Mills County Public Health officials today (Monday), report three new, positive cases of COVID-19. One of the new confirmed cases is a person 18 or younger. The second case is an adult, 19-40 years old. The third case is an adult, 60+ years old.The total number of positive cases is now 19, with 13 of those affected persons having recovered from the virus. 1,229 people have been tested in Mills County, to date.

Health officials encourage all Mills County residents to continue to use good judgment in the decisions they make. All residents are urged to stay home as much as possible, stay away from groups of people and maintain a 6-foot distance from other individuals. Residents should also to continue to practice social distancing, wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow/upper arm and stay at home when you are ill.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (Quad-City Times) — Police in eastern Iowa say a Davenport officer was shot in an ambush while patrolling an area were protests over police killings of black people were being held, and that two other shooting deaths occurred in the city during the chaos. The Quad-City Times reports that the officer’s shooting happened around 3 a.m. Monday. Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski says the officer was one of three who were ambushed while patrolling an area.

Sikorski says an officer returned fire but did not say if anyone was hit by the return fire. The wounded officer is expected to recover. Police say two other people died from shootings as the protests occurred, but it was unclear if those shootings were related to the protests.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports one arrest. Friday afternoon, 27-year old Jamie William Tressler, of Urbandale, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail on a Mills County warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree. His bond was set at $10,000.

Voters in Pottawattamie will play a role in determining who becomes the next Sheriff. Three Republicans are running to succeed Sheriff Jeff Danker, who has decided not to seek an eight term in office. The candidates include Chief Deputy Sheriff Rob Ambrose, Danielle Bentzinger, and Andy Brown.

Ambrose, who lives in Underwood, has over 21 years of experience in law enforcement, including a stint working as a deputy for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. While working for the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy, Ambrose was promoted to Chief Deputy, in 2018. His focus during the campaign is on the need for SRO’s (School Resource Officers) in Pottawattamie County School Districts.

A Council Bluffs native, Danielle Bentzinger is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. She was first hired to work for the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office in 1998. She and her family currently live in Crescent. She says if elected, one of her top priorities will be to focus on community relations.

Andy Brown, a native of Harlan, began working in the Pottawattamie County Jail in 1999 before becoming a certified deputy in 2003. He was promoted to sergeant in 2011, and is currently the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant — overseeing employees at the courthouse campus. Brown says his passion for law enforcement came at a young age. He wants to focus on community outreach, specifically within the county’s rural areas.

Police in Creston report the arrest Saturday evening of 41-year old Marshall Joseph Weidman, from Creston. Weidman was taken into custody for OWI/1st offense. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a Promise to Appear in court.

Voters in Montgomery County have only two polling sites for Tuesday’s Primary Election. The County traditionally has seven sites. Those voters that usually vote at the Elliott Community Building, Red Oak First Christian Church and the Red Oak Fire Station will be voting at the Red Oak Gold Fair Building. Any voters that vote at the Grant Fire Station and the Villisca Community Room will now be voting at the Stanton Fire Station. Burke said the inconvenience is expected to be minor and emphasized this is a temporary move just for this Primary Election due to COVID-19.

Auditor Stephanie Burke says other precautions in addition to social distancing will be implemented for the safety of the poll workers. For more information about the 2020 Primary Election, call 623-5127, follow Montgomery County Auditor & Elections Facebook page or visit www.montgomerycountyiowa.com.