Police in Creston say there were five arrests that took place over the past four days. Saturday night, 42-year old Jennifer Schaecher, of Greenfield, was arrested at the Creston WalMart, for Theft in the 5th Degree. She was cited for the offense and released from the scene on a Promise to Appear. Friday evening. 41-year old Cassandra Davis, of Thayer, and 25-year old River Pecha-Nichols, of Atlantic, were arrested at the Creston Walmart, for Theft in the 5th Degree. Davis and Pecha-Nichols were also cited for the offense and released from the scene.

Friday afternoon, 49-year old Michael Williams, of Creston, was served with a Union County warrant for Probation Violation, on the original charge of Domestic Abuse/Impeding Air Flow. Williams was being held in the Union County Jail at the time the warrant was served. He remains there while awaiting a bond hearing. Thursday morning, 52-year old Jeffrey Lusk was arrested in Creston on a Union County warrant for failure to appear on a charge of Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree. He remains in the jail on a $2,000 bond.

Creston Police said also, M&M Motors in Creston reported Saturday morning, that sometime overnight Friday into Saturday morning, someone slashed all four tires on a vehicle in their lot. The damage was estimated at $2,200.

(Radio Iowa) — Senate Republicans are proposing new restrictions on state and local election officials after changes made for last week’s primary elections led to record turnout from early voting with absentee ballots. Democrats like Senator Pam Jochum of Dubuque call the G-O-P move voter suppression. “What are you afraid of, that more people in this state might engage in a constitutional right to cast a vote?” Jochum asked rhetorically.

Secretary of State Paul Pate sent absentee ballot request forms to every registered voter in the state, urging early voting through the mail during the pandemic rather than in-person voting on Primary Day. The bill that passed the Senate Judiciary Committee late Friday night would forbid Pate AND county auditors from mailing out absentee ballot request forms in the future. Senator Roby Smith, a Republican from Davenport, says he has certified letters outlining instances of voter fraud.  “I welcome the debate. I can defend this until the cow’s come home…because I want to protect the ballot box,” Smith said.

Senator Marinnette Miller-Meek of Ottumwa won last week’s second congressional district primary. She disputes the idea Pate’s mailing of absentee ballot request forms spurred turnout. “Perhaps on the Republican side…there was a record Republican turnout because you had congressional candidates who were in very spirited primaries and who were directing people and in video and in direct mail to vote by mail,” Miller-Meeks says, ” instructed how to vote by mail, reached out to them to vote by mail.”  Senator Tony Bisignano, a Democrat from Des Moines, says Republicans have devised a potpourri of voter limitations. “Now our president thinks this country is riddled with crooks and cheats and naves,” Bisignano said. “…You’re picking up his theme. Let’s just choke down these absentees.”

The bill also stipulates that no more than 35 percent of precincts may be closed on Election Day. Last Tuesday many county auditors dramatically reduced and consolidated voting sites for the primary. Republicans say that was unfair to Iowans who had to travel great distances to vote last Tuesday. The bill’s next stop is debate in the full Senate. County auditors issued a joint statement, saying they are baffled legislators would want to cripple actions taken for last Tuesday’s election that led to such success.

Creston Police have cited a man on four charges following a property damage accident that took place Saturday afternoon in the 500 block of N. Lincoln Street. Authorities say 28-year old Garrett Ray Woodhull, of Creston, was driving a 1992 Buick Roadmaster when he allegedly struck a legally parked 2017 Ford F-250 pickup, causing $600 damage. Officers were dispatched to the scene at around 12:05-p.m., Saturday. Authorities say by the time police arrived, the suspect driver had left the scene.

At around 1:35-p.m., Police were notified that a vehicle matching the description of the car driven by Woodhull, was parked near 313 N. Sumner Street. Damage to the car matched the vehicle involved in the accident. The Buick sustained about $5,000 damage. Woodhull was cited for Driving on the wrong side of a two-way highway, damage to vehicle/leaving the scene; and failure to maintain control. He was arrested at his residence for Driving while license suspended, denied, cancelled or revoked. Bond at the Union County Jail was set at $300.

Health officials in Iowa today (Monday), are reporting four more deaths from the coronavirus, and 267 new positive cases. The Iowa Department of Public Health said that brings the total of deaths to 606, and the total number of positive cases to 21,794. The number of COVID-19 tests coming back as Negative amount to 169,338, and the number of Iowans who have recovered from the virus amounts to 12,828, which is 66 more than what was reported Sunday morning.

The IDPH shows also, 265 persons are hospitalized with COVID-19, four less than Sunday. Conversely, five more people were admitted to a hospital, Sunday, for a total of 27. One less person is in an ICU, for a total of 85, and 53 are on ventilators. In the southwest/western Iowa RMCC Region 4: seven people are hospitalized with COVID-19, one less than Sunday; One more person was in an ICU, for a total of four; one person was admitted to the hospital, and one was on a ventilator.

Statewide, the number of LTC’s (Long-Term Care facilities) with reported outbreaks was stable, at 40. Among patients and staff at those facilities, 1,556 have tested positive for the virus, 792 have recovered, and 304 have died.