The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Monday (today), reports 29-year old Leanthony Jarome Carey, of Gretna, NE., was arrested at around 1-a.m. Saturday, for Assault (without intent) causing bodily injury or mental illness. The incident took place at the Pottawattamie County Jail. The victim, according to authorities, was 43-year old inmate Michael Carver. Carey was being held in the jail on a $2,000 bond for the Assault charge, plus $10,000 bond associated with other charges ($12,000 total).

A traffic stop near Oakland at around 1-a.m. Saturday resulted in the arrest of 33-year old Jamie Eve Schneckloth. She was pulled over after a Deputy observed a person in a Ford Ranger pickup allegedly throw a blue can of what appeared to be beer, from inside the vehicle. The Deputy also observed the pickup had a brake light that was out. An OWI investigation was conducted, resulting in Schneckloth being taken into custody for OWI/1st offense.

At around 2-a.m. Friday, 24-year old Alexander Sales was arrested following a traffic stop in Council Bluffs. He was charged with Driving While License denied, suspended, cancelled or revoked. Thursday night, 50-year old Timothy Lynn Roskens was arrested following an investigation into a property damage accident, in Oakland. Roskens is alleged to have driven a vehicle that struck a parked vehicle in the 600 block of Willow Street. He was charged with OWI/1st offense.

A call Thursday night about a disturbance the 41-thousand block of York Road in Avoca, resulted in the arrest of 33-year old Curtis Clayton Roe. He was charged with Child Endangerment with substantial risk, and Possession of a Firearm or Offensive Weapon by a Felon. Authorities say there were two female children, ages three and five in the home when the incident took place.  Last Wednesday at around 1:30-a.m., a traffic stop that resulted in a pursuit, led to the arrest of 26-year old Robert Duane Dunlap, from Council Bluffs. Dunlap was taken into custody on I-29 south near mile marker 50. He faces charges that include Eluding (in excess of 25 mph), being a Fugitive from Justice, Interference with Official Acts, Reckless Driving, and Possession of Meth/1st offense. He was being held in the Pott. County Jail on a total of $3,300 bond.

On Tuesday, Oct. 6th, a warrant check at a location in Council Bluffs resulted in the arrest of 22-year old Donavan Edward Belt. He was taken into custody at around 8:25-p.m. for Violation of probation.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Senator Chuck Grassley is dismissing what he calls “doomsday predictions” about how Amy Coney Barrett might rule as a member of the U.S. Supreme Court. “Democrats and their allies shouldn’t claim to know how any judge would rule in any particular case,” Grassley said. “Just look at history.”  Grassley delivered an 11-minute defense of President Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court this (Monday) morning as hearings on Barrett’s nomination got underway. “A good judge understands it’s not the court’s place to rewrite the law as it sees fit. It’s not his or her place to let policy, personal or moral principles dictate an outcome of a case,” Grassley said. “We are fortune Judge Barrett’s record clearly reflects this standard.”

Grassley quoted the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who Barrett is nominated to replace. He also offered Barrett advice.  “Judge, you’ll no doubt be asked how you’ll rule on questions and issues,” Grassley said. “I expect you’ll follow the example of Justice Ginsburg. A nominee should offer no forecasts, no hints of how he or she will vote.” Grassley recited what he described as “high praise” of Barrett’s record as a law professor at Notre Dame, a judge and as a mother.  “To sum up, Judge Barrett’s qualifications and character are impeccable,” Grassley said. “Unfortunately, I expect the minority will try to rustle up baseless claims and scare tactics as they’ve done for decades, anything to derail the confirmation of a Republican nominee.”

All 22 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will deliver opening statements today (Monday). Democrats have criticized the timing of Barrett’s nomination for the November 10th U.S. Supreme Court hearing for a constitutional challenge of the Affordable Care Act. Iowa’s other Republican Senator, Joni Ernst, joined the Judiciary Committee in 2019. Her remarks will come later, then Barrett will speak.

(Radio Iowa) – Fort Dodge police are investigating a fatal motorcycle accident that happened shortly after 7 o’clock this (Monday) morning.  When officers arrived, they found an unresponsive male lying in the grass near the intersection of Hawkeye Avenue and Second Avenue Northwest. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The preliminary findings indicated that the male was operating a motorcycle traveling westbound when he lost control and struck a tree at the intersection. The identity of the victim is not being released at this time.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports there were three accidents over the weekend, with one resulting in an arrest.

Friday evening, 28-year old Kody Mitchel Ross Havens, of Anita, was driving a 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle westbound on White Pole Road at Frontier, when he lost control of the machine. The cycle entered a ditch. Havens told authorities he had gotten too far over onto the shoulder of the road before his motorcycle crashed. The accident happened at around 6:30-p.m.    Havens suffered suspected minor/non-incapacitating injuries, and was transported by private vehicle to his residence. The Harley sustained about $5,000 damage. Kody Havens was cited for Failure to Maintain Control, and Leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.

Authorities says 47-year old Chad Edward Polivka, of San Tan Valley, AZ, was charged with OWI/1st offense, Failure to Maintain Control, and Leaving the Scene of an accident, after the 2019 Audi SUV he was driving left the road as it was westbound on 200th Street, at around 11:25-p.m. Friday. The vehicle struck a tree at the Lake Panorama National Golf Course in Panora, causing $15,000 to the SUV and and estimated $300 damage to the tree.  Polivka suffered suspected minor/non-incapacitating injuries, but was not transported to the hospital.

And, at around 5:40-a.m. Saturday, a 2010 Chevy Traverse SUV driven by 60-year old Pamela Sue Carruthers, of Jefferson, was traveling south on Highway 25 in Guthrie County, just south of 310th, when a deer ran into the vehicle. The SUV sustained about $5,000 damage. Carruthers was not injured during the accident.

(Radio Iowa) – Advocates for Iowa’s 50-thousand blind and visually-impaired residents are asking state officials to let them vote by mail independently, using assistive technology for absentee ballots. Right now, blind Iowans are unable to vote from home without another person there to help. Jane Hudson, executive director of Disability Rights Iowa, says many people don’t want to go to the polls because of the coronavirus pandemic.  “So they can’t vote independently and privately. They have to depend on someone else and that’s not voting,” Hudson says. “Voting, you’re supposed to be able to do privately and secretly, and no one else knows what your vote is.”

The secretary of state’s office says the legislature has to change the law for this to happen, but lawmakers declined to do that earlier this year. Advocates disagree, pointing to recent changes that were made to election procedures without full legislative approval. Carrie Chapman, president of the Iowa Council of the United Blind, says she’s had someone help her fill out an absentee ballot, but she says blind Iowans have a right to vote privately and independently.  “There’s people that don’t have an option of having someone come and help them,” Chapman says, “and especially during the pandemic, they may be high risk, so having someone come into their home is a whole other ballgame in terms of that.”

Groups representing blind Iowans have been asking the secretary of state and lawmakers for more than a year to approve an accessible absentee ballot system. Then voters could use a computer program at home that would read the ballot out loud, allow them to mark the ballot, print it, and mail it to their county auditor.

(By Katarina Sostaric, Iowa Public Radio)