(Red Oak) A Red Oak man was arrested Tuesday for Involuntary Manslaughter and Burglary 1^st Degree, in connection with a reported “shots fired” incident that is alleged to have indirectly resulted in the death of a 41-year-old male. The incident took place at around 5:24-p..m.  Police Chief Justin Rhamy said Wednesday (today), 41-year-old Christopher Mickel Mattingly was arrested following an investigation. He was being held at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on a $25,000 cash-only bond.

Chief Rhamy said Red Oak Police were called to the 100 block of West Joy Street in Red Oak for a report of shots fired. Upon arrival of officers in the area, they were directed to a residence located at 103 E. Joy Street, where they located a man who was down in the back yard. Rescue was called to provide medical assistance. Also located in the back yard was another male that was exiting the residence. The second subject (Later identified as Mattingly) was placed into handcuffs and detained.

Officers then returned to the man laying on the ground, in order to provide any immediate medical assistance to that person. The subject on the ground complained of dizziness, but was not shot. Rescue arrived on scene and began providing medical treatment to the man on the ground. He was then transferred to an ambulance and transported to a medical facility. Unfortunately, according to police, the man entered into a cardiac arrest rhythm related to the initial incident and later succumbed to the cardiac arrest. His name was not immediately released.

Upon further investigation into the incident, it was determined Mattingly had gone to the victim’s house armed with a pellet gun, in an attempt to retrieve money that the victim allegedly owed Mattingly. Mattingly began using the pellet gun in an attempt to shoot out surveillance cameras that were on the outside of the residence. Police say once Mattingly arrived at the back door of the residence, he forced his entry by kicking in the door.

Police says it’s not clear what transpired once Mattingly entered the home, but they know that the 41-year-old male resident was able to exit the residence into the back yard where officers originally located him. Agencies assisting Red Oak Police at the scene, included the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Red Oak Fire Rescue.

The Iowa Department of Public Health’s Coronavirus Dashboard, Wednesday morning, indicated there were 124 additional, positive cases of COVID-19 over the previous 24-hours, for a pandemic total of 404, 070. There were no additional deaths reported, which leaves the statewide total at 6,117. Deaths at Iowa’s Long-Term Care facilities since the start of the pandemic, amount to 2,372.

Long-Term Care (LTC) facility outbreak data is unchanged from Tuesday. Officials say there are a total of 26 positive cases among patients and staff at two facilities, and five persons who have recovered. For several days prior to Tuesday’s data, there were three LTC outbreaks. Iowa’s 14-day positivity rate edged-up slightly, to 2.1%. The seven-day positivity rate is up a bit, to 2.1%.

There are a total of 69 Iowans hospitalized with COVID. Health officials report 21 patients are in an ICU; 19 COVID patients were admitted to a hospital, and 12 patients are on a ventilator. In RMCC Region 4 (hospitals in western & southwest Iowa), there are two people hospitalized with COVID-19, one person was in an ICU. No one was admitted over the previous 24-hours, and there are no COVID patients on a ventilator in the area.

In the immediate KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County (since the beginning of the pandemic) and the total number of deaths (Since the beginning of the pandemic) in each county to date:
Cass, 1,478 cases; 55 deaths
Adair, 995; 32
Adams, 356; 4
Audubon, 553; 11
Guthrie, 1,317; 32
Harrison County, 1,937; 73
Madison County, 1,789 19
Mills County, 1,807; 24
Montgomery, 1,116; 38
Pottawattamie County, 12,367;174
Shelby County, 1,380; 37
Union County, 1,383; 35

(Radio Iowa) – A 66-year-old man was found dead inside a burned home in southeast Iowa. Jefferson County officials say a “good Samaritan” called 9-1-1 just before 5:30 Tuesday morning to report a house in a rural area near Batavia was on fire. The house was fully engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived.

The resident of the home, David Headley, was located in the remains of the structure and an autopsy will be performed to determine his cause of death. Several surviving dogs were recovered from the scene of the fire.

Effective Noon today (Wed., June 23rd), a Burn Ban is in place for all of Audubon County. Audubon Fire Chief Tyler Thygesen, acting on behalf of all fire departments in the County, requested the ban be issued by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. The ban prohibits any open burning due to the fact conditions in the County are such that any such activity would constitute a danger to life or property.

No person in Audubon County shall engage in open burning in the County – except as specifically permitted by Iowa Code, until such time as Thygesen notifies the State Fire Marshal that the dangerous conditions no longer exist. Any violation of the Burn Ban is a simple misdemeanor.

The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton School Board, Tuesday evening, completed the hiring of teaching staff for the upcoming school year. The Board approved the hiring of: Emma Bireline – High School English; Heather Sprague – ½ time Title 1 Teacher, and Drew Buckholdt – Asst. Baseball Coach. They also approved the resignation of Dan Spooner – Technology Support/Digital Learning. Exira-EHK Superintendent Trevor Miller echoed comments made by other Superintendents in the area, in saying during his Administrators Report at the Board meeting, about the lack of applicants available to fill teaching positions.

Miller said he in light of the current teacher drought, he hopes the (State) Board of Education/Board of Education Examiners will give districts a little flexibility, in terms of “conditional licenses” and/or “Alternative” licenses.

He says there are persons who want to teach, but they don’t want to have to go back to school and incur the extra expense of a Bachelor’s Degree before they can come back to education.

In other business, Miller said the Board chose to stick with Anderson-Erickson as their milk supplier, and Lightbox Systems out of Harlan for Technology Services.

The Board approved Driver’s Education Contracts for Paul McKay, Jeremy Blake, Dick Casady, and Casey Pelzer. And, they approved a Transportation Director Sharing Agreement with the Harlan Community School District.

The newscast from 8:06-a.m. with Ric Hanson.

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Des Moines, Iowa – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports a Johnston man was arrested Friday night on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in the manufacture and possession of an explosive device that was located June 9th in the 1400 block of SE Waywin Drive, in Ankeny. According to court documents, 46-year old Chad Allen Williams, of Johnston, unlawfully manufactured and possessed an unregistered explosive device in violation of federal law.

Allen is charged by criminal complaint with possession of an unregistered explosive device in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 5861(d), and manufacture of an explosive device in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 5861(f). If convicted, Allen faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Ankeny Police Department, State of Iowa Fire Marshall’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case.

(Des Moines, IA) – A reminder from the Iowa Department of Public Health: Three Test Iowa sites are the first to close this week as the State prepares to end operations of its drive-thru and clinic COVID-19 testing locations by July 16, 2021.

The state-operated drive-thru sites will close when testing concludes at 4 p.m. on the following days:

• TODAY June 23: 3236 Nebraska Ave., Council Bluffs (Pottawattamie County)
• June 24: Windstar Lines, 5755 Willow Creek Dr. SW, Cedar Rapids (Linn County)
• June 25: 4121 Alexandra Drive, Waterloo (Black Hawk County)

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and State Hygienic Lab (SHL) are finalizing plans to provide at-home COVID-19 test kits free of charge to Iowa residents following the closure of the Test Iowa sites. More details will be provided in the coming weeks. Additionally, COVID-19 testing will continue at health care providers, pharmacies, and other retail testing sites statewide.

For more information about Test Iowa locations, hours or scheduling a test, visit coronavirus.iowa.gov or testiowa.com.

The news broadcast from 7:08-a.m., with Ric Hanson.

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A vacancy on the Audubon School Board created by the resignation of Board Member Joni Madsen, will be filled by appointment in July. Madsen has accepted a teaching position within the school district. The person appointed to fill her seat on the Board will be in-place until at least an upcoming school election that takes place later this year. The Board also accepted the resignation of John Roberts as Board Secretary. He’s served in the position for over 30-years. School Business Office Manager Natalie Lange was appointed to replace Roberts.

In other business, the Audubon School Board, Monday, approved Summer Launch contracts, along with a teaching contract for Middle School/High School Art. In addition, the Board approved student fees for FY22. Superintendent Eric Trager has said there were no actual increases in student fees, but substitute pay was increased by $10 per day. They reduced the cost of their adult activities passes (The 10-punch cards) by $10 because the Western Iowa Conference is going to a different fee structure for admissions: $5 per person, regardless of age.