The director of the largest agency in state government says he’s trying to streamline office functions to free up money he could use to hire more social workers. Jerry Foxhoven has been director of the Iowa Department of Human Services since mid-June. He says many of the agency’s current social workers lack basic tools like modern smartphones that could speed up their field investigations.  “So if they’re sent out to see a family and that’s not where they are, they couldn’t Google it,” Foxhoven says. “They’d have to go back to their office.”

Foxhoven has been meeting with social workers in the agency and getting their ideas for improving the child protection system. “Their caseloads are somewhat high and they’re just bureaucratically worn out by the bureaucracy that we have,” Foxhoven says. The agency’s current budget for field operations is 16 million dollars less than it was a year ago.

(Radio Iowa)

The Page County Sheriff’s Office says a man from Hepburn was arrested Wednesday night, on two Page County warrants. 26-year old Keaton Ray Osthoff was taken into custody at 3rd & Main streets in Coin. at around 9:42-p.m.  He was wanted on warrants for: Failure to Appear on original charges of Theft 3rd Degree, Theft 4th Degree, and Burglary 3rd Degree, and for Violation of Probation on the original charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance.

Osthoff was unable to post bonds that amounted to $7,000.  He was transported to the Page County Jail where he remains pending future court appearances.

Keaton Ray Osthoff

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says the pursuit of a stolen vehicle early this (Thursday) morning concluded with a crash, but not before shots were fired at Deputies. The chase began at around 3:45-a.m., after Pottawattamie County deputies were advised of a stolen vehicle at 10 East Street, Shelby (Loves Travel Stop).  The vehicle stolen was a white 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt.  At approximately 3:55-a.m., a Pottawattamie County deputy observed the vehicle westbound on Interstate 80 near the 21 mile marker.  The deputy attempted to stop the vehicle, but the Chevy accelerated to nearly 120 mph.  The vehicle left the Interstate at Underwood and continued westbound on Magnolia Road to County Road L-34.  From there, the car went northbound on L-34 at high rates of speed to Whippoorwill Road.  At County Road L-34 and Whippoorwill Road, a pit maneuver was used in attempt to stop the vehicle.  The car entered the south ditch and two occupants exited the vehicle and fled on foot.

Detimore

King

The driver, identified as 25-year old Brandon J. King, of Scranton, Kansas, was detained by law enforcement.  His passenger, later identified as 30-year old John P. Detimore, of Burlingame, KS entered a pickup in the area and fled the scene.  When he drove into a nearby corn field, the pickup became stuck, and Detimore fled on foot. Law enforcement personnel from Harrison, Shelby and Cass (Iowa) Counties assisted Pottawattamie County deputies setup a perimeter.  With the assistance of a Cass County Sheriff’s Office K-9, Detimore was located and detained.

Located at the scene was a stolen Ruger handgun.  The weapon was in a pickup that was stolen on October 4, 2017 in Centralia, Kansas.  Both Brandon King and John Detimore were transported to a Council Bluffs Hospital with minor injuries.  Both were released and transported to Pottawattamie County Corrections. The investigation is ongoing into shots being fired at the pursuing deputy and the theft of a vehicle from the State of Kansas.

Brandon King is being charged with multiple traffic offenses, theft of a motor vehicle, interference with official acts, possession of a stolen gun and possession of a dangerous weapon. John Detimore is being charged with theft of a motor vehicle (2 counts), felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a dangerous weapon, interference with official acts and attempted murder.

Update 9;55-a.m.) The pursuit of a vehicle stolen from the Love’s Truck Stop in Shelby early this morning included shots fired and a crash that sent one person to the hospital. Sheriff Jeff Danker said he was made aware at around 5-a.m. of the incident that began at around 3:45-a.m.  Danker said a Deputy saw the vehicle, and began a pursuit. The pusuit ended with the stolen vehicle being crashed. The suspects allegedly stole another vehicle. It was during that part of the pursuit, that shots were fired at the Deputy, but nothing was hit. After that vehicle also crashed, the driver was arrested, while the passenger took off and stole another vehicle, which he drove into a corn field near County Road L34 and Whippoorwill Road. The location is southeast of Missouri Valley and just south of Interstate 680..

The Cass County K9 assisted in finding the passenger, who was taken into custody at around 5:30-a.m. Danker said the pair also allegedly stole a vehicle he thought was from Kansas. Authorities were still looking for that vehicle.

(KNOD)

WESTFIELD, Iowa (AP) – A former city clerk in northwest Iowa has been accused of stealing money while on the job. Court records say 48-year-old Angela Sorensen is charged with theft. Her next court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 30.

The records say that when Sorensen was clerk for Westfield, she had control of an account in which money was amassed for a public park and T-ball complex. The records say the town mayor contacted authorities in September, after the loss of nearly $9,000 was discovered.

Sorensen had resigned in August.

More than 500,000 child car seats made by a company called Diono are being recalled because they may not adequately protect children in a crash. The recall covers the Radian R100, Radian R120, Radian RXT, Olympia, Pacifica, and Rainier convertible and booster seats. They were made from January of 2014 to September of this year by Diono, which used to be called Sunshine Kids Juvenile.

Documents posted Thursday by the U.S. government say that when the seats are secured using a lap belt without the top tether, children over 65 pounds have an increased risk of injury in a crash. Diono, based in Sumner, Washington, says it has no reports of injuries.  The company will send owners an energy absorbing pad and a new chest clip. The recall is expected to start Nov. 22.

A woman from Creston was arrested for 1st offense Trespassing, Wednesday night. 28-year old Shaeina Allison was taken into custody at around 10:30-p.m. at a home in the 800 block of Laurel Street. She was later released on a $300 bond.