Koch

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports an incident at the Sidney Elementary School, Tuesday, resulted in a brief lockout of the school. A Sidney School Resource Officer responded to the Sidney Elementary School, Tuesday, for a report of a trespasser. Deputies allege that on Monday (12/11/2023), 38-year-old Isaac Doyle Koch, of Birmingham, Alabama, entered a building on the Sidney Elementary Campus. Koch was approached by staff and told to leave the grounds.

The next day (12/12/2023), Koch returned to the same location and was approached by an SRO after being observed parked in a shared school parking lot. Koch refused commands by the SRO and a physical confrontation ensued. Koch was arrested for Interference with Official Acts and Disorderly Conduct. Koch is being held on $300 bond. As mentioned, the incident caused a brief lockout at the Sidney Elementary School. No students were involved in the incident.

Morgan

Lesberg

Two people were arrested on separate charges Monday, in Fremont County. Deputies arrested 26-year-old Jarrett Michel Morgan, of Hamburg, after authorities were called to the home for a report of harassment. During the investigation, deputies allege Morgan falsified statements to law enforcement. Deputies also located a dog kept inside a kennel, inside the residence that appeared to be caged for an extended period and was covered in feces. Morgan was arrested for Animal Neglect and Making False Report. He pled guilty and was fined by the court and released; And, 31-year-old Martin Tel Leseberg, of Hamburg, was arrested Monday for Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs. Deputies allege Leseberg stole prescription drugs from an estranged family member for the purposes of harassment. He was released on bond.

Webber

Sandahl

Sunday morning (Dec. 10th) at approximately 8:17-a.m., Fremont County deputies were called to Farragut for a disturbance. The caller advised that a male had previously lit a fire inside the residence and was armed with a machete. Deputies, along with assistance from the Shenandoah Police Department, Page County Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa State Patrol, responded to the scene. Deputies arrested 34-year-old Shaun Michael Webber, of Farragut. He was charged with: Four counts of Child Endangerment; Arson 1st Degree, and Domestic Abuse while armed with a weapon. Webber was being held on a $35,000 cash bond.

Last Saturday, Dec. 9th, deputies arrested 35-year-old Matthew Duane Sandahl, of Lincoln, Nebraska, for Operating While Intoxicated 1st Offense, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was released on bond.

Danielle Adams

John Adams

On December 5th, the Fremont County K9 Unit was called to the area of 180th Street, near Anderson, Iowa for a report of a vehicle parked in the middle of the road with a female sleeping in the driver’s seat. Deputies arrested 42-year-old Danielle Rene Adams, of Randolph, Iowa, for: OWI/1st offense; Keeping a Vehicle for the Purpose of Controlled Substances; Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. A passenger, 42-year-old John Leroy Adams, also of Randolph, was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine 3rd Offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Both were released on bond.

Others arrested in Fremont County include:

On 11/29/2023, 28-year-old Andrew Dean Christiansen, of Nebraska City, Nebraska, was arrested for Willful Injury, causing bodily Injury. He was released on his own recognizance.

Abramson

Berry

Christiansen

On Dec. 1st, 34-year-old Keith Alan Abramson, of Kansas City, Missouri, was arrested for Operating While Intoxicated 1st Offense. He was released on bond. The next day, 63-year-old Richard Paul Hedlund, of Bellevue, Nebraska, was arrested for possession of Marijuana. He was released on bond.

And, on Dec. 4th, 47-year-old David Lee Berry, of Hamburg, was arrested for Driving While Barred. He was booked and released.

Hedlund

(Radio Iowa) – Some might call it a Christmas miracle. A north-central Iowa community is in the midst of raising money for a new municipal swimming pool, and Hamilton County Supervisor Rick Young says they’ve gotten a tremendous, surprise gift. “In the last week, we received an anonymous donation of $1 million,” Young says, “and this person does not wish to be recognized and they don’t want to name the area for them.” The entire project is expected to cost four-million dollars, so Young says this donation is a huge step forward.

The pool is to be built in Jewell, to replace a pool that’s around 60 years old. “Initially, it was just going to be the Jewell area, but it serves Gilbert, Hubbard, Radcliffe, Blairsburg, Kamrar, Williams, a lot of the towns around the surrounding area,” Young says, “so that entails about 12,000 people.”

Donations are still being taken for the project. There’s no date set on when construction is to begin.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis says former President Donald Trump is moving to the left on some issues. DeSantis points to Trump touting an endorsement from a Rhode Island man who was part of the Black Lives Matter movement. “He was bragging about that on his social media, saying, you know I’m so glad to have the support of this particular gentleman as well as BLM,” DeSantis says. “BLM was responsible for riots in the summer of 2020. That cost billions of dollars and led to a number of deaths and it was something that actually happened under his watch as president of the United States.”

DeSantis says Trump is flip flopping on abortion, by criticizing state laws that ban nearly all abortions. And DeSantis says he and Trump have a different frame of mind about the 2024 campaign and presidential conduct. “I consider myself a servant leader. It’s not about me,” DeSantis says. “…I want people to know that supporting me as president that when I get up there, obviously I’m going to take care of business, but I’m going to be able to conduct myself in a way they’re going to be proud of. They’re not going to have to make excuses for me…We’ll execute, get the job done and we’ll do it in a way that really aims higher.”

C-N-N recently announced plans for a candidate debate on January 10th, with polling thresholds that only DeSantis, former U-N Ambassador Nikki Haley and Trump would meet. DeSantis is the only one of the three who’s said he’ll participate. “I think if you’re not willing to debate in Iowa on the eve of the Caucus, that shows a lot about you and your willingness to engage,” DeSantis says. DeSantis made his comments to Iowa reporters during an online news conference.

Trump is scheduled to campaign in Coralville early this (Wednesday) evening and return to the state for a rally in Waterloo next Tuesday. A recent Des Moines Register/N-B-C News/Mediacom “Iowa Poll” found Trump’s lead has grown since October, with over half of likely Caucus goers backing Trump.

(Radio Iowa) – Members of the panel that predicts state tax revenue say recession fears are receding and, while total receipts are down slightly, that’s due to previously approved tax cuts. The December report from the Revenue Estimating Conference sets the stage as Republican Governor Kim Reynolds and G-O-P lawmakers signal they hope to eventually eliminate the state income tax. Iowa Department of Management director Kraig Paulsen, the governor’s top budget advisor, is chairman of the Revenue Estimating Conference.

“We continue to see modest growth in Iowa’s economy,” Paulsen says “and the revenue numbers coming in support this.” The panel predicts the state of Iowa will collect over nine-point-seven BILLION dollars in taxes during the current budgeting year. By January, there will be more than three-point-six BILLION dollars in the Taxpayer Relief Fund where unspent taxes are being deposited. Paulsen says consumer spending in Iowa appears strong and, while, corporate income tax reductions have been made, total corporate tax receipts are up 15 percent over the past five months.

“To me, this indicates continued organic growth within Iowa’s economy,” Paulsen says. Clear Lake C-P-A David Underwood is another member of the tax-predicting panel. “The continued discussion of when’s the recession coming — it seems like finally everybody’s decided, well, it hasn’t gotten here yet, so maybe we won’t have one at least in the near term,” Underwood says. “That consensus helps a little bit, that we aren’t just wondering when that bottom is going to fall out.”

The Revenue Estimating Conference predicts the State of Iowa will collect over nine-point-seven BILLION dollars in taxes in the current budgeting year that ends June 30th. The prediction for the following 12 months is slightly less, primarily due to tax cuts approved in 2018 and 2022.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports 26-year-old Adam Edward Lee Austin, of Creston, was arrested at around 8-p.m. Tuesday (12/12/23), on three counts Violation of Probation. Austin was transported to the Union County Jail and held without bond, until seen by a Magistrate Judge.