DES MOINES, Iowa [WHO-TV] — A Des Moines woman faces charges after allegedly driving her car while her son was clinging to the driver’s side mirror in September. WHO-TV reports on September 28 at around 3 p.m., 34-year-old Sammi Jo Thurman was driving her vehicle out of the parking lot of Southeast Elementary in Ankeny onto SE 10th Street. According to a criminal complaint, school surveillance video showed Thurman’s 7-year-old son hanging onto the driver’s side mirror the entire time Thurman was driving and while other vehicles were passing them.

Thurman has been charged with child endangerment and a no contact order barring her from her son has been filed.

Thurman is also facing a charge of possession of contraband in a correctional institution after she was found to have a “baggie of a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine” on her person when she was booked into the Polk County Jail, a criminal complaint states. Thurman has since been released and is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 21.

(Cedar Rapids, Iowa)- The U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of Iowa says a Strawberry Point man, 56-year old Scott Wesley Timmerman, was convicted Wednesday, of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

In a plea agreement, Timmerman admitted that he was in a state park after it had closed, and had a short-barreled shotgun in his vehicle.  He admitted that due to a prior felony conviction, he was not allowed to legally possess firearms. The vehicle was searched by law enforcement officers after Timmerman was arrested for unrelated charges.

Timmerman remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A report released Wednesday from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) shows that high school students are using tobacco products at a lower rate than the previous year. According to the report, 12.6% of high school students reported using tobacco products compared to 16.5% the year before. 10% reported using e-cigarettes compared to 14.1% the year before. Middle school students reported a slight increase in using tobacco products, going up from 4.5% last year to 6.6.%.

“The decline in e-cigarette use among high school students shows great progress, but our work is far from over,” said Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. “Findings from this report underscore the threat that commercial tobacco product use poses to the health of our nation’s youth. It is imperative that we prevent youth from starting to use tobacco and help those who use tobacco to quit.”

E-cigarettes have been the most commonly used tobacco product for both middle and high school students. Of active tobacco users, 9 out of 10 reported using e-cigarettes. Officials say that multiple factors continue to influence youth tobacco product use, including flavors, marketing, and misperceptions of harm. You can find more information at the link here.

Atlantic, IA – The November session of Cass Health’s Healthy U lunch-and-learn series will feature information about Medicare. “Welcome to Medicare” is a one-hour seminar offered by local Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) volunteers. The seminar will be held on Thursday, November 16 at noon in Conference Room 2 at Cass Health.

“Welcome to Medicare” will cover Medicare Part A and Part B benefits, the prescription drug benefit (Part D), Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare supplement insurance.

SHIIP is a service of the State of Iowa. SHIIP services are free, confidential, and unbiased. SHIIP counselors are trained by the state and do not sell or promote any insurance companies, policies, or agents. Cass Health is a local sponsor for SHIIP in Cass County.

Space is limited! A free boxed lunch is provided for all attendees, so reservations are required. Call 712-243-7479 to reserve your seat. For more information about Healthy U, visit casshealth.org/healthyu.

Police in Red Oak (Iowa) report 27-year-old Jordan Alex Pfeil, of Red Oak, was arrested early this (Friday) morning, on an Assault charge. Pfeil was taken into custody at around 12:15-a.m. in the 1800 block of  E. Summit Street, on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault/2nd offense. He was transported to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held without bond.

(Shenandoah, Iowa) – Officials with the Shenandoah Police Department report a woman was arrested today (Thursday) on Child Endangerment and Animal Neglect charges. 28-year-old Deborah Snider, of Shenandoah, faces four counts of Child Endangerment and two counts of Animal Neglect Causing Death, after officers, acting on a tip received Wednesday, found a deceased dog in the residence at 510 S. Mathews St., early this (Thursday) morning.

After a search warrant was executed at the residence at around 1:40-a.m., and following an investigation, Snider was taken into custody. She was being held on a $12,000 bond in the Page County Jail.

**”All charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.”**

AMES, Iowa – Nov. 2, 2023 – People are dying on Iowa roads at alarming rates. Traffic fatalities in our state this year are more than 13 percent higher than the average number of fatalities over the last five years. One of the keys to reducing fatalities and major crashes is to bring awareness to the problem. The Iowa departments of transportation and public safety, along with support from local law enforcement partners, are teaming up to create safety corridors across the state.

Using 2016-2020 crash data, six sections of roadways have been identified for focus over the next year:

• U.S. 20 from Lawton to Moville in Woodbury County
• U.S. 6 from East of Council Bluffs to US 59 in Pottawattamie County
• I-80 from County Road F-48 to Newton in Jasper County
• Iowa 5 from Iowa 92 to the Monroe County line in Marion County
• U.S. 218 from Mt. Pleasant to County Road J-20 (near Salem) in Henry County
• Iowa 2 from Donnellson to U.S. 61 in Lee County

These areas ranked in the top one percent statewide for all crashes and severe crashes. They also had a higher number of single-vehicle, run-off-the-road crashes and rear-end crashes at intersections with speeding and distraction as major causes.

Iowans may notice the safety corridor marked with signs. Pavement markings in those areas have been widened to help drivers more easily see them in low-light and inclement weather. In addition, the Iowa State Patrol and local law enforcement will have an increased focus on enforcing the area. Education and communication efforts throughout the year will help remind drivers that practicing good driving behaviors can make the area safer.

“We have seen speeds and distraction behind the wheel rise and only 40 percent of those who die on Iowa’s roads are wearing a seatbelt. Unfortunately, our state’s climbing fatality rates are showing the consequences of our individual decisions behind the wheel. We all have someone who is expecting us to return from each trip safely. Creating safety corridors is just another way the DOT can help remind drivers of the role they play in making sure everyone returns home safely,” explained Scott Marler, Iowa Department of Transportation director.

“The Iowa State Patrol is committed to reducing traffic collisions, injuries, and preventable deaths on Iowa roadways. We are confident that we can accomplish these goals with collaboration, strong partnerships, and a concerted effort on traffic safety.  By working together, we can collectively and proactively address safety concerns across the state of Iowa,” remarked Colonel Nathan Fulk, Iowa State Patrol.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department say no injuries were reported following a collision at the intersection of Townline and Cherry Streets. The accident happened at around 7:22-a.m. today (Thursday),when a 2022 Ford Bronco struck a 2013 GMC Sierra pickup. The police report says the Bronco, driven by 21-year-old Dania Rosales-Landeros, of Osceola, was traveling west on Townline Street. The pickup, driven by 20-year-old Kellis Scott Patterson, of Patterson,was traveling north on Cherry Street, and stopped at the 4-way stop before continuing into the intersection.

He was nearly through, when his truck was his on the passenger side door by the Bronco. Rosales-Landeros told police she knows both vehicles were stopped, but that “She did not know what happened after that.”

Damage from the collision amounted to $12,000. No citations were issued.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Mills County report two arrests:

Monday night, Oct. 30th, 18-year-old Patrick Jon Chase, of Glenwood, was arrested for Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree, with bond set at $300. And, on Tuesday, Oct. 31st at around 9-a.m., 22-year-old Musa Mohamed Abdi, of Kansas City, MO., was arrested at the Platte County, Nebraska Sheriff’s Office, on a Mills County warrant for Violation of Probation. Bond was set at $2,000.