Officials with the U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa said today (Wednesday), that a Pottawattamie County man was sentenced Tuesday to prison, for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. 31-year old Luke Harrison Bird, II, was sentenced to a prison term of 90 months to be followed by a term of supervised release of three years. The sentence will run consecutively to Bird’s state prison sentence for a parole violation.

Bird was released from the Iowa State Penitentiary in January 2018 after serving state prison time for intimidation with a dangerous weapon, going armed with intent, felon in possession of a firearm, assault while participating in a felony, and eluding. On July 15, 2018, Iowa 4th Judicial District Probation Officers were conducting routine random home visits. The Probation Officer searched Bird’s room and located a loaded sawed off shotgun and ammunition.

The case was investigated by the Iowa 4th Judicial District Probation Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Council Bluffs Police Department and the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. #

(Radio Iowa) — Officials says the company hired to shoot off fireworks in Oelwein this weekend will not be used again after an accident that injured several people during a town event. One of the events of the Oelwein Celebration weekend was a fireworks show at City Park on Sunday night. One of the missiles misfired and went into the audience. Several spectators received burns, but no serious injuries were reported. There was also some damage to participants’ clothing. It was noted that the accident happened because one of the tubes for the fireworks was not mounted correctly, shooting the missile into the crowd.According to city officials, the incident was caused by negligence on the part of the company that conducted the fireworks show. That company will not be used for future events in Oelwein.

Police in Glenwood report two arrests. On Tuesday, 50-year old John Hauger, of Glenwood, was arrested on a Pottawattamie County warrant.  He later posted a $1,000 cash-only bond. And, on Monday, 38-year old Donovan Hankins, of Tabor, was arrested in Glenwood for Driving Under Suspension. He posted a $300 bond and was released.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities charged a man with animal neglect and other crimes after an animal rescue group removed around 100 cats from horrid conditions at his central Iowa property, where around 200 cat carcasses were found. Polk County court records say 65-year-old Dennis Carlson is charged with three counts of failure to dispose of a dead animal and five counts of animal neglect. The records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for him.

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa says in a news release that the cats and carcasses were discovered Tuesday in several buildings at the property, which sits a little more than a mile southeast of Madrid. Rescuers had to wear respirators and protective suits because of the garbage, cat feces, urine and carcasses inside the buildings. League CEO Tom Colvin says it’s by far the worst hoarding case the Iowa organization has seen in more than 10 years.

A Sheriff’s Deputy in Pottawattamie County arrested a Council Bluffs man Tuesday afternoon, at the Pott. County Courthouse. 21-year old Dillon Michael Palen was taken into custody on a valid State of Iowa warrant for Conspiracy to Commit a Non-forcible Felony. He was transported to the Pott. County Jail and held on a $5,000 bond.

There were also several prisoner transfers to the Pottawattamie County Jail from other correctional institutions, Tuesday, for persons who needed to address warrants in the County.

• 25-year old Andrew Allen Ross, of Council Bluffs, was wanted for Probation Violation.
• 20-year old Tyler Michael Markey, of Omaha, was wanted for Violation of Probation.
• 63-year old Dennis L. Morlan, was wanted on warrants for Absence from Custody and Forgery. His bond was set at $1,000 for the Absence charge, which was a 2nd offense.
• 55-year old Shawn Joseph Horton, was wanted on Pott. County warrants for OWI/3rd or subsequent offense – a felony; Violation of Probation and Willful Failure to Stop for Law Enforcement. He was being held on a total of $6,000 bond.
• And, 25-year old Dennis Eugene Combs, Jr., was transported to the Pott. County Jail to address a warrant for Forgery and Theft in the 5th degree.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The CAM School District’s Board of Education will hold a Special, closed session 12:30-p.m. Thursday, in the Nodaway Valley High School Media Center. The purpose of the meeting is to conduct formal interviews with three finalists for the shared Superintendent’s job. When the Board returns to open session, they may take action on offering a contract for the position prior to adjournment. As previously mentioned, the candidate finalists include: IKM-Manning High School Principal Brian Wall; East Mills-Essex School District Shared Superintendent Paul Croghan; and Woodward-Granger Superintendent Brad Anderson. Whomever is selected will begin their duties on July 1st.

The Board will also meet 6:30-p.m. Thursday at the same location, to consider approval of contracts.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials say a food pantry that serves more than 5,000 people a month in Sioux City is being evicted because the building it operates from has been sold. The Midtown Family Community Center houses the food pantry, a free Saturday meal and a 4-H program. Janet Reynolds of the Jones Street Neighborhood Coalition says the center’s closure will be a “huge loss for the community.”

Boys and Girls Home Inc. owns the building and had allowed the community center to use the building rent-free. But the building was sold last month. Boys and Girls Home is moving its programs to a centralized campus at the site of the former Indian Hills shopping center.

Reynolds says the grant funding the center receives provides only food for the pantry and Saturday meal. She says officials are looking for another neighborhood space to reopen.

Four people were arrested on separate charges Tuesday, in Creston. Authorities say 30-year old Travis Moran, of Eaton Rapids, MI, was arrested at a residence in the 800 block of W. Taylor Street, on charges of Possession of Paraphernalia and Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st Offense. Moran was later released from the Union County Jail on a $1,300 bond. 19-year old Brandon Kinkennon, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a charge of Assault While Displaying a Dangerous Weapon. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

22-year old Tyler Ray, of Creston, was arrested Tuesday on an Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations Warrant for a Controlled Substance Violation. He was being held on a $5,000 bond. And, 59-year old Michael Alan Fry, of Creston, was arrested on charges that include Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver, Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd or Subsequent Offense, Possession of Paraphernalia, Failure to Affix Drug Tax Stamp and Possession of Controlled Substance on Certain Property (within 1000 feet of a Public Park). He was being held in the Union County Jail awaiting a bond hearing.

And, a Creston man reported to Police Tuesday morning, that sometime between May 30th and 31st, someone took his wallet out of his vehicle that was parked at his residence. The loss was estimated at $20