The Harlan Police Department reports two arrests. Monday, officers arrested 54-year-old William James Ballard, of LeMars, on a charge of Driving While Revoked, and Careless Driving. And, on Sunday, 27-year-old Jose Cruz Gutierrez Villanuea, of Harlan, was arrested for OWI and Driving While Suspended.

Atlantic, IA — Officials with the Cass County Health System and Cass County Public Health said Tuesday they had received multiple reports this month, of phone-related Medicare and vaccine scams occurring in the region. Cass County Health System and Cass County Public Health employees will not call and ask for payment or health insurance information over the phone, including when scheduling COVID vaccine appointments.

Please be cautious about sharing personal information and financials over the phone. Some of the reports included that the phone numbers appear to be local. When in doubt, patients can always ask for the caller’s name and phone extension, and then call the main CCHS phone number at 712-243-3250 to verify this information.

DeWITT, Iowa (AP) — Police say human remains have been found in a pond in a rural area near DeWitt, about 20 miles north of Davenport where authorities have been investigating the disappearance of a 10-year-old girl since last summer. The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, Davenport police and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation held a joint news conference Tuesday to confirm that a body had been found Monday by two people fishing.

Officials have not identified the body and declined to speculate during the news conference on whether the remains could be those of the girl, Breasia Terrell. However, Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski acknowledged he had been contacted about the discovery of the remains because of his department’s investigation into the girl’s whereabouts.

Tuesday morning, members of the Council Bluffs Police Department, along with investigators from the State of Iowa’s Department of Revenue and the State’s Alcoholic Beverage Division, served search warrants on two Council Bluffs bars: Bier Fest, formerly known as Cube Ultra Lounge (162 W. Broadway) and Rodeo Saloon & BBQ (164 W. Broadway).

Authorities suspect the owner of these businesses, Frank Hoover, of committing tax fraud. Cindy Hoover, Frank’s wife, is the owner of Broadway Properties LLC, which owns the buildings in which the two bars operate. Since 2017, the Iowa Dept of Revenue has not received personal individual income tax filings for either Frank or Cindy Hoover, and no corporate filings for the Cube Ultra Lounge, Rodeo Saloon & BBQ or Broadway Properties. The investigation has also determined that Frank Hoover has under-reported more than $1.4 million dollars in sales revenue, to the State of Iowa, for the two bars, since January 2018.

An additional search warrant was served this morning at the Hoover’s personal residence, in the 300 block Perrin Place. After being questioned by investigators, both Frank and Cindy Hoover were arrested and booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail. Both were charged with On-Going Criminal Conduct (a Class B felony), along with various tax evasion and reporting violations.

This is an ongoing investigation, anyone having additional information or knowledge of the situation can call the Council Bluffs Police Department at 712-328-4728. The Hoovers are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Tuesday, reported one person was injured during a single-vehicle accident that took place last Friday, March 19th. The driver of a 2010 Hyundai, 28-year-old Christian Ladron De Guevara, of Omaha, was injured in the crash and transported by ambulance to the UNMC in Omaha. Authorities says De Guevara was traveling south on 221st Street at around 9:50-p.m., when his vehicle went off the road and made contact with a culvert, causing the vehicle to flip and land on its top in a yard at 56014 221st Street. The vehicle caused damage to a fence surrounding the Glenwood Water tower.

Mills County authorities said also, 45-year old Ausencio Martin Rivera, of Omaha, was arrested Monday night at the Douglas County, Nebraska Jail, on a Mills County warrant for Violation of Probation. His bond was set at $5,000.

ANAMOSA – Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections, Tuesday, said that at approximately 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, multiple staff members were assaulted at the Anamosa State Penitentiary. A corrections department nurse and a correctional officer have died as a result of their injuries. Currently the department is collecting and confirming details of the assault. What the department can confirm is that an inmate attacked multiple staff members and inmates in the prison’s infirmary. Additional security staff arrived and restrained the inmate. Staff began attempting life-saving first aid on the injured until paramedics arrived.

The incident remains under a joint investigation by the Iowa Department of Corrections and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, part of the Iowa Department of Public Safety.  Names were being withheld, pending family notifications and investigation.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports five recent arrests. On Monday (3/22), deputies arrested 39-year old Michael Angelo Collins, of Council Bluffs, on two Atlantic Police Department warrants for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Serious) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Simple). Collins was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $2,000 bond.

On Sunday (3/21) deputies arrested 25-year old Tyler Ray Osborn, of Council Bluffs, on a District Court order for Failure to Appear. Osborn was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $5,000 bond. Saturday, Cass County Deputies arrested 34-year old Christopher Anthony James Castillo, of Atlantic, on charges of OWI 3rd Offense (D Felony) and Driving While Barred (Aggravated). Castillo was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $5,000 bond.

Last Friday, deputies arrested 49-year old Stanley Oral Rossell, of Lewis, on a Colorado warrant. Rossell was taken to the Cass County Jail where he awaits transfer to Colorado authorities. And, on March 17th, 82-year old Teddy Ernest Davies, of Omaha, was arrested in Cass County, on a charge of Harassment 1st Degree (Aggravated). Davies was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $2,000 bond.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A Waterloo woman faces theft charges after police say she stole nearly $30,000 in unemployment benefits from a relative. The Courier reports that 43-year-old April Ann South is charged with first-degree theft, identity theft and credit card fraud. Police say the theft occurred after the relative asked South for help in applying for unemployment last year. Police say the relative was told she didn’t qualify for unemployment, but was told in January by the Iowa Workforce Development that she had been receiving unemployment payments.

Officials say the money was paid into a bank account set up in her name and spent using a pre-paid credit card. Police say surveillance videos show South using the card at different locations to spend more than $28,000 from the funds.

A Welcome Home Celebration for Atlantic High School Senior Steele McLaren will be held on Thursday, March 25th. Steele suffered a traumatic brain injury during an accident on Oct., 25, 2020, and has spent the past nearly four months undergoing intense surgeries and physical rehabilitation. He has made remarkable progress but is a long way from full recovery. His family will escort Steele into Atlantic from the Elk Horn Exit of Interstate 80. They ask that there be no loud noises, sirens, lights, etc. (and, no duck calls, at least for now). The intent they said, is to stimulate his brain as little as possible. The family asks also, that you not approach their vehicles, either. Just hold up signs, give a huge wave, and an even bigger smile as he rolls into town.

Steele after months of rehab and prayers. (Photos via the Praying for Steele #32strong Facebook Page)

The planned route has changed so that the family vehicle will come straight across 2nd Street and directly up Chestnut Street. The family says there is still TONS of space along the Highway coming into town, by Mahle, the rock quarry, along 2nd Street, and up Chestnut for everyone to attend and support. The plan is to leave the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Omaha at around 10:30-a.m. Thursday, and arrive to Atlantic Around 11:45 to Noon.

In the hospital following the accident.

There will be live feed of the celebration available on the Praying for Steele #32strong facebook group.