(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa Auditor of State Rob Sand, today (Thursday), released an independent auditor’s report pertaining to a periodic examination of the City of Wiota’s management and financial practices. The audit – performed by Gronewold, Bell, Kyhnn & Co. P.C., in Atlantic – covered the period of April 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023. The City agreed to have the audit performed.

The report states, that among other things:

• The City should review its control procedures to obtain the maximum internal control possible under the circumstances utilizing currently available staff, including elected officials. Independent reviews of reconciliations should be documented by the signature or initials of the reviewer and the date of the review.
• The City has not implemented the recommended Uniform Chart of Accounts (COA) for Iowa City Governments approved by the City Finance Committee. The auditor’s recommendation: “To provide better financial information and control, the recommended COA, or its equivalent, should be followed.”
• City Council proceedings should be published with a list of claims allowed, including the reason for the claim. The City Council minutes tested published a list of claims allowed, but the list did not include the reason for the claim; Recommendation – The City should comply with the Code of Iowa and publish a list of claims allowed, including the reason for the claim.
• The City has not adopted a written investment policy as required by Chapter 12B.10B of the Code of Iowa; Recommendation – The City should adopt a written investment policy that complies with the provisions of Chapter 12B.10B of the Code of Iowa.
• Disbursements during the year ended June 30, 2022 exceeded the amounts budgeted in the public safety, culture and recreation, community and economic development, general government and business type activities functions. Chapter 384.20 of the Code of Iowa states, in part, “Public monies may not be expended or encumbered except under an annual or continuing appropriation.”; Recommendation – The budget should have been amended in accordance with Chapter 384.18 of the Code of Iowa before disbursements were allowed to exceed the budget.
• Chapter 384.20 of the Code of Iowa states, in part, “A city shall keep accounts which show an accurate and detailed statement of all public funds collected, received, or expended for any city purpose, by any city officer, employee, or other person, and which show the receipt, use, and disposition of all city property.”
  • The City Fire Department maintains a bank account for activity separate from the City Clerk’s accounting records. While the Department is part of the City, the transactions and the resulting balance were not included in the City’s accounting records and were not included in the City’s annual budget, monthly financial reports or Annual Financial Reports.
  • In addition, the transactions and resulting balance of this account were not reported to the City Council and disbursements from the account were not reviewed and approved by the City Council. Also, a summary of the account’s receipts, total disbursements and the listings of claims allowed each month were not published in accordance with Chapter 372.13(6) of the Code of Iowa;
  • Recommendation – In accordance with Chapter 384.20 of the Code of Iowa, and to  strengthen internal control and increase operating efficiencies, the financial transactions of the Fire Department separate account should be integrated with the City’s accounting records in the City Clerk’s office. The financial activity should be included in the City Clerk’s accounting records, monthly financial reports and the Annual Financial Reports. The activity in the account should be subject to City Council review and approval and should be included in the City’s budget process. Also, a summary of the account’s receipts, total disbursements and listings of claims allowed each month should be published, as required.
• The City’s Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) ballot requires LOST receipts be used 90% for community betterment and 10% for property tax relief. The City has not been tracking the
  use of LOST receipts; Recommendation – The City should implement procedures to track LOST disbursements.

Read the full report HERE.

Glenwood, Iowa (KETV) — The Mills County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday, accepted the resignation of Sheriff Travis Oetter. Their action came during a special meeting Wednesday morning. The Sheriff’s last day is Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. Oetter was elected in November, 2020. Chief Deputy Josh England will serve as interim sheriff.

The board of supervisors has the option of appointing England or another individual to complete the remainder of the sheriff’s term, which runs through December 2024. A special election could also take place if there is opposition to a board appointment and/or another person seeks to serve as interim sheriff for the remainder of the term.

Travis Oetter

The sheriff’s position will be on the November 2024 general election ballot. According to reports, England, who was in attendance at Wednesday’s meeting, said he doesn’t intend to run for sheriff in 2024.

Rural Glenwood resident and veteran law enforcement officer Greg Schultz, currently a captain with the Council Bluffs Police Department, has already announced his intentions to run for the sheriff’s post in 2024.

Des Moines – The Iowa Insurance Division reports a Dallas County man entered a plea of guilty, November 17th, to one-count of Identity Theft. 48-year-old Christopher Robin Cundiff, of Adel, also pled guilty to one count of Forgery. The charges were the results of an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau. The investigation began in January 2023 after the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau received information indicating Cundiff had presented to an insurer a written document in support of payment knowing such document contained false information.

Christopher Cundiff (Photo courtesy of the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office).

Cundiff was arrested by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office on June 12, 2023. Following his guilty plea, Cundiff was placed on supervised probation for two years and was also ordered to pay a civil penalty of $1,710.

Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-654-6556.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa/KETV) A high-speed pursuit involving multiple law enforcement agencies, Wednesday morning, resulted in the eventual arrest of a man from Pottawattamie County. The chase began a little before 7-a.m. near Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, after a Nebraska State Trooper observed a Chevrolet Silverado hauling a vending machine. The vehicle had no rear driver’s side tire and no front passenger-side tire. The Trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the driver – later identified as 26-year-old Matthew Figueroa, of Council Bluffs, took-off and merged onto Interstate 80 eastbound. All the while, authorities said the vehicles was “throwing sparks on the roadway from driving on rims.”

As the pursuit continued and entered Iowa, the Trooper received assistance from Council Bluffs Police. The Nebraska State Patrol said that the pickup slowed “significantly” as it exited I-80 at the I-29 northbound on-ramp, and the pursuit came to an end.

Figueroa was taken into custody by Council Bluffs police. The NSP said he’ll be cited for flight to avoid arrest and willful reckless driving in Nebraska.  He faces additional charges in Iowa.

(Fort Dodge, Iowa) –A woman attacked late last Friday (11/24) morning by three dogs in Fort Dodge, is in critical condition and recovering from multiple surgeries that include amputations.

According to Fort Dodge Police, the incident happened at around 11:25-a.m. in the 800 block of S. 16th Street. An officer with the Fort Dodge Police Department arrived in the area and located a woman being attacked by three dogs. The officer attempted to scare the dogs away to stop them from attacking the woman, but the animals would not stop. The officer on scene then drew his duty weapon and shot all three dogs multiple times to stop the attack.

A GoFundMe page set up by a member of the woman’s family, said that as of Monday (11/28), the victim – who was identified only as “Brittany” – has had many surgeries and procedures since the attack. She had both legs amputated to her knees, and parts of her hands. The post said she is going to need facial reconstruction surgery, has serious head trauma and much more.

The post claims Brittany was attacked by three Pit Bulls. No charges have been filed as of the latest available information.

(Creston, Iowa) – The driver of an SUV was arrested early this (Thursday) morning, following an investigation into an accident. According to Creston Police, a 2013 Ford Explorer driven by 24-year-old Larry Dean Fernandez, of Creston, struck a pole in the Creston True Value parking lot, next to the building, at around 12:30-a.m.  Fernandez then drove-off and was followed to the area of the 1200 block of N. Spruce Street. The vehicle was parked in front of a driveway, but not before hitting a garbage can at the end of the driveway.

When officers arrived, Fernandez told them he had been drinking, and that he was the only one in the vehicle. He was arrested for OWI.

The Explorer had sustained front-end damage and was leaking red fluid. An investigation showed a pole that held up an over hang on the True Value building was struck, and red fluid matching that which was coming from the SUV, was found on Spruce Street. Damage to the pole was estimated at $2,500.

Paint chips also matched the color of the vehicle on Spruce.  An officer followed the trail of red fluid, starting at the pole and across the parking lot, over a curve and then onto eastbound Townline Road. The red trail ended where the SUV stopped.

The vehicle was parked by a friend of the owner’s daughter.