BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say three inmates — including two convicted killers — have been charged with attempted murder for attacking two officers at the Des Moines County Jail. The two officers were attacked Dec. 10. One was treated and released on the same day. The other officer left a hospital two days later.

The Iowa Public Safety Department says Earl Booth-Harris, Jorge Sanders-Galvez and Bobby Joe Morris also were charged Monday with assault on a correctional officer. Booth-Harris’ attorney didn’t immediately return a call Tuesday. Court records don’t list attorneys for Sanders-Galvez and Morris in the new cases.

Sanders-Galvez was convicted last month of killing of a gender-fluid Burlington teen, and Booth-Harris has been convicted of killing a Burlington man. Morris is awaiting further court action on his robbery case appeal.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports 38-year old Brenda Lynn Davis, of Afton, was arrested Monday morning. Davis was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for Probation Violation. She was being held in the Ringgold County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater says the Adair County Sheriff’s Office and the Toys for Tots program helped out families in eight communities in the area, last Friday evening. Between 5-p.m. and 8-p.m. Frida toys were handed out to 58 different children who were signed up through the Sheriff’s Office. The donation drive collected enough toys to provide for approximately 200 children. The Sheriff says “We surpassed our donations last year by approximately two and a half times. This was the first year for the Adair County Sheriff’s Office to be a distribution point and/or to hand out toys, and I think it went extremely well.”

Deputy James Paup, a former active duty Marine, spearheads the Toys for Tots toy drive.

Two deputies, a jailer, an off duty civil clerk, a Greenfield Police Officer, two of their spouses along with the Sheriff came in that night to help in the handing out of the toys.  Vandewater says “It was a fun, positive experience and was a great opportunity to interact with adults and kids alike on a totally positive basis with the goal of helping make Christmas just a little bit better for some children in our community.”

Police in Council Bluffs reports a man wanted in connection with the death of a man whose body found December 11^th in a vacant lot, has been arrested by Lincoln, NE, Police on a misdemeanor charge. 43-year old Michael J. Thacker, a transient, is currently in custody while awaiting extradition to Pottawattamie County, where he is wanted on a warrant for Murder in the 1^st Degree.

Council Bluffs police say the body of 34-year old David S. Simpson, of Council Bluffs, was found by a resident walking his dog.  An autopsy shows Simpson died of blunt force trauma. Authorities have charged 53-year-old Cleo W. McClellan, of Council Bluffs, with being an accessory to a felony-murder.

The Mills County Sheriff’s reports three arrests. On Sunday, 32-year old Jacob Andrew Graham, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for OWI/3rd offense, Driving While Revoked, and Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs. He was taken into custody following a traffic stop on I-29 at around 4:45-a.m., Sunday. Bond was set at $7,000. Saturday night, 23-year old Joshua Udo Laubert, of Glenwood, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. And, late Friday night, 33-year old David Michael Graham, of Silver City, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. He was taken into custody following a traffic stop near Highway 34 and 195th Street.

(9-a.m. News)

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SUPERIOR, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man died after being pinned by a machine he’d been working with in northwest Iowa. The accident occurred around 12:40 p.m. Friday at a farm in rural Superior. The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office says the man was pinned by a backhoe attached to a tractor. The Sheriff’s Office says the man was pronounced dead at the scene. He’s been identified as 72-year-old Thomas Mart.

Officials with the Creston Police Department report three arrests took place Monday. 63-year old Kathy Conley, of Creston, was arrested at her home at around 10:24-p.m., on a charge of (Simple) Domestic Assault. She was transported to the Ringgold County Jail and held while awaiting a bond hearing. At the same time and place, 36-year old Bobbie Sue Flynn, of Creston, was arrested for Disorderly Conduct. She was being held in the Union County Jail on a $300 bond.

And, 22-year old Jacob Davis, of Cromwell, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, Monday afternoon. Davis was arrested on a Union County warrant for Failure to Appear in Court on an original charge of Theft in the 3rd Degree. He was being held at the jail in Creston on a $5,000 bond.

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Members of Iowa’s largest business group are predicting the state’s economy will grow over the first three months of 2018. Mike Ralston is president of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI), which has released the results of an inaugural survey of its members. “Those who responded to the survey, 80-percent of them expect sales to increase in the first quarter of 2018,” Ralston said. “That’s really good news for Iowa.”

According to Ralston, there are several reasons why so many leaders of those companies expect a bump in sales over the first quarter of next year. “One is that ABI folks tend to be exporters and exports are strong right now. Another one is there seems to be an indication that the ag market is going to improve and a lot of folks in Iowa make things for the ag sector, so that’s good news,” Ralston said. “And third is folks have had some success in attracting new workers and thus, they’re able to fill out shifts and be more productive.”

Just over 72-percent of ABI board members said they plan to make capital expenditures in Q-1 and many expect to expand their workforces. “Fifty-percent of the people who responded to the survey indicated that they are going to hire in the first quarter,” Ralston said. “So, if you’re looking for work, there are jobs out there in Iowa.”

ABI member companies come from all 99 Iowa counties. This is the first time ABI has conducted a public quarterly survey of its board in the organization’s 114-year history.

(Radio Iowa)