(Radio Iowa) – A House committee has passed legislation that supporters say would equalize Iowa’s criminal sentencing guidelines. Representative Ann Meyer of Fort Dodge says when defendants accused of domestic abuse assault are sentenced, current law says any related conviction or deferred judgement in the past 12 years — in any state — may to be taken into consideration. “When determining whether the current violation is a second or subsequent offense,” Meyer says. That’s not the guideline in drug-related cases, when all previous conviction may be considered.
Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell of Ames is among the handful of Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee who voted against the bill. “I am concerned about completely eliminating this second chance,” Wessel-Kroeschell says. The organization that represents about one-thousand Iowa trial lawyers opposes the bill. County attorneys and the attorney general support it and the Iowa Organization for Victim Assistance backs the bill, too.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors have approved the resignation of a man who has served as the Grove Township Trustee for more than 25-years. Board Chair Steve Baier read from Robert Vernon’s letter of resignation.
Steve Bair thanked Mr. Vernon for his years of conscientious service as Township Trustee. The Board also approved the appointment of Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon as Zoning Administration. Once again, here’s Steve Baier.
Baier said Kennon has already stepped-up to the plate in a couple of recent Zoning matters.
In other business, the Board approved the appointment of Robert Kirchner to a Yardman’s position at a rate of $23.25/hour. The position was made vacant due to an internal Secondary Roads Dept. advancement. Kirchner currently serves as a truck driver. Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken said that in-turn, creates another opening within the Department.
They passed a Resolution awarding a contract for Bridge #319 on G-30/Highland Road over Indian Creek (west of Atlantic), in the amount of $1.861-million, to Murphy Heavy Contracting, out of Anita. Theirs was the low bid. Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken said the bids were very close to the estimate of $2.11-million. The Board discussed the future of Willow Heights. Some inquires have been made into making the former residential care facility into non-profit, Assisted and/or Independent Living-type apartments, or even a Veteran’s Home. Steve Baier said he’s received a lot of questions from attorney’s and others about the County-owned building and grounds. The facility failed to garner interest from bidders last Saturday, when the property and three other tracts were up for sale at an auction. The other tracts sold, but the building itself did not meet the minimum required bid of $250,000.
No action was taken on the matter during today’s (Tuesday’s) meeting.
LAWRENCE (Larry) FEHLING, 81, of Howard Colorado, died January 9th, 2023, in Illinois. Graveside services for LARRY FEHLING, with Military Honors by the Adair American Legion, will be held 2-p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, at St. John’s Cemetery, in Adair. Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Adair has the arrangements.
LARRY FEHLING is survived by:
His son – Larry.
Other relatives, his God Daughter, Monica, and many friends.
(Radio Iowa) – What’s known as the Point in Time Count will be conducted tomorrow (Wednesday), involving community service agencies across Iowa who are working to gauge Iowa’s homeless population. Tanya Thielen is housing services coordinator for Upper Des Moines Opportunity, based in Graettinger. Thielen says the counts are required every year by the U-S Department of Housing and Urban Development. “The point behind the count is to get a good idea of how many people are out in our communities experiencing homelessness,” Thielen says. “The count that we get is entered into our Homeless Management Information System and those get streamed directly to HUD and that can help them determine how much and where the funding will be received throughout the state.”
The survey is done every year and Thielen says the Iowa numbers are continuing to rise. “Last year, when they conducted a Point in Time Count on a single night in January, there were 1,600 people experiencing homelessness,” Thielen says, “and 1,300 of those were residing in a shelter or another housing program, but there were still about 320 of those individuals who were literally homeless outdoors.” Upper Des Moines Opportunity serves a 12-county area in northwest and north-central Iowa and she notes, it seems like an uphill climb against homelessness. “We do see some rises in the numbers but we’re doing the best we can with the funding we’ve got to try to fight that problem and get people housed,” Thielen says. “It’s definitely a basic need and that’s something that every human should have, so we’re doing our best to fight that battle.”
She says the results of the survey should be released in a few months.
(Glenwood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood say two people have been arrested on separate charges. On Monday, 29-year-old Luke Sneed, of Pacific Junction, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. He posted a $1,000 bond, and was released. And, today (Tuesday), 30-year-old Hannah Sneed, of Glenwood, was arrested for Public Intoxication. Her bond was set at $300.
(Logan, Iowa) – Harrison County Emergency Management Coordinator Philip Davis reports that beginning February 1, 2023, Harrison County 911 will be implementing new technology that allows 911 callers to share live videos with dispatchers. The county’s emergency services will be using “Prepared Live” to help improve the accuracy and response to 911 calls. This helps put eyes on the scene before responders can physically be on scene. Prepared Live allows dispatchers to gather important information for responders, accurately pinpoint callers’ location, and gather evidence that may be unavailable otherwise.
Davis says “This software can help with welfare checks, car accidents, fires, lost hikers, hazardous materials and other urgent emergencies. There are procedures in place for situations where the callers’ safety needs to be protected, as well. Participation in the video live stream during a 911 call is entirely voluntary and consent in required from the caller. When someone dials 911, the dispatcher can send the caller a text message with a link. Before the 911 dispatcher can view the stream, the caller must click the link and accept all permissions. Again, this new system is completely voluntary for the caller and only used with his/her permission. The dispatcher only has access during that phone call.”
In 2022 Harrison County 911 received over 1000 hang up calls. “These types of calls,” Davis says, “take up a lot of time and resources to ensure the caller did not have an emergency. The Prepared Live system also allows dispatchers to send a text message to that number to check and see if there is an emergency. This feature will save valuable time and resources as people today are more likely to answer a text message, than an unknown phone number.”
It’s important to note, according to Philip Davis, that “If you receive a text message that states this is Harrison County 911 and we received a call from this number, it is a legitimate message and requires a response so that responders are not dispatched to your location. Our goal at Harrison County 911,” he says, “is to use this new software to better serve the residents of Harrison County and ensure the safety of all our responders.”
(Red Oak, Iowa) — Police in Red Oak report the arrest Monday evening on a drug-related warrant, of a Ringgold County man. 50-year-old Darold Eugene Bredberg, of Mount Ayr, was arrested on a Red Oak Police warrant for possession of a controlled substance third or subsequent offense — a felony — and possession of a controlled substance marijuana third or subsequent offense — an aggravated misdemeanor.
Authorities say Bredberg’s arrest was the result of an investigation that followed a traffic stop near 4th and Valley Streets in Red Oak. Bredberg was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $5,000 bond.
(Shenandoah, Iowa) — One person died in a crash Monday afternoon, in Page County. According to a social media post by the Shenandoah Fire Department, firefighters were called to the scene to the accident at around 4 p.m. The Page County Sheriff’s Office, Shenandoah Police and Page County Emergency Management also responded to the accident. Fire officials say one person was pronounced dead at the scene.
Further information–including the victim’s identity and the accident location– was being withheld pending notification of family. Additional information is expected later this morning.
Jim Field visits with CAM North Elementary School Title I Reading Teacher Kay Stork and 2nd Grade students Ryker Jarrett, Addy Wahlert and Will Kanning about the “Valentines for Veterans ” program.
(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston report a man wanted on a Felony warrant of 1st Degree Murder, in Nebraska, was arrested at around 10:10-a.m., Monday, at the Greater Regional Medical Center, in Creston. Authorities say 49-year-old Percy James Mathews Jr, of Nebraska, was arrested on the Douglas County Nebraska Warrant, and for the Use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. Mathews was taken to the Union County Jail were he is being held on no bond waiting extradition to Nebraska.
Late Monday morning, 35-year-old Sunita Joann Phipps, of Creston, was cited at her residence, for allowing an Animal to run at Large. Phipps was released on Promise to Appear.
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSS