FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man convicted of a 1987 drug-related slaying has died in prison. The Iowa Corrections Department says 71-year-old Charles Robinson died of an illness Wednesday at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison. The Des Moines Register reports that Robinson was a drug dealer who fatally shot 50-year-old Joseph Coon in January 1987 and wounded another man. Prosecutors said Coon owed Robinson $260 for drugs and the two had argued over the money. He’d also served prison time for robbery, forgery and shoplifting convictions.

On Saturday, March 6th, 2019, 12 members of the Atlantic FFA chapter competed in the District Career Development Events with two advancing to the State FFA Convention in Ames. During the District Business session Juniors Corri Pelzer was elected for the District Sentinel position and Adriana Mendez ran for the District Reporter. Unfortunately Adrian was not elected this year. Hannah Carlson and Tate Den Beste were the chapter delegates for Atlantic FFA at Convention.

Tyler C

Tate and Hannah

Craig Allan Ag Sales

Carli H

Bryan Y

Corri Pelzer

FFA member Carli Henderson competed in the Job Interview category placing 1st earning a Gold and advancing to State. Tyler Comes competed in Extemporaneous Speaking earning a Gold placing 2nd and advancing to State. Bryan York competed in the FFA Creed Speaking CDE placing 4th earning a Gold and will be the alternate to State. Katie York competed in the Chapter Website CDE earning a Silver. In the Ag Impact CDE 8th grade FFA members Jackson McLaren, Chase Vogl, Dan Freund and Dylan Comes presented on the importance of Agriculture in Cass County. This is the first year Atlantic has competed in the contest and the team earned 4th place and a Silver.

In the Farm Business Management Test Atlantic FFA had 4 members compete this year. Nathan Behrends placed 4th, Tyler Comes was 6th, Newell was 7th and Adrian Mendez was 11th. In the FFA Freshman Greenhand Quiz, Atlantic FFA had 5 members participate. Bryan York received a Gold. Receiving Silver was Andrew Engler, Aspen Niklasen, Cooper Jipsen, Malena Woodward, and Wyatt Redinbaugh

Seven members of the Atlantic FFA earned the FFA Academic Achievement Award. To earn this award an FFA member must be a member for 3 years and maintain a 3.5 GPA while in high school. This year Halsey Bailey, Nathan Behrends, Connor Pellett, Alana Welter, Sadie Welter, Ashley Wendt and Katie York earned this award.

(Article submitted by an FFA reporter)

(Update 12:45-p.m.) Police in Des Moines today (Friday), arrested a Shelby County man wanted on suspicion of 1^st degree Murder in Pottawatamie County. 20-year old Nicholas Haner, of Harlan, was wanted in connection with the death in January, of 38-year old Adam Angeroth, whose body was found in Angeroth’s Council Bluffs apartment.

Haner

Des Moines police received a tip that Haner was in the area and they began to follow him and an unknown accomplice in the stolen car. They crashed the car just off Washington Avenue on East 14th. Police apprehended Haner in the area of East 14th Street and Osceola Avenue.

KCCI-TV in Des Moines reports multiple law enforcement officers worked together, blocking off various parts of East 14th Street. Police said Haner was easy to catch but the accomplice proved more of a challenge. He scrambled through neighborhoods, followed by dogs and heavily armed officers before he gave up and was captured at a home.

Council Bluffs Police Captain Todd Weddum says Haner will be held in the Polk County Jail, until arrangements are made for him to be brought back to Pottawattamie County; at this time, it is unknown when that will be. Two others were arrested in connection with the murder. 21-year old Liam Stec and an unidentified 16-year old male, both from Omaha, are in custody. Police said the teen’s case will begin in Juvenile Court, when and if there is a determination to hear his case as an adult in District Court, his identity will become public record.

The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a lower court’s ruling that the state cannot deny two transgender women Medicaid coverage for sex reassignment surgery. In its ruling Friday, the state’s high court agreed with Judge Arthur Gamble’s ruling in June that a 1995 Iowa Department of Human Services policy denying Medicaid coverage for sex reassignment surgery violates the state’s 2007 Civil Rights Act, which added gender identity to the state’s list of protected classes.

Gamble also deemed state’s 1995 policy unconstitutional, but the high court did not address that finding. The ruling comes in the consolidated cases of Carol Ann Beal and EerieAnna Good, who sued in 2017 after their Medicaid provider and the Iowa Department of Human Services denied surgery requests recommended by doctors.

(Radio Iowa) — A 37-year-old man from Cherokee has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison on drug charges. State prison records show Raymond Andrew Kerns had seven felony convictions in Pottawattamie, Ida and Cherokee Counties in the past six years. In September, he pleaded guilty in federal court to possession and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Kerns was arrested in Storm Lake a year ago. Prosecutors say he was trying to meet with another meth dealer at the time. Kerns was responsible for selling about three pounds of meth in the Cherokee area, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) — More reports are trickling in which predict Iowa could face a serious flooding problem this spring. The U-S Army Corps of Engineers is the latest agency to issue a warning about the potential for “major-level” flooding, based on the snowpack in the Rocky Mountains. Kevin Low, a hydrologist with the Missouri Basin River Forecast Center, offers this update. “Snowpack conditions in the mountains can be categorized as near-normal to a little bit above normal,” Low says. “By this point in the winter, we’ve accumulated usually about 80% of the seasonal peak snow-water equivalent in the mountains, so we’re getting close to seeing what we’re going to see.”

While the mountain snowpack may only be slightly above normal, there’s a lot of snow on the ground across the region which will soon melt as well. Low says the Corps of Engineers is putting out a series of long-range flood outlooks for the upcoming three months. “These outlooks call for major-level flooding along many of the tributaries in South Dakota and in Iowa,” Low says. “Specifically, we are projecting major-level flooding along the Big Sioux in South Dakota and in Iowa, and on the Floyd and Little Sioux rivers in Iowa.”

The river that comprises the border between Iowa and Nebraska may also soon experience a level boost. “The Missouri River downstream of Gavins Point Dam is also expected to see moderate-level flooding this season,” he says. Low says localized flooding due to ice jams is also possible over the next few weeks.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report 32-year old Jestin M. Hambright, who was being held in the Pott. County Jail on Theft charges, was presented with a warrant Thursday afternoon, for Violation of Probation. Hambright was returned to Corrections Staff for further processing. 29-year old Amanda Marie Sprinkel, who was being held in the Pott. County Jail, was presented with a warrant out of Douglas County, NE., for being a Fugitive from Justice. And, 23-year old Hayley Yvette Byerly was transported from the Dakota County, NE. Jail to the Pott. County Jail, to address a warrant for Violation of Probation.

Officials with the Audubon County Memorial Hospital report the hospital has been notified by several members of the community that they have been contacted by a caller claiming to be from the Audubon County Memorial Hospital.  The caller has a foreign voice and asks for money they claim is owed for a hospital bill.  The caller ID is showing up as Audubon County Memorial Hospital which is something easy to do according to the police.  They are apparently very persistent and hospital officials are concerned that a person might give them credit card or personal information over the phone.  The Audubon Police Department has been made aware of the situation.  The incidents are a classic case of spoofing that is unfortunately all too common these days.

Tips to avoid spoofing scams
You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed. Be extremely careful about responding to any request for personal identifying information.

§  If you answer the phone and the caller – or a recording – asks you to hit a button to stop getting the calls, you should just hang up. Scammers often use this trick to identify potential targets.

§  Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with “Yes” or “No.”

§  Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother’s maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.

§  If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book, or on the company’s or government agency’s website to verify the authenticity of the request.  You will usually get a written statement in the mail before you get a phone call from a legitimate source, particularly if the caller is asking for a payment.

§  Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.

WASHINGTON (AP) — There’s no time like the present to watch the shifting sands of the hourglass foretell the inevitable forward march of time. It’s time again to abide by the old adage to spring forward (though it’s not yet spring) and mark the shift from standard to daylight saving time. The change occurs at 2 a.m. local time Sunday across most of the United States, so set your clocks an hour ahead before going to bed Saturday night. Daylight will begin to last longer into the evening, but the sun will take an hour longer to emerge in the morning.

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas. Standard time returns Nov. 3.

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports 59-year old Charles Frederick Fancher, of Audubon, was arrested Feb. 28th. He was taken into custody for Simple Assault and Disorderly Conduct.  Fancher was later released on bond from the Audubon County Jail. And, on Thursday (March 7), 22-year old Zeth Lee Petersen, of Audubon, was arrested for Filing a False Report to Law Enforcement.  Petersen turned himself in on a warrant and was released after posting bond. The incident remains under investigation.