The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a 15-year old male was arrested at around 9:20-a.m. Wednesday, following a disturbance in rural Honey Creek. The unidentified teen allegedly assaulted a 33-year old woman. He faces charges that include Assault with Intent to cause pain/injury, and Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree (property damage ranging from $300-to $750). And, a man was arrested Wednesday night in Underwood, for Assault – Use or display of a weapon, and a felony charge of Harassment in the 1st Degree (by threatening the use of force).  23-year old Ozzie Lee Palen, of Council Bluffs, was also charged with Willful Injury resulting in bodily injury.

BURLINGTON, Iowa — The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has conducted the interviews of the  law enforcement officers involved in the November 7th, 2019, shooting which occurred in the 1100 block of Agency, in Burlington (IA). Law enforcement officers were dispatched to the area following reports of a male who was armed with a shotgun. The Burlington Police Department and Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office searched the area and upon arrival, the Des Moines County Sheriff and Deputies made contact with 18-year old Stone Thomas Graha, who immediately fired the shotgun at officers. The Deputies returned fire at Graham who suffered from one gunshot wound to the leg, and continued to flee the scene. Graham was later taken into custody without incident and was transported to the Great River Medical Center for medical treatment. The two deputies were:

Des Moines County Deputy Dilan Beaird
Des Moines County Sergeant Kevin Glendening

The deputies are cooperating with the investigation. The Des Moines County Attorney referred the review of the investigation to the Attorney General’s Office. The investigation continues and once completed, the findings will be submitted to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office for review. No additional information will be released at this time.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Police are investigating what officials say is a threat posted on social media to three Iowa State students. Iowa State Police Chief Michael Newton said Wednesday that the university is trying to identify who posted it on Reddit. The university says the threat targeted three students who participated in a Land Acknowledgement statement made at a Students Against Racism meeting on Nov. 7. Such statements acknowledge the indigenous people who once inhabited the land.

The poster typed these words next to the photo: “We fought for this land and won, and will be more than willing to kill for it again if you try and take it.” Newton says police are working with Reddit to find information about the poster.

(Radio Iowa) — Loneliness is becoming a serious epidemic among senior citizens nationwide, especially in states like Iowa with much older populations. A retirement living company, with facilities in Iowa and Nebraska, is working to take a proactive approach. Jennifer Knecht, vice president of marketing and communications at Immanuel Communities, says loneliness can bring on all kinds of ailments. “We know that scientifically, loneliness has been linked to greater risk of heart disease,” Knecht says. “We know that being lonely on a regular basis is the equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. We know that loneliness may speed the onset of dementia. We also know that loneliness shortens life.”

While the signs of loneliness can be concealed, they often come during a change of circumstance in a person’s life. Retiring from a career, health issues, or the death of a loved one can all lead to isolation.  “Forty-three percent of America’s seniors are lonely which is incredible, that’s a huge number of folks,” Knecht says. “Often, folks are suffering from loneliness and don’t even necessarily know how incredibly serious it is — or can be — for their health.”

Potential signs of loneliness may include: poor eating habits, loss of interest in personal hygiene or appearance, significant clutter in the home, a general lack of interest or withdrawal. Combating loneliness is a five-part process, she says, with the first steps being: learn about the epidemic, take an online loneliness assessment, discover what help is available, and then seeking out that help. “This is the hardest step in the process, actually identifying the fact that you’re lonely and then asking for a little help, some support,” Knecht says. “Step five, make the choice of which solution is best for you. There’s a lot of different options out there that can help you combat loneliness or a loved one combat loneliness.”

Raising awareness and fighting loneliness are priorities in their facilities, she says, as a sense of community can make a world of difference in seniors’ lives.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An ex-con found guilty in September of first-degree murder for killing an Omaha woman he had just met has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. KMTV reports that 40-year-old Jeremiah Connelly received the mandatory sentence Wednesday for killing 22-year-old Jeanna Wilcoxen, in September 2018. Wilcoxen, the mother of a 4-year old son, was a native of Council Bluffs.

Prosecutors say Connelly confessed to police that he had abducted Wilcoxen from an Omaha park near a laundromat where he’d met her a day earlier. He told police that he was angry she had backed out of plans to move in with him. He told police he forced her into his van, raped her and suffocated her. Her body was found in a ravine near Fremont, NE. Connelly carried out the killing about six weeks after he had been released from prison, where he served a term for attempted kidnapping, robbery and other crimes.

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The Creston Police Department reports two arrests and an incident of vandalism/theft. Authorities say 37-year old Wesley Gregg, of Creston, was arrested Wednesday morning in the 100 block of N. Elm, on a Union County Warrant for Burglary 2nd Degree. Gregg was being held in the Union County Jail on a $10,000 bond. Wednesday afternoon, 39-year old Jennifer Beard, of Creston, was arrested at her residence for Violation of Court Order/No Contact Order. Beard was being held in the Adams County Jail while awaiting a bond hearing.

A Creston woman reported to police Wednesday morning, that sometime during the previous night someone had broken a window on her vehicle while it was parked at her residence in the 500 block of N. Stone Street. A wallet in the vehicle was stolen. The loss was estimated at $220 altogether.