(Greenfield, Iowa) – A man from Stuart was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $75,000 bond, following his arrest by Stuart Police on March 12th. According to the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, 52-year-old Todd Shane Jackson was arrested after Stuart Police and Cass County (IA) Sheriff’s Deputies executed a search warrant at 615 SW 7th Street in Stuart, at around 3:40-p.m. on March 12th. The warrant had been obtained based on an investigation the Cass County authorities was conducting, and that involved multiple firearms and the sales of firearms. During the investigation, it was learned that several weapons would be found in Jackson’s residence on SW 7th Street, in Stuart. It was also discovered that Jackson is a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing any firearms, ammunition or offensive weapons,

When authorities entered the residence, they detected a strong odor of burned marijuana. In Jackson’s bedroom, a loaded 12 gauge shotgun with a sawed-off barrel was found hanging from the bedroom door. Other firearms found in the bedroom included: 2 Winchester .30/.30 rifles; A Springfield Arms 1903 rifle; a single-shot .22-caliber rifle; A Deutsche Berline 1915 817 rifle; a Winchester 1897 rile; an SKS 762 rifle with a modified stock; a .30-caliber carbine rifle, and a Kahr CM9 .9mm pistol altered to hide the serial number.

Multiple rounds of different live ammunition was also found in the bedroom, as well as: multiple firearm magazines; 2 taser stun guns; 18 white “Y18” oval pills in a plastic baggie, that were later identified as Alprazolam (a Schedule 4 controlled substance available by prescription only); a large glass smoking device (A “bong”); 2 jars containing suspected marijuana; and multiple other items of drug paraphernalia. In the living room of the home, authorities found a bolt-action rifle and a .308-caliber rifle stored in a cabinet; Additional miscellaneous drug paraphernalia was also located in the living room.

Jackson admitted to possessing the firearms he had collected over time. He also admitted to trading meth, marijuana and $200 for two of the firearms that were located by authorities.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports also, the arrest on drug charges of a Cass County (IA) woman. Stuart Police arrested 18-year-old Hailey Mae Jackson, of Atlantic, at around 2:12-a.m. March 10th in Stuart, for Possession of Marijuana/1st offense, and Possession of drug paraphernalia. Jackson was held on a $1,300 bond until her release from the Adair County Jail a short time later, on that same morning.

(Radio Iowa) – The U-S Labor Department conducted its annual revision of labor numbers and found there were 31-thousand more people in the Iowa labor force in January. Iowa Workforce Development director Beth Townsend says that’s a big increase. “It’s basically a six tenths of a point improvement on our labor force participation from where we were at the end of 2024,” she says. Townsend says they’ve been working for some time to get that rate back up. “We lost a large number of Iowans during the pandemic, and we’ve been fully but surely bringing them back. But then we also finally started to see the impact of the baby boomers retiring in 2024 and so our labor force steadily declined by very small amounts, but nonetheless declined,” Townsend says.

Townsend says a good sign was the increase in women aged 45 to 54 in the workforce. “Which had previously had been a group that had left the workforce to care for others in other words, either children or parents. But we saw them leave the workforce during the pandemic, and that was the largest group that we saw come back in the last few months.” she says. “So women aged 45 to 54 and then women aged 20 to 24 also saw an increase.” With the revised numbers, the January unemployment rate held at the revised December level of three-point-three percent.

“The good news about labor force participation, obviously, that’s the real number, because that tells you how many people you have working or looking for work in your total population,” Townsend says. “And we always want that number. You know, pre pandemic in 2019, I think we hit our high of around 70 percent so we’ve still got a ways to go.” Unemployment and participation numbers for February will be out next week.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three recent arrests. Sunday night, 44-year-old Floyd Lee Cozad, of Glenwood, was arrested in Glenwood on charges that include: False Imprisonment; Abandon/Neglect of a Dependent Person, and two-counts of Child Endangerment. His bond was set at $15,000.

Thursday morning (March 13), 42-year-old Jeremiah Thomas King, of Glenwood, was arrested in Pacific Junction, for Possession of Marijuana/2nd offense, and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond was set at $1,300.

And, On March 12th, sheriff’s deputies in Mills County arrested 43-year-old Dustin Eugene Kalkas, of Shenandoah, for Violation of Probation. Bond was set at $20,000.

No other details on the aforementioned arrests was provided.

(Sioux City, Iowa) – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa has announced that a man who sexually exploited multiple children and possessed millions of files of child pornography was sentenced Friday (March 14, 2025), to 50 years in federal prison. 48-year-old Lucas Oliver Knowles, of Carroll, received the prison term after his February 23, 2024, guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a child, receipt and possession of child pornography, and possession of firearms by a prohibited person. Knowles was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  The Court sentenced Knowles to 600 months’ imprisonment and imposed $21,400 in fines and assessments.  He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Knowles is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

Evidence in the case showed that the FBI National Threat Operations Center received a tip that Knowles was sexually abusing a minor and was in possession of child sexual abuse material.  When the FBI interviewed Knowles, he admitted that he produced child sexual abuse material just a few weeks prior and had been sexually abusing a child.  Knowles further admitted that he had been collecting child pornography since approximately 1996 and may have millions of images.  Forensic analysis of Knowles computers discovered approximately 1.07 million images and videos of child pornography including several local victims.  The images and videos involved material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as prepubescent children and toddlers.  Additionally, Knowles reported that he is a methamphetamine user and stored methamphetamine at his residence where he also possessed multiple firearms.

FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “Lucas Knowles is a sexual predator and a heinous criminal. His appalling actions brought pain and trauma to children for his own gratification.  Today’s sentence ensures Knowles will not hurt anyone else.  Protecting children is one of the FBI’s highest priorities.  We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to investigate and apprehend child predators and defend the most vulnerable members of our community.” United States Attorney Timothy Duax stated “The United States Attorney’s Office thanks the citizen that came forward with the tip and commends the FBI for its excellent investigative work. As a result, a dangerous child predator was removed from our community.”

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A joint public hearing involving the Cass and Adair County Boards of Supervisors, takes place at around 9:05-a.m. Tuesday in Atlantic and Greenfield, with regard to the vacating of that portion of 780th Lane (AKA Union Ave; AKA Adair-Cass Ave.), originally established in January, 1882. The road the crosses the Cass-Adair County line is about 66-feet wide and stretches approximately 2,034 feet. Following the hearing, the Cass and Adair County Boards of Supervisors separately, will act on passing resolutions to vacate the road as described in the legal definition.

Following the joint meeting and respective Board action, the Cass County Supervisors will hold a separate public hearing on the vacating and closing of a section of Quebec Lane near Massena, commencing at the west right-of-way limits of 760th Street in the Massena Township, west for about one-quarter of a mile. The affected section of road is 66-feet wide and contains just under two-acres of road right-of-way in Cass County, for a total length of approximately 1,287-feet. The hearing will be followed by action on passing a resolution vacating the County road easement as provided in the legal description.

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors expect to receive a monthly report from Cass/Guthrie County Environmental Health Director Jotham Arber, and a regular report from Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken. They’re also expected to act on lease agreements with MDA Financial and Industrial Fluid Management, and then consider a revision of the Indigent Remains Disposition Policy. The Board will act on approving a resolution amending the County Secondary Roads 5-year Construction Program, by moving a bridge project from 2027 to 2025, due to NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) changes received sooner than expected. The Board will act to approve an Iowa DOT Federal-aid Agreement for a bridge on Keystone Road over a Creek on NLINE, and act to approve the plans and specifications for a bridge replacement on 620th Street, and a Hot Melt Asphalt (HMA) resurfacing/CIP recycling project on County Road N-28, south of Highway 92, to the Cass-Adams County line.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors meeting takes place at 9-a.m. in their Courthouse Board Room, and is viewable through Zoom.

Agenda – 2025.03.18 – for Publication

(Radio Iowa) – The first day of spring is Thursday and many Iowans may have snow on the ground when the new season arrives. Forecasters predict drastic changes in the weather this week, as today’s (Monday) high temperatures are expected mostly in the 60s and 70s. Meteorologist Brad Small, at the National Weather Service, says open burning is strongly discouraged across a wide area of Iowa. “With warm temperatures today, breezy conditions, low humidities and drying grasses still are going to result in conditions favorable for fires to spread pretty quickly,” Small says, “so we have a Red Flag Warning in effect for much of central and southern Iowa due to critical fire weather conditions.”

The final days of winter, however, may look radically different, as some four-dozen Iowa counties are under a Winter Storm Watch for tomorrow (Tuesday) night and Wednesday.  “We’re looking at the potential for moderate to heavy snowfall accumulations, and that snow will be combined with very strong winds. Winds could gust to 50 miles per hour more,” Small says. “We’re back to the potential for a blizzard and travel to be hazardous, if not impossible at times. It looks like it may be a fairly impactful storm.”

Snowfall could range from two to eight inches, and it won’t be around long, as Small says highs on Thursday should be back in the 40s and 50s.

(Radio Iowa) – A member of the Irish parliament has been in northwest Iowa for Emmetsburg’s annual Irish Celebration. Cathal Crowe says the connections to his country are evident. “Some people I’ve met here, they’re third and fourth Irish generation and, yes, they feel a huge kinship with the home country of Ireland and I think it’s great to see that,” he said. “I’m glad to be over here this week representing the Irish government and trying to foster that connection between Ireland and, indeed, the dispara community here in Emmetsburg.”

Crowe has represented County Clare in Ireland’s parliament since 2020. He says March 17th is a wonderful day to celebrate the Irish — wherever they may be. “What we really value, and I value as a politicians is that it’s one day of the year, it’s sacrosanct, that Ireland has a foot into every country that you could image,” Crowe says. Emmetsburg’s annual week-long St. Patrick’s celebration got underway last Monday with its Junior Miss and Miss Shamrock contests.

Crowe got to Emmetsburg last Wednesday and was the grand marshal of the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Parade this past Saturday.

(Radio Iowa) – Today marks the start of Poison Prevention Week, and the Iowa Poison Control Center is reminding Iowans their medical experts are always at the ready. Grant Houselog is spokesman for the Sioux City-based center, which is raising awareness of poisonings in the home, the workplace, and everywhere else. “Just knowing that a poison center is available, 24-7 and 365,” Houselog says. “It is a free call to you. You can call us anytime, day or night, if you have a poisoning question, a poisoning emergency, medications, cleaning products, bites, stings, things like that.”

As we transition from winter to spring, Iowans may have new chemicals in their garages or kitchens which curious kids may want to taste, so either lock those chemicals up or put them in a place that’s out of reach. “In 2022, the United States poison centers responded to nearly two-and-a-half-million poisoning exposures, poisoning cases,” Houselog says, “that’s an average of a new case about every 15 seconds.”

Iowans can reach the poison center anytime at 1-800-222-1222 or online at www.iowapoison.org.