The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports that at around 2:25-a.m. today (Tuesday), deputies were dispatched to the 100 block of Heesch Avenue in Treynor for a home invasion with shots being fired. The reporting party advised that four subjects had broken into the house. The also said two of the subjects had been shot, and that the reporting party started a fire to keep the other two away. When Deputies arrived less than 10-minutes later, they observed smoke coming from a garage attached to a residence. Deputies were able to open the overhead door and allow the caller to exit. The caller was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

Authorities determined three family members were at the residence with the caller, when the 911 call was placed. Those family members said they did not hear or see anyone else in the house or garage. The investigation indicates that the caller had a mental health episode. After the fire was under control, nothing was located in the garage to support the caller’s statement that two subjects were shot. Currently, deputies are not looking for suspects. The incident is currently under investigation, but officials say there is no on-going threat to the public.

MARION, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say one person was hospitalized after a fire broke out in a Marion apartment. Firefighters dispatched to the building around 4:50 a.m. Tuesday found smoke coming from one unit. They managed to keep the flames to just that apartment. The name of the injured person hasn’t been released. The fire cause is being investigated.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A judge has ordered a mental health evaluation to see whether a man accused of trying to kill his wife in Dubuque was competent to enter a plea. The Telegraph Herald reports that Judge Monica Wittig on Monday ordered a competency evaluation on 52-year-old Clifford Smiley, an inmate at Anamosa State Penitentiary. The evaluation will be performed by an independent expert, to be paid by a defense fund for indigent people. Wittig had ordered a state-funded evaluation at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville, but prosecutors argued in opposition that the center’s charter doesn’t allow evaluations after criminal proceedings are complete.

In his request for the evaluation, Smiley says he was bipolar, off his medication and addicted to heroin when he entered an Alford plea to attempted murder. In an Alford plea, a person doesn’t admit guilt but acknowledges there is enough evidence to convict. Prosecutors say Smiley stabbed his estranged wife in a Dubuque parking lot on April 1, 2018.

(Radio Iowa) — A new survey finds more than one in five women who are Iowa State University students say they have been the victims of sexual assault during their college career. The Association of American Universities surveyed students at 33 institutions across the country, including about 48-hundred at Iowa State University. It’s a follow-up to a 2015 survey and I-S-U’s results show about a one-and-a-half percent increase in the number of female, male and transgender students who say they have been sexually assaulted. Nearly 23 percent of women undergrads at I-S-U said they’d been assaulted. Iowa State University president Wendy Wintersteen says the survey results will help refine programs that move closer to the goal of preventing sexual assault and misconduct on the Ames campus.

Iowa State officials say they’re seeing an improvement in the number of bystanders who are willing to intervene, as three-quarters of those who said they had witnessed troubling behavior took some sort of action. The national survey found virtually no male victims and only 16-and-a-half percent of female victims of campus sexual assault reported it to campus or city authorities. In addition, the majority of incidents occurred on a campus or on property affiliated with one of the 33 universities, including fraternity houses and residence halls.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests took place over the past week. Last Friday afternoon, 36-year old Adam Lee Thompson, of Altoona, was arrested by Stuart Police, for Burglary in the 3rd Degree, and Possession of Burglary Tools. His arrest stems from an incident at a motel in Stuart, where a man was reported to have been trespassing. The hotel manager said also, the previous night, a storage room had been burglarized. He gave a description of the suspect to police. That same day, hotel staff cleaning rooms noticed one of the rooms was occupied, and not supposed to be. A man in the room matching the description of the burglary suspect, identified himself as Adam Thompson, and refused to leave. Later, hotel staff saw Thompson attempting to leave.

When questioned, he admitted he had not paid for the room, that he was homeless, and trying to stay out of the rain. After giving consent for the officer to search Thompson’s backpack, a small blue pry bar and two metal door locks were found. The locks matched the shape, size and packaging as locks stored in the burglarized storage room. Thompson admitted to breaking into the storage room the night before. He was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $5,000 cash or surety bond.

On Oct. 10th, 58-year old Dennis Jay Wentland, of Altoona, was picked up by Adair County Deputies at the Polk County Jail, and transported to Greenfield, where he was held on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation. Wentland was released the following day for time served. On Oct. 7th, Adair Police arrested 20-year old Drew Darin Steckelberg, of Adair. He was taken into custody on an Adair County warrant for a Controlled Substance Violation. Steckelberg was being held on a $25,000 cash or surety bond.

Also arrested Oct. 7th, was 25-year old Jagwinder Singh, of Clovis, CA. He was arrested by the Iowa State Patrol, following a traffic stop on I-80 in Adair County. Singh was arrested for Motor Carrier Safety Rules Violation(s) and Operating without the Required Authority. His bond was set at slightly more than $161.

A man from West Monroe, Louisiana was injured early Monday morning in rural Union County, when the 2003 Cadillac CTS he was driving, struck a cow on County Road P-27 (known as the “High and Dry Road”). The Union County Sheriff’s Office says 27-year old Donovan Wayne Bedingfield was transported by private vehicle to the Greater Regional Medical Center, for treatment of suspected minor/non-incapacitating injuries. The accident, which took place at around 1:12-a.m., Monday, resulted in $5,000 damage to the car, and the death of a cow owned by Walt Glynn, of Creston. The animal was valued at $2,000.

Bedingfield was cited for Failure to Provide Proof of Insurance – Accident related, and for having No Valid Driver’s License.

Three people were arrested on warrants Monday, in Mills County. The Sheriff’s Department say 34-year old Brandon Heath Smith, of Glenwood, was arrested at around 11:35-p.m. on a warrant for two counts of Probation Violation. His bond was set at $40,000. 39-year old Daniel Lee Walling, and 26-year old Shelli Leigh Wilson, both of Glenwood, were also arrested on Probation Violation warrants. Walling was taken into custody at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office. His bond was set at $5,000. Bond for Wilson was set at $2,500.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office says an Afton man reported Monday, that sometime between last Friday and this past Monday, someone had stolen 19 front tractor weights off a tractor located southwest of Lorimor. Also taken was a hydraulic cylinder from the rear of the tractor. The items were valued at $2,775. Another Afton man reported that sometime between Sunday and Monday, someone had stolen 16 tractor weights off a tractor located East of Lorimor. About 85 gallons of diesel fuel was also taken. The loss was estimated at $2,694.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Tuesday), passed a motion to proceed with an economic development proposal that could bring upwards of 30 jobs paying $18-to 22-dollars per hour. Supervisor’s Board Chair Steve Baier said he met with Allen Williams, Advanced Manufacturing, Foreign Direct Investment Coordinator with the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), who explained that the as yet, unnamed East Coast Light Industrial manufacturer, is looking to move into a rural area similar to that found near the Atlantic Industrial Park, off Glacier/Echo Road.

Other details of IEDA project AW2247 include the need for:

• At least a 4 acre site;
• A 40,000 sq ft facility, with a peak height minimum 30 feet, and sidewall minimum 26- feet;
• Paved parking
• 480 volt, 3 phase electricity, 5000 amp transformer
• 1,000 gallons of water/ day primarily for cooling as well as water and sanitary sewer for staff needs.

The company, as mentioned, would like to locate in a rural county with a population center of about 7,000. They also want to be within 10 miles of four lane highway system, within 60 miles of major airport, and a local airport that could have a private jet. Rail access would be also be a plus. Baier said unlike other prospective employers, the company is NOT SEEKING TIF (Tax Increment Financing) or standard financial incentives, but they do expect some commitment from the Cass County or agencies to make the project happen.

He said it’s not known if the company is looking at other sites in Iowa. Supervisor Mark O’Brien said “I don’t think so, but I’d have to assume so.” The reason there are so few other details available, is because the County is working with IEDA, and not the prospective employer. The County will submit its proposal on Wednesday, stating its ability to meet the requirements of the project to Allen Williams at IEDA. Baier said that gets us into the “pool” of prospective communities and the possibility of meeting and discussing the details of the project with company executives. He said the project would fit in nicely with the RISE (Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy) requirement. Supervisor John Hartkopf said it means a potential increase in our tax base, if the project comes to fruition.