DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s state police agency fired a trooper on Tuesday for alleged misconduct, days after acknowledging the employee had quietly been on paid leave for 10 months. The Iowa Department of Public Safety said trooper Wade Karp was terminated for violating department rules, including those that govern employee conduct. The department refused to elaborate further on the details of Karp’s alleged misconduct, and didn’t explain what took so long to investigate and render a decision on Karp’s discipline.

The Associated Press first reported last week that Karp, a 10-year veteran of the Iowa State Patrol, had been kept on paid administrative leave since Sept. 5, 2017. He has collected roughly $50,000 in salary since then. An official with the State Police Officers Council, a union which represented Karp during the investigation, didn’t immediately return a phone message.

Karp was based at the patrol’s Post 16 in Des Moines, which helps patrol the Capitol and other state buildings. The AP also reported last week that Karp was responsible for a service weapon that discharged inside the Post 16 office in December 2016. It’s unclear if that incident was accidental or linked to his termination.

In a statement released by department lawyer Barbara Edmondson, the agency said Tuesday that all other information related to Karp’s leave and termination “is confidential and protected from disclosure” under the Iowa open records law. The statement cited a law that exempts personal information in “confidential personnel records” from disclosure.

The AP is protesting that position, noting that an Iowa law that took effect last year requires state and local government agencies to release the “documented reasons and rationale” for terminating or demoting public employees. Agencies often release copies of termination letters to satisfy that requirement, but it isn’t settled how much information has to be released.

The Mills County K9 Unit conducted a traffic stop at around 8:15-p.m. Monday in Glenwood, and ended up arrested the driver on drug and other charges. 28-year old Thomas Michael Cash, of Glenwood, faces charges that include Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Deliver (91 grams of marijuana), Failure to Affix a drug tax stamp, and Driving While Barred. Cash was also cited for operating a non-registered vehicle. His bond was set at $12,000.

Authorities said also, 40-year old Andy Charles Andrews, of Pacific Junction, was arrested Monday afternoon at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Failure to Appear. His bond was set at $2,000. And, 27-year old Travis Wesley Christina, of Council Bluffs, was arrested Monday evening in Pottawattamie County, on a warrant for Failure to Appear. His bond was set at $10,000.

Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Public Safety, today (Tuesday), issued an update on the fatal, officer-involved shooting incident Sunday, in Panora. Authorities identified the subject shot as 26-year old Joshua B. Reed, of New Virginia, Iowa.  The autopsy of Reed was conducted by the Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny.  The cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death was ruled homicide.

The Panora Police officer involved in the shooting is Officer Rock Armstrong.  Officer Armstrong has been an officer for 17 years.  Officer Armstrong is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

The incident that lead to the shooting took place when Panora officers responded at around 7:20-p.m. Sunday, to a 9-1-1 call about a man with a knife threatening people in an apartment complex at 502 West Market Street, in Panora. Officers located Reed in a hallway and ordered him several times, to drop the knife. When he failed to do so, Officer Armstrong engaged Reed and fired his weapon. Reed was given medical aid but later died from his injuries.

CENTERVILLE, Iowa (AP) — A new report by the Iowa state auditor has raised questions about nepotism, improper payments and undeposited collections regarding the Appanoose County Conservation Department and its fundraising arm, the Appanoose County Conservation Foundation. State Auditor Mary Mosiman says in the special report released Tuesday that the lines between operations of the Appanoose County Conservation Department and the fundraising foundation are improperly blurred.

The department is responsible for the oversight of the county’s natural resources, such as parks and campgrounds. The foundation was created in 1994 to solicit gifts for the department’s conservation projects.
Much of the report focused on the actions of Mark Hoffman, who was fired as the department’s director in 2016 amid questions of improper payments and actions. He continues to play a significant role in the foundation’s operations.

The report found more than $74,000 in undeposited collections and improper payments, such as nearly $18,000 to Hoffman by the foundation for unused leave, which is contrary to county policy. The report says the undeposited collections include rent of properties to members of Hoffman’s family. The report also questioned the transfer in 2013 of several parcels of county land to the foundation, free of charge, which were then sold for $280,000.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A rededication ceremony will mark the completed restoration of a World War I cannon in Sioux City. The Sioux City Journal reports that the ceremony will be held Wednesday at the Memorial Park Cemetery. Restoration efforts began in 2016 when veterans Wayne Schipper, Wayne Thieman, Curt Moodie and Kie Ahrens came together to figure out how to fix the rotting cannon. Moodie says they raised $10,000 to refurbish the cannon, most of which came from veterans.

The U.S. War Department awarded the cannon to the Sioux City chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a national organization for veterans who were wounded in combat and received a Purple Heart award. The chapter dedicated the cannon on May 30, 1941 at the cemetery, where many veterans are buried.

A rollover accident in Union County Friday night, resulted in an Adair County woman being transported to the hospital in Creston. The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports 37-year old Talana Kaye Auten, of Greenfield, was driving a 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser north on Cherry Street Road at around 7:55-p.m., when the car crossed over into the southbound lane and the driver’s side tires slipped onto the shoulder. Auten over-corrected, sending the vehicle sliding across the road and into the east ditch, where it rolled several times, damaging a fence before coming to rest on its wheels, in a soybean field.

Auten, who wore her seat belt, was transported to the hospital following complaints of pain and to be checked for injuries. Damage from the accident, including to the fence owned by Todd Downing, of Creston, was estimated at $5,200. No citations were issued.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports six arrests took place from June 24^th through the 30^th. As we mentioned Monday, a man from Greenfield was arrested on a warrant with regard to an assault. 29-year old Steven David Armstead, was taken into custody for Willful Injury/Serious Injury, a Class-C felony, and Assault with intent to commit harm (an aggravated misdemeanor). The charges are with regard to incidents that occurred June 30^th, where Armstead allegedly attacked a man who came to his house to retrieve some personal items for his girlfriend. Armstead allegedly put the man in a restraint, or choke hold. He also allegedly struck a woman in the face twice, with a brick, causing serious injury. Amstead initially refused to come out of the house when authorities showed up, but later surrendered without incident. He was brought to the Adair County Jail and released Sunday on a $4,000 cash or surety bond.

At around 11:35-p.m. Saturday, 28-year old Samantha Lynn Bell, of Greenfield, was arrested for simple Assault, after allegedly coming at another woman with a broomstick. The incident took place at the same residence whee Armstead was arrested earlier in the day. Bell was released Sunday on a $300 cash/surety bond.

On June 28^th, 45-year old Holly Jolene Nadolsky, of Adair, was arrested for Public Intoxication, following numerous calls about a woman walking down Interstate 80 near the Adair Exit (mile marker 75), at around 11:50-p.m. She was located about 15-minutes later by an Iowa State Patrol Trooper, as the woman was walking eastbound. Nadolsky had a breath alcohol content (BAC) of .013. When asked why she was walking on the Interstate, the woman explained she was suicidal, and wanted to jump in front of a truck. She was brought to the Adair County Memorial Hospital before being transported to the jail, where she was placed on suicide watch. Nadolsky was advised after being released on a $300 bond, later to seek professional help due to her multiple suicidal comments.

On June 26^th, 27-year old Hannah Rose Mauldin, of Des Moines, was arrested at the Polk County Jail, on an Adair County warrant for Driving While Barred. Her bond was set at $1,000. On June 25^th, 54-year old Todd Lee Conlin, of Canon City, CO., was arrested at around 10:40-p.m., for OWI/1^st offense after he was stopped for speeding upwards of 92-mph on I-80. His BAC came in at .119. Conlin was later released from the Adair County Jail on $1,000 bond.

And, on June 24th at around 12:52-a.m., 23-year old Jared Russell Uhl, of Pleasant Hill, was arrested for OWI/1^st Offense, after he was pulled over for complaints of erratic driving and inability to stay within the lanes while traveling on I-80 eastbound. His BAC was later determined to be .160 (twice the legal limit). Uhl was released later that day on a $1,000 bond.