INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) — Deputies in Warren County have charged an 18-year-old man in the shooting death of a Cambridge woman. Des Moines television station KCCI reports that Jacquarious Scoggins, of Des Moines, was originally taken into custody earlier this month as a material witness in the death of 25-year-old Mercedes Wathen.

The Warren County Attorney’s Office said in a news release Saturday that Scoggins was arrested Friday and has been charged with first-degree murder in Wathen’s death. Officers and medics were called to a home just south of Des Moines on April 2, where they found Wathen’s body.

ADEL, Iowa (AP) — An Adel mother of twin toddlers spotted wandering naked near a busy state highway in central Iowa in November has pleaded guilty to child endangerment. The Des Moines Register reports that 19-year-old Jasmine Teed entered the plea Thursday in Dallas County District Court. Teed faces up to two years in prison when she’s sentenced May 31.

Officers were sent to a house along U.S. Highway 6 in Adel around 9 a.m. Nov. 2. Police say witnesses reported seeing someone herd the unclothed 2-year-olds back in the house after they were spotted near the highway. An officer entered the house and called out but received no answer. The officer reported finding Teed asleep in a bedroom.

Police say the outdoor temperature at the time was 43 degrees.

Senator Joni Ernst says allied strikes against Syria make it clear the use of chemical weapons “will not be tolerated.” Ernst, a Republican, is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. She issued a written statement shortly before 10 o’clock Friday night. Ernst said there is “indisputable” evidence the Syrian regime is guilty of “horrific crimes” against its own people.

Ernst called Syrian president Bashar al-Assad a war criminal and she accused Russia and Iran of being “complicit in these chemical weapons attacks on innocent” civilians. Ernst praised the Trump Administration for “decisive and precise” leadership with our British and French allies. At midnight, Republican Congressman David Young of Van Meter issued a statement, calling the action against Syrian “strong, swift and targeted.”

Young said the U.S. and its allies “cannot tolerate atrocities against the innocent and the use of chemical weapons.”Congressman Rod Blum, of Dubuque, sent a tweet Friday night, signalling he’s part of a group of Republicans in the U.S. House who will call on President Trump is get authorization from congress before engaging further in Syria.

Blum, however, did not issue a written statement on last night’s air strike. As of 4:30 a.m. Saturday, Senator Chuck Grassley, Congressman Steve King and Congressman Dave Loebsack had not issued statements on the president’s action in Syria. President Donald Trump on Saturday declared “Mission Accomplished” for a U.S.-led allied missile attack on Syria’s chemical weapons program, but the Pentagon said the pummeling of three chemical-related facilities left enough others intact to enable the Assad government to use banned weapons against civilians if it chooses.

The nighttime Syria assault was carefully limited to minimize civilian casualties and avoid direct conflict with Syria’s key ally, Russia. Russia and Iran called the use of force by the United States and its allies a “military crime” and “act of aggression.”

(Radio Iowa & the Associated Press contributed to this report)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Polk County public health agency that provides services for those with mental illness and intellectual or other developmental disabilities says the personal information of more than 500 patients has been compromised.

The Des Moines Register reports that Polk County Health Services admitted the mistake Friday. It says those who received services at the Crisis Observation Center in Des Moines may have been affected.

The health service says the breach occurred between June 2014 and Jan. 11. The information disclosed included names, home addresses, Social Security numbers, Medicaid identification numbers, date of admission to the crisis center and discharge location. The service says it does not have evidence the data was improperly used.

The health services offered to provide free credit monitoring for 12 months to those affected.

Police in Council Bluffs arrested 28-year old Brandin Nelson, of Omaha, Saturday morning. Nelson faces a felony charge of 2nd Degree Burglary, and Interference with Official Acts, following a trespassing investigation.

Brandin Nelson

Officers were called to 800 N. 34th Street in Council Bluffs at around 2:05-a.m., Saturday, to investigate a person trespassing. Upon arrival officers located a man later identified as Brandin Nelson, inside of an occupied apartment. Nelson had allegedly broken through a screen window to gain access into the residence. Once inside, the allegedly began to rummage through the apartment and was confronted by the residents.

Nelson was placed under arrest for the Burglary charge, and booked into the Pott. County Jail, where his bond was set at $10,000. He was also charged with Interference with Official Acts when he was uncooperative with officers and failed to comply with lawful orders.

w/ Chris Parks

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The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of 18-year-old Asher John Hinshaw of Red Oak on Friday night after he was stopped for speeding 93mph in a 55mph zone. Hinshaw was stopped at 10:35pm Friday at the intersection of 180th Street and Highway 48. Hinshaw was also charged with Driving While License Suspended and Failure to have SR-22 Insurance on File. He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

High winds, unconfirmed tornadoes, hail and heavy rain wreaked havoc on parts of western and central Iowa, Friday. The National Weather Service says winds in excess of 60-miles per hour caused damage in parts of Cass County.

At around 4:25-p.m., thunderstorm wind damage was reported to outbuildings, 3-miles south/southwest of Marne, Five-minutes later, a 61-mile per hour wind was recorded by an automated weather system, two-miles west/northwest of Atlantic. At around 4:30-p.m., a camper was reported blown over 4-miles southeast of Brayton. There were also media reports of damage to outbuildings and a barn located between Highway 173 and 71, and substantial damage to 5^th wheel RV trailers just north of I-80 and the Olive Street exit.

Prior to the line of storms entering Cass County, they fired-up to our southwest. At around 3:15-p.m., one-half inch diameter (marble size) hail was reported near Shelby…nickel-size hail fell in Avoca at around 3:22-p.m….Walnut size (1.5” diameter) hail fell just southeast of Oakland at around 3:53-p.m.  Golf ball size hail (1.75” dia.) was reported near Henderson and Oakland at a little after 4-p.m., with egg-size hail reported to have fallen 5-miles east of Henderson. Some video footage seen on social media indicated there may have been weak tornadoes in parts of northern Cass County Friday afternoon, but that has not yet been confirmed by the Weather Service.

Quarter-size hail fell in Walnut at around 4:15-p.m. Golf ball size hail fell near Essex at around 6:40-p.m., and penny-size hail was reported near Villisca, about 5-minutes later. Nickel-size hail was reported at around 3:50-p.m., in Denison. Guthrie Center received quarter-size hail at around 6:25-p.m. Dime-to quarter-size hail was reported between Gravity and Sharpsburg, in Taylor County, from 7:40-to 7:55-p.m.

South of Creston, winds gusted to a little more than 50-miles per hour, as the storms were moving northeast and out of the listening area, at around 8:15-p.m. Across Iowa, a home was damaged in Hubbard, a semi was blown over on I-35 near Roland, power lines were down in Story City, hail covered the ground in Churdan, multiple buildings were damaged, and large campers were flipped over in Jefferson, and hail caused broken windows in/near Scranton.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democrats searching for potential presidential candidates may find some in an unlikely place: city hall. A handful of Democratic mayors from around the country are considering the race in 2020, taking early steps in Iowa, which holds the first major contest of the presidential campaign. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti plans to visit Iowa Friday in hopes that his experience running a big city and facing touchy issues like immigration might distinguish him.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has dismissed the state’s efforts to confine two men convicted for sex abuse crimes indefinitely under the state’s law allowing civil commitment of sexually violent predators. The court concluded that Nicholas Wygle, of Aplington couldn’t be further held and concluded Ronald Tripp, of Hazleton should be released from civil commitment. The court says a high bar must be set for holding people after completion of prison sentences to avoid violating constitutional protections.

JEFFERSON, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa city is reviewing its animal control policies and suspending its practice of trapping and fatally shooting feral cats. City administrator Mike Palmer says Jefferson has had feral cat colonies for years. Palmer says the officers are trained to recognize when captured cats are wild and that the department kills about one cat a month. The city is looking to temporarily house up to 30 cats, pending the policy review.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office says an Afton woman reported Thursday afternoon. that her car was entered while parked at 501 N. Douglas, in Afton. Prescription pills and money was taken from the vehicle. The loss was estimated to be $880.