(Radio Iowa) – House Democrats have elected a new leader and she is the first woman to serve in the post. The 41 Democrats who serve in the Iowa House met last (Monday) night and elected Representative Jennifer Konfrst of Windsor Heights as House Minority Leader. Konfrst replaces Representative Todd Prichard of Charles City, who announced on June 2nd that he was stepping down after serving in the position for three legislative sessions.

IA House Rep. Jennifer Konfrst

Konfrst was first elected to the House in 2018, reelected in 2020 and she was the second-ranking Democrat in the Iowa House this past session. Konfrst has been a full time professor at Drake University since 2013, teaching course in political communication and public relations.  Konfrst released a written statement Monday night and will hold an online news conference later this (Tuesday) morning.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Montgomery County, early Tuesday morning (Today), arrested 43-year-old Justin Smith, of Villisca.  Smith was taken into custody at around 12:45-a.m. on a Fremont County warrant, following a brief incident in the 100 block of 4th Street, in Villisca. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held for two counts of Ongoing Criminal Conduct/Unlawful Activity. Bond was set at $50,000.

Montgomery County Deputies were assisted by Red Oak Police, Deputies with the Adams and Cass County Sheriff’s Departments, along with Red Oak Fire and Rescue personnel.

Police in Red Oak arrested a man wanted on a drug-related warrant following a brief standoff, Monday night. Authorities report at around 10:40-p.m., Officers were searching for a wanted subject. They found 21-year-old Jacob David Berggren, of Red Oak, at a residence in the 500 block of E. Prospect Street. After a short standoff with law enforcement, Berggren gave up without further incident.

Berggren

He was taken into custody on a warrant for Failure to Appear on a Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine. Berggren was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on the warrant, along with an Interference with Official Acts, charge. His bond was set at $2,000. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted during the incident.

At around 8:23-p.m., Monday, Red Oak Police arrested 29-year-old Kyle Lee Foster, Sr., of Red Oak, on two counts of Child Endangerment. He was being held on a $2,000 bond, also.

Des Moines Water Works officials are asking customers to reduce lawn watering by 25%. KCCI reports Des Moines Water Works officials said Monday that drought-induced low river levels and record-breaking demand for water have forced the implementation of stage one of its water shortage plan. Des Moines Water Works officials said a 90% demand in production capacity triggered the stage 1 plan. On Friday, Des Moines Water Works delivered nearly 90 million gallons of water to its 500,000 customers.

Officials say the Raccoon River is so low, that you can walk across it, and they’re asking everyone to hold off using excess water on all Mondays, especially with regard to the watering of lawns. Even-numbered addresses are asked to water on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. Odd-numbered addresses on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

As the Des Moines area continues into another week of high temperatures, Des Moines Water Works cautions that water usage guidelines could change on a daily basis. Customers should visit the utility’s website: www.dmww.com.

The following communities and agencies are served in whole or in part by Des Moines Water Works: Alleman, Ankeny, Berwick, Bondurant, Clive, Cumming, Des Moines, Johnston, Norwalk, Pleasant Hill, Polk City, Runnells, unincorporated Polk County, Urbandale, Waukee, West Des Moines, Windsor Heights, and rural water districts such as a Warren Water and Xenia Rural Water districts.

Officials with Des Moines Area Community College announced Monday they will not resume online classes Tuesday (Today) due to “unforeseen delays” in restoring the schools’ network. A June 3 ransomware attack impacted DMACC’s internet network, forcing the school to cancel classes and shut down campuses. In-person classes resumed June 9, but DMACC’s online classes have remained closed for over a week.

On it’s Facebook page, college officials said “Please know that our IT team continues to work around the clock, and once the DMACC network is fully back online our plan is for online-only classes to resume the very next day.”

DMACC said its students on campus should not attempt to log into the computer system until security issues are resolved.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater, Monday night announced the arrest of a former Orient, Iowa man. As the result of an accident that claimed the life of a man from Menlo, and which occurred west of Orient on May 8th, 2020, an arrest warrant was issued in Adair County for 41-year-old Elijah Daniel Davis. Davis is alleged to have committed Homicide by Vehicle and Child Endangerment.

On May 8, 2020, 39-year old Jeremy Lane Trichel, of Menlo, died, when a 2000 Ford Astro Van driven by Davis struck Trichel’s 1946 F-100 pickup head-on at around 5:06-p.m. on Highway 25, east of Orange Avenue.  Both vehicles came to rest on the north ditch. Trichel was ejected from his vehicle. Davis suffered serious injuries.

In the investigation that followed, local information was developed that indicated that Davis may be currently residing outside of the State. The U.S. Marshals Service for the Southern District of Iowa in Des Moines was contacted and their assistance was requested. The cooperation between multiple agencies resulted in the arrest of Davis on Thursday, June 10th, 2021, in Fort Meyers, Florida, by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force.

Sheriff Vandewater wishes to extend his sincere appreciation to the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance in the investigation and arrest of Davis. The Adair County Sheriff’s Office will now work through the extradition process and return Davis back to Iowa. It should be noted that a criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

In other news, Sheriff Vandewater said 26-year-old Tray D. Anderson, of Exira, was arrested Saturday night on an Adair County warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault/2nd offense, and False Imprisonment. Anderson was being held in the Adair County Jail on $3,000 bond.

**UPDATE 5:22-p.m. 6/14/21**  Council Bluffs Police Officers were able to locate and arrest Lindsy Maves without further incident, Monday. Maves was charged with Attempted Murder, Arson 1^st and Willful Injury. Maves was booked into Pottawattamie County Corrections on these listed charges.

This investigation is ongoing by the Criminal Investigation Division. Anyone with any information that was in the area at the time of this incident is encouraged to contact this Division at 712-328-4728 or they may call Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.

ORIGINAL STORY follows:

Council Bluffs Police are searching for a woman who faces an Attempted Murder charge. Officers were called at around 4:34-a.m. to 1435 North 15^th Street, to investigate a female that was found in-front of the location with severe burns on her body. Officers, along with medics from the Council Bluffs Fire Department, arrived on scene and the victim was immediately transported to UNMC for treatment. She was identified as 37-year-old Christine Weilage, of Council Bluffs.

Officers determined that the original incident occurred in-front of 1413 Ave. K.  Detectives and Crime Lab techs gathered evidence at the scene. Their initial investigation indicates Weilage was involved in a disturbance with the suspect, 28-year-old Lindsy Maves, of Council Bluffs.

Lindsy Maves

At some time during this incident Maves allegedly sprayed a flammable substance on Weilage and then lit her on fire. A witness to the incident attempted to put the fire out and while doing so Maves again attacked Weilage by hitting her in the face with an unknown object. Maves then left the area before officer’s arrival. As of the latest information, officers were unable to locate Maves.

The incident remains under investigation. If you have any information about the incident, or the possible whereabouts of the suspect, Lindsy Maves. please contact the Council Bluffs Police Department at 712-328-4728 or Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867, thank you for your assistance.