A traffic stop at around 1:05-p.m. Wednesday in Council Bluffs resulted in the discovery of numerous boxes containing about 1,500-pounds of suspected marijuana worth an estimated $4.5-million. Council Bluffs Police initiated the traffic stop on Interstate 80 eastbound at he 7.5-mile marker. A 2016 Penske box truck was stopped for speeding. The driver, 35-year old Dmitry Brisov, of Los Angeles, CA., was issued a citation. A Council Bluffs Police Service Dog was deployed and  alerted to the  presence of narcotics in the vehicle.

A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered 61 cardboard boxes containing the suspected marijuana. Borisov was subsequently booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail  on charges that include: Possession with Intent to Deliver‐ Marijuana Over 100Kg/Under 1000kg; Prohibited Acts; A drug Tax Stamp Violation, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Dmitry Borisov

61-boxes of suspected marijuana worth about $4.5-million. (Council Bluffs PD photos)

(Radio Iowa) — The latest data from the Iowa Secretary of State’s office shows there’s been little change in the number of Iowa voters registering their affiliation with the two major political parties. The number of Iowans who are registered to vote — but have checked “no party” as independent voters has grown by about 13-thousand in the past 12 months, but there are fewer Democrats AND Republicans registered to vote now when compared to this time a year ago.

Secretary of State Paul Pate has said the January, 2019 data reflects the surge of voter registrations for the 2018 General Election. If the hundreds of paid staff and volunteers for Democratic presidential candidates who’ve been contacting Iowans this year are identifying new voters, it’s not reflected in the voter rolls as of January 2nd, 2020.

If there ARE hundreds if not thousands of NEW, first-time voters showing up at Iowa Caucus sites across the state on February 3rd, there will be long lines at the check-in tables.

(Source of the following numbers: IA Sec. of State)…

Iowa Voter Registration Data
January 2, 2020
639,968 Republicans
614,516 Democrats
746,494 No Party (independents)

December 2, 2019
640,180 Republicans
613,899 Democrats
743,885 No Party

January 2, 2019
653,172 Republicans
631,136 Democrats
732,891 No Party

(Radio Iowa) – A bipartisan group of lawmakers who represent Iowa and Nebraska are joining to sponsor legislation that would help communities like Hamburg that are fighting federal rules about making temporary levees permanent. Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne of West Des Moines, a Democrat, says additions to a levee that had saved Hamburg from 2011 flooding had to be removed because of current Army Corps of Engineers rules.

(as said) “A bureaucratic piece of red tape didn’t allow the  residents in a community up that would have kept them out of harm’s way, we believe, in this recent flooding incident,” Axne says.

Congressman Don Bacon of Omaha, a Republican, represents a district on the Nebraska side of the Missouri River and he’s co-sponsoring the bill in the U.S. House with Axne. The legislation sets up a new regulatory pathway for temporary flood control structures can be made permanent.

(as said) “It’s with the idea in mind that if we already have a levee in place that was put in there temporarily, that served a purpose, and that if we are able to make some considerations to use that levee and not tear it down, then this bill will help us address that,” Axne told Radio Iowa.

Iowa Republican Joni Ernst has filed a similar bill in the U.S. Senate.

(as said) “There’s a various coalition of those of us up and down the river that want to see things changed,” Ernst says, “so we will keep pushing on those issues.”

In 2011, the Army Corps raised the levee protecting Hamburg by eight feet, but the Corps’ current rules required that extra height to be removed because the community couldn’t come up with the money to make the addition permanent. The legislation Ernst and Axne are sponsoring would direct the Corps to consider the economic impact of removing temporary flood control structures.

It also calls for waiving rules that require local governments to come up with matching funds for levees if the community has fewer than 10-thousand residents. Axne says the federal government has spent tax dollars responding to this past year’s Missouri River flooding that might have been saved if the height of the Hamburg levee hadn’t been reduced.

During a senate hearing last spring, Ernst quizzed Army Corps officials about their management of flood control structures along the Missouri River corridor.

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois’ first day of legal recreational marijuana generated over $3 million in sales. State officials announced Thursday that there were over 77,000 transactions on Jan. 1, the first day of legal sales. Crowds began forming early in the morning. State officials say the first day went smoothly with few problems.

Illinois is the 11th state to broadly allow marijuana’s use and sale for people 21 or older. Neighboring Michigan made it legal starting Dec. 1. Officials there say the first two weeks of sales generated about $3.1 million.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 30-year old Joshua Stephen Miller, of Glenwood, was arrested Dec. 31st, on an Assault charge. He was taken into custody at around 11:30-p.m. and held on a $1,000 bond.

And, no injuries were reported following an accident New Year’s Day on I-29, in Mills County. Authorities say a 2006 Jeep and a 2013 Kia were both traveling north on I-29 at around 9:55-a.m., when the Jeep (Driven by 20-year old Max Hughes, of Fresno, CA), merged into the right lane to pass a semi in the left lane.

Hughes said he took his eyes off the road to (possibly) look at his phone, and when he looked up, saw the Kia (driven by 64-year old Cathy Lachance, of Auburn, NE.), was directly in front of him. Hughes was unable to slow down prior to rear-ending Lachance’ vehicle. He was traveling at a speed of 75-to 80-miles per hour when the collision occurred. Lachance estimated her speed at 70-mph.

Hughes was cited for Following too close.

The Atlantic Police Department released information on a number of arrests dating back to December 11th.

Most recently on December 31st Atlantic Police arrested 22-year-old Skylar Bingham of Atlantic for Domestic Abuse Assault, Impeding air or blood flow. He was taken into custody and transported to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

On December 30th 60-year-old Joseph Hahn of Atlantic was arrested on a Cass County Warrant for Purchase/Possess Depiction of Minor in Sex Act, 1st Offense. He was taken into custody and booked in to the Cass County Jail.

On December 29th 26-year-old Jason Mark of Atlantic was arrested for Public Intoxication. He was booked in to the Cass County Jail. That same day 35-year-old Michael Nicolaisen of Atlantic was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Marijuana), 2nd Offense. He was also booked in to the Cass County Jail.

On December 28th 27-year-old Nicole Freize of Carter Lake was arrested on a Fremont County Warrant for Violation of Probation and Possession of Controlled Substance (Marijuana), 1st Offense. She was taken to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

On December 24th two arrests were reported. 28-year-old Samuel Martinez Alvarado of Atlantic for Operating While Intoxicated. 43-year-old Jason Tasto of Atlantic was arrested for Public Intoxication. Both subjects were booked in to the Cass County Jail.

On December 23rd three arrests were reported. 31-year-old Casey Sampson of Atlantic was arrested on a Cass County Warrant for Controlled Substance Violation. 37-year-old Donald Kadereit of Atlantic was arrested on two Cass County Warrants for Theft 5th Degree. 45-year-old Patrick Ferrin of Atlantic was arrested on Cass County Warrants for Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs and Domestic Abuse Assault. All three subjects were booked in to the Cass County Jail.

On December 20th 28-year-old Alex Garside of Atlantic turned himself in on a Cass County Warrant for Failure to Appear. He was subsequently booked in to the Cass County Jail.

On December 15th two arrests were reported. 45-year-old Tammy Espinosa of Atlantic was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance (Meth), Possession of Controlled Substance (Marijuana), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She was taken in to custody and booked in to the Cass County Jail. Also that day 60-year-old Jason Dillon of Omaha, NE was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance (Meth), Possession of Controlled Substance (Marijuana), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was also taken in to custody and booked in to the Cass County Jail.

On December 13th 26-year-old Mercedes Robberts was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault, 1st Offense. She was taken into custody and booked in to the Cass County Jail.

Two arrests were reported December 11th. 46-year-old Dwayne Rollins of Atlantic was arrested on a Cass County Warrant for Theft, 5th Degree. He was taken into custody and booked in to the Cass County Jail. That same day 31-year-old Justin Cooley of Atlantic was cited into court for Theft 5th Degree (Shoplifting) and released.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors met this (Thursday) morning, in Atlantic, with all members present. According to Auditor Dale Sunderman, the Board re-elected Steve Baier as Chairman for 2020, and Steve Green as Vice-chair. They then decided to continue holding their regular meetings each week on Tuesday’s, beginning at 9-a.m., unless otherwise noted. A motion was made by Supervisor Frank Waters to set the mileage rate reimbursement for use of personal vehicles for county business at fifty cents per mile for 2020, but the motion died for lack of a second.

Supervisor Mark O’Brien then moved to set mileage the rate reimbursement for use of personal vehicles for county business at forty five cents per mile for 2020. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously. The Board also approved setting the 2020 per mileage fee to be charged by sheriff for civil process, at the standard IRS per mile rate. And, they elected to continue paying the medical examiner’s fee of $200 per call.