The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Red Oak man on Friday night. At 10:36pm Deputies arrested 27-year-old Dahlton Briggs of Red Oak for Disorderly Conduct following an incident in the 100 block of West Joy Street in Red Oak. Briggs was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond.

Two Democrat Presidential candidates, Senator Bernie Sanders, from Vermont, and Senator Amy Klobuchar, from Minnesota, will be in western Iowa over the coming days, making campaign stops and holding meet & greet or town hall-type events.

Klobuchar will be making her third bus tour across Iowa, with stops in Creston, Diagonal, Corning, Bedford, Clarinda, Sidney and Council Bluffs tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 21). On Sunday, she travels to Logan, Harlan, Audubon and Denison for public events, before moving on to communities in northwest Iowa. (Her local, Dec. 21st schedule is as follows):

• 12:30-p.m. – Adams St. Espresso in Creston (213 W. Adams St.).
• 1:50-p.m. – Ringgold County Freedom Rock (W. 3rd St.), in Diagonal.
• 2:45-p.m. – At the Primrose in Corning (619 Davis Ave.)
• 4:00-p.m. – Taylor County Museum (1001 Pollock Blvd.), in Bedford.
• 5:00-p.m. – Garrison House (106 N. 16th St.), in Corning.
• 6:45-p.m. – Silver Spur Bar & Grill (708 Illinois St.), in Sidney.
• 8:15-p.m. – The Gorman’s Residence (203 5th Ave.) in Council Bluffs, for a House Party.

On Sunday, Dec. 22nd, the Senator from Minnesota will be:

• At the Bunkhouse Cafe Too, in Logan (123 N. 4th Ave.), at around 9-a.m.
• At 10:15-a.m., she’s scheduled to be in Harlan, at Mike & Honey (1101 7th St.).
• 11:30-a.m. – Albert the Bull in Audubon.
• and at 12:30-p.m., at the El Jimador Mexican Grill, in Denison (2506 4th Ave.)

Sanders returns to Iowa Dec. 29th through the 31st, for campaign stops in Polk, Dallas and Madison Counties. On Monday, Dec. 30th, Sanders will hold a Winterset Town Hall in the Winterset Middle School Commons area, beginning at 6:30-p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but attendees are encourage to RSVP via the Sanders’ campaign website.

In an update to an earlier report, a spokesman for the Iowa National Guard, Friday (Today), said “A combination of factors led to a 911 call from Camp Dodge Wednesday initiating an active shooter response from local, county and state law enforcement agencies.” Col. Michael Wunn said “A preliminary review by Camp Dodge security personnel has revealed that there was no actual threat to the base or to base personnel at the time of the call.”

Col. Wunn said “In response to recent attacks at military bases in Hawaii and Florida, U.S. Northern Command recently directed military installations to assess force protection procedures and increase security measures as appropriate for their installations and facilities. Additionally, as part of this heightened security posture, personnel were reminded to remain alert and act if they observe suspicious activity.

Early Wednesday afternoon, the Camp Dodge supply warehouse (Bldg. W12), a large facility designed to receive shipments as well as issue clothing and individual equipment, took steps to increase its security posture by locking doors that normally remain open during business hours to prevent free access to the building.

Non-warehouse personnel present in the facility at the time the increased security measures went into effect mistook these actions as an active event rather than proactive steps to secure the warehouse. Told they were under lockdown, they reported it to their supervisor at the Camp Dodge Range Control office as a potential active shooter situation. Repeated return calls from the Range Control office to verify the situation at the warehouse went unanswered and prompted a decision to call 911.”

Wunn said “Compounding the confusion at the time of the 911 call were ongoing security concerns related to an incident with a former Iowa National Guard Soldier, who recently made threatening statements to Camp Dodge personnel.”

He added, “As reported Wednesday, Camp Dodge security and multiple law enforcement agencies responded swiftly to the call, arriving on scene within minutes. Base personnel were instructed to lockdown and shelter in place in accordance with active shooter protocols. Law enforcement officers took steps to search and clear the building and surrounding area. Once these steps were complete, the all-clear was issued and the lockdown lifted.

Despite any inconvenience and disruption caused by yesterday’s response, all parties agree that in today’s environment, it is better to error on the side of caution and act when confronted with a real or perceived threat.”

CLIVE, Iowa (AP) — Police say they’ve charged a Des Moines woman with attempted murder after she told officers she intentionally ran over a 14-year-old girl because she believed the teen was Mexican. Natalia Miranda suffered a concussion and severe bruising in the attack but is expected to make a full recovery.

This undated photo provided by the Polk County (Iowa) Jail shows Nicole Marie Poole Franklin. Clive, Iowa police on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, charged Franklin, of Des Moines with attempted murder. She’s accused of purposely running down a 14-year-old girl who was walking along a sidewalk in a suburban neighborhood. Police say Franklin told investigators she hit the girl because she is “a Mexican.” The girl was seriously hurt but is recovering from her injuries. Franklin is being held in the Polk County Jail.(Polk County Jail via AP)

Clive Police Chief Mike Venema said Friday during a news conference that 42-year-old Nicole Marie Poole Franklin admitted to steering her SUV onto a sidewalk on Dec. 9 in the suburban Des Moines community and intentionally running over the teenager. Natalia was walking to school to watch a basketball game. Police say Franklin made derogatory statements about Latinos during a police interview.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s unemployment rate remained at 2.6% in November as the number of people with and without jobs both increased. Iowa Workforce Development reported Friday that the number of Iowa residents with jobs climbed by 8,200 from October to November. The number of unemployed people also increased, from 45,100 in October to 46,200 in November. Iowa’s 2.6% unemployment rate was the nation’s fifth lowest, tied with Colorado, Hawaii, New Hampshire and Virginia.

Vermont had the lowest rate, at 2.3%. The national unemployment rate in November was 3.5%.

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County, Thursday, arrested a woman on warrants out of two area counties. A vehicle driven by 37-year old Amber Wilmot, of New Market, was pulled-over for a minor traffic infraction near the intersection of Highway 2 and C Avenue, about two-miles east of Shenandoah.

Amber Wilmot (Page County S/O photo)

During the stop, Wilmot was found to be driving without a valid license. She was also found to have had warrants out of Page and Mills Counties.

Charges on the warrants are for Theft 5th Degree and Failure to appear. Wilmot was transported to the Page County Jail where she was being held on a $2,000 cash-only bond.

Officials with SHIFT ATL said Friday (today), that Camblin Mechanical, Inc. recently donated $5,000, in a show of support for SHIFT ATL. The funds will be used to match a Community Catalyst Grant the non-profit organization is currently applying for. SHIFT ATL thanks Camblin Mechanical for its ongoing support of the organization.

Pictured are Jessie Shiels of SHIFT ATL and Randy Watts of Camblin Mechanical.

(Radio Iowa) — Researchers at Iowa State University say there’s a national shift in how we want our bodies treated when we die — and how our loved ones mark our passing. More of us are choosing cremation over burial, and celebration of life services over funerals. Professor Lee Cagley, chair of I-S-U’s interior design department, says it’s an unsustainable model for cemeteries to be like big parks filled with trees. “The ability to provide a broad expanse of grassy turf that your loved one could be buried in comes at a colossal price,” Cagley says. “There’s thousands and thousands of dollars that’s spent every month just watering dead people, so to speak.”

Cagley posed a project for his graduate students to offer design suggestions for graveyards and funeral homes of the future — which take into account changing weather patterns as well as changing social norms. “The industry has been a little slow to adapt,” Cagley says, “but now, with the clear impacts of climate change, it’s become a rallying cry that they’re actually taking the lead and re-examining what kind of burial practices would be appropriate for the family of the future.”

One student designed a sort of vertical cemetery that looks something like a park built on a parking ramp — a slowly-inclining space with burial spots along the way. Another student envisioned a three-story “library” that includes niches on each level to inter cremains, while creating a space where family and friends can stay and reminisce. The names of those who’ve passed would be etched on pieces of colored glass, suspended from the ceiling as a centerpiece. Cagley says we’re in a transitional period of time where the ideas of Generation X are giving way to those of Generation Y. “Generation Y is a lot more accepting of death as a part of life and therefore, not spending so much time and energy mourning the loss of a loved one or a friend as they are celebrating the legacy of them,” Cagley says. “That trend is definitely reflected in the way that funeral practices are happening for the loss of let’s say mom or grandmother.”

The works of Cagley’s interior design students are on display at the Ames campus in an exhibit called “Dearly Departed.” While locals may not be flocking to see it, he says professionals in the funeral industry are very interested, especially those from the southwestern U-S. “Because desert landscape is essentially quite fragile, it is actually a difficult problem,” Cagley says, “trying to help survivors deal with what they think is a dignified end will require a lot of experimentation in the industry.”

This year’s nationwide cremation rate is projected to be near 55-percent, with only 39-percent choosing burial. By 2040, it’s forecast the gap will broaden to nearly 80-percent cremation and about 16-percent burial. In the southwestern U-S, Cagley says 75-to-80 percent of people who die already chose cremation.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office report 32-year old Kevin James Jungers, of Lenox, was arrested Thursday night, in Orient. Jungers was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for violation of probation. He was being held without bond in the Union County Jail, until seen by a Judge.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa middle school principal is apologizing after denying students pizzas that had already been delivered to their classroom for a pizza party their teacher had promised them. Brody Middle School Principal Thomas Hoffman intercepted the pizzas Thursday, citing the school’s fairness and equal opportunity policy. That led a parent of one of the denied students to post about the incident on social media, drawing thousands of angry responses. By late afternoon, Hoffman had issued a public apology, saying he was “overly strict” in applying the school’s standards. Hoffman says the school will accept pizzas expected to be delivered to the entire school on Friday.