Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say a Red Oak man was arrested at around 3:24-a.m. today (Tuesday). 45-year old Jeffrey Dean Etter was arrested on a valid felony warrant for Violation of Probation and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where his cash bond was set at $20,000

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports two recent drug-related arrests. On Monday (May 27), 48-year old Jeffrey Wade Massey, of Hamburg, was arrested for the Delivery of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Massey was transported to the Fremont County Law enforcement Center being held on a $10,300 bond.

And, on May 23rd, 24-year old Toby Pritchett, of Shenandoah, was arrested by Fremont County Deputies for the delivery of methamphetamine. Pritchett was transported to the Fremont County Law enforcement center being held on a $10,000 bond.

Jeff W. Massey

T. Pritchett

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CDT

CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) — A tornado hit an area near the Floyd County fairgrounds in Charles City, destroying several buildings and damaging others. The Des Moines Register reports the tornado hit the fairgrounds and homes in the northeast Iowa city about 12:30 p.m. Monday. Craig Anderson, the fair board treasurer, says the tornado destroyed two fairgrounds buildings and severely damaged two others. Two buildings at the nearby Floyd County Ag Center also were destroyed. No injuries were reported.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa voters are overwhelmingly white, but the state’s few black voters could play an outsize role in choosing the winner of the first contest among Democrats seeking to challenge President Donald Trump. The Iowa caucuses tend to draw the party’s most motivated voters, and this year Democrats say black voters are energized as seldom seen. That could give the candidate who rallies the biggest share of the state’s 2% black population a narrow victory in a crowded field.

MOSBY, Mo. (AP) — Some property owners who accepted a buyout from the federal government because their homes are prone to regular flooding say they’ve grown frustrated with the long wait times to get their checks. An Associated Press analysis of federal data shows the government has spent more than $5 billion over the past three decades on its flood buyout program, and the costs have been rising over the past decade. This spring’s Midwest flooding is likely to add even more homes to the buyout queue.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Two Iowa women shot during a convenience store robbery are recovering in a Sioux City hospital. According to the Le Mars Police Department, a male suspect demanded money from the two Le Mars Hy-Vee Gas Station clerks Sunday. He then allegedly shot both victims in the stomach and fled. The Sioux City Journal reports police later found the suspect dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in South Sioux City.

(Radio Iowa) — Clean-up is underway in Charles City after a tornado tore through the fairgrounds, hit the local fertilizer plant and damaged homes in the area early Monday afternoon. Floyd County Fair Board President Amy Staudt was there as the twister tore through the complex.

“Literally, like people have said before, it sounds like a train coming,” Staudt says. “I thought the noise was too big and I popped my head out and glass started shattering. We lost a couple of windows up top out of the cupola area and I thought that was the worst of it when it passed, then I looked out the window…and half the buildings are leveled out here.”

Volunteers arrived to deal with the damage as soon as the storm moved out, but Staudt is wary of having people working in some of the buildings on the fairgrounds. “We’ve got to make sure they’re structurally safe to be in because they’re twisted,” Staudt says. “That’s my main concern. The ones that are standing — are they safe to be in right now? We’ll meet with the adjusters and have some contractors out here and just double-check all safety issues.”

The twister tracked to the north and east and nearly missed Charles City, according to Floyd Emergency Management Director Lezlie Weber. “There is one housing development that got hit,” Weber syas. “Almost all the damaged houses have been contacted and we know of no injuries or fatalieis. We just want people to stay out of the area for right now.” Weber says it’s too early to discuss damage estimates, but there’s an emergency operations center at the Floyd County Courthouse where citizens can report damage.

“Get as many pictures as they can of everything, just in case, and then here probably after a while we’ll have some volunteers calling people that need help cleaning up and get some people out there to help clean up their yards,” Weber says. Another tornado touched down northeast of Elma shortly after the first tornado. It tracked through Chickasaw and Howard Counties before leaving a path of damaged homes, roofs and downed power lines in Lime Springs, where house-to-house searches begun in mid-afternoon Monday.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 32-year old Stephanie L. Gay, of Villisca, was arrested at around 2:30-p.m. Monday (5/27), for Theft in the 5th Degree. Her arrest followed an investigation into a shoplifting incident at the Casey’s General Store in Villisca. Gay was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer, Monday, released a report on arrests over the past week. Four arrests took place Sunday (May 26):

• 38-year old Bobby Lee Stevens, of Audubon, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Causing Injury and Violation of No Contact Order.  Stevens was arrested and transported to the Audubon County Jail to appear before a magistrate.
• 40-year old Tesha Joy Stevens, of Audubon, was arrested for Violation of No Contact Order.  Stevens was arrested and transported to the Audubon County Jail to appear before a magistrate.
• 38-year old Joshua Lee Larsen, of Audubon, was arrested for owning a Vicious Dog and Allowing Dog to Run at Large.  Larsen was issued citations on promise to appear.
• And, 49-year old Vicente Gomez, of San Antonio, Texas, was arrested Sunday, in Audubon, for Public Intoxication; Interference With Official Acts and on an active Cass County Warrant.  Gomez was arrested and transported to the Audubon County Jail where he is being held on $5,600 cash bond.

Last Friday, Audubon Police arrested 41-year old Melinda Marie Hunnicutt, of Audubon, for Allowing Dog To Run at Large.  Hunnicutt was issued a citation on promise to appear.

And, on May 22nd, a 14-year old Audubon male was referred to juvenile authorities on a charge of assault.  The juvenile was charged and released to his parent.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa police and the state’s Department of Natural Resources are investigating another alleged sighting of a mountain lion in Des Moines.

The Des Moines Register reports an animal was spotted Sunday. Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek told the newspaper that Animal Control is reviewing a photo of the creature but hasn’t located it.

Department of Natural Resources spokesman Alex Murphy says an agency biologist is analyzing the photo and does not believe it’s a mountain lion. Murphy says characteristic dark marks around mountain lions’ eyes are not visible in the photo, but Murphy says it’s difficult to tell because the image is blurry.

The last confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in the city was May 10. Murphy previously said agency officials believed that mountain lion likely left town.

(Radio Iowa) — As state ag officials work to create the rules for industrial hemp production, Iowa farmers are weighing whether the crop would be a good fit in their operations. Christopher Disbro, founder of the Iowa Hemp Association, says he’s excited about the opportunity for the state’s farmers who he hopes can begin growing the crop during the 2020 planting season.

“It’s an emerging market and it’s an expanding market but there is a market for it and it’s that potential for growth where we want our farmers getting involved,” Disbro says. “In the beginning stages, a lot of the markets focused on the pressed seed oil that goes into beauty products or food products. There’s a lot of people using existing infrastructure to do fiber and textiles.”

Dispro says industrial hemp has a wide range of uses and it holds many opportunities for the state’s growers. “Long-term, it’s not just food and fiber, it’s fuel, it’s bioplastics,” Disbro says. “It’s got real potential to be a really strong third rotational crop for Iowa and for Midwest farmers.” Studies find the production of industrial hemp could grow nationally to be a one-point-nine billion dollar market by 2022, well beyond just fabric, fuel and rope.

“I love a lot of the hemp beauty products, specifically the shampoos and hand lotions, they really make great product,” Disbro says. “We should never have to cut down another tree for paper. I try to use as much hemp paper as I can. It’s got a nice feel to it. It’s a little thicker, a little more substantial.”

Governor Kim Reynolds signed the bill into law earlier this month to legalize industrial hemp production. Iowa farmers won’t be able to legally grow hemp until the U-S-D-A approves the proposed regulatory plan being created by the Iowa Department of Agriculture.

Official with the Burlington (IA) Police Department are investigating a suspicious death. Officers were called to a residence in Burlington at around 2:41-p.m. Friday. Upon arrival, they found the body of the resident, 62-year old James Keith Poggemiller. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Decedent Care Center performed an autopsy Saturday, with the results pending. The Burlington Police Department and Iowa DCI’s Criminalistics Lab are jointly conducting the ongoing investigation. Anyone with information regarding the death is asked to call the Burlington P.D. at (319)-753-8375, or Crime Stoppers at (319)-753-6835.

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

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