Officials with the Creston Police Department report that on Tuesday, June 4th, a joint effort coordinated by the United States Probation Office with the Creston Police Department, Des Moines Police Department, Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement resulted in the arrest of 39-year old Brandon Robert Fry, of Creston. Fry was taken into custody on a Federal Supervised Release Warrant in Des Moines.

Subsequent to his arrest in Des Moines, searches of his properties and vehicles in Creston resulted in the seizure of approximately 3 pounds of Methamphetamine, marijuana, and other contraband.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Grant man following a traffic stop on Thursday. At 12:41pm Deputies arrested 55-year-old Scott Timothy Brown of Grant for Driving While License Revoked. He was stopped in the 2600 block of O Avenue for driving a pickup with plates that expired in December of 2018.  Brown was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Republican Joni Ernst says Republican senators are “overwhelmingly” opposed to additional tariffs on imports from Mexico. President Trump has threatened to impose a five percent tariff on Mexican imports on Monday to pressure Mexico to stem the tide of migrants arriving at the southern border.

“The administration and especially President Trump — I did speak to him personally this last Friday — knows exactly where I stand,” Ernst says. “They know where a number of other colleagues stand on this issue.” In an interview in Iowa last Friday, Ernst said “tariffs cannot be the answer to everything” and Ernst has been warning ratification of the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement may be endangered if Trump imposes new tariffs on Mexico Monday.

Ernst today (Thursday) said she does not want to speculate about whether the Republican-led U.S. Senate may try to override the tariffs if Trump follows through. “We’re getting a lot of conflicting information from the administration right now. In moment we hear that things are going well and, ‘Perhaps we don’t need the tariffs.’ And then a moment later we’re hearing, ‘Okay, maybe we’re going to go ahead with the tariffs,'” Ernst says. “I hope we don’t get to that point, but I do think congress needs to exercise its right to put some checks and balances out there.”

Any “resolution of disapproval” of the tariffs would originate in the House, according to Ernst. She suggests there are ways for the U.S. and Mexico to resolve the situation without new tariffs. “They have a border into Central America that is a choke-point. It is, I believe, only around 150 miles of border. We have 2000 miles on our southern border with Mexico,” Ernst says. “So, is there a way that we can collaborate and boost up the patrols in that area to make sure those folks from Central America aren’t crossing into Mexico?”

Ernst made her comments this (Thursday) morning during a conference call with reporters.

Three people were arrested on separate charges in Cass County over the past week. The Sheriff’s Office reports that on Wednesday, 44-year old Kelly Jeanne Blue, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear. Blue was taken to the Cass County Jail and will be released upon serving time.

This past Sunday, Cass County deputies arrested 24-year old Tray D. Anderson, of Exira, on a charge of Domestic Abuse (Serious). Anderson was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $1,000 bond.

And, on May 31st, 61-year old Douglas Allen Howard, of Council Bluffs, was arrested by Cass County deputies on two District Court warrants for Probation Violation. Howard was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $10,000 bond.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — An eastern Iowa police captain is accusing her police chief and the city she serves of gender discrimination. The Telegraph Herald reports that Dubuque police Capt. Abby Simon filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Iowa District Court for Dubuque County alleging her rights have been violated under Iowa’s Civil Rights Act. Simon is also suing for harassment and retaliation. The lawsuit names Police Chief Mark Dalsing and the city.

The 20-year police veteran’s lawsuit says she was passed over for promotions, even though she scored better in tests and interviews than the men who won the promotions. She says Dalsing also emailed derisory comments about her to several colleagues. Speaking on behalf of Dalsing, spokesman Randy Gehl and City Attorney Crenna Brumwell said legal counsel is reviewing the lawsuit.

(Radio Iowa) — A special investigation by the state auditor’s office has identified more than half a million dollars worth of improper spending by the former office manager of an eastern Iowa organization that promotes economic development. Sharon Jelinek worked for the Iowa City Area Development Group for 15 years. Officials discovered she had taken out a credit card in the organization’s name, used it “almost exclusively for personal purchases” and used the organization’s checking account to pay the bills.

The auditors’ review flagged about 514-thousand dollars worth of spending connected to Jelinek. Auditors found she used the economic development group’s money to pay her monthly cell phone, satellite radio and cable T-V bills. She also bought items on the Home Shopping Network, Amazon and at Walmart with the economic development group’s money.

(Radio Iowa) — A man from the northeast Iowa town of Hawkeye faces charges, after a three-year old girl was run over by a lawn mower.  The Fayette county sheriff’s department says 23-year-old Tanner Miller was determined to be intoxicated when he allegedly ran over the girl with the lawn mower around quarter-to-nine Wednesday. Miller was charged with first-offense operating while intoxicated and causing a serious injury by vehicle, a class D felony. Authorities say the three-year-old was airlifted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

(Radio Iowa) — Charges have been filed against a Spencer bartender following a fatal crash in Clay County in late April. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office says Jacoba Knight has been charged with selling alcoholic beverages to an intoxicated person and supplying alcohol to a person under the legal age following a crash near Dickens late on April 26th.

Documents obtained by authorities show both the driver, 19-year-old Alfonso Maldonado of Graettinger, and a passenger, 21-year-old Tephonte Smith of Estherville, had been at Southside Grill in Spencer in the hours leading up to the crash that involved the vehicle leaving the roadway and striking a utility pole. Authorities say Maldonado was served multiple alcoholic beverages while at the business which led a to a blood alcohol level of more than three times the legal limit.

Both Maldonado and Smith were killed in the crash. Knight was released after being cited, but authorities say additional charges are pending.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 40-year old Christina Mae Robbins, of Glenwood, was arrested Tuesday afternoon on several charges. Robbins was taken into custody for Eluding, reckless driving, speeding, failure to maintain or use safety belts, unsafe passing and improper use of lanes. Her bond was set at $2,300.

Wednesday morning, 55-year old Victor Joseph Purvis, of Malvern, was arrested in Mills County, on a warrant for Assault causing bodily injury. Bond $1,000. 41-year old Robert Lee Watts, of Malvern, was arrested Wednesday afternoon, on two counts of Child Endangerment and Domestic Abuse Assault. Watts was being held without bond, in the Mills County Jail. 43-year old Sean Eugene Hicks, of Emerson, was arrested Wednesday evening, on a warrant for two counts of Failure to Appear. His bond was set at $4,000. And, 29-year old Christopher Lee McDaniel, of Pacific Junction, was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office at around 4:15-a.m. Wednesday, for OWI/1st offense. Bond was set at $1,000.