DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa legislative panel has approved several proposals by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate to alleviate a last-minute crunch on Election Day. The Iowa Legislative Council will let voters use a driver’s license for their identification even if it expired this year and will allow Pate to move a polling place in an emergency. Nursing home residents may receive ballots by mail rather than have them hand-delivered as required by state law. Also, county election boards may remove mail ballots from their outer envelope on the Saturday before Election Day to make tabulating them go faster on the day before Election Day as state law allows.

By RYAN J. FOLEY Associated Press
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Members of the University of Iowa women’s swimming and diving team are suing the school over a decision to eliminate their program. The lawsuit argues that Iowa is not offering equal opportunity for female students in sports as required by a 1972 law that bars gender discrimination in federally funded education programs. The plaintiffs are four members of the team. They want a court to reinstate their program. They’re also seeking class-action status for all female undergraduate students and more sports opportunities. The university is cutting men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s tennis and men’s gymnastics due to budget woes.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is warning area residents of a phone scam that has been reported in the area. In the scam a number comes up on a person’s caller ID as Cass County. Upon answering the scammer will claim they have received a report of misuse of social security numbers and will proceed to ask for the last four digits of those numbers. Upon refusal, the scammer will try to say they’ll have to put a warrant out for the person’s arrest.

Please beware of this scam. The Sheriff’s Office reminds residents that they would never cold-call someone to ask for their social security number or other personal information.

DES MOINES – Friday, Governor Reynolds signed a new proclamation continuing the Public Health Disaster Emergency.

The proclamation extends the closure of bars, taverns, wineries, breweries, distilleries, night clubs in Johnson and Story counties for an additional week, until 11:59 p.m. on October 4, 2020. They may continue to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption off premises. Restaurants in these two counties are still permitted to remain open, but must stop selling and serving alcoholic beverages after 10:00 p.m.

Restaurants in Johnson and Story counties, like bars and restaurants in all other counties, must also continue to follow other mitigation measures. This includes the requirements to ensure six feet of physical distance between each group or individual dining or drinking; to ensure all patrons have a seat at a table or bar and consume alcohol or food while seated; and to limit congregating together closer than six feet.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a burglary occurred in Villisca overnight Thursday into Friday morning. An unknown person or persons made entry into a locked building in the East 200 block of 3rd Street in Villisca sometime between 7:00 p.m. Thursday to 7:00 a.m. on Friday. Items valued at approximately $3,600 were stolen from the building. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – On September 24, 2020, United States District Court Senior Judge James E. Gritzner sentenced Kenneth Jay Still, age 71, of Council Bluffs, to 10 years in prison, the statutory maximum, for felon and domestic abuser in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Still was ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund. There is no parole in the federal system.

On October 7, 2018, Still shot and killed his 21-year-old step-son at close range with a 12- gauge shotgun. Still immediately fled the scene and disposed of the shotgun. He turned himself in to authorities the next day. Law enforcement was able to recover the shotgun several weeks later. Still pleaded guilty on June 16, 2020, in federal court to the gun charge.

This case was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

DES MOINES, IA – On September 17, 2020, United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger sentenced Michael James Hidlebaugh, age 38, of Perry, to 97 months in prison for Receipt of Child Pornography, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Hidlebaugh was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term, pay $21,000 in restitution, and comply with sex offender registry requirements upon release.

The investigation began in September 2017 when law enforcement received an investigative lead from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that images of child pornography had been uploaded to Hidlebaugh’s email account. Following further investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hidlebaugh’s Perry residence in May 2018. Law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices, which contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. The investigation showed that from July 2016 to April 2018, Hidlebaugh received child pornography.

This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of two individuals on Thursday following a theft investigation. Deputies took a report of burglary and theft that occurred near Hamburg. Several items were reported missing including a vehicle and camper.

Deputies found evidence implicating 29-year-old Ashley Clapper of Rockport, MO and 25-year-old Cameron Gaymon of Hamburg in the crime. Atchison County, MO Deputies made contact with the pair on I-29 in Missouri with the stolen items. Clapper and Gaymon were both charged with three counts of Theft 2nd Degree with more charges pending.

They were being held in the Atchison County Jail awaiting extradition back to Iowa.

Tyler McGee

Taylor Spencer

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports the arrest of two men from Kansas City, MO on drug, gun, and theft charges on Tuesday.

On September 22nd at approximately 09:05 p.m. Deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office were called to the area of 195^th and Highway 2 for a report of a suspicious vehicle.  Deputies made contact with the vehicle on Highway 2, near Interstate 29.

During the investigation, Deputies discovered controlled substances, a rifle and several stolen retail items inside the vehicle.

Taylor Spencer, age 27 of Kansas City, Missouri, was charged with two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, (Heroin and Methamphetamine), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, No Valid License, and Theft 2^nd Degree.  Spencer is being held on $11,000 bond

Tyler McGee, age 25 of Kansas City, Missouri was charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Theft 2^nd Degree.  McGee is being held on $10,000 bond.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Iowa State Patrol, and K9 Units from Mills County, Cass County, and Shenandoah Police Department.

The Mills Count Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Friday of 56-year-old Tami Sue Bailey of Nebraska City, NE on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Bailey was arrested at 10:00 a.m. Friday and booked into the Mills County Jail on $1,000 bond.