A former Fire Chief in Denison was sentenced Monday to prison following his conviction  in January on a charge of 1st degree theft. The Omaha World-Herald reports that despite offering an apology to the court and pledging to repay what was stolen, District Court Judge Jeffrey Poulson sentenced 42-year old Michael McKinnon to 10-years in prison. McKinnon served as the chief from January 1999 until January 2010. He had plead guilty to the theft charge in exchange for a charge of felonious misconduct in office being dropped.

McKinnin left the department under a cloud of questions about his spending. A state audit showed $96,000 worth of fire department funds were used for his personal use. The funds were spent between 2005 and 2010, and included about $40,000 paid to businesses McKinnon owned. The spending included invoices for post office boxes that did not exist. Other spending included a riding lawn mower and a motor for his boat.

McKinnon’s attorney, F. Montomery Brown, had requested a deferred judgment and probation for his client, especially in light of a pre-sentence investigation by the Iowa Department of Corrections, which recommend he serve no prison time and instead, probation. Brown also noted that McKinnon is the sole supporter of his family and has a special needs teenage son. He  said he plans to appeal the judge’s decision.

Rob Sand, assistant attorney general for the state of Iowa, told the World-Herald McKinnon will probably end-up being paroled long before he completes his full sentence.  McKinnon has already made restitution in the amount of $14,000. Under the sentence he received Monday, McKinnon will have to pay more restitution to the city, which, according to Sand would come to about $10,000.

The paper notes McKinnon was not the only public official in western Iowa this year to be sent to prison.  Despite a similar in-court apology in January, Tammy Gammon, a former employee of the Mills County Treasurer’s Office, was sentenced to 25 years after pleading guilty to a charge of ongoing criminal conduct, for stealing more than $36,000.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

Authorities in Harrison County report one person was arrested and another sent to the hospital following an altercation early Sunday morning, in Dunlap. According to Dunlap Police Officer Darren Klein, two men were arguing outside of a tavern at around 1:50-a.m., Sunday, when 49-year old Perry Staley, of Dunlap, allegedly pulled a knife and stabbed an unidentified victim in the neck.

The victim was transported to the Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison. An update on his condition is not available. Staley was arrested for Aggravated Assault and transported to the Harrison County Jail.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reports two people suffered non-life threatening injuries during a two-vehicle accident this (Monday) morning, about a mile north of Corley. Officials say 31-year old Salvador Anguiano, of Omaha, and 30-year old Justin Andersen, of Harlan, were transported by Medivac Ambulance to Myrtue Memorial Hospital following the crash on Highway 59, at around 6:45-a.m.

According to authorities, a 2002 Honda driven by Anguiano was traveling north on Highway 59 when it went out of control due to the icy road conditions, and was hit by Andersen’s 2005 Dodge Stratus, in the southbound lane of travel. The collision caused Highway 59 to be closed until emergency crews arrived on the scene. Traffic was temporarily rerouted onto the east shoulder of the road.

Both vehicle were totaled in the crash. Anguiano was cited for Failure to Maintain Control.