Cass County Deputy Auditor Sheri Karns reports three people (all Republicans) have filed their nomination papers for County Offices, in Cass County:

• Michael Donn Hooper-Cass County Attorney
• Mary Ward-Cass County Recorder
• Pat McCurdy- Cass County Supervisor District 2

Persons wishing to file nomination papers have until March 28th to do so. Nomination papers are available at the office of the county auditor and from the secretary of state.

County positions to appear on the Cass County ballot for the June 5th, 2018 PRIMARY ELECTION are:

District 2 County Supervisor
District 3 County Supervisor
County Attorney
County Recorder
County Treasurer

List of persons currently serving in those positions:

Treasurer                 (incumbent: Tracey Marshall, Republican)
Recorder                  (incumbent: Mary Ward, Republican)
Attorney                  (incumbent: Michael Hooper, appointed)
District 2 Supervisor     (incumbent: Gaylord Schelling, Republican) – is not seeking reelection; Mark O’Brien has taken out nomination papers to file
District 3 Supervisor     (incumbent: Mark Wedemeyer, Republican) – is not seeking relection; Dana Halder and John P. Hartkopf have taken out nomination papers to file.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A teenager has been given a 60-year prison sentence for the fatal shooting of a Des Moines man during a drug deal. The Des Moines Register reports that 17-year-old Dequavius Robinson was sentenced today (Monday). He’d entered an Alford plea to voluntary manslaughter and two counts of first-degree robbery in the Feb. 7 shooting of 20-year-old Augustin Kouh. Police say Kouh was found dead on a sidewalk. Another person suffered a gunshot wound.

In an Alford plea, a suspect acknowledges there is enough evidence for a jury to reach a guilty verdict. Robinson, of Des Moines, was 16 at the time of the shooting, which police say involved a drug transaction and robbery.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports the arrest of 18-year old Julian Russell Wagner, of Dexter, at around 12:30-a.m. Friday.  Wagner was pulled over on Interstate 80 at mile marker 95, for a traffic violation. He was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense, after a he admitted to the Deputy, there was a baggy of cocaine in the vehicle. A small amount of marijuana was also found in the glove box. Wagner was booked into the Adair County Jail and later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

Thursday evening, 47-year old Thomas Matthew Connors III, of Omaha, was arrested in Adair County on a Cass County warrant for Failure to Appear on a Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, charge – 1st offense. Connors was transferred to the custody of Cass County Deputies. On Feb. 28th, 20-year old Paul Lee Albrechtsen, of Kent, was arrested on the Adair/Union County line, on a Felony warrant for Failure to Appear on a 1st Degree Burglary charge. His cash only bond was set at $500.

On Feb. 26th, 35-year old John Robert Lemon, of Greenfield, was arrested by Greenfield Police, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/less than 5 grams, of Meth, and Possession of Drug paraphernalia (Several glass smoking devices used for meth, scales and baggies). He was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $10,000 cash or surety bond. On Feb. 25th, 33-year old Derik Wayne Bud Pickrell, of Fontanelle, was arrested by Adair County Deputies, for Driving While Barred. He was cited for the offense and released at the scene.  That same day, 41-year old Joseph Eric Funke, of Fontanelle, was arrested on 10 Felony counts of Forgery, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (A syringe used to inject meth), and Driving Under Suspension. His cash-only bond was set at $5,000.

Officials with the Mills County Attorney’s Office report today (Monday), in an update to our report Feb. 27th, several individuals were sentenced for their roles in incidents at the Glenwood Resource Center. On March 8th, 2017, 24-year old Kayla Marie Stevenson, of Glenwood, was formally charged, in Mills County, with one count of Wanton Neglect of a Resident of a Health Care Facility, an Aggravated Misdemeanor. The jury found Stevenson guilty, and at her sentencing February 26, 2018 Stevenson was granted a deferred judgment and placed on probation for one (1) year. 29-year old Tyler Benjamin Palmer, of Glenwood, 36-year old Ryan Anthony Belt, and 44-year old Dana Renee Case, both from Tabor, all plead guilty to one count of Wanton Neglect of a Resident of a Health Care Facility. At sentencing on February 26, 2018, each were granted a deferred judgment and placed on probation for one (1) year. 48-year old Darrel Justin Case, also of Tabor, plead guilty to two counts of Wanton Neglect of a Resident of a Health Care Facility. On February 26, 2018, Case was convicted of one count and given a deferred judgment on the second count. Case was sentenced to two years in prison with all but 28 days suspended and placed on probation for one (1) year.

The Mills County Attorney’s Office reports also, that on July 20, 2017, 40-year old David Jay Nuno, of Council Bluffs, was formally charged, in Mills County, by Trial Information with four (4) counts of Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree, a Class B Felony. Trial began on September 27, 2017. On September 29, 2017, a Mills County jury found David Jay Nuno guilty of one count of Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree, a Class B Felony. Nuno was sentenced to twenty-five (25) years in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

On July 25, 2016, 43-year old Chad Leroy Wilson, of Persia, was formally charged, in Mills County, by Trial Information with one count of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree, Second Offense, a Class A Felony; two counts of Lascivious Acts with a Child, Second Offense, Class A Felonies; and two counts of Indecent Contact with a Child, Aggravated Misdemeanors. Trial began on February 27, 2018. A Mills County jury then found Chad Leroy Wilson guilty of one count of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree, Second Offense, a Class A Felony; two counts of Lascivious Acts with a Child, Second Offense, Class A Felonies; and two counts of Indecent Contact with a Child, Aggravated Misdemeanors. Sentencing is currently scheduled for March 19, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors have filed a weapons charge against a Chicago man, so Iowa has dropped charges filed over the same shooting incident in Dubuque. The Telegraph Herald reports that Ricardo Sanchez already has pleaded not guilty to the federal charge: possession of a firearm by a drug user.

An Iowa prosecutor cited the federal case in asking a judge to dismiss state charges of theft, going armed with intent and intimidation with a dangerous weapon. Sanchez had pleaded not guilty to all three.

Police say Sanchez fired repeatedly into Club Rise in Dubuque about 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 27. The club was closed, but four employees were inside. None was hit.
Sanchez is a music promoter who police say had a dispute with Club Rise over payments for a concert.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office says a Creston woman reported on Sunday, that sometime between 11-p.m. Saturday and 12-a.m. Sunday, someone stole a 10 week old female Shetland sheepdog from her property. The black dog with gray spots, weighs about 5-pounds. She has brown eyes and a gray face. The dog was valued at $700.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports their Avaya phone system is not working correctly. Inbound calls to the police dept. and city hall are not being connected. You can still make outbound calls. A specialist has been called to troubleshoot the problem. We’ll update you when the issue is resolved.

Police in Glenwood report just one arrest over the weekend. On Sunday, 21-year old Chase Poort, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested for OWI/1st offense. His cash or surety bond was set at $1,000.

There were also several incidents of burglary and theft reported to have occurred recently, in Glenwood. On Sunday, two residents reported their vehicles have been burglarized and items taken. Two additional incidents were reported on Saturday. Also, Fasmart in Glenwood reported on March 1st, an incident of Forgery, and Wheelers Home Repair, LLC., report on Feb. 28th,  an incident of Burglary, Theft and Criminal Mischief.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A trial is scheduled to begin Monday for a woman accused of killing her stepfather in Des Moines. Twenty-nine-year-old Sera Alexander has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder. Alexander is accused of shooting to death Anthony Hartmann. A judge has refused to let Alexander use Iowa’s new “stand your ground” defense against the charge, noting the law was “prospective in nature.” It took effect July 1 last year, nearly two months after Hartmann was shot.

The law says a person doesn’t have to retreat before using deadly force if the person thinks his or her life is being threatened. Her attorney has said family members reported that Hartmann had a history of abusive behavior toward them. Police have said Hartmann didn’t threaten or hurt Alexander immediately before he was shot.