DOUGLAS COUNTY, Neb. — Iowa State Patrol arrested man accused of breaking into an Omaha car dealership and making off with one of the vehicles. KETV in Omaha reports the incident happened on Friday a little before 5 a.m. at the Onyx Automotive, in Omaha.

Douglas County, NE Sheriff’s deputies said a suspect had gotten inside the showroom, and surveillance cameras showed him trying to get into the sales manager’s office as well as trying to get inside one of the vehicles. The video showed the suspect going between the vehicles and the service area to find the right key. He eventually was seen leaving in a black BMW SUV.

Iowa State Patrol arrested 25-year-old Damien Alexander hours later in the stolen vehicle, in Jasper County, Iowa. He was arrested on a warrant, and charges that include, first-degree theft, reckless driving, and failure to provide aid or information after a traffic accident.

The DCSO has filed warrants for the 25-year-old for theft of a vehicle, burglary, and criminal mischief.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three recent arrests:

On Saturday (Feb. 22nd), 30-year-old Christian Monreal Sempek, of Elliott, was arrested for OWI/1st Offense. Sempek was transported to the Cass County Jail and later released on his own recognizance.

On Feb 19th, 39-year-old Sherrece Patricia Kilgore, of Orient, was arrested on two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Kilgore was transported to the Cass County Jail and also later released on bond.

There were two arrests Feb. 17th in Cass County: 51-year-old Gene Christopher Reed, of Atlantic, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Reed was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held on bond; and, 55-year-old Kathleen Patricia Laehle, of Griswold, was arrested for OWI/1st Offense. Laehle was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and later released on her own recognizance.

All criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in the court of law.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Lincoln, NE, was arrested last week for OWI/1st offense. 44-year-old Kevin John Janssen was arrested by the Iowa State Patrol following a traffic stop on the Tyson Foods semi Janssen was driving eastbound Interstate 80, at around 6:15-p.m., Feb. 16th.  The Trooper stopped the vehicle on the Exit 93 off-ramp, after State Radio reported callers to 9-1-1 stated the semi was all over the road. The Trooper caught up with the semi and saw the driver – Janssen – appeared to be tired or intoxicated. He also verified the truck was making unsafe movements on the roadway. During questioning, Janssen admitted he drank six containers of beer before he left for work. Open containers of beer and a pack of beer partially empty were found in the semi’s cab. At the Adair County Jail, his breath alcohol content tested at .179-percent, or more than four-times the legal limit for intoxication when a commercial vehicle is driven. Janssen was booked into the Adair County Jail and released the next day on a $1,000 bond.

And, Adair County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 20-year-old Keaton Michael Ballinger, of Creston, Saturday night, on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation. He was released the following day on a $1,000 bond, as well.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three people were arrested on separate charges over the past week. At around 5-a.m. Wednesday (Feb. 19th), 27-year-old Kaitlyn Louise Anglen, of Pacific Junction, was arrested on multiple charges in Glenwood. The charges include: OWI/1st offense; Failure to Maintain Control; Theft in the 2nd Degree; Striking Fixtures upon a highway; Tampering with an ignition interlock device, and failure to provide proof of insurance (financial liability). Bond on those charges totaled $7,000. Anglen was arrested early Friday morning, also, for Violation of Probation. Her bond on that charge was set at $10,000.

Late Thursday evening, 19-year-old Mohammad Zarif Nazari, of LaVista, NE., was arrested in Emerson, for: Possession of alcohol under age/1st offense; OWI/1st offense; Contributing to the delinquency of a minor-cause to act; Possession of Media/Exploitation of a Minor/2nd offense, and Exhibiting Obscene Material to a Minor. Bond was set at $7,000.

Additional information on the aforementioned arrests was not provided.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Two people were arrested on drug charges Saturday, in Glenwood. According to Glenwood Police, 22-year-old Adison Presley, of Silver City, was arrested for Possession of a controlled substance. He was released from the Mills County Jail after posting a $1,000 bond. And, 23-year-old Alexander Nusser, of Glenwood was arrested Saturday for OWI/1st offense, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released after posting a $2,300 bond.

(Radio Iowa [updated 1:10-pm.]) -A House committee will vote later today (Monday) on a bill that would remove “gender identity” from the Iowa Civil Rights Act. The legislation was the subject of a sometimes tense hour-long subcommittee hearing this (Monday) morning. Amber Williams of Aplington, a lobbyist for Inspire Life – a group opposed to abortion, says the bill ensures the of safety and privacy of women.

“Women’s rights cannot exist if the very definition of woman is eroded,” Williams said. “As a society, we have a duty to ensure that women’s spaces remain places of refuge, not controversy.” Chris Morse, who testified against the bill, was escorted out of the hearing when he wouldn’t stop quoting a Bible passage. “Whether you like it or not, this body agreed in 2007 to protect gender queer like myself,” Morse said. “..Removing these protection is, in itself, a violation of our civil rights and it won’t hold up in court.”

Tamara Scott, state director for Concerned Women of America, urged lawmakers to remove all references to sexual orientation in state law. “It is not your job to codify feelings; to protect perceptions, pronouns or preferences, but it is to bring justice to all of us,” Scott said. “…No one group should have benefit under any other group under the Constitution.” Diane Crookham-Johnson, an Oskaloosa attorney, said in 2024 she helped eight Mahaska County residents confirm their gender identity on legal documents.

“This bill doesn’t impact some unknown person over there,” she said. “This bill impacts people in your districts..and even your most conservative counties of Iowa.” Opponents of the bill chanted and stomped outside the hearing room, prompting the subcommittee’s chairman to pause the hearing for seven minutes as state troopers pushed the crowd down the hallway to reduce noise in the room.

(Radio Iowa) – A historical marker will be placed at Fort Des Moines this summer to honor the one-thousand black soldiers who trained there to become officers during World War One. Researcher Keith King says they laid the foundation for the Civil Rights Movement. “This was the first and only class of that many black officers that were brought to one place to get commissioned,” King says, “so it happened once, and it’s never happened again.” King says Fort Des Moines’ history draws a parallel to today. Black people, he says, still have to perform above the standard, or else be seen as diversity hires.

Historian Don North requested the historical marker to commemorate the officers who served our country more than a century ago. “So you guys are kind of like the cradle of birthing Army officers right there in Des Moines,” North says, “so that’s the significance.” North says the officers were instrumental in proving that black officers were not only American citizens, but also capable of leadership.

The marker will be unveiled at a ceremony in June.

DES MOINES, Iowa [WHO-TV] — A popular mobile, wood oven pizza purveyor at the Iowa State Fair will no longer be a feature at the annual event. Jon and Nancy Turner, owners of Parlo Pizza, announced Saturday, their retirement, after 13 years of service. According to his website, Parlo’s delivered “old-world flavors prepared old-world style in a wood fired oven.”

In a Facebook post, they thanked the workers and customers who helped make the dream happen.

Screenshot of a wood-oven fired pizza from Parlo’s Facebook page

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI-TV) — Lawyers for a former Des Moines Register pollster J. Ann Selzer have filed a motion. They are asking for a federal judge to drop President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against her. The suit stems from an inaccurate poll The Register published days before the general election. Trump claims the poll was an effort to “influence the outcome of the 2024 election.” Selzer’s lawyers argue Trump is trying to create a new First Amendment exemption for what he calls “fake news.” The motion also claims the lawsuit misunderstands the definition of “fraud.”

A judge has not set a hearing date on the motion.

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI-TV)— The Caitlin Clark Foundation is partnering with Hy-Vee to raise money for food banks across the Midwest this spring. Throughout March, customers at all Hy-Vee locations can round up to the nearest dollar during checkout. The money raised will be divided up to help Feeding America food banks.

It isn’t the first partnership between Clark and Hy-Vee. The store was the first company to sponsor Clark under her first NIL deal.