Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports three arrests took place last week. At around 10-p.m., Thursday, 44-year old Scott William Richard Funke, of Fontanelle, was arrested on an Adair County warrant for Failure to Appear for a Violation of Probation, hearing. Funke was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $5,000 cash/surety bond. Just before Noon, Thursday, 38-year old Brian Harold Eilts, of Massena, was arrested on an Adair County warrant for Driving While Barred. His cash/surety bond was set at $2,000, with 10% acceptable.

And, at around 3:10-p.m. on Dec. 2nd, 42-year old Shane Robert Seagler, of Massena, was arrested on an Adair County warrant for Failure to Appear on a Forgery charge. Seagler was released later that same day on a $100 cash bond.

Auditor of State Rob Sand, Monday (today) released an agreed-upon procedures report on the City of Casey, Iowa, for the period July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. Sand reported fifteen findings related to the receipt and disbursement of taxpayer funds. The findings address issues such as a lack of segregation of duties, the lack of independent reviews of bank reconciliations for all months, utility reconciliations not completed for all months, the lack of publishing City Council meeting minutes within fifteen days of the meeting, disbursements exceeding budgeted amounts, the lack of approval of journal entries, the lack of tracking the use of local option sales tax receipts, disbursements and unspent balances, payment of long-term debt from an incorrect fund, the lack of supervisory approval of time sheets and separately maintained fire department funds not included in the City’s financial records and monthly and annual financial reports.

Sand provided the City with recommendations to address each of the findings. Seven of the fifteen findings discussed above are repeated from the prior year. The City Council has a fiduciary responsibility to provide oversight of the City’s operations and financial transactions. Oversight is typically defined as the “watchful and responsible care” a governing body exercises in its fiduciary capacity.

A copy of the agreed-upon procedures report is available for review on the Auditor of State’s web site at https://auditor.iowa.gov/audit-reports.

The driver of a 2014 KIA Sportage and her passenger were injured during a rollover accident early Saturday morning, in Union County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 19-year old Jessica Paige Kelley, of Afton, was traveling south on Owl Avenue at around 1:53-a.m., when a deer came out of the left side ditch. When Kelley swerved to avoid striking the animal, she lost control of the car. The vehicle went off the road and into the ditch, where it knocked down a barbed wire fence, rolled and came to rest on its top. All the airbags deployed during the crash.

Kelley and her passenger, 19-year old Taylor Miller, of Afton, were transported by EMS ambulance to the hospital in Creston, for treatment of unknown, possible injuries. The car sustained $8,000 damage, and was declared a total loss.

(Radio Iowa) – As the holidays approach, Iowans are being reminded to be vigilant about con artists that will call, claiming you owe back taxes. Christopher Miller, a spokesman for the Internal Revenue Service, says even as the volume of those scam calls is beginning to slow, unsuspecting people continue to be hooked by the crooks.  “We still find people are falling victim to these scams and schemes,” Miller says. “It’s a really good time to emphasize that, especially now as the online shopping season is kicking off.”

Miller says Iowans need to be on guard for this type of scam all year long, in particular, during December. Miller says, “I’m hoping that people are becoming more aware of this important message that the IRS is not going to call you out of the blue to ask you for your personal information.” He notes, the I-R-S is never going to demand payment over the phone for back taxes.  Miller says, “We certainly are not going to ask you to ever pay your bill by a gift card like an iTunes card.”

Many of the same crooks that were using the I-R-S name are now pretending to be from other agencies, including Social Security, the F-B-I, local police departments and more. Miller says if you get someone demanding payment over the phone, simply hang up.

(Updated 10-a.m.) – The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous arrests over the past week:

• This (Monday) morning, 23-year old Tylor Anthony Witzel, was taken into custody at the Polk County Jail, and transported to Pott. County on a State of Iowa warrant for Contempt of Court.
• Saturday night, 40-year old Briana L. Fricke, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Domestic Abuse/Simple Assault.
• Friday night, four people were arrested in connection with the arrest in Honey Creek, of an allegedly impaired driver: 49-year old Genevieve Rachel Stueve was charged with OWI/1st offense; 49-year old Gina Susanne Huber, 42-year old April Mae West, and 43-year old Darren Dion West, were each charged with Interference with Official Acts, after they allegedly tried to intervene with an investigation.
• Friday afternoon, 34-year old Rebecca Teresa Romo, of Council Bluffs, turned herself-in on a warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree. The warrant was confirmed and Romo was booked into the Pott. County Jail.
• And, an inmate at the Pott. County Jail, 24-year old Eric David Rock, of Minden, was presented Friday, with a warrant for Violation of Probation and Voluntary Absence from Custody.

At around 10:03-a.m. Wednesday, another inmate in the Pott. County Jail, 33-year old Eric Michael Wiig, of Bellevue, NE., was served with a warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree. Wiig was presented with the warrant and returned to the custody of jail staff.  Tuesday night, 21-year old Delores Bernice Corbine was arrested at a convenience store/gas station, for Public Intoxication. Last Tuesday morning, 30-year old Heather Renee Plum turned herself-in to the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office. Once a valid warrant for Child Endangerment with Bodily Injury was confirmed, Plum was transported to the Pott. County Jail and turned over to corrections staff.

And, at around 8:50-a.m. on Dec. 2nd, 42-year old Justin D. Alstadt was arrested for Driving While Barred.