SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A former worker at Sioux City’s wastewater treatment plant has pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to tamper with wastewater sampling and testing. The Sioux City Journal reports that 69-year-old Patrick Schwarte entered the plea Wednesday in federal court. He faces up to seven years in prison when he’s sentenced at a later date for conspiracy to defraud the government and falsifying information required under the federal Clean Water Act.

Prosecutors say chlorine was added to wastewater on days that E. coli samples were taken. The samples then showed plant discharges into the Missouri River met federal limits for levels of fecal coliform and E. coli. The chlorine was reduced after the tests, saving the city money.

The city fired Schwarte and the plant superintendent in June 2015 after the Iowa Natural Resources Department began an investigation.

ALBIA, Iowa (AP) — Animal rescue officials in Iowa say they’ve found one dead steer and rescued seven other ailing animals from a rural southern Iowa property. The Animal Rescue League of Iowa says in a news release that its response team helped Monroe County officials rescue three horses, one burro, a steer and two dogs that were left in freezing weather with no food, water or shelter. One dead steer was found on the property.

The group says two of the horses were underweight and the steer was suffering pain from neglected hooves and a hind injury. The burro’s halter had been on so long it had rubbed the hair away and had to be cut off. Charges are pending against the animals’ owner.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Sen. Joni Ernst is denying allegations leveled by her ex-husband that she had an affair with a subordinate while she served in the military. The Des Moines Register reports that the Iowa Republican answered questions Wednesday from reporters about that and other allegations at a town hall event on the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls.

In the court documents, Ernst’s ex-husband, Gail Ernst, accused her of having an affair with one of her soldiers while she was deployed as a company commander. She said Wednesday when questioned that she cares “about all of my soldiers” that the allegation was not true.

Ernst also accused her ex-husband in divorce documents of having an affair and physically assaulting her during an argument before she was elected to the Senate.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have arrested an 18-year-old suspected of stabbing to death a Burlington resident. Des Moines County court records say Kaylee Wilson is charged with second-degree murder. She’s being held pending $500,000 bail. She’s accused of stabbing 23-year-old Mallery Doak on Tuesday afternoon during a fight in front of Wilson’s Burlington home. The records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for her.

A criminal complaint says the two had been arguing in instant messages over a man who’d fathered one of Doak’s children. Wilson reported that Doak threatened her for spending time with the man and said she was headed over to Wilson’s house. Wilson told investigators that she then armed herself with a kitchen knife and hid it in her waistband awaiting Doak’s arrival.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democrat J.D. Scholten, a former minor league baseball player who narrowly lost his bid to defeat Republican Rep. Steve King in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, says he’s keeping his political options open but will help create an Iowa nonprofit organization that fights poverty. The group, called Working Hero Iowa, will encourage eligible people to apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which can benefit low-income workers. Scholten is partnering with California entrepreneur Joe Sanberg, who heads a similar group.

Scholten says 50,000 families qualify but don’t complete tax returns to get the credit. The average eligible family receives about $2,300 in credits. Scholten announced his plans Wednesday at the Iowa Capitol amid speculation about his next move, saying “November of 2020 seems pretty darn far away to me at least.”

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — An Ottumwa woman has been given five years of probation for stealing from dependent adults. Wapello County District Court records say 43-year-old Malia Ollom was sentenced last week to 25 years in prison, but the sentence was suspended. She’d pleaded guilty to ongoing criminal conduct after prosecutors dropped several other charges. Authorities say Ollom worked for Crest Services and was responsible for managing the finances of adults under her supervision. Police were contacted about irregularities that occurred in the clients’ accounts between May 2017 and January 2018.

Authorities say that among the incidents, Ollom fraudulently obtained and used a credit card using information from one of her clients and stole more than $5,700 from another by forging the victim’s name on checks.

The Harlan Police Department reports two, recent arrests. On Tuesday, 45-year old Desra Douglas Humphrey, of Minneapolis, was arrested following a call for a gas drive off. Humphrey was cited for theft 5th and driving while suspended. And, on Sunday, 34-year old Paul James Keane, of Panama, was arrested following a traffic stop in the 1200 block of Chatburn Ave. Keane was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with prohibited acts penalties, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, operating while intoxicated, and turning from improper lane.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Less than two weeks after Congress repudiated his comments, Rep. Steve King will hold the first of his promised 39 Iowa town hall meetings. King announced Wednesday he would delay a planned meeting Thursday but would hold another event Saturday morning in the small northwest Iowa city of Primghar. Although he has been elected to Congress nine times, King has rarely held such meetings. He prefers private gatherings with groups, saying public meetings attract out-of-state protesters who object to his conservative views on topics like immigration, race relations and abortion .

King promised to hold meetings in each of his district’s 39 counties after narrowly winning re-election last November. On Jan. 15, the House voted 424-1 to rebuke King for his comments about white supremacy. King supported the measure of disapproval.

Sheriff’s officials in Cass County today (Wednesday), released a report on an accident that took place over a week ago. The accident happened at around 12:25-a.m. January 12th. Authorities say a 2006 Dodge Ram owned and driven by 34-year old Rodney Dean Hackwell, of Walnut, was northbound on Marne Road, when the vehicle slid out of control and struck an oncoming 2004 GMC Denali driven by 35-year old Anthony Thomas Flug, of Marne. No injuries were reported. Damage from the collision amounted to $20,000 altogether. Upon investigation, Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Hackwell for OWI/2nd Offense. He was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on his own recognizance.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Wednesday) released a report on numerous arrests dating back to Dec. 31st. Most recently:

• On January 20th, 40-year old Severiano Batalla-Castillo, of Lewis, was arrested on a charge of OWI 2^nd Offense. Batalla-Castillo was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $2,000 bond.
• On January 17th, 29-year old Amanda Lucille Thompson, of Atlantic, was arrested on charges of Child Endangerment and OWI 1^st Offense. Thompson was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on her own recognizance.
• On January 15th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 59-year old Jeffrey Harold Jensen, of Anita, on charges of Possession of Meth 2^nd Offense, and OWI 1^st Offense. Jensen was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.
• On January 14th: 57-year old Myron Lee Flathers, of Anita, turned himself in at the Cass County Sheriff’s Office on an outstanding warrant for Probation Violation. Flathers was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $5,000 bond; 43-year old Samantha Sue Clark, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Possession with Intent to Deliver Marijuana (a Class-D Felony), A Drug Tax Stamp Violation (D Felony); and Possession with Intent to Deliver Clonazepam. Clark was taken to the Cass County Jail where she remains held on $20,000 bond; and, 46-year old Robert Joseph Dambra, of Atlantic, turned himself in at the Cass County Sheriff’s Office on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Possession with Intent to Deliver Meth (C Felony); Possession with Intent to Deliver Hydrocodone (C Felony); and Drug Tax Stamp Violation (D Felony). Dambra was booked at the Cass County Jail and remains held on $25,000 bond.
• On January 11th: 32-year old Prudence Penelope Gwendolyn Page, of Atlantic, turned herself in at the Cass County Jail on a Pottawattamie County warrant. She was later released to Pottawattamie County authorities.; And, 35-year old Joshua James Mullen, of Corning, was arrested on charges of Possession of Meth 3^rd or Subsequent (D Felony), Possession of Contraband in Jail (D Felony), Possession of Marijuana 3^rd or Subsequent offense, OWI 2^nd Offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Mullen was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $7,000 bond.
• On January 10th, Cass County Deputies arrested 57-year old Charles Clyde Burns, of Atlantic, on a charge of Possession with Intent to Deliver Meth (C Felony). Burns was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released on his own recognizance.
• On January 7th, 25-year old Alex Lee Pleis, of Audubon, was arrested on a Federal Warrant. Pleis was taken to the Cass County Jail and released to US Marshals the following day.
• On January 6th, 45-year old Joseph John King, of Atlantic, was arrested on charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver Meth (C Felony); Possession of Meth 3^rd or Subsequent (D Felony); Possession of Marijuana 3^rd or Subsequent (Aggravated); and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Simple). King was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $57,000 bond.
• January 5th 49-year old John Richard Rutledge, Jr., of Kansas City, MO, was arrested in Cass County on two District Court warrants for Failure to Appear for Child Support Hearing. Rutledge was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $2,000 bond.
• January 4th, 23-year old River Dean Pecha-Nichols, of Griswold, was arrested on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Theft 2^nd Degree (D Felony) and Criminal Mischief 2^nd Degree (D Felony). The charges are in association with the theft of a vehicle from Griswold on October 24, 2018. Pecha-Nichols was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 bond.
• January 3rd, 35-year old Jeffery Lee Carpenter, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Sex Offender Registry Violation 2^nd or Subsequent Offense (D Felony). Carpenter was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $5,000 bond.
• On January 2nd, 48-year old Thomas Matthew Connors III, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in Cass County on two District Court warrants for Failure to Appear to Serve Time. Connors was taken to the Cass County Jail and released upon completing service of his time.
• And, on December 31st, Cass County deputies arrested 61-year old Douglas Joe Radford, of Griswold, on a charge of OWI 1^st Offense. Radford was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.