(Clarinda, IA) – Page County Attorney, James L. Varley’s office, Thursday (12/4) released reports on the outcome of court cases held the week of Nov. 10, 2025, in the Iowa District Court for Page County.

26-year-old Robert Shawn Griffin, of Fort Madison, Iowa, pled guilty to Assault on Persons Engaged in Certain Occupations. He was sentenced to 2 years of incarceration which will run consecutive to the sentence the defendant is currently serving. Griffin was also ordered to pay court costs, court-appointed attorney fees and a fine of $855, suspended.

47-year-old Joseph Allen Hensley, of Shenandoah, pled guilty to Operating While Intoxicated (OWI)- 1st Offense. He was sentenced to 2 days of incarceration and fined $1,250. Hensley was given credit for time served for attending and completing the Drinking Driver’s School and obtaining a drug/alcohol evaluation. He was ordered to pay court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.

48-year-old Frank Kephart, of Westboro, Missouri, pled guilty in Page County District Court, to Possession of Controlled Substance, Marijuana-1st Offense. He was fined $420 and ordered to pay court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.

21-year-old Brandon Eugene Lamb, of Clarinda, pled guilty to Possession of a Controlled Substance, THC-1st Offense. Lamb was fined $420 and ordered to pay court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.

31-year-old Bryson Sean McAlpin, of Clarinda, pled guilty to a charge of OWI-1st Offense. He was sentenced to 30 days of incarceration, with all but 2 days suspended. McAlpin is allowed to do the 48-hour Jail Diversion Program in lieu of the 2 days in jail. He was placed on probation for 9 months and was ordered to obtain a drug/alcohol evaluation and follow through with any recommendations. McAlpin must also pay a fine of $1,250, court costs and surcharges.

37-year-old Elizabeth Marie Merriett, of Council Bluffs, admitted in Page County District Court, to violating the terms and conditions of probation. She was found to be in willful contempt of court and sentenced to 90 days of incarceration.

40-year-old Kristin Ann Miller, of Clarinda, pled guilty to OWI-2nd Offense. She was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with all but 7 days suspended and placed on probation for 12 months. As a condition of probation, Miller is to obtain a drug/alcohol evaluation and complete the Drinking Driver’s School. She was ordered to pay a fine of $1,875, court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees; Miller also admitted to violating the terms and conditions of probation. Her deferred judgment was revoked, and she was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with all but 7 days suspended. The sentence will run concurrently to the aforementioned case.

20-year-old Edwin Munoz Morales, of Maryville, MO., pled guilty to OWI-1st Offense. He was granted a deferred judgment and placed on probation for 1 year. As a condition of probation, Morales was ordered to obtain a Substance Abuse Evaluation and complete the 12-hour Drinking Driver’s Course. He was also ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $1,250, court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.

And, 38-year-old Tanner Jay Parker, of Braddyville, pled guilty in Page County District Court, to OWI-1st Offense. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail, with all but 2 days suspended and placed on probation for 1 year. As a condition of his probation, Parker must obtain a Substance Abuse Evaluation and complete the 12-hour Drinking Driver’s Course. A $1,250 fine was imposed, and the defendant was ordered to pay court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.

All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

(Creston, IA) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report two people were arrested on separate charges, Thursday (Dec. 4):

• 26-year-old Noah Alexander Young, of Creston, was arrested at around 7:40-p.m., for Theft in the 3rd Degree. Young was being held in the Union County Jail on a $2,000 bond.
• 40-year-old Michael John Quigley, of Creston, was arrested at around 8:40-p.m., Thursday, on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault/3rd or Subsequent Offense. Quigley was being held without bond in the Union County Jail until seen by Judge.

(Radio Iowa) – An emergency physician is urging Iowa parents and anyone else buying gifts for children this holiday season to closely follow the labeling and to only purchase toys, crafts and sporting goods that are age appropriate. Dr. Benjamin Orozco, with Emplify Health by Gundersen, says pay close attention to the packaging for age recommendations, but he stresses, that shouldn’t be the only deciding factor. “When you’re shopping for a toy, you need to consider all the kids in the house, not just the recipient of that toy,” Orozco says. “Disasters are rare, but there are about a dozen kids a year in the United States that die from a toy, and maybe 250,000 kids who get injured in some way by toys.” It’s crucial to use common sense when buying gifts for children, he says, especially if there are younger siblings in the house.

“We know that the most vulnerable for the catastrophic injuries from choking and ingestion are kids four and under, especially that toddler range where they’re going to be putting things into their mouth,” Orozco says, “and that accounts, unfortunately, for a few deaths every year from choking on a small piece or wrapping or a piece of a toy.” The hazards are different for older children and teenagers, and a full complement of safety gear is a must for many purchases. “Scooters account for most significant injuries. Think of your broken wrists, your bumps, bruises, but also sometimes significant head injuries,” Orozco says. “My advice is to put the safety equipment right with the toy. When you buy a scooter, it should come with a helmet and any other safety equipment that you want used with that item.”

He says agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission do a great job of keeping dangerous toys off the shelves, but occasionally, something will slip through. “There were some very powerful magnets that came out, they’re fun, teenagers can use them. They would stick together and if a small child ingested two of them, they could stick together and pin pieces of the intestine together, and their intestines would actually burst as a result of that,” Orozco says. “It’s really rare that something like that makes it onto the market before the dangers are recognized, but it does happen.” Some new toys are still coated with hazardous lead-based paint, typically items being imported from other countries, so beware. Orozco encourages the purchasing of games, balls, and other activity-related toys that get kids outside to play, to stimulate their minds and their bodies.

Emplify Health by Gundersen has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.

(Radio Iowa) – The first of two Iowa gun seasons for deer opens Saturday. D-N-R state deer biologist Jace Elliott says harvest numbers started out down for the early youth, archery and muzzleloader seasons due to warm weather. “Luckily, things cooled down in the second-half of October. Conditions across the state stayed really nice for deer harvest throughout November, and we ended up catching up as a statewide harvest to exactly where we were at this point last year,” Elliott says. Elliott says the deer population in some areas is still recovering from a couple of bad years for disease. “Much of central, western and southern Iowa counties have experienced severe hemorrhagic disease in 2023 and 2024,” Elliott says. “Fortunately, we got a a break from it across the state this year. But we are still hearing from a lot of folks in those counties, the numbers are still quite a bit lower than they were prior to those outbreaks.”

Elliott says the colder weather can be a benefit for hunters as it keeps the meat cold and ensures that deer are active. “There seems to be a certain point at which it also increases your movement. Especially when we have some snow on the ground that’s going to keep deer on their feet longer during daylight hours, they still have the same calorie requirements to fulfill, and so they’re going to have to be a lot more active to meet those energy needs in order to to survive,” he says. “Cold weather and snow is good for deer movement. It’s good for observing deer. It’s good for tracking wounded deer. So hunters should definitely be excited about the conditions we have coming up over the next week or two,” he says.

Elliott says the first gun season had been the most popular for many years, but there’s been a shift. “Everybody wanted to get that first crack. Over the years, we’ve seen a lot more of a shift into gun two, and over the last few years we have almost an even split,” he says. “And it really comes down to the weather during gun one. I think a lot of people make last minute calls on whether they’re going to buy a gun one or gun two tag, and over the last few years it’s been very even.”

Elliott says there are no regulation changes this year, but there are still some restrictions for western Iowa. “For hunters in Western Iowa, make sure that you’re aware whether or not your county has buck only requirement for gun one. Most of the far Western counties along the Missouri River would be included all the way up to Lyon County there in the northwest,” he says. “So just read the regulations and make sure that you understand what you can and cannot harvest during gun one, even if your tag says any deer.”

The first gun season runs through December 10th and the second gun season starts December 13th and runs through the 21st. Hunters are expected to harvest between 55 to 60-thousand deer during the two guns seasons

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa small business owner says changing or eliminating some federal mandates would make employer-sponsored insurance premiums more affordable. Marcia Strouse — a partner and consultant at Capitol Benefits Group in Des Moines — is one of eight employees at the firm. She testified yesterday (Thursday) before a U-S Senate Committee.

“Premiums have risen more than 120% since the early 2000s, while the number of insurers offering small group plans has sharply declined,” Strouse said. “It’s no wonder that 98% of small business owners fear they will no longer be able to afford coverage in the coming years.” Strouse says several mandates in the 2009 Affordable Care Act should be repealed.

“They have unintentionally contributed to rising costs, fueled industry consolidation and reduced flexibility,” Strouse said. Strouse says prohibiting insurance companies from varying premium within a geographic area based on factors like age or gender inflates premiums for younger workers and she says the Affordable Care Act has required companies to pay for coverage or services their employees may never use.

Strouse is also a critic of the ban on yearly or lifetime insurance coverage limits for essential health care services like hospital stays, pregnancy and newborn care or prescription drugs to be repealed. “Removal of the lifetime limits has contributed to uncontrolled cost growth across the system,” Strouse said. “Eliminating or at a minimum right sizing these mandates would help bring premiums back in line with what small employers and families can afford.”

Strouse told the Senate Committee any group of small businesses should be able to ban together and offer “Association Health Plans.” Under current regulations, small businesses must be in the same industry in order to purchase coverage as a group.

(Council Bluffs, IA) — A district court judge has ruled that former Pottawattamie County Supervisor’s Board Member Scott Belt CANNOT return to his seat on the Board. Judge Roger Sailer issued his ruling Thursday afternoon, after he heard nearly two days worth of arguments and testimony presented by Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber.

A legal petition filed by Wilber against Belt last month, citied Belt’s actions at a town hall meeting in Carson on November 5th and several other incidents of alleged drunken conduct by Belt.

In his ruling, Sailer concluded the evidence was enough to take the “extraordinary measure” of removing Belt from an elected office, whose term runs through the end of 2026.

According to reports, arguments made during the trial centered around whether Belt was intoxicated while performing his official duties, with the defense arguing the town hall, which is not mandated by a state statute, did not qualify as an official part of a supervisor’s job and that Belt was there voluntarily.

Under rules set forth by the Code of Iowa, an appointment to fill the vacancy is expected to be made by a three-person committee, including the county auditor, treasurer, and recorder, who have 40 days from the creation of the vacancy to do so.

In a statement, county officials say that deadline would be December 24th, since Belt was temporarily removed from office after Wilber filed his petition. Officials added they had opted against filling the vacancy immediately to allow Belt to “have his case heard by the judge.”

Belt has held public office for nearly 30 years, with time on the board of supervisors and the Council Bluffs city council. He was also the top vote-getter in the 2022 general election for county supervisor.

(Radio Iowa) – The Court of Appeals is calling for more review of a case that falls under a law that gives farm owners immunity for accidents with animals. Janey Shafer was taking video for Frank Santana as he used a horse-drawn sickle mower on his Madison County farm in 2021. Santana then asked Shafer to hold the horses while he raised the sickle. The sickle bar fell, startling the horses who took off and Shafer was run over by one of the mower wheels and left paralyzed.

Shaffer sued, but the district court said Santana has immunity under Iowa’s law that shields animal operations from liability.

The Appeals Court agreed the Domestic Animal Activities Act applies, but says there is a lingering question as to whether the injury was caused by Santana’s recklessness. It ordered the case back to the district court to review that issue.

(Radio Iowa) – It may sound silly and look ridiculous, but experts say Iowans should consider walking like penguins when it’s this cold and icy to prevent falls. That means taking short strides with deliberate steps, keeping your center of gravity over your feet and your arms out from your sides to maintain balance. Edison Weig, a physical therapist with Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City, says they see a lot of injuries from falls during the winter months.

“It’s a multitude of things, but I would say probably the most that we see are those hip fractures, especially in the hospital setting that’s related to that increase in fall risk, especially the outdoor environments,” Weig says. “It’s easy to take one wrong step.” Other injuries may range from broken arms and legs to back injuries and concussions, and one in every five falls results in a serious injury. Weig says one segment of the Iowa population is most at risk.

“As you age, you tend to lose some strength, so definitely in the older population, like people 65 years and older,” Weig says. “One out of four older people every year fall, but less than 50% of that population reports that fall to their doctor.”

He says more than 75-thousand Iowans were treated in emergency rooms last year for fall-related injuries.

(Atlantic, IA) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three people were arrested on separate warrants, recently.

On December 1st, Cass County Deputies arrested 22-year-old Adia Mae Hebron, of Cumberland, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Hebron was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and later released on her own recognizance.

On December 3rd, 34-year-old Mikel Ann Erickson, of Omaha, was arrested  on a warrant for Theft 1st Degree>$10,000. Erickson was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and later released on bond; And, 28-year-old Christina Marie Stevens, of Anita, was arrested on four warrants for Failure to Appear. Stevens was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held.