The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a Page County Jail inmate, 38-year old Jonathan Lynn Gray, of Shenandoah, was transported to the Pott. County Jail, Wednesday. He was transferred to Pott. County to address a warrant for Escape from Custody. Gray’s bond was set at $1,000. And, early Wednesday afternoon, 35-year old Bethany Lynn McCoy, of Lincoln, NE., was arrested following a report of a reckless driver. McCoy’s vehicle was located parked near McClelland, in the middle of the road, in the 29,100 block of 298th Street. Deputies determined she was impaired, and placed her under arrested for OWI/1st offense.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA — Democrat Iowa Third District Representative Cindy Axne has announced a grant amounting to over $1.2-million ($1,239,123) for Head Start projects was awarded to Family, Inc., an education non-profit and Early Head Start provider based in Council Bluffs. The grant funds come from the Department of Health and Human Services. Axne says “Providing a quality education to Iowa children starts with programs like Head Start, and countless studies show the endless benefits that early childhood education can have on a child’s future.”

Records show Axne has voted multiple times in her first term in Congress to increase investments in Head Start programs. In December, Rep. Axne joined her Democratic and Republican colleagues in supporting a Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations package that included $10.6 billion for Head Start, an increase of more than $500 million over Fiscal Year 2019. Her office says  Rep. Axne has also been focused on making government grants more accessible and transparent.

Last year, President Trump signed the Axne-sponsored Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements Transparency (GREAT) Act of 2019 into law, streamlining the outdated and burdensome federal grant process, making it easier and cheaper for Iowans to apply for grants, and allowing taxpayers to better track government spending.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A judge won’t let evidence of internet searches be used in the trial of a Manchester man accused of killing a high school girl in Cedar Rapids more than 40 years ago. Jerry Burns is charged with killing 18-year-old Michelle Martinko. Court documents say investigators found under Burns’ username a browsing history that included stories involving assault, rape, strangulation, murder and other violent acts. The Telegraph Herald reports that the judge ruled that the timing of the internet activity — conducted at least 38 years after the slaying — was prejudicial and would harm Burns’ right to a fair trial.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests, Tuesday. 57-year old David Lloyd Richey, of Glenwood, was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. His bond was set at $5,000. And, 26-year old Ozzy Ray Hunter, of Red Oak, was arrested Tuesday in Malvern, for Driving While Barred. His bond was set at $2,000.

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

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Two men from Creston were arrested Wednesday evening at 706 N. Walnut Street, in Creston, on firearms charges. 47-year old Terry McKinney was taken into custody on six counts of Dominion or Control of a Firearm by a Felon. His bond at the Union County Jail was set at $30,000.  45-year old Cory McKinney was arrested for a single count of Dominion or Control of a Firearm by a Felon. His bond was set at $5,000.

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

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Officials say American evacuees from the growing coronavirus outbreak in China will be flying into Omaha as soon as today (Thursday), and be quarantined at a nearby Nebraska National Guard training base. One or more planes will be landing at Eppley Airfield and park at a remote spot. A Nebraska Medicine news release says the passengers won’t go inside the terminal and will be taken to Camp Ashland, which sits about 32 miles southwest of the airport. Nebraska National Guard officials have been preparing to house evacuees in three buildings with 85 hotel-style rooms at the camp.

(Radio Iowa) -The purchase of two Iowa casinos by a larger national gaming company is getting closer to reality after being approved by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. Racing and Gaming Administrator, Brian Ohorilko, says Reno, Nevada-based Eldorado Resorts merger with Caesars will give the company two more Iowa properties. “Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs and Harrah’s Casino in Council Bluffs. Eldorado currently owns two, Isle of Capri in Waterloo and Isle of Capri in Bettendorf. So, that will put Eldorado as the owner of four casinos in the state of Iowa,” Ohorilko says.

The merger will make the resulting company the largest in the country. “Very, very big deal with respect to gambling in the U-S. This is a large merger between two viable companies,” Ohorilko says. He says Iowa’s approval is one more step for the companies to complete the merger. “The way the process works is Eldorado needs to receive regulatory approval prior to the transaction closing,” Ohorilko says. “They are finishing those approvals up. It is our understanding there will be some more approvals in February –possibly some more that will creep into the second quarter.”

He says the process was made easier since Eldorado already has properties here. “Eldorado is very familiar with Iowa rules, Iowa regulations and just Iowa’s business in general. They are a familiar entity, a familiar brand, and that quite frankly was part of the reason things went so smooth in receiving those regulatory approvals here in this state,” according to Ohorilko. Company officials say they don’t expect any changes in personnel with the merger.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A suspect shot while struggling with Des Moines police officers has been charged with assault. Polk County court records say 34-year-old Ryan Matthews is charged with two counts of assault on an officer and one of harassment. Officers were sent Friday to an apartment to check a report about a domestic dispute involving a threat. The court records say Matthews charged Officer Charlie Negrete with a stick when he arrived at the apartment. Officer Alycia Peterson use a stun gun on Matthews, but he grabbed her.