The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is assisting the Melcher-Dallas Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Marion County Attorney’s Office with an investigation into a missing teenager. Authorities say on Monday, January 14th, 2019, 14-year old Liberty Boley was reported missing to the Melcher-Dallas Police Department.  Liberty, a freshman at Melcher-Dallas High School, has not been seen since.

14-year old Liberty Boley

She is a 5 foot 7 inch, white female, with light brown hair, blue eyes, and wears glasses. Liberty was last seen at Melcher-Dallas High School at approximately 2:30 p.m, Monday, wearing a black and white tee shirt, purple sweatshirt, black leggings, and brown Ugg boots. Liberty has medical conditions that require regimented medication and she may be without those medications.

The girl is considered endangered and the public’s assistance is requested in finding the location of Liberty. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Liberty Boley is asked to contact the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at 641-828-2220.

Nineteen Iowans have applied with the State Judicial Nominating Commission to fill the vacancy on the Iowa Supreme Court that occurred when Justice Daryl Hecht retired December 13, 2018. Among the applicants, from this area, was: Patrick Tott, District Court Judge, Third Judicial District, Sioux City; and Molly Weber, Assistant Attorney General, Iowa Attorney General’s Office, Adel.

The nominating commission will meet Wednesday, January 30, in the Iowa Supreme Court Courtroom on the fourth floor of the Judicial Branch Building to interview the applicants who were not previously interviewed for the vacancy created when Justice Bruce Zager retired last fall. An interview schedule will be posted on the Iowa Judicial Nominating Commissions website.

The public is invited to observe the interviews in the courtroom. The interviews will be live streamed and the videos archived on the Iowa Judicial Branch YouTube channel.

Immediately following the interviews, the commission will begin deliberations to select a slate of three nominees from the group of applicants.  Once the commission selects its slate of nominees, the commission will forward those names to the governor. The governor will then have thirty (30) days in which to appoint the new justice.

With the exception of the commission chair, membership on the commission is limited to one six-year term. Terms are staggered. The Iowa Constitution requires that commission members be chosen without regard to political affiliation.

Ric Hanson photos

(Update 8:46-p.m.) Atlantic Fire and Rescue and Medivac Ambulance were called to the scene of an explosion at R&B Feeds, Thursday night. The incident at 200 Oak Street was reported at 7:13-p.m. Upon arrival, no smoke or flames were visible, but a garage door was blown-out, the upper structure elevator sheet metal was partially blown-off, and there was more, extensive damaged. The building was not occupied, and no injuries were reported.

Upper center shows damage to part of the elevator building

Garage door bowed-out

Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees told KJAN News an approximately 3-inch diameter gas line in the basement of the building that was connected to a water heater, corroded and began to leak. A furnace in the basement ignited the gas. A combination of the gas, and grain dust created a large, but brief explosion that caused the damage.

Alliant Energy responded and was conducting repairs late Thursday night. Fire crews remained on the scene until around 8:30-p.m.  Atlantic Police and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene.

The Sac County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) are investigating a shooting that took place at around 12:30-a.m. Wednesday, at a residence in Lake View. The victim was identified as 55-year old Richard Vossberg, of Lake View. Vossberg was transferred to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Authorities say Vossberg was shot by an unknown man that showed-up at his home. After examining the crime scene and conducting interviews, law enforcement concluded Vossberg had been targeted by the assailant, and that there is no general threat to the public.

Authorities however, encourage the public to report any suspicious activity, no matter how insignificant it may appear to be. Anyone with information about the Lake View incident is asked to contact the Sac County Sheriff’s Office at 712-662-7127.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety report a Montgomery County man was sentenced to Thursday to prison, on Federal charges. 40-year old Kevin Duane Staley, of Red Oak, was sentenced to six and one-half years (78 months) in federal prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

His arrest followed an investigation that began in October 2017, when the Red Oak Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation became aware of firearms violations involving Staley, who was 39-years old at the time. On May 30, 2018, Agents from the Division of Criminal Investigation obtained a federal arrest warrant for Staley, who was charged with one count of possessing of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a second count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. On September 5, 2018, Staley entered a guilty plea to count two of the federal indictment.

In addition to his term of imprisonment, Staley is required to pay a $100 Special Assessment Fee, and will be on supervised release for three years following his release from federal prison.  After his sentencing, Staley was remanded to the custody of the US Marshal’s Office.                        

The committee working on the Atlantic facilities improvement plan presented their latest project proposal to business and community leaders on Thursday at the Atlantic High School auditorium. After looking further into the project some adjustments were made to improve safety and get the most out of the project budget of 9.5 million dollars.

The two major adjustments were eliminating the proposed street that would have connected Linn Street to 14th Street to the west of the middle school and moving the synthetic turf from the Trojan Bowl to the high school field.

After consulting with law enforcement it was determined that there was a safer alternative to the street going through. The parking spaces in front of Washington school would be eliminated to create an off street drop off zone. Bus drop off and pick up would all occur in the parking lot behind the middle school to alleviate bus congestion from 14th street. This was already the drop off zone in the morning so it made sense to officials to make it the pick up area as well. A new faculty parking lot just to the west of Washington would be constructed by removing at least a portion of the tennis courts that sit there now.

The field turf was moved to the high school facility to better accommodate activities and practices at the high school. The field would be used by the soccer teams for practice and games, the football team for practice, and for marching band practice. This adjustment would also eliminate the previous proposal for construction of a team building at the Trojan Bowl.

Updates at the Trojan bowl would still include a new 4-lane track that would accommodate the newly widened natural grass playing surface and improved sloping around the perimeter. A new press box and addition of a visitor press box along with new ADA compliant bleachers. A new concrete apron would be put in place around the facility as well along with a new concession/restroom/storage building.

The proposal also has tennis courts being built north of the track at the high school and new shotput and discus areas to the south to eliminate competition for space between track and soccer in the spring.

The baseball and softball complex improvements include; new dugouts, batting cages, concessions, and press boxes. Terracing of the hill behind the fields is also proposed to help water run-off issues.

The committee said two public forums are being planned to inform the community of the plan.

The proposal is scheduled to go in front of school district voters on April 2. Early voting on the project starts March 4. Polls on April 2 Bond election are scheduled to be open from noon to 8:00 p.m., with early voting at 8:00 a.m. on election day at the Cass County Auditor’s Office.