(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Tuesday), said there were 10 arrests that took place between August 31st and Sept. 6th. On Tuesday (Sept. 6), 41-year-old Donovan Edward Hankins, of Tabor, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault, and Interference with Official Acts. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

There were three arrests on Sunday, Sept. 4th: 31-year-old Sarah Michele Salado, of Bellevue, NE, was arrested on I-29, for False ID of a Law/Public Officer ($300 bond); 27-year-old Dakota John Allen, of Hastings (IA), was arrested for Driving Under Suspension, with bond set at $300; and, 49-year-old Lawrence Anthony Cipolla, of Council Bluffs, was arrested Sunday afternoon at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a warrant for Violation of Probation, with bond set at $5,000.

Taken into custody Sept. 3rd, in Mills County, was 30-year-old Aaron Ray McDaniel, of Malvern, for Driving While Revoked (Bond $1,000). And, 61-year-old Mark Alan Schmahl, of St. Joseph, MO., was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Failure To Appear on a Sentencing Order. He was being held without bond.

Mills County Deputies arrested Deanna Lynn Hamilton, of LeMars, on Sept. 2nd, for Violation of a No Contact Order ($300 bond). And, 28-year-old Cassidy Marie Colebank, of Omaha, was arrested for Child Endangerment, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia (Bond $5,000).

On Sept. 1st, 43-year-old Sara Alayne Johnson, of Glenwood, was arrested for Driving While Barred (Bond $2,000), and on Aug. 31st, 43-year-old Kevin James Woolf, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pott. County Jail, on a Mills County warrant for Harassment in the 3rd Degree. He was being held without bond, in the Mills County Jail.

Des Moines – The Iowa Insurance Division is beginning the claims process to reimburse customers harmed by Andrew Joyce of Joyce Funeral Home in Emmetsburg, Iowa, following a Polk County District Court ruling that approved the Iowa Insurance Division’s request to begin the claims process.

The claims process follows the Iowa Insurance Division’s appointment as receiver of the Joyce Funeral Home on June 5, 2020.  The Iowa Insurance Division sought to be appointed receiver when its investigation revealed a number of deposits that could not be matched to a burial, which suggested that thousands of dollars in preneed purchase agreements had been sold and the money had not been placed in trust, as required by Iowa law. The Iowa Insurance Division’s goal in the receivership has been to collect all the assets of the Joyce Funeral Home and to make them available to consumers who were harmed by this conduct.

The receivership action follows a previous cease and desist order issued in October of 2019.  The Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau also investigated Joyce’s conduct and filed criminal complaints against Joyce charging him with one count of Ongoing Criminal Conduct (B Felony), one count of Theft 1st Degree (Class C Felony), one count of Theft 2nd Degree (Class D Felony), and one count of Failure to Trust Preneed Funeral Services (Class D Felony). “Letters via postal mail will be sent to those known to have been harmed in this case in the coming days, however, there may be more people still out there that have not yet come forward,” Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen said.  “I encourage any and all Iowans that have been harmed to fill out a claim form either online or via mail for our office to review.”

Known customers that have been harmed will be sent a letter.  Customers harmed may submit a claim online or by sending the Iowa Insurance Division a completed paper claim form.  Claims must be submitted on or before Monday, November 7, 2022. Submitting any supporting documentation with the claim form will help the Iowa Insurance Division evaluate and process the claim.  Customers harmed may still make a claim even if they do not have all or any of the documentation for the claim.

If you have any questions regarding the claims process, contact Connie Dykstra by email at connie.dykstra@iid.iowa.gov or by phone at (515) 314-9380.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Court of Appeals has denied a Muscatine man’s appeal of his murder conviction in the death of his pregnant girlfriend. David Hatfield called police in 2019 and told them his girlfriend Kaitlyn Palmer had shot herself with a handgun. He later changed his story and said he shot her as part of an assisted suicide. He was convicted of first-degree murder. Palmer’s mother testified during the trial her daughter had attempted suicide once, but the mother said it was a plea for attention and she told her she would never attempt suicide again. Hatfield said in his appeal the statement was hearsay and should not have been allowed. The Appeals Court ruling says the statement was relevant to the case and the district court properly allowed it.

(Radio Iowa) – Union Pacific says the timeline for repairs at the site of Monday’s train derailment in northeast Iowa is unknown. Forty-four Union Pacific train cars derailed on and around a railroad bridge north of Hampton. A statement from the company indicates most of the cars have been removed from the track and crews have started to repair the track and the bridge. Hazardous materials crews are back at the site today, removing asphalt that spilled from the train into Otter Creek. The cause of the derailment is still under investigation according to Union Pacific. No one on the crew was injured when the train’s cars started leaving the track at about 3:30 Monday morning.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Firefighters, Police and Cass EMS were dispatched to a report of smoke coming from the back of residence this (Tuesday) morning. The call about the incident at 304 Hazel Street went out at 10:54-a.m.  A resident the home was able to escape without injury. Fire crews remained on the scene until 11:45-a.m. Atlantic Police and Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies were conducting interviews with a couple of women when KJAN News arrived.

Photo submitted to KJAN

According to Fire Chief Tom Cappel, when crews arrived they found the back window had been knocked out, and a grill was at the base of the area where the fire appeared to have started.

Ric Hanson/KJAN News (photos)

An earlier reported indicated Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren handcuffed a man at the scene, but it’s not clear if he was being detained in connection with the incident. No further information is available at this time. The fire remains under investigation.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, this (Tuesday) morning, approved cutting back the hours and days for the shredding of outdated and/or other County documents, by Nishna Productions, Inc., employees. The hours will be reduced effective this Friday, Sept. 9th, from two days/two hours per day, to one day per week, for two hours. Nishna Productions, Inc. provides a variety of vocational, residential and social support activities to persons with disabilities. Board member Donna Richardson explained the hours should be decreased due to a lack of work for the client.

Montgomery County Engineer Karen Albert mentioned to the Board, that there are some bridges closed for inspection, yet people are ignoring the danger and circumventing the safety measures in-place to keep traffic off those bridges until they are inspected and/or made safe for the posted limit.

Albert said there are snow fence-type barricades in place, and other forms of barricades are being considered to prevent their removal. She asked for patience in getting the bridges inspected and made ready for traffic.

In other business, Montgomery County Sheriff Jon Spunaugle requested the Board approve a front office employment position for his department. He says the current situation has resulted in his office being shut-down some business days after 2-p.m., due to scheduling conflicts between the Police and Sheriff’s Departments.

He says there is enough work, and the Sheriff can create enough work, to make the position viable.

The Supervisors approved his request to begin the process of filling the position, which he said would likely take 30-to 60-days. The position would cost $70,000 including benefits. The addition of an employee, Spunaugle said, would mean a change in hours, making front office staff available longer each day, staggered lunch hours, and at a minimum, match the courthouse hours.

Money for the position will come from a budget amendment which will be covered by increased bed and meal fees and other provisions.