(Radio Iowa) – A major league baseball star who’s now a pastor is the headliner for a faith-based event at the Field of Dreams movie site this weekend. Darryl Strawberry, a power hitter for the New York Mets and New York Yankees, played on four teams that won the World Series, but he was suspended three times during his playing career for substance abuse. Mike DeJong, organizer of this Saturday’s “Revival at The Field” in Dyersville, says Strawberry is a born again Christian with a powerful message.

“In his past, he had addictions, he had many other things that he dealt with, but quite a life change,” DeJong says. “Quite a story of hope and change.” Strawberry lives in the St. Louis area and released a book last year titled “Turn Your Season Around: How God Transforms Your Life.” DeJong met Strawberry a decade ago, while DeJong was on his honeymoon.

“Watching his life today is just incredible, what he’s went through, so developed a friendship with him and have done some ministry with him over the years,” DeJong says. “Just a wonderful guy to share a message of hope.” DeJong, who lives in Sioux Center, is an area representative of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

The revival event he’s organized at the Field of Dreams this Saturday is to start at 1 p.m. and ends after sunset. Each vehicle at the site will be charged a 20 dollar parking fee, but DeJong says there are no other fees for participants.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports charges and citations are currently pending in connection with an injury accident that occurred at around 5:06-p.m. on April 30th. The accident happened near the intersection of North Olive Street and Boston Road.

Officials say a 2001 Ford Explorer being operated by Timothy Asmus, of Audubon, was southbound on Olive Street when the SUV crossed over the center line. An oncoming 2017 Chevrolet Silverado being operated by Gary Hogberg, of Exira, was traveling northbound and was forced to veer off the roadway to avoid a collision. The Silverado continued through the ditch, an adjacent fence and came to rest in a farm field.

The Explorer also continued through the ditch, paralleled the fence line for a distance but eventually drove through the fence as well. Asmus attempted to continue through the field but his SUV became stuck or disabled. Asmus left the scene of the accident but was later identified by law enforcement officers investigating the case.

Hogberg was transported for medical attention and care. The Silverado sustained an estimated $3,000 worth of damage, the Explorer sustained an estimated $1,000 worth of damage and the fence line sustained an approximated $1,000 worth of damage as well.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Thursday) released a report on arrests stemming from April 26th through May 16th.

On May 16th: 33-year-old Steven Behlers, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County Warrant for Theft in the 3rd Degree. Behlers was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.

On May 10th, 37-year-old Aaron McCutcheon, of Harlan, was arrested on a Cass County Warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault 1st. McCutcheon was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On the 7th, Cass County Deputies arrested 53-year-old Rene Valdivia, of Carroll, for Violation of a No Contact Order and Trespass 1st Offense. Valdivia was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

And, on May 2nd, 50-year-old Hadjii Covington, of Omaha, NE, was arrested in Cass County for OWI 2nd Offense. Covington was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held until his later release on bond.

On April 29th, Deputies arrested 36-year-old Jacqueline Griffith, of Exira, on a Cass County Warrant for Violation of Compulsory Education. Griffith was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held until her later release on her own recognizance.

On April 26th, 28-year-old Zachary Wood, of Anita, was arrested on a Cass County Warrant for Child Endangerment. Wood was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held until his later release on bond.

“All criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in the court of law.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Thursday), said that yesterday (Wed., May 18th), they made aware of a SCAM phone call involving the name of “Officer Marc Freeman”.  This scam call involving “Officer Marc Freeman” also involved an alleged Agent from Washington DC.  The scammers are informing potential victims that their financial accounts are being / have been frozen and that the account owners need to purchase and load money onto gift cards.

After this purchase, these scammers will then later request the information contained within said gift cards.  During this scam, it appears that the Cass County Sheriff’s Office phone number was also “spoofed”, as one of the phone numbers used in this scam was noted as the Sheriff’s Office phone number of 712-243-2206. 

Please be aware that this phone call is a SCAM and is not coming from “Officer Marc Freeman” OR any Federal Agent(s).  Furthermore, this office encourages people to NOT give personal information and/or financial information out over the phone.  If you receive a phone call from our office line of 712-243-2206 but you feel that it might be part of a scam, please feel free to disconnect from that call and call the same number back.

Your return call will be connected to our office phone line or the Cass County Communications Center and will not return back to the potential scammer(s).  If you have any questions regarding this scam or others like it, please contact our office at 712-243-2206 or your local law enforcement agency, respectively.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, a Republican from Marion, says the baby formula shortage in the U-S is due to a lack of foresight and action by the Democrat administration. “Back in February Abbott’s Sturgis Michigan facility closed down following a voluntary recall of baby formula. The Biden administration’s F-D-A should have developed a plan to prevent shortages then — but they sat on their hands for months,” Hinson says. The baby formula is regulated by the F-D-A and Hinson says that’s important to keep it safe, but they need to be able to react to these types of situations.

“We still haven’t seen a plan from the F-D-A in my mind there is no excuse for this incompetence,” Hinson says. “Last week I called for the F-D-A to provide a clear timeline for getting formula back on the shelves as well as a plan to prevent future shortages. This cannot happen again,” she says. Hinson says a plan proposed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi threw money at the problem, but didn’t provide a long-term solution. Hinson says families looking for special formulas may find some relief soon.

“Abbott is releasing certain types of metabolic formulas that were previously on hold. If that applies, parents should be calling Abbott the 800 number is 1-800-881-0876. And they can call that number for assistance and start the process in getting some of that formula as quickly as possible,” according to Hinson. The president announced that he is invoking the Defense Production Act to try and help speed up the restocking of the formula.

“We’ve been in direct conversations with Abbott, and before the President’s announcement yesterday we had already received word from them that they are working to not only get that plant operational but that we should be in a place where shelves are backstopped within four to eight weeks,” Hinson says. She says the president’s action does not go to the root of the problem in creating a plan for the F-D-A to deal with the situation. Hinson made her comments during her weekly conference call with reporters.