Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports five arrests over the past week. On Nov. 22nd, 26-year old Matthew David Alluisi, of Greenfield, was arrested on charges that include Public Intoxication and Simple Domestic Abuse Assault (for allegedly striking his girlfriend, resulting in no injuries). Alluisi was also arrested on a warrant out of Dallas County. He was brought to the Adair County Jail and later transferred into the custody of Dallas County deputies.

On Nov. 25th, 49-year old Ronald Lee Shedenhelm, of Logan, was arrested by an Iowa State Patrol Trooper on Interstate 80, in Adair County. Shedenhelm was wanted on a warrant out of Wapello County, on an original Driving While Barred, charge. He was brought to the Adair County Jail and later transferred to the custody of Wapello County deputies.

On Nov. 20th, Greenfield Police arrested 31-year old Barrett Martin Driskill, of Afton, and 41-year old Mandi Lea Stowers, of Orient, after the vehicle they were in was stopped near the intersection of Highways 92 and 25. Driskill and Stowers were taken into custody for Violation of a No Contact Order. Stowers faces an additional charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance, 3rd or subsequent offense, after Police found her to be in possession of a toothbrush container that allegedly contained a clear liquid substance believed to be meth. Both subjects were later released on their own recognizance.

And, a central Iowa man was arrested on eastbound Interstate 80 in Adair County at around 8-a.m. on Nov. 20th, after an Iowa State Patrol Trooper stopped a vehicle for speeding. Prior to stopping for the Trooper, the vehicle driven 21-year old Albert Saye Dweh, of Urbandale, was observed by the Trooper, swerving all over the road. The report said Dweh nearly lost control of the 2016 Hyundai Elantra. The Trooper had to pull beside the man’s car to get his attention, when his cruiser’s lights emergency lights failed to garner Dweh’s attention.

While speaking with Dweh, the Trooper detected a strong odor of alcohol, and saw an open container on the rear passenger side floor board. A container of bourbon was also found in the vehicles’ arm rest. Dweh told the Trooper that he was coming from a baby shower, celebrating a semi-pro football team, and that he had gotten lost before ending up in Harlan, and finally making his way back to I-80.

At the Adair County Jail, Dweh’s Breath Alcohol Content tested at .136, nearly twice the legal limit for intoxication. He was released from the jail later in the afternoon on Nov. 20th, on a $1,000 cash bond, or surety.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) – Relatives say an 18-year-old died after falling under a car he was holding onto while it was traveling down a gravel road on the southwest side of Burlington. Clayton Connelly was injured around 1 a.m. Thursday. He was taken by private vehicle to a West Burlington hospital and then transferred to an Iowa City hospital. The Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office says he died there. He’d lived in Burlington.

The Hawk Eye reports Connelly’s family said he’d been “gravel surfing” with friends. Gravel surfers hold onto vehicles and slide along the surface as the vehicles move down gravel roads. The Sheriff’s Office says Connelly exited the vehicle while it was moving.

A Union County teen suffered possible/unknown injuries during a single-vehicle, rollover accident Saturday evening. The Union County Sheriff’s Office says 17-year old Cassidy Riley, of Afton, who was wearing a seat belt, was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Creston, after she lost control of the 2005 Pontiac G6 she was driving. The vehicle, which was traveling west on 240th Street, entered a ditch and rolled once, coming to rest on its roof. The accident happened just after 5-p.m., Saturday. The car sustained $4,000 damage.

Iowans who are buying gifts for themselves or others on this Cyber Monday are being reminded how to avoid having their holiday packages ripped off after they arrive at your door in a few days. Postal Inspector Dave Margritz, in the Omaha-Council Bluffs office, says you shouldn’t leave packages sitting outside for too long.

“If you know a package is coming, if you have a trusted neighbor, have them grab it or have it directed to them,” Margritz says. “If your workplace allows it, a lot of times people have packages sent to their workplace.” The goal, he says, is to minimize the attractiveness of your package, in case someone’s driving through the neighborhood, “eyeballing front porches.”

Margritz suggests you leave a small note on your door, directing the carrier to leave the package out of sight or with a neighbor.  “A small note wouldn’t be visible from the street, so it’s not like a potential thief would see the note and go up and read it,” he says. “You can have a conversation with your carrier or call your delivery supervisor at the station that delivers your mail to let them know where you want packages left.”

Margritz says some Iowans have invested in small home security cameras which are a big help in the investigation of package thefts. “A lot of times, those are really clear videos and we might know the person if they’re a recidivist or we can help identify them,” he says. “If you have the ability and wherewithal to buy a camera system and install it, and have it pointed at your porch or front door or wherever a package may be left, that’s an incredible investigative lead, if something bad does happen.”

He says holding all your mail while you’re away from home is another option. Learn more at usps.com.

(Radio Iowa)

NORTH POLE — Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus — and the U.S. Postal Service can help you prove it when Santa replies to your child’s letter — complete with a North Pole postmark.

Here are the steps for your child to get a letter back from Santa:

• Have your child write a letter to Santa and place it in an envelope addressed to: Santa Claus, North Pole.
• Later, when alone, open the envelope and write a personalized response.
• Insert the response letter into an envelope and address it to the child.
• Add the return address: SANTA, NORTH POLE, to the envelope.
• Affix a First-Class Mail stamp, such as a new Holiday Windows stamp, to the envelope.
• Place the complete envelope into a larger envelope — preferably a Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope — with appropriate postage and address it to:

North Pole Postmark
Postmaster
4141 Postmark Drive
Anchorage, AK 99530-9998

“Letters from Santa” must be received by the Anchorage, AK, postmaster no later than Dec. 15. Santa’s helpers at the Postal Service will take care of the rest. Be sure to share the experience on social media using #LettersFromSanta.

Tips:

• To save paper, write Santa’s response on the back of your child’s letter. If you keep them together, your child will also be able to recall what he or she wrote.
• When responding as Santa, make the response as personal as possible by highlighting your child’s accomplishments over the past year, for example, helping around the house, receiving good grades in a particular subject at school or participating in community service activities.
• This is a great activity to do at Thanksgiving that the whole family can enjoy, including parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other caregivers.
• The Letters from Santa program adds to the excitement of Christmas and is ideal for interesting youngsters in letter writing, stamps and penmanship.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.