CORYDON, Iowa (AP) — A man accused of killing a deer hunter in south-central Iowa has been found guilty of misdemeanor charges in a separate burglary case. The Daily Iowegian reports 27-year-old Ethan Davis was acquitted of first-degree burglary Friday, but found guilty of misdemeanor counts of assault causing bodily injury and child endangerment. Police said Davis was armed when he burst into a Seymour home on Nov. 24 where his ex-fiance and her boyfriend were. Police say he pistol-whipped the boyfriend and fired a shot into the ceiling before trying to leave with is 1-year-old son. Davis maintained he was worried about his son’s safety.

Police say later that day, Davis shot and killed 31-year-old Curtis Ross, of Cedar Falls, whose body was found Dec. 2 in a remote area of Appanoose County. An autopsy report says Ross suffered several stabbing and gunshot wounds. Davis is set to stand trial later this year for first-degree murder in that case.

PELLA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a Minnesota man has drowned trying to save his 7-year-old niece at Lake Red Rock at the Des Moines River in central Iowa. Des Moines television station KCCI reports that the incident happened around 3 p.m. Friday. Authorities say the girl had been playing on the water’s edge and ventured into deeper water. Her uncle, 42-year-old Cha Charles Lee, of St. Paul, tried to help the girl, but also went under the water.

Officials say a boater pulled the girl to safety and was able to resuscitate her. She was taken to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines in stable condition. A Pleasantville dive team found Lee’s body about 20 yards away after a two-hour search.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports an inmate held in the Page County Jail, escaped Saturday morning, but was quickly apprehended by Clarinda Police with help from the public. Just after 9-a.m., 34-year old inmate Timothy Dean Curphey scaled the Clarinda Jail’s exercise yard fence. Palmer said inmates were out for one of the two State mandated one-hour periods for the week. Curphey was on the outside of the fence in less than 1 ½ minutes from the time inmates were let out into the fence enclosed exercise area. Once on the ground, he ran east. Immediately Law Enforcement began searching the area for him.

Timothy Dean Curphey

Curphey was apprehended approximately 1 ½ blocks east of the Sheriff’s office in approximately 5 minutes from the time he was outside of the fence on the ground. Curphey was being held on probation violation from an original charge of possession of a controlled substance, the bond for which is $5,000. He had been arrested at the Adams County Jail when once his time was served or his case was finished on charges in Adams County.

Curphey was being held on Federal charges of Distribution of Methamphetamine, for which there is no bond. A Federal detainer on theFederal charge was placed on Curphey on June 14, 2018. His new charges are Escape from custody (class D Felony), Criminal mischief 4th degree (serious misdemeanor). The man was being held without bond in the Page County Jail on those charges. More charges on Curphey stemming from the escape are possible.

SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa (AP) — A city in western Iowa has opened its first official public library after years of moving to different sites. The Sergeant Bluff library is sharing space with the city’s Community Center, the Sioux City Journal reported . The library has previously shared space with the Sergeant Bluff-Luton Community School District and with the area’s senior center.

The new library has a separate entrance and is run by mostly volunteers. Library director Tami Coil works at libraries in Sergeant Bluff and nearby Sloan. “I think it will be good, it will be another option, it will be more convenient for the residents to be able to come to the library,” Coil said.

The new space allows for computers, storybook times and other programs, said Mayor Jon Winkel. Residents will also be able to check out DVDs, use a TV and have access to the internet. City Council member Carol Clark said she’s been working to create a permanent public library since she ran for the council more than three years ago. The community has helped staffed the library, donated books to the library’s collection and fundraised money for the purchase of new books, she said.

“I can’t tell you how much the community has stepped up to support this project,” Clark said. “It’s amazing when you walk into that building and realize that a year ago we had nothing.”