(Atlantic, Iowa) – Healthy Cass County and Cass County ISU Extension have released an updated version of the Cass County Urgent Need Community Resource Guide. The guide lists Cass County resources under categories such as Crisis, Abuse, Financial, Legal, Food, Health, and more.

The Cass County Urgent Need Community Resource Guide can be found on the Cass County ISU Extension website. Print copies of the guide will be distributed throughout the county at locations such as public libraries and are available for pick-up at the Cass County ISU Extension Office at 805 W. 10th St. Atlantic, IA 50022. The Cass County ISU Extension Office
can be reached at (712) 243- 1132.

Healthy Cass County logo

The organizations collaborating on the document ask for assistance in making sure the document is available to all people in Cass County. For more information on local health and wellness events or resources, follow Healthy Cass County on Facebook @HealthyCassCounty.

(Radio Iowa) – Classes will start one week from today (Monday) at Iowa’s three public universities, and students who are on their own for the first time may be tempted by those plentiful credit card offers, but they’re warned to beware. Consumer advocate Lara Sutherlin says those pre-approved credit card deals often come with a lot of strings attached.  “Some of these offers may look really good,” Sutherlin says, “but they also can include really high annual percentage rates — APRs, or hidden fees that can increase the amount that you owe, if you’re not careful.”

Sutherlin says even taking one of those “fantastic plastic” offers could affect your credit score.  “You should really think clearly about whether you want a credit card or whether you need more than one,” she says. “It’s probably unlikely at that stage in the game.” Sutherlin says many businesses will offer credit cards to college kids who aren’t truly ready to handle having that sort of easy access to money.

“Be very wary of those credit card companies that are posting up at your colleges and trying to encourage you to take out one or two credit cards,” Sutherlin says. “They may have high APRs and they may have high interest.” Sutherlin says if you do need a credit card, you should shop around at trusted banks that you or your parents have used in the past, and make sure to shred or rip up credit card junk mail.

(Radio Iowa) – A Council Bluffs man who has run for congress four times before is running this year in Iowa’s new fourth congressional district. Bryan Jack Holder spoke at the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair this weekend. “This is the last time I’m going to run for congress,” Holder said, “but it’s not the last time I’m going to run for public office.”

Holder has run as a Libertarian candidate in the past. The legislature changed the requirements for how federal candidates who aren’t Republicans or Democrats could get their names on the 2022 General Election ballot, so Holder went another route. He is listed as a Liberty Caucus candidate on the 2022 ballot. “No one in Iowa has gotten on the ballot in Iowa for congress as a ‘Caucus’ candidate,” Holder said, “so I created my own organization and I started caucusing back in December.”

Holder’s ran five years ago for a seat in Iowa House. Holder has suggested it’s time to increase the number of members in the U.S. House as well as the number of members in the Iowa legislature. “Let’s get smaller districts and government closest to us,” Holder said. “…Our current state House districts are about 33,000 people. Our current state Senate districts are about 60,000-some people…It’s ridiculous to think one person can adequately represent tens of thousands of people.”

During his speech at the State Fair, Holder said politicians should talk about “controversial and divisive issues” and reach a compromises.“I want the common ground for us to reach to not to be Lexington Green and Concord Bridge and Antiedam,” Holder said. “Whether you disagree or agree with some person or politician or policy, we all have to live together. You know, the election’ll be over on November 8th and November 9th we’re all going to have to join together.”

Holder is among four candidates listed on the General Election ballot in Iowa’s fourth congressional district. Ryan Melton of Nevada is the Democratic candidate. Kyle Grossman of Lake City is running as a Libertarian and Ryan O’Leary of Auburn is an independent candidate in the 4th district.

(Radio Iowa) – Rick Stewart, the Libertarian candidate for governor, says ending the nation’s war on drugs is his “most important” priority. “It’s the worst mistake this country has ever made,” Stewart said during a speech on the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair. “If you want to argue that point, the only thing that could possibly be worse is the Civil War, but the Civil War only for four years. The Drug War has lasted for over 100 years.”

Stewart told the crowd he spent much of 2017 helping a relative with a mental health emergency try to navigate Iowa’s health care system. He suggested the state’s mental health crisis could be dramatically lessened if drugs like LSD and  magic mushrooms were legalized. “This is where it gets a little bit controversial, but for me it’s extremely important,” Stewart said. “Let’s use the most effective psychiatric medicine in the world. It’s called Psychedelic Assisted Therapy.”

Rick Stewart – campaign photo

Magic mushrooms, also known by the name psilocybin, have been illegal in the United States since 1970. LSD was outlawed in 1968. Stewart said it’s “immoral…and unethical” to ban these hallucinogenic drugs. “I’m going to make it legal in Iowa and I don’t care what the feds say,” Stewart said. “You’re going to be able to Psychedelic Assisted Therapy in Iowa as soon as I’m the governor.”

This spring, Stewart briefly suspended his gubernatorial campaign after he was arrested in Washington, D.C. at a protest outside the Drug Enforcement Agency. Stewart was there to call for legalizing magic mushrooms as an experimental treatment for terminal illnesses.

In 2020, Stewart was the Libertarian Party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate. He ran for state ag secretary in 2018 as a Libertarian.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Two arrests took place in Glenwood, Saturday. The Police Department reports 35-year-old Jeffrey Neppl, of Glenwood, was arrested for Criminal Mischief 4th and Public Intoxication. His total bond was set at

$1,300. And, 65-year-old Lloyd Wynn, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Violating of a no contact order, with bond set at $300 cash only. Wynn was also arrested on a Pottawattamie County Warrant that came without a set bond.

WATERLOO, Iowa – On Saturday, August 13, the Waterloo Police Department requested the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to investigate an officer-involved shooting that occurred at about 4:30 p.m. near the intersection of Dubuque Road and Adrian Street in Waterloo. Officers with the Waterloo Police Department were originally called to the Flavor Shop at 2301 Lafayette Street on the report of a man waving a gun.  That man was later identified as Michael Ahrens, age 32, no permanent address.  Officers located Ahrens walking west on Dubuque Road and ordered him several times to drop the gun.

Officers fired less-than lethal rounds at Ahrens in an effort to get Ahrens to drop the gun and Ahrens continued to refuse.  Ahrens pointed the weapon at officers twice, after which two Waterloo police officers fired at Ahrens.  Ahrens was struck twice.  Ahrens was transported to the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics where he later died.
The weapon Ahrens held was later identified as an airsoft pistol.

Airsoft Pistol

Audio and video of the incident was captured on several Waterloo PD body cameras.  Upon completion of the investigation, the case report will be forwarded to the Blackhawk County Attorney’s Office for review.  The officers have been placed on paid administrative leave.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports numerous arrests from over the past week. A man from Bridgewater was arrested Aug. 7th in Adair County. 23-year-old Randall Lee Dill, III, was arrested on a Cass County warrant and turned over to Cass County Deputies. On the 8th, 39-year-old Dustin Brian Benge, of Greenfield, was arrested after Deputies responded to a report of a vehicle stopped in the middle of Townline Road at around 8:12-a.m.  Upon further investigation, Benge was found slumped over asleep in the driver’s seat. When the Deputy opened the door to speak with the man, he observed an A-R platform weapon next to Benge. Also in the vehicle was a CO2-style pistol and a pellet gun behind the seat. A more through search of the 1975 Chevy pickup resulted in the discovery of numerous needles that contained methamphetamine, and a pipe that contained marijuana.

Benge was arrested for: OWI/2nd offense; Felon in control of a firearm; Unlawful possession of a prescription drug; Poss. of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – 1st offense; PCS 3rd or greater offense, and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia. Benge was released later that same day on a $12,000 bond. Separately, Adair County Deputies arrested 48-year-old Jay Ryan Ladd, of Greenfield, on Aug. 8th, for Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order, and False report of an indictable offense to a public entity. He was released later on a $1,300 bond.

On August 9th, 45-year-old Jason Glen Dukes, of Lorimor, was arrested by Stuart Police on a warrant for Violation of Probation, and on a Dallas County warrant for Driving Under Suspension. His total bond was set at $2,300. 36-year-old Samantha Ann Wright, of Creston, was arrested Aug. 9th by Stuart Police, for Driving While Barred. She was issued a citation and released from the scene with a court date.

On Aug. 10th, Police in Adair arrested 35-year-old Michael Allen Leeper, of Adair, for OWI/1st offense. He was cited and released a short time later. On Aug. 11th, 25-year-old Luis David Penaloza Garcia, of Omaha, an inmate at the Adair County Jail, was charged with Assault w/bodily injury, after he allegedly assaulted a fellow inmate without provocation, inside the jail recreation area. Bond on his latest charge was set at $1,000.

Stuart Police arrested 45-year-old Jason Aaron Watson, of Atlantic, on August 13th, following a traffic stop. Watson was charged with OWI/1st offense. He blew a .215% for intoxication during a preliminary breath test, and later registered .172% at the Adair County Sheriff’s Office. Watson was released a short-time later with a citation. And, early Saturday morning (Aug. 13), 21-year-old Kyra Lynn Evans, of Bridgewater, was arrested in Adair County, for OWI/1st offense. She was cited and later released.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports two people were arrested on drug charges this (Monday) morning. A little before 6-a.m., Clarinda Police Officers and Page County Sheriff Deputies executed a search warrant at 418 Main Street, in Shambaugh. Brothers says approximately 30 grams of a controlled substance believed to be methamphetamine, cash and two motor vehicles were seized.

The homes’ residents, 48-year-old Michael Leo Pickens and 41-year-old Haley Ann Haynes, of Shambaugh, were taken into custody without incident, and are being held without bond in the Page County Jail, pending an initial court appearance. They face charges that include: Felony possession with intent to deliver/methamphetamine; Failure to have the required drug tax stamps, and possession of a controlled substance/methamphetamine. Reports have been forwarded to Page County Attorney’s Office for formal charging decisions.

The search warrant was executed as a result of an on-going investigation by the Clarinda Police Department into the distribution of illicit narcotics by Pickens and Haynes. Clarinda Regional Health Center Emergency Medical Services provided aid during the execution of the search warrant.

All defendants are presumed innocent under our system of criminal justice until proven guilty in a court of law.