BAGLEY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand says his office has found more than $20,000 in questionable spending by the former president and treasurer of a western Iowa firefighter’s association. The report released Friday identified $13,983 of improper spending and $6,901 of unsupported spending from the Bagley Firefighters Association’s bank accounts. The report also identified $2,634 in undeposited collections.

Television station WOI reports that Matt Sutherland served as president and treasurer of the association when those questionable expenditures were made. The reports says Sutherland used the money to buy motorcycle gear, clothing, a wedding band, saddles and other items through Amazon that were sent to Sutherland’s home. Other purchases at stores included cigarettes, a vacuum and dog food.

Copies of the report have been filed with the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement offices.

The Iowa Supreme Court, Thursday, affirmed a lower court’s judgment and 20-year sentence for an Audubon woman, and denied her conviction appeal.  Samantha Bailey received a 20-year sentence for two counts of Child Endangerment-serious injury and neglect or abandonment of a dependent person. The charges stemmed from an incident on April 9, 2017, when her grandchildren ate methamphetamine they found in Bailey’s purse while searching for Easter eggs.

The Supreme Court then transferred the case back to the Court of Appeals, which had previously denied the appeal. Audubon County Attorney Sarah Jennings said “In other words, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case and Bailey’s prison sentence of 20 years was thus upheld. Bailey is currently out of custody on $15,000 bond, but was expected to turn herself-in immediately. At that time, will be taken into custody and transferred to the Iowa Correctional Facility for Women in Mitchellville to begin serving her sentence

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Friday) approved extending a joint Engineer agreement between Cass and Montgomery Counties. The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors have been looking for a full-time Engineer ever since their Engineer left in mid-April. Cass County Board Chair Steve Baier explained the predicament Montgomery County is in. He says their Board thinks they have a candidate, but he can’t start until Sept. 1st due to his current employment status.

The agreement means Cass County Engineer Charles Bechtold, who has served as the interim Engineer for Montgomery County since mid-April, will continue to serve in what is essentially an Administrative capacity, which includes signing-off on necessary paperwork and more. The original agreement between the counties was for 60-days. The Board will leave it up to Bechtold to work out the finer details of his compensation and related matters.

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors approved the closure or limiting  access to a roadway through Marne, for the RAGBRAI weekend. The route into Marne is on the west side of town and comes out on the pavement. Marne Fire Chief Josh Krause said they’re expecting several thousand people coming through town, which necessitates keeping vehicle traffic off M-56 into town until the event is over. The details about where detour signs will be placed is being left up to the Cass County Engineers Office in coordination with the Iowa DOT.

The Board also discussed and acted on the compensation of “Other employees” in the Secondary Roads Department, and agreed to provide those certain personnel with an increase in pay.

Their meeting became heated when it came to discussing the adoption of a new employee handbook. One such instance occurred between County Engineer Charles Bechtold and Supervisor John Hartkopf.

In the end, Board Chair Baier suggested the Department Heads take time to review the handbook, make changes as needed, and come back at the end of July or early August with their revisions. In other business, the Board approved by a vote of 4-to-1, a $40 per month cell phone policy, when personal phones are used for County business.

Red Oak Police Chief Justin Rhamy reports two Kansas City men have been indicted in connection with a $1-million conspiracy to steal 1,400 cell phones in dozens of separate burglaries, including in Red Oak. On March 26, 2019 a forced-entry burglary occurred at Chat Mobility in Red Oak. The same individuals deemed responsible for the Red Oak break-in, also attempted to make entry or succeeded in doing so, at Chat Mobility Stores in Emerson and Clarinda. As the result of multi-jurisdictional investigation among several southwest Iowa and multiple other State and Federal Agencies, 29-year old Viktor Chernetskiy, a naturalized citizen of the Ukraine, and 29-year old Bryan C. Kirkendoll, II, were charged in a five-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, MO., Wednesday, June 26th,

The indictment replaces a criminal complaint filed June 14th. Chernetskiy remains in federal custody without bond, while Kirkendoll was released on bond. The federal indictment alleges both men participated in a conspiracy to steal electronic devices – primarily cell phones – from stores in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Oklahoma. As the phones were transported across state lines, in order to sell them, both men were charged with transporting stolen property across state lines, with Chernetskiy facing four counts and Kirkendoll three counts.

The indictment says both men committed 48 burglaries from Nov. 21, 2018 to June 14, 2019, during which they stole about 1,401 electronic devices worth more about $1-million, 8,742. In each instance, the stores were hit after hours, and the conspirators wore clothing designed to conceal their identity and limit any trace evidence left behind. They also allegedly tried to unsuccessfully pry open a safe at one location.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota-based Sanford Health and Iowa’s UnityPoint Health have announced plans to merge in an agreement that would create a sprawling health system in the Upper Great Plains and Midwest. The two providers announced their plans Friday. The Argus Leader reports if the merger is approved by regulators, it could be finalized by year’s end.
The providers said the merger would place the company among the top 15 largest nonprofit health systems nationwide. The new organization would employ more than 83,000 staff, 2,600 physicians and have more than $11 billion in revenue.

UnityPoint operates 32 hospitals and has relationships with 280 physician clinics throughout Iowa, western Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Sanford Heath’s organization includes 44 hospitals, 1,400 physicians and more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations in 26 states and nine countries.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Officials with the Harlan Police Department report a collision between a car and a motorcycle resulted in the death of a man from Harlan, Thursday. Police and Rescue crews responded to the scene at around 6:20-p.m., at the intersection of 9th and Chatburn Avenue. When Officer’s arrived, they attempted to aid the motorcyclist until Medivac arrived and determined him deceased at the scene. 55-year old Scott Alan Petersen, of Harlan, was driving his motorcycle westbound on Chatburn Ave/Highway 44 when 24-year old Riley Jean Kay attempted to turn East on Chatburn from 9th Street.

Authorities said her view may have been obstructed by a vehicle in the northern most lane traveling West, slightly ahead of Petersen. An Iowa State Patrol Traffic Investigator was called in and is conducting an investigation. Chatburn Ave. between 8th St and 12th St was closed off for approximately two hours. Harlan Police were assisted at the scene by Medivac, Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies and the Harlan Fire Department.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Officials say air is leaking from the inflatable dam used by Waterloo to raise the Cedar River level for summer boaters. Waterloo city engineer Jamie Knutson says the leak was detected Thursday during normal maintenance, but it’s uncertain exactly where on the dam it is and how much air is rushing out. Knutson told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier that the city won’t know how soon the leak can be repaired and at what cost until a contractor can start working on it.

The city has inflated the bladder dam since 2009, raising the Cedar River level by about 4 feet. It’s usually inflated in June and deflated in October. Knutson says boaters would be wise to be extra cautious on the river this year, given the loss of the liquid safety margin.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a Sioux City eye clinic manager stole more than $6,100 in a credit card scheme and planned to use customer information to take out loans. Woodbury County court records say 36-year-old Amy Inniss-Reyes, of Sioux City, is charged with theft and tampering with records. Her attorney didn’t immediately return a call Friday from The Associated Press.

A criminal complaint says Inniss-Reyes was managing two Exact Eye Care branches between April 19 and May 30 when she used three of her credit cards to obtain fraudulent refunds. The complaint says she also told investigators that she made copies of 20 patients’ personal records, intending to use them to obtain loans. The copies were recovered from her home.

Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 5.