Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report a domestic call with strangulation involved resulted in the arrest Sunday, of a man from Oakland. 26-year old Alex John Rutledge, of Oakland, was taken into custody at around 3:20-p.m. for Domestic Abuse Assault with strangulation, and was being held in the Pottawattamie County Jail. Authorities say sheriff’s deputies, as well as Oakland Fire and Rescue responded to a 911 call from a 23-year old woman who claimed she had been physically attacked by her husband at their residence in the 300 block of Hill Street, in Oakland. The victim claimed she had been choked to the point where she was having a hard time breathing. Alex Rutledge admitted he wrapped his hands around the woman in a domestic dispute that became heated and also involved child custody. Authorities say at no time was the child in the area at the time of the altercation.

The Pott. County Sheriff’s Office said also, 53-year old Deborah Coleman was arrested at around 6-p.m. Sunday outside the Sheriff’s Office. She was taken into custody on a Council Bluffs Police Dept. warrant for Theft in the 4th Degree and transported to the Pott. County Jail. At around 1:20-a.m. Sunday, 30-year old Matthew D. Churchill was arrested in Honey Creek, for Assault causing bodily injury without intent, following an incident involving a 37-year old male.

At around 2-a.m. Saturday, 25-year old Darrell Jerome Boyer, of Neola, was arrested following a traffic stop for failure to have a front license plate. Boyer was arrested for Driving While Barred/Habitual Offender. An inmate at the Pott. County Jail, was presented with a warrant for Violation of Parole, Friday afternoon. Once the warrant was read to 23-year old Jerran Lee Baker, of Council Bluffs, he was returned to the custody of jail staff. And, 45-year old Aaron Michael Wulff was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense – causing bodily injury, following an altercation with his 68-year old father.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:05-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have identified a 12-year-old boy who died after being thrown from an off-road vehicle in eastern Iowa. The crash occurred Saturday afternoon outside Bellevue. Authorities say Gavin Milder was riding in a Chevrolet Suburban driven by a 15-year-old when the crash happened. Milder was ejected when the modified sport utility vehicle rolled, and he became pinned underneath it. Three other people in the SUV were not hurt.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office says the boy was a student at Clinton Middle School in Clinton.

The Creston Police Department says the Pastor of the Church of Christ in Creston reported Sunday morning, that sometime between 11-a.m. Saturday and 9:30-a.m. Sunday, the upper glass of the front door of the building was kicked-in, causing damage to the frame, interior carpet and wall. The damage was estimated at $200.

Authorities said also, 29-year old Christopher Bird, of Creston, was arrested at around 2:50-a.m. Saturday, for OWI/1st offense. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond. And, at around 1:47-a.m. Saturday, 21-year old Wade Hiatt, of Lorimor, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. Hiatt was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree. He was later released on a $2,000 bond.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A man overcome by smoke while searching for two dogs during a Davenport house fire has been hospitalized. Firefighters were sent to the house around 11:30 p.m. Saturday. A passer-by had noticed the fire and broke a window to wake up residents Veronica and George Porter. They got out, but he went back in to look for the dogs. The dogs eventually were rescued.
Veronica Porter also praised the actions of Athena Owens and her boyfriend, Dave Smith. They called 911 after seeing the flames, and he broke the window to alert the Porters.

(Radio Iowa) — Ten Democratic presidential candidates courted left-leaning caucus-goers in Cedar Rapids yesterday (Sunday). Each candidate got about 10 minutes to speak to about a thousand people at Progress Iowa’s fifth annual “Corn Feed.” South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg got the only standing ovation at the outdoor event. “It’s not about how left or how right we go, o.k.? If we embrace a left-wing agenda, the president’s going to say we’re socialists and we’re for open borders. If we adopt a conservative agenda, the president’s going to say we’re socialists and we’re for open borders,” Buttigieg said and the crowd laughed. “So we might as well just stand up for what we believe in and take it from there.”

Buttigieg was the next-to-last speaker and many in the crowd left after he finished with this. “I can’t wait to be with you every step of the way. I’ll see you on the trail and I can’t wait to celebrate with you a new era beginning in the White House,” Buttigieg said, to cheers.

Leading contenders like Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders did not attend the event. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had been on the speaking schedule, but flew back to New York after a major power outage in the city. Washington Governor Jay Inslee, another candidate on the speaker’s list, didn’t make it due to a flight delay.

(with Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Kate Payne)

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Republican Governor Kim Reynolds says the two justices she’s appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court are moving the court in a conservative direction. “Elections matter and fortunately the tide is turning in Iowa’s Supreme Court,” Reynolds says. “In just two short years, we’ve moved the needle from left to right.”

Reynolds spoke late Friday afternoon at an event organized by The Family Leader, a Christian conservative organization. Reynolds took over as governor in late May of 2017 when Terry Branstad resigned and two months later Reynolds appointed Justice Susan Christiansen (from Harlan) to the Iowa Supreme Court. This past February, Reynolds appointed Christopher McDonald to the state’s highest court. This spring, Reynolds secured changes in the state commission that nominates judges. The Family Leader lobbied legislators to make those moves.
“We need judges who will decide cases based upon the text of the statue and the constitution and not their personal policy preferences,” Reynolds said, to applause.

Democrats argue Republicans have made court appointments more political. The G-O-P-approved changes give the governor power to name a majority of the state Judicial Nominating Commission members who submit a slate of candidates for openings on the Iowa Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission got a look at some of the technology that will be used for sports gambling during their meeting last week. Iowa Racing and Gaming administrator, Brian Ohorilko, says the goelocation technology will ensure that online betting comes from within the state. “The way the federal laws work with regard to georegulation — is the individuals who are conducting the bets — they have to be located within the boundaries within the state in which the sports wagering is authorized,” Ohorilko explained.

The 19 state-licensed casinos can create their own betting apps, or team with a company that will provide them. Ohorilko says the apps include the ability to know the user’s location. “Geolocation is a very fascinating technology, it works very, very well. Customers when they are using their apps, those apps can work anywhere, but the wagering element will not work unless the geolocation provider can identify that the person is located within the state of Iowa,” Ohorilko says.  He says even if you are in neighboring states — you can’t complete a bet. “If someone is just across the river, those attempts to wager are being denied,” Ohorilko says.

Ohorilko says the geolocation technology can accurately know whether you are in or out of the state. “Those boundaries will be drawn for the state of Iowa — and it does not matter if it is a river boundary or a land boundary — they will be precise,” according to Ohorilko. “And if someone is attempting a wager outside of the state — that attempt will be denied.”

The Racing and Gaming Commission held a hearing on the rules for sports gambling at their meeting last week and a special meeting is set for July 30th, where it is expected they will adopt the rules.

HUDSON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say two people were killed when the vehicle they were in crashed off a Black Hawk County road. The crash occurred a little before 9:30 a.m. Sunday just southwest of Hudson. Deputies sent to the scene found the vehicle in a field and noted that it appeared to have rolled several times. The two people were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names haven’t been released. The crash is being investigated.