CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Police in Cedar Rapids have opened a homicide investigation after determining that a man found dead in a home there last week had been shot to death. Police said in a news release Tuesday that the victim has been identified as 69-year-old Daniel James Spangler. His body was found inside his Cedar Rapids home on Friday by an officer who had been sent to check on his welfare. Police initially said Spangler’s death was suspicious, but that more investigation would be needed. On Tuesday, police said an autopsy had determined that he had died of a gunshot wound. No arrests have been reported.

In an update to a story we brought you last Thursday, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports 49-year old Skeet Weston Miller, of Menlo, was arrested early Wednesday morning, following a pursuit that began late Tuesday night. Miller faces charges that include Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of a Controlled Substance/3^rd or greater offense, Open container as a driver, Speeding and Driving While Barred. He was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

Pursuit suspect Skeet Miller. (Madison County S/Of Facebook photo)

His arrest occurred after Greenfield Police Officer Josh Armstrong noticed at around 11:37-p.m., Tuesday, a 2010 Cadillac rapidly accelerate away from a stop sign at the intersection of Highways 25 & 92, in Greenfield, at around . As the officer was following the vehicle, he saw the car swerving between the lines, and crossing the fog line. The officer’s radar indicated the car was traveling at erratic speeds, from the low 50’s to the high 70’s.

When Officer Armstrong flipped on his patrol vehicle’s emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop, the car failed to pull over, and instead turned west onto 280^th Street, while increasing in speed. The pursuit ended with Miller fleeing on foot near Orient, and being tracked by Madison County Deputy Edwards and his K9 partner “Orozco.” Miller was found with the keys to the vehicle in his possession.

Canine Orozco was named in memory of Omaha Police Officer Kerrie Orozco, who died in the line of duty on May 20^th, 2015.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests over the Memorial Day weekend. Early Monday morning, 20-year old Derek Aven Lara, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested at Kane Avenue and Karns Road, for Possession of A Controlled Substance, and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond was set at $1,300. And, at around 4:30-a.m., Monday, 19-year old De’Sean Maurice McVay, of Glenwood, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. McVay was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

Sunday night, 29-year old Shaka Renee Gordon, of Omaha, was arrested in Malvern on two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $4,000. Sunday afternoon, 53-year old Bryan Ernest Vandusen, of Muleshoe, TX., was arrested on I-29 for Public Intoxication. His bond was set at $300.

Officials with the Pottawattamie County Department of Public Health, Monday, said there were four new, positive cases of COVID-19 in the County, and one additional death has occurred. That’s the sixth person to have died from the virus in the County. The person was a man age 41-to-60 from Carter Lake, who had pre-existing medical conditions. Of the four newly reported COVID-19 cases, three are residents of Council Bluffs, and one is from Walnut. Two of the cases are persons 18-to 40 years old, and two are 41-to 60. They were tested between May 21st and 22nd.

Health officials say so far, 2,734 Pott. County residents have been tested for COVID-19, and a total of 227 have tested positive. An additional four people have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 125. Three are hospitalized, and 85 persons are self-isolating. Based on Pott. County Public Health contact tracing investigations, a total of 72 Pott. County COVID-19 cases are the result of community spread.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The State of Iowa’s online COVID-19 dashboard (https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/) shows 464 deaths have been attributed to the virus since record keeping began two months ago. Completed assessments amount to 533,567. The figures show 134,984 were tested for the virus, 17,661 have tested positive, 117,020 tested negative, and 9,410 have recovered.

For Cass and surrounding Counties, the number of positive test results and (the number of recovered), have not changed much over the past three days. Cass County 11 positive cases (1 recovered); Adair County: 8 (3); Adams County: 5 (1); Audubon County: 12 (9); Guthrie County: 43 (29); Montgomery County: 6 (5); Shelby County: 31 (24) and Pottawattamie County: 215 (122).

In RMCC Region 4 (Southwest/western Iowa), seven people are hospitalized for COVID-19, three are in an ICU, and no one was admitted to a hospital. Those figures have also held steady for the past few days.  Across the State, 377 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized, 118 are in an ICU, and 33 were admitted over the past 24-hours. There was also another Long-Term Care facility outbreak across the State, bringing the total back up to 37 from the previous figure of 36. The number of deaths at those facilities stands at 245. Patients and staff who’ve tested positive number 1,586. The number recovered is 669.

AMES, Iowa – May 26, 2020 – The Iowa Department of Transportation is working across the state this spring and summer, as they do every year, to determine how many cars, trucks, and other vehicles are using the state, county, and city roadways. The information gathered allows transportation officials to better predict traffic volume and weight trends, allowing them to plan improvements that will give Iowans the most benefit for each dollar spent.

This year’s efforts are concentrated in southwest Iowa, but occasionally crews will work elsewhere in the state. Some employees will spend peak hours between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. at a location counting the morning, noon, and evening traffic. They count and classify vehicles, record vehicle turning movements, and gather other data necessary to assist in planning the future of Iowa’s roadway system. Other employees will be placing and checking portable traffic recorders in the same general areas. When the recorders are set, they usually record data for one or two days and are checked periodically.

Other statewide work scheduled for this summer includes the installation, upgrading, and maintenance of permanent traffic recorders and weigh-in-motion equipment at continuous count station locations. With the COVID-19 pandemic, these recorders have shown reduced traffic totals. The manual counts and temporary recorders are used each year, as they will be this year, to collect additional data.

Employees responsible for the recorders work various shifts, including hours outside of a traditional business day. People in the area can expect to see Iowa DOT employees and vehicles in their communities all hours of the day. Officials say all of this work is critical to the future of the state’s transportation system.

A former resident of Atlantic was arrested At around 1:50-a.m. today (Tuesday), in Pottawattamie County, following a pursuit that began with a traffic stop for speeding on a 2020 Toyota Corolla. 34-year old Blue Tyler Peterson, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in Council Bluffs for Eluding (while speeding more than 25 mph over the limit), vehicle hit-and-run, Reckless Driving and Violation of Parole. He was being held in the Pott. County Jail on a $2,000 bond for the Eluding charge.

Monday night, a 16-year old male juvenile was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana-1st offense.  The unnamed teen was taken into custody at around 9:50-p.m. after a deputy made contact with a vehicle he was in, at the Lewis and Clark Monument. Early Monday morning, 45-year old Kathleen Marie Gerhardt was arrested at a residence in Oakland, following a domestic disturbance. Gerhardt was taken into custody for domestic abuse assault with intent to injure/1st offense, Interference with Official Acts, and Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order.

Saturday evening, 48-year old Theodore James Fowler was arrested in Crescent, following a report of suspicious activity at the Casey’s Store in Crescent. Fowler was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Public Intoxication. A 17-year old male and 18-year old Lauren Anne Olson were arrested Friday night in Council Bluffs, following an investigation into suspicious activity involving two vehicles parked at the end of a Dead End street.  The 17-year old was charged with Conspiracy with the Intent to Deliver/Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Olson was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Thursday afternoon, Pottawattamie County Deputies arrested 27-year old Mindee Lea Vorthmann, after authorities received a report of a young female child walking down the side of Highway 92 near 310th Street. After the seven-year old girl was transported back to the address she left, an investigation resulted in Vorthman being arrested for Violation of Probation. The child was released to the custody of her biological mother.