(Radio Iowa) – Winnebago Industries saw second quarter revenues rise by almost 39-percent. The outdoor lifestyle products manufacturer with Iowa factories in Forest City, Lake Mills, Charles City and Waverly matched the record of one-point-two billion dollars set in the first quarter of the fiscal year, compared to almost 840-million for the same quarter of last fiscal year. Winnebago president and C-E-O Michael Happe says consumer demand for the company’s products continues to be strong.

“Through our interactions with our consumers and feedback we receive from our dealers, consumers clearly recognize our products as being differentiated,” Happe says. “This differentiation is a result of our relentless focus on our golden threads of quality, service and innovation. Robust consumer demand is a powerful undercurrent that we believe will continue to propel our company’s growth through the current fiscal year and beyond.” Happe says demand for the company’s products at recent trade shows proves people are continuing to buy recreational vehicles and boats.

“Strong attendance at the recent Tampa RV show and the Miami boat show resulted in retail sales that exceeded our expectations. In fact, most of our retail shows this spring are seeing record sales for our brands,” he says. “This foreshadows a solid spring selling season that is historically reflected in our second-half results.” Happe says market share gains across all segments are evidence of a deep affinity for the company’s brands.

“On a trailing three-month basis through January, our RV market share was 14.3%, up a full 100 basis points from 13.3% for the same period in 2021,” Happe says. “In our marine segment, Bartletta has now grown to be the fifth largest pontoon boat company by market share at 4.6% on a trailing three-month basis through December, and recent retail results show them approaching and breaking the 5% barrier.”

Gross profit for the company in the second quarter was $216.6 million, up almost 40% when compared to $156.6 million for the same period last year.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa said Wednesday, 53-year-old Jeffrey M. Carley, who is formerly of Treynor, was sentenced Tuesday, March 22, 2022, to five-years in prison for investment fraud. Carley was a financial investment counselor and he owned or had an ownership interest in Carley Financial Group, Prosperity Partners, and Main Street Solutions. From as early as 2013, until December of 2020, Carley encouraged his clients to move money from their traditional IRA accounts to a “self-directed” IRA. Carley then advised his clients to move their money from the “self-directed” IRA to investment opportunities Carley owned or had ownership interest in and advised clients they would receive a financial return. Carley never told his clients that he owned or had an interest in the investments he represented to them as solid investments. Carley also failed to invest the clients’ money and instead used the funds for his personal expenses. Carley pleaded guilty to Wire Fraud on October 22, 2021.

Assistant United States Attorney Richard E. Rothrock in the government’s sentencing brief, said “The defendant…has destroyed the savings of people that trusted him and there is no way to quantify the damage the defendant did to the emotional security of those he stole from. Making this crime even more egregious, it appears, although one cannot be sure, that the defendant flitted away all the money he stole for personal purposes, leaving nothing available to repay the victims.” The sentencing judge noted the length of time the scheme lasted and the harm and age of the victims as some of the aggravating factors in this case she considered in determining the five-year sentence. Following his prison term, Carley will serve three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $1,364,163.02 in restitution to the victims.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A woman from Pottawattamie County was sentenced Tuesday to six-months in prison, for Acquiring a Controlled Substance by Misrepresentation, Fraud, Deception and Subterfuge. Officials say 39-year-old Jadelyn Marie Maher, of Council Bluffs, will also be required to serve one year of supervised release upon completion of her sentence. She must also ordered to pay a $3,000 fine. According to court documents, Maher pleaded guilty to the charge on November 4, 2021.

Maher was employed as a registered nurse at facilities where she falsified health care records and narcotics log sheets when she checked out narcotics/opioids for patients. Maher took the Hydrocodone and Oxycodone pills for her own use. Maher’s nursing license was forfeited by the Court.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Judge in Pottawattamie County District Court, Tuesday, sentenced a Nebraska man to 3-years in prison, for being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. In addition, 43-year-old Tiloe Cardel Williams, of Omaha, was have his term of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. According to court documents, Williams pleaded guilty to the charge on November 4, 2021.

On July 30, 2021, a police officer stopped Williams’ vehicle for overly dark window tint. The officer could smell marijuana and requested the assistance of a canine officer. Marijuana and a firearm were located under the cup holder of the center console. At the time of the offense, Williams was a convicted felon and drug user and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A man from Colorado was sentenced Tuesday, March 22nd in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, to serve 16-years in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. In addition, the Judge sentenced 43-year-old Jeremy Antonio Trujillo to 10-years in prison for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The sentences will run concurrently. His term of imprisonment will be followed by five years of supervised release. According to court documents, Trujillo pleaded guilty to the charges on November 4, 2021.

Trujillo’s co-defendant, 37-year-old Kristen Leigh Jarrard, also of Colorado, was sentenced on November 2, 2021, to 13-years in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and 120 months in prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Her sentences will also run concurrently. Jarrard’s term of imprisonment will also be followed by five years of supervised release. She plead guilty to the charges on March 18, 2021.

On October 28, 2020, the couple was stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate 29 and a law enforcement dog was run around the vehicle. Following a canine alert for the odor of narcotics on the car, officers recovered a backpack containing 817 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded Smith and Wesson .45 caliber revolver. Surveillance video from a motel showed Trujillo and Jarrard carrying bags from the motel to the vehicle and Trujillo carrying the backpack from the motel to the car and placing it inside. Both Jarrard and Trujillo are prior convicted felons.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa State Patrol, Council Bluffs Police Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement investigated the case. The United States Marshals Service made the arrests. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the Iowa House have approved a budget that provides a more than seven million dollar spending boost to the state prison system. Representative Gary Worthan, a Republican from Storm Lake, led development of the budget plan. “(It) will allow them to keep hiring,” Worthan said. “They’re facing the same challenges that everybody is, trying to find qualified employees to hire.”

Representative Todd Prichard, a Democrat from Charles City, notes that a year ago today (Wednesday), two employees at the state prison in Anamosa were murdered by two inmates attempting to escape. “After time passes and we think that we solved the problem by just, in my mind, throwing some money at it — which, I’ll admit it was needed, it was part of the issue — we move on,” Prichard said.

Prichard unsuccessfully tried to attach policy to the budget that would have increased the penalty for attacking a prison employee and let prison workers bring up safety related topics in contract negotiations.  “I’ve spent a lot of time visiting and talking to people who work in the prisons and correctional institutions and wanted to do something meaningful for the two individuals that were murdered and their families,” Prichard said.

Prichard’s proposal was tabled on procedural grounds. The budget plan for the state’s entire justice system was approved with the support of all but two House Republicans. It provides a nearly 13 million dollar increase over the current year’s budget for prisons,

(Atlantic, Iowa) -During a meeting held this (Wednesday) morning in the Central Office Conference Room, members of the Atlantic School Board acted to approve a contract with Scot Aden, who will serve as the new Middle School Principal, effective July 1st. He will succeed Josh Rasmussen, who has accepted a job as the Superintendent for the AC/GC School District, effective July 1st.

According to Atlantic School District Superintendent Steve Barber, there were 12 applicants for the AMS Principal’s job. The list was whittled down to four individuals, each of whom were interviewed in front of a parent group, student group, teacher group, and administrative committee.

As mentioned previously in our reports, Scot Aden is currently serving as Principal for the Cherokee Middle School, in Cherokee (Iowa). It’s a position he’s held for nearly six-years.