after the Pott. County Communications Center received a call about numerous persons rummaging through the property where a home had burned to the ground the previous day, at 1203 Rolling Hills Loop. When the Deputy questioned individuals looking into a vehicle with a flat tire that was partially burned by the fire, Votherms said the vehicle was hers, and that they were attempting to change a tire. A records check indicated Votherms and Sanwick had valid warrants for arrest.

The Sheriff’s Office reports also, a Cass County man was arrested for Assault with Injury and Carrying a Concealed Weapon (a gun), Saturday morning. A Deputy was dispatched to the Casey’s Store in Oakland to meet with a 20-year old Oakland man who was allegedly assaulted at a bar in Oakland, by 28-year old Nicholas Clyde Seyler, of Griswold. After an investigation, Seyler was arrested at around 1-a.m.

A traffic stop Saturday afternoon on Interstate 80  in Pott. County resulted in the arrest of two men on drug charges, and the recovery of 2.2-pounds of Heroin. After a Deputy stopped a 2002 Nissan Rogue at around 3:25-p.m., Saturday, the driver, 50-year old Jose Antonio Moreno, of San Pedro, CA., and his passenger, 38-year old Arshak Arayan, of Los Angeles, CA., were taken into custody and brought to the Pott. County Jail. They were charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Deliver.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest Tuesday morning, of a man wanted for Violation of Parole. 50-year old Joel Alan Weeks, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. Weeks was being held in the jail, without bond.

Red Oak Police say a woman was arrested at around 7-a.m. today (Wednesday). 31-year old Sara Sue Batten, of Red Oak, was arrested on a valid Montgomery County warrant for Violation of Probation. Batten was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 cash bond.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors in northwest Iowa has voted against having a public prayer before opening a board meeting. The Sioux City Journal reports that the board addressed the resolution by board Chairman Matthew Ung at its meeting Tuesday. It would have had supervisors take turns in choosing whether to lead a public prayer or hold a moment of silence. The resolution said the rest of the supervisors could not overturn the decision by the one making the choice.

The board’s current practice is to observe a moment of silence. The four supervisors who voted against allowing the public prayer all said they pray during the weekly moment of silence. But possible legal action over public prayers at public meetings was among the reasons raised against the resolution.

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

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The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is continueing to collect deer tissue samples from willing hunters as part of its effort to monitor for and track the presence of chronic wasting disease. The agency reports their wildlife staff has a goal of collecting 5,465 samples. The bulk of Iowa’s deer harvest occurs during the two shotgun seasons which provide an opportunity to collect a significant number of tissue samples. Most samples are obtained by wildlife staff, checking with hunters in the field or at home processing points. Terry Haindfield, wildlife biologist with the Iowa DNR leading the CWD collection effort. says “We’ve had really good cooperation from our hunters so our focus now is collecting samples from some pretty specific areas within our target counties in order to reach our quotas.”

He said the DNR is looking for samples from deer harvested from each county along the Missouri River. “Hunters willing to provide a sample should call their local wildlife biologist to see if the county or area where the deer was taken has filled its quota or is still in need of a sample,” he said. The DNR lists the cell phone numbers for its wildlife biologists on p. 45 of the hunting regulations. Hunters from the targeted areas needing additional help making contact to provide a sample can call Haindfield at 563-380-3422.

Additional testing is been conducted in Pottawattamie County, following positive tests from captive facilities.  The disease has been found in every state around Iowa. Since testing began in 2002, more than 62,500 tissue samples have been collected and tested looking for the presence of CWD in Iowa’s wild deer herd.

CWD is a neurological disease belonging to the family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases.  It attacks the brain of infected deer and elk causing the animals to lose weight, display abnormal behavior, lose body functions and die. It is always fatal to the infected animal. The disease first appeared in Iowa’s wild deer herd in 2013 and each year since, the DNR has placed extra emphasis to find the extent to which disease is in the area, and to help slow the spread by removing additional adult deer from the local population.

The Iowa DNR has more information about CWD and other infectious disease online at www.iowadnr.gov/cwd.

BARNUM, Iowa (AP) — A malfunctioning switching mechanism apparently caused six tankers filled with ethanol to derail in northern Iowa. The Fort Dodge Messenger reports the tankers were hauling the fuel from Valero Renewables-Fort Dodge on Tuesday night when they derailed. Lt. Tom Ubben, of the Fort Dodge Fire Department, says the cars were backing up when the switching mechanism caused them to leave the tracks. The tracks, located in the small community of Barnum, are owned by the Canadian National Railway.

Railway spokesman Patrick Waldron says no one was injured and no ethanol spilled. Ubben says crews from Waterloo and Omaha, Nebraska, were called to the derailment Tuesday night and were using heavy machinery to move the cars off the rail line and transfer the ethanol to other containers.

A traffic stop at around 2:40-a.m. today (Wednesday), resulted in the arrest on a man on drug and other charges. Creston Police say 21-year old Tyrell James Stucker, was taken into custody near Adams Street and the Spillway Road, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Marijuana, and for Driving While Suspended. Stucker was later released from the Union County Jail on a $1,600 bond.

Two people, a man and a woman, were arrested this morning, following the pursuit of a stolen pickup in Council Bluffs.  Authorities say Officers in Council Bluffs began their pursuit at around 12:43-a.m., after the driver of a stolen 2003 Dodge pickup refused to pull-over in the area of S. 16th and 9th Avenue. The pickup fled south on S. 16th St to 16th Ave where it headed east to Harry Langdon Blvd. By that time, the pickup had struck at least one set of Stop Sticks which deflated the front tires on the vehicle.

Kimberly Golden

Adam Wilfong

The vehicle turned south on Harry Langdon and headed south to Highway 92. Upon reaching the highway, the pickup had been driving on its front rims and became disabled at the intersection. The driver opened the door and immediately got out of the vehicle. Officers gave commands to the driver to follow however, he refused to comply. After failing to comply with numerous commands to surrender and follow officers’ orders, a Taser was deployed to incapacitate the suspect. Upon him becoming incapacitated and falling to the ground, officers were able to get him detained and handcuffed. The driver was identified as 31-year old Adam Wilfong, of Council Bluffs.

Officers found Wilfong had an open pocketknife (blade exposed) in his hand while officers had been ordering him to comply with commands to surrender. He dropped the knife on the ground prior to being taken into custody. Wilfong was transported to the hospital for evaluation and then to Pottawattamie County Corrections. The passenger, 27-year old Kimberly Golden, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Disobedience to a Police Officer after failing to comply with lawful orders given by police during the incident. She was transported to Pottawattamie County Corrections. The vehicle had been reported stolen out of Omaha on November 9, 2017.