(Radio Iowa) – A Chicago man who sold heroin to a Cedar Falls woman who overdosed has been sentenced to four decades in prison. The woman died in 2018 of acute heroin intoxication. Police used the woman’s Facebook Messenger account, asked Eric DeAngelo Griggs for more heroin and, when he showed up, Griggs was arrested. Griggs was living in Waterloo at the time of his arrest.

This past April, a jury convicted him of distribution of heroin resulting in death. He is 40 years old and has been sentenced to 40 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

(Rural Montgomery County) — A blaze destroyed a home in rural Montgomery County late Sunday evening. According to Red Oak Fire Chief John Bruce, his crews were dispatched to 2559 K Avenue, southeast of Red Oak, at around 8:50-p.m. Soon after their arrival, Red Oak requested mutual aid for tanker support and personnel, from Essex and Stanton, as the first engine crew reported heavy flames shooting from the two-story structure. Chief Bruce said as they battled the flames, winds averaging 20-to 25 mph made the job difficult.

Grass trucks were requested, and local farmer Kent Swanson brought his tractor and disc in, to work a couple of areas around the affected area, to make sure the embers didn’t spread to other structures or the land.

Photo submitted

Firefighters were at the scene for almost three hours. No injuries were reported. Bruce says the unoccupied house, owned by Robert and Carroll Peterson of Red Oak, is a total loss. He says the fire’s cause and origination are undetermined at this time. Montgomery County Emergency Management, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies, and SIRWA assisted at the scene.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests occurred the last few days of November. On Nov. 30th, 40-year-old Michael Gail Steward, of Fontanelle, was arrested for Contempt of Court – Violation of a No Contact Order. His arrest followed a call at around 3-p.m. that day, from Steward’s mother, who said her son had ripped the door handle off of his father’s pickup truck, and that he was wanting to remove an auger from one of the corn bins. While a deputy was investigating, he observed “many text messages” from Michael to his father, who is a protected party in the No Contact Order. The younger Steward was released from custody on his Own Recognizance December 2nd, per a court order.

On Nov. 29th, 50-year-old Charles Harold Lamb, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on an Adair County felony warrant to serve a court-ordered jail sentence for Lascivious Acts with a Child. He was sentenced to prison and held without bond until delivered to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center, in Coralville. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,370, a sexual abuse-related crime surcharge in the amount of $90, and assessed court costs.

On Nov. 29th also, 51-year-old Ronald Lee Bacon, of Altoona, was arrested on a Marion County warrant for Violation of Parole. He was being held without bond in the Adair County Jail until turned over to Marion County Deputies on Nov. 30th.

And, on Nov. 28th, 25-year-old Jacob Christopher Buck, of Parkersburg, was arrested following a traffic stop at 310th Street and Henry Wallace Road, in Orient. His 2003 Pontiac Bonneville was pulled over for speeding, and for a non-functioning brake light. While speaking with Buck, the deputy detected an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Buck admitted to there being some marijuana in the car, in addition to paraphernalia.

The marijuana was seized, Buck was cited for Possession of drug paraphernalia before being released from the scene.

Des Moines, Iowa — Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Education today (Monday), awarded four $1 million competitive grants through the Career Academy Incentive Fund to prepare more high school students for success in college, postsecondary training and the workforce. Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC), Iowa Lakes Community College, Iowa Western Community College and North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) each received a $1 million grant to increase access to career academy programs in high-demand fields through new regional centers. Students in partnering school districts will benefit from industry partnerships, earn high school and college credit and gain technical and traditional academic skills offered through career and technical education (CTE) programs. This is the third round of awards.

Iowa Western will work with four rural school districts to establish a new regional center in Missouri Valley. NIACC will establish a new regional center in Charles City to serve students from seven school districts in north central Iowa. This is the second Career Academy Incentive Fund award for NIACC. The college was awarded the state’s first grant in 2020, which was used to establish the new John V. Hanson Career Center in Forest City.

DMACC’s grant will be used to create a new regional center in Templeton that will serve students from four rural districts in west central Iowa. Iowa Lakes will use the funding to establish a new regional center on its Spirit Lake campus that will expand career academy programming to students in four surrounding districts. At these new locations, students will have access to CTE programs and state-of-the-art equipment in high-demand fields, including advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, building trades, electrical trades, health care, information technology and welding.

Governor Reynolds says “Expanding career academies develops our workforce talent pipeline and prepares high school students for high-skill, high-demand careers that are available right here in Iowa. I commend DMACC, Iowa Lakes, Iowa Western and NIACC for their leadership in growing career academies which inspire and develop some of Iowa’s most valuable workers beginning at a young age and, at the same time, expands opportunities to meet the needs of students, families, schools and employers in their local communities.”

Iowa Dept. of Education Director Ann Lebo says “These innovative partnerships are vital to introducing more students to high-demand fields in programs where they can earn industry-recognized credentials and college credit. The new regional centers will help more students leave high school prepared for the workforce or ready for further postsecondary education, and I am thankful to these community college and school district leaders for their dedication to expanding career academy opportunities.”

The Career Academy Incentive Fund was established by a 2019 law that extends a statewide penny sales tax for school infrastructure, called Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE), through January 2051. At least $1 million will be awarded annually to support career academy partnerships among community colleges, school districts, business and industry, Regional Planning Partnerships, Area Education Agencies and others to increase student access to college programs, state-of-the-art equipment and career paths in Iowa’s in-demand fields.  Expanding student access to high-quality career and technical education is part of the Future Ready Iowa initiative, which is focused on growing a skilled workforce in all regions of the state by connecting more Iowans to the education and training needed for high-demand careers.

Applications for a fourth round of funding through the Career Academy Incentive Fund will be open next spring. More information is available on the Iowa Department of Education’s website.

(Radio Iowa) – Des Moines police have made an arrest after a series of serious arson fires. Seven fires were reported on the capitol city’s east side over about three hours late Sunday night and early this (Monday) morning. Six of the fires involved vehicles and two of them caught nearby houses on fire. No one was reported hurt.

Police say a man spotted running from one scene is now jailed. He’s identified as 32-year-old Andrew Anthony of Des Moines and he’s charged with one count of arson and meth possession. More charges are expected.

The 8:06-a.m. broadcast News, with Ric Hanson.

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(7-a.m. KJAN News) – The Creston Police Department reports the arrest at around 9:30-a.m. Friday, of a man wanted on six Union County warrants. Authorities say 41-year-old Aaron James Riepe, of Creston, was taken into custody at the Creston/Union County LEC.  He faces charges related to his failing to appear on original charges, that include: possession of controlled substance marijuana/3rd offense; Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree; Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense; Violation of No Contact/Protection Order; Willful Injury causing serious injury; Criminal Mischief in the 4th, and a Class D- felony charge for Violation of Probation Delivery of Controlled Substance/Marijuana. Riepe was taken to Union County Jail where he is being held on $35,900 Cash only bond.

And, a little before 2:30-a.m. Sunday, 25-year-old Kenneth Quienten Weaselhead, of Creston, was arrested at the Creston/Union County LEC, and a charge of OWI 1st. He was later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

The 7:07-a.m. broadcast News from Ric Hanson.

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(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, will place a resolution back on the table, with regard to vacating and closing a portion of 570th Street under Interstate 80, and contained within the State of Iowa right-of-way. The Board tabled action during their meeting three weeks ago. The Iowa DOT requested the road vacation and provided the County with a financial incentive to do so. The meeting begins at 9-a.m.

During a public hearing in October, the DOT’s Scott Suhr explained that about six years ago the Department conducted a study of Interstate 80 from the Nebraska border to the Illinois border in advance of widening the road to six lanes – three in each direction instead of the current two lanes. As part of that study, they looked for a low volume of traffic on those road ways both over and under the Interstate that could be closed, rather than constructing a new bridge.

During the Nov. 16th meeting, Supervisor Steve Green said he and County Engineer Trent Wolken met with three real estate agents to discuss what impact closing the road would have on property values.

Green said he met with the three affected property owners earlier in the day on the 16th, one of whom made it clear they would pursue legal action if the Board agreed to close 570^th.

Green said no one in his district supports the measure, even though the County could use the bridge money. In other business, the Cass County Supervisors, Tuesday, will discuss and possibly act on the establishment of an abatement plan for property improvements for specified classes of property in the non-incorporated area of Cass County. They will also act on authorizing an allowance for the use of personal cell phones, when County employees conduct County business.

The Board will then discuss finance options for the ISICS communication system, and equipment upgrade, along with (but separately), a construction permit application for a confinement feeding operation to be located in Section 9 of Washington Township, in Cass County, Iowa.

Red Oak Police, Sunday evening, arrested a man for Domestic Assault with intent to cause serious injury, and Obstruction of Emergency Communications. 24-year-old Skylar Lee Bingham, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 5:05-p.m. in the 200 block of N. 2nd Street. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond.