The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous arrests over the past couple of weeks:  On Monday, 39-year old Brian James Johnson, of Des Moines, was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, 2cts Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs, Forgery, DUS, Driving while license Denied, Susp, Cancelled or revoked, Failure to Proof of Financial Liability and Window shield and window requirements – Bond: $9,300.00

Arrested Sunday, May 26th was: 33-year old Justin M Manley, of Edgewood, MN,  for Possession of Controlled Substance, Operating Non-Registered Vehicle and No Valid Driver’s License – Bond: $1,000.00; 20-year old Lacyrus Green, of Southhaven, MS – for being a Fugitive from Justice – No Bond – Loc. of Arrest: Mills County Sheriff’s Office; 33-year old Linze Elaine Camarillo, of Council Bluffs, for OWI 1st, DUS, Failure to Provide Proof of Liability and Failure to Maintain Control – Bond: $1,300.00; 33-year old William Cockrell Moore, of Bryan, TX for False Imprisonment and OWI 1st – Bond: $2,000.00.

Last Saturday, 23-year old Dillion Steven White-Vojchehoske, of Essex, was arrested in Mills County on 2 counts of Furnishing a Controlled Substance to Inmate and Possessing Contraband – Bond: $10,000.00 – Loc. of Arrest: Mills County Sheriff’s Office. Last Friday, 35-year old Marcus Anthony Holton, of Gulfport, MS, was arrested for being a Fugitive from Justice – No Bond.

Arrested May 23rd, was: 23-year old Dillion Steven White-Vojchehoske, of Shenandoah, for Driving While Barred, Other Violation or Chapter 321A, Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability and Failure to Maintain Control – Bond: $3,000.00; 45-year old Jerry Lee Dawson, of Malvern, was arrested on a Warrant out of Pottawattamie County for Violation of Probation – No Bond.; and 38-year old April Marie Watson, of Malvern, was arrested on a Warrant out of Montgomery County for Violation of Probation and Violation of Probation – Bond: $15,000.

On May 22nd, Mills County Deputies arrested: 28-year old Danielle Rene Bammer, of New Market, for Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Bond: $2,300.00; 38-year old Daniel Charles Thomas, of Glenwood, for Domestic Abuse Assault, Interference with Official Acts and DUS – Bond: $900.00; and 39-year old Joseph Dean Wallace, of Bedford, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and DUS – Bond: $600.

May 21st, 38-year old Ric Fredrick West-Lytle, of Crescent, was arrested for Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Speeding, Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability and Failure to Maintain or use Safety Belts – Bond: $4,200.00; and, 34-year old Denny Gene Reeves, of Silver City, was arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Bond: $300.

On May 17th, 19-year old Saxtinh Richard Donaldson, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a Mills County Warrant for Probation Violation – Bond: $5,000. And on May 16th, 39-year old Erin Boone Fisher, of Glenwood, was arrested at the Pott. County Jail on a Mills County Warrant for Probation Violation. Bond: $7,500.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Flooding along the lower Missouri River will likely worsen in the days ahead because the amount of water being released into the river is increasing because of the recent rain.

But officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say the river will remain below the levels it hit in March when flooding caused significant damage in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas.

The amount of water being released from Gavins Point Dam on the Nebraska-South Dakota border on Tuesday and another increase is planned for Wednesday. The Corps’ John Remus said more increases are likely later this week if the forecast for heavy rains delivers.

The National Weather Service says nearly 3 inches of rain already fell on the Omaha area over the past two days, and the forecast calls for more than an inch of rain Tuesday night and Wednesday in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.

Mills County Emergency Management and the Mills County Board of Supervisors issued an Emergency Evacuation Preparation Recommendation for the area of Mills County South of Gaston Avenue to the Mills/Fremont County line and West of Interstate 29 to the Missouri River. Residents in the area mentioned are recommended to begin preparation for evacuation as soon as possible.

Mandatory evacuations may be ordered in the near future. Road closures have been placed on 180th St. North of Lambert, Kane Ave. N. of Lambert and Karns Road west of Inst. 29. Ongoing levee breaches combined with increased rainfall and projected rising water levels has caused this recommendation.

The USACE has announced increasing output from Gavin’s Point Dam, increasing from 60,000 cfs to 65,000 cfs today and an additional 5000 increase to 70,000 cfs tomorrow. The National Weather Service has projected that the Missouri River will rise at least three feet over the next 48-72 hours with an anticipated crest of 32.6 ft. by Thursday, 5/30/19.

If you need assistance with the evacuation process, please contact the Mills County Communications Center at 712-527-4871.

The Red Oak Police department reports the arrest of a male juvenile on Tuesday. At approximately 2:20pm Officers arrested a 12-year-old male juvenile on the charge of Sexual Abuse 2nd Degree. He was taken to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center, processed, and then transported to the Southwest Iowa Juvenile Detention Facility in Council Bluffs.

The Atlantic Police Department on Tuesday released details on numerous arrests the past two weeks.

On May 15th Atlantic Police arrested 38-year-old David Thomas of Atlantic on Cass County Warrant for Failure to Appear. He was booked in to the Cass County Jail.

On May 18th Officers arrested 31-year-old Serphyl Phylon of Atlantic for Simple Assault. He was booked in to the Cass County Jail.

On May 20th Atlantic Police arrested 30-year-old April Medina of Atlantic for Violation of Compulsory Mediation Agreement 1st Offense. She was taken to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

On May 21st Officers arrested 45-year-old Dan Christensen of Atlantic for Possession of Controlled Substance – 2nd Offense, Interference with Official Acts, and Public Intoxication. He was taken to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

On May 24th Atlantic Police report the arrest of 32-year-old Justin Knutsen of Atlantic for Harassment- 1st Degree. He was taken into custody and transported to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

Finally on May 26th 60-year-old Dennis Coleman of Prague, NE was arrested for Stalking-3rd or Subsequent Offense, Harassment-1st Degree, and then also charged with Assault on Persons in Certain Occupations and Interference with Official Acts. He was taken to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Strong thunderstorms that raked eastern Nebraska and western Iowa dumped heavy rain and, in southwest Omaha, piles of hail that left some motorists temporarily stranded. Western Nebraska was first to endure the storms Monday night, with hail larger than 2 inches in diameter reported west of Ogallala. The Omaha World-Herald reported dozens of cars pulled off Interstate 80 with broken windshields. North Platte also received reports of baseball-sized hail.

Hail was reported to have been at least 12-inches deep in parts of Omaha and Council Bluffs. Snowplows were used to clear the streets of hail in those cites, and in Adair this (Tuesday) morning, as well. In Council Bluffs, a number of streets flooded as more than 2 inches of rain fell there overnight. Flash flood warnings were issued there and for areas around Lincoln and Omaha.

Hail in Adair (Photos courtesy David W. Passehl)

Sheriff Kevin Aistrope says awards were presented today (Tuesday), to a couple of Fremont County’s local farmers. Chris Clark and Dustin Sheldon were presented with certificates from Sheriff Kevin Aistrope and K9 Deputy Zac Buttercase. Clark and Sheldon assisted Buttercase during a pursuit and apprehension of a suspect that fled during a traffic stop. Clark and Sheldon’s quick response to aiding the Sheriff’s Office, helped with preventing any injuries or damage to the public.

Chris Clark

Dustin Sheldon

As the certificate reads, “With deep appreciation, respect, and gratitude from the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and K9 Unit, we commend you for bravely rendering aid and assistance. Your quick aciton and selfless dedication to the safety of the community does not go unnoticed.”

“Fremont County is lucky to have great citizens like these gentlemen. I am very pleased to serve this county,” Aistrope said.  “It’s good to know that we have people out here that we can count on when we are by ourselves. I am truly grateful to serve this community.” Buttercase stated.

(Radio Iowa) — At least five tornadoes touched down in Iowa yesterday (Monday). “Kind of the strange part about this type of weather was it wasn’t even really associated with true thunderstorms, so a little bit of a rarity.” Meteorologist Todd Shea works in the National Weather Service office in La Crosse, Wisconsin, which tracked some of Monday’s storms. “Most of the tornadoes that did occur from Charles City up towards Lime Springs and into southern Minnesota literally occurred with storms that weren’t even considered thunderstorms. There wasn’t even thunder or anything. It was just rain showers, but it was an environment that could support that type of tornado activity.”

The National Weather Service has confirmed 52 tornadoes in eight states yesterday. Two “sizable” tornado tracks have been established in northeast Iowa. “Most of the damage was to farm buildings. There were a couple of homes near Charles City that were hit pretty hard,” Shea says. “But a lot of the tornado activity also just occurred in open country which was kind of a blessing, that it didn’t hit more structures.”

One tornado early Monday afternoon caused heavy damage to the Floyd County Fairgrounds in Charles City, as well as to a fertilizer plant. There was also tornado damage in or near Lime Springs, Elma, Cantril and in southeast Iowa’s Des Moines County. Howard County Emergency Management Coordinator Darrell Knecht (kun-NEKT, like “connect”) says the roofs were damaged in several homes near Riceville and Saratoga and a hog confinement was destroyed.

“One of the wind turbines had several of the blades on their propellers torn off and then the tornado continued on toward Lime Springs. went over the top of Lime Springs and just did tree and power line damage there,” he says. “And of course there was a lot of tree and power line damage out in the rural areas as well.” A sixth twister is still unconfirmed near the Quad Cities. No serious injuries are reported.

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — A new sentencing date has been set for former “The Bachelor” star Chris Soules for leaving the scene of a fatal 2017 accident. The Des Moines Register reports Soules will be sentenced on Aug. 27 at the Buchanan County Courthouse in Independence, Iowa. A judge last week delayed sentencing after striking letters written by the deceased driver’s family. The judge agreed that family members couldn’t be considered victims because Soules wasn’t convicted of causing the death of 66-year-old Kenny Mosher.

Soules was arrested after he rear-ended a tractor in April 2017. Soules called 911, performed CPR on Mosher and waited for first responders, but he left the scene before officers arrived.
The 37-year-old former reality TV star pleaded guilty on Nov. 13 to a reduced charge of leaving the scene of a serious injury accident. Soules appeared on “The Bachelor” and “Dancing With The Stars” in 2015.

DENVER (AP) — The no-nonsense federal judge who gained national respect overseeing the Oklahoma City bombing trials has died. The clerk of Colorado’s federal court, Jeffrey Colwell, says U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch died on Sunday. He was 88. Matsch was known for cowboy hat and his short temper with courtroom antics. As chief judge of the federal court in Denver, Matsch oversaw the 1996 trials that led to the convictions of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols after a judge ruled that neither could receive a fair trial in Oklahoma City.

Matsch imposed a gag order to prevent attorneys from trying their case outside the courthouse. He received a liver transplant in 2001 after being diagnosed with a disorder that causes a buildup of fluid that can lead to infections. Born in Burlington, Iowa, Matsch graduated from the University of Michigan Law School, served as a federal prosecutor and became a bankruptcy judge. His role model was the fictional lawyer Atticus Finch, hero of Harper Lee’s 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” who saw it as his duty to do the right thing even though it might be unpopular.