(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds today (Wednesday) named Iowa Court of Appeals Judge David May of Polk City to fill the vacancy on the Iowa Supreme Court left by the retirement of Justice Brent Appel. Judge May was one of three candidates sent to the governor from the State Judicial Nominating Commission.

“At every point in this decision, Judge May of the Iowa Court of Appeals stood out for his experience, his approach to interpretation and his commitment to judicial restraint,” Reynolds says. May has been on the Court of Appeals since 2019 after being elevated from his district court position. May says he intends to decide cases based on the law as written and with what’s consistent with the U-S and Iowa constitutions.

“The basic principles of judging remain the same. Judges don’t exercise the powers of the executive and the legislature. We have a different job. Our job is to decide legal disputes,” May says. May is the fifth judge appointed to the seven-member high court appointed by Reynolds.
May was a finalist for a previous Supreme Court vacancy in 2020.All seven of Iowa’s justices have been appointed by Republican governors.

(reporting By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

(Lorimor, Iowa) — A man and woman were arrested Tuesday on multiple felony charges of sexual abuse and lesser charges of child endangerment. A criminal complaint filed by the Union County Sheriff’s Office, says 31-year-old Dalton Thadius Barber, of Lorimor, and 25-year-old Roni Steil, of Chariton and formerly of Lorimor, were arrested on Union County warrants.

Steil was arrested in Clarke County on Union County Felony warrants charging her with two counts of sexual abuse of a child in the 2^nd degree,  three counts of lascivious acts with a child, and one count of incest. She faces additional aggravated misdemeanor charges including three counts of indecent contact with a  child, and two counts of child endangerment. She was being held at the Union County Jail in Creston, on a $95,000 cash-only bond.

Barber was arrested following a traffic stop in Lorimor, on Union County Felony warrants charging him with:  2 counts of sexual abuse of a child in the 2^nd degree; 2 counts of lascivious acts with a child/solicitation; 1 count of lascivious acts with a child/fondling or touching; 1 count of administering harmful substances to a child; 3 counts of indecent contact with a child; 2 counts of child endangerment; incest, and possession of a stolen handgun. Bond was set at $200,000.

Preliminary Hearings for Steil and Barber were set for August 2nd.

Barber was a passenger in a vehicle driven by 44-year-old Jerome McCallum, of Kellerton. McCallum was arrested after he drove away from a residence in Lorimor, where a search warrant was being served. Inside his vehicle, authorities found a loaded 12 gauge sawed off shotgun next to the driver’s seat, and a syringe used to inject methamphetamine was found in the driver’s door.

McCallum’s license had previously been revoked. In addition, he had fraudulent license plates on the vehicle. He faces Class-D Felony charges that include Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Possession of a short-barreled rifle or short-barreled shotgun, as well as Possession of drug paraphernalia, a simple misdemeanor. McCallum was being held on a $10,000 cash/surety bond. His preliminary hearing was set for August 9th.

Police in Glenwood, Tuesday, arrested 43-year-old William Jensen, of Glenwood. He was arrested for Theft in the 2nd degree. Bond was set at $5,000 (cash or surety).

(Radio Iowa) – A new study finds military sites in Iowa and around the country have so-called “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in their groundwater which exceed new E-P-A health guidelines. The toxic compounds found in firefighting foam are linked to cancer and birth defects. The Environmental Working Group’s Jared Hayes says two-thirds of U-S military sites have PFAS contamination that violates standards that were set in June.

Hayes says, “This contamination doesn’t end at the base line and it has been shown to get into the communities across the U.S., into their drinking water and their wells of homes and nearby communities.” The EPA has lowered health advisory levels of two PFAS compounds from 70 parts per trillion to near zero. The Environmental Working Group report finds more than 260 military sites have groundwater levels of PFAS above the new threshold, including three military sites in Iowa. David Cwiertny, an environmental engineer at the University of Iowa, says the new health advisories are like when your car’s “check engine” light goes on. 

“When your car is flashing a red light at you, you don’t just keep driving,” Cwiertny says, “you figure out what’s wrong and ideally, if you have the resources, you invest it to fix it.” Among the three Iowa military sites with confirmed contamination, the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in southeast Iowa has PFAS levels that would’ve been acceptable under the EPA’s previous health advisory, but now exceed new guidelines.

The author of the study says communities near military bases with unsafe PFAS levels should be given clean drinking water.

(reporting by Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)

Council Bluffs, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Corrections reports 21-year-old Zachary Russell White, who was convicted of Robbery 2nd Degree in Pottawattamie County, failed to report back to the Council Bluffs Residential Correctional Facility as required yesterday (Tuesday).

White is a white male, height  5′ 7″, and weighs 191 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on 4/19/2022.

Persons with information on White’s whereabouts should contact local police.

Zachary Russell White

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A Special Meeting of the Atlantic School Board will be held 1-p.m. Thursday, July 28th, at the Central Office in the Achievement Center. Action items on the agenda are with regard to the Athletic Facilities Project, and include:

• Change Order #6 – Athletic Facilities Improvement Project
• AIA Final Documents – Athletic Facilities Improvement Project:
  • Consent of Surety to Final Payment
  • Contractor’s Affidavit of Payment of Debts & Claims
  • Contractor’s Affidavit of Release of Liens
• Pay App #27 – Athletic Facilities Improvement Project
• Final Completion – Athletic Facilities Improvement Project

Adjourn

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two, drug-related arrests. On July 21st, 2022, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 37-year-old Tashina Martwick, of Creston, on narcotics related charges including Possession of a Controlled Substance – 3rd or subsequent offense.  Martwick was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on bond.

On July 24th, 2022, 37-year-old Daniel Knight, of Atlantic, was arrested on warrants for narcotics related charges including Possession of a Controlled Substance.  Knight was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.