(Radio Iowa) — There’s a new feature that will help those using the state’s busiest website complete transactions faster. Iowa Judicial System spokesman, Steve Davis, says there’s now a shopping cart feature on the pay site for Iowa Courts Online that allows you to bundle court fees. “You can pay multiple fines at one time instead of jumping back and forth between sites and having to do them one at a time,” Davis says. He says you still start by searching for any fines you owe at Iowa Courts Online site. “And then you can click on the individual case numbers and dig a little deeper and find the financials, and you can just then go through and find one case and say you’ll pay that and add it to your shopping cart. And then go back to the list of cases if there is more and find another case and pay for that,”Davis explains.

Davis says the site allows for payments from all 99 counties — which makes it a heavily used site. “Iowa Courts Online is the most frequently visited website in state government,” according to Davis. Every year we have more than 538-million page views.” Davis says there is still the option to pay the old fashioned way. “Some people still go into the courthouse and pay their fines and restitution — but most people do it online — and that’s one of the reasons why the shopping cart was added, for more convenience for those people who do pay it online,” Davis says.

Davis says the shopping cart is similar to what is used on most other online sites.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report three prisoners at out of State jails were transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail, Tuesday, to answer to local charges. 37-year old Mandy L. Jahnke, of Council Bluffs, was picked-up from the Douglas County, NE., jail on a Pott. County warrant for Violation of Probation. 28-year old Darnell Morgan Ballard, of Omaha, was also transported from Douglas County to the Pott. County Jail for a Pott. County warrant charging him with Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree – causing property damage/vandalism ranging from $500-to $1,000. His bond was set at $2,000.

29-year old Austin Reid Stites, of Camanche, was transported from the Rock Island, IL, jail to the Pott. County Jail, Tuesday, for a Pott. County warrant for Violation of Probation. And, 27-year old Anthony Michael Scott, of Blair, NE., who was being held in the Pott. County Jail, was presented with a warrant out of Douglas County, NE., Tuesday, for being a Fugitive from Justice. He remains held in the Pott. County Jail on $10,000 bond on a felony Theft in the 1st Degree – possession of stolen property, charge. He was also being held for Douglas County authorities.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a Nebraska man was arrested Tuesday night on weapon and Theft charges, following a report of an armed subject at the Riverside High School. Dispatch had advised that a black male came to the car door of the person reporting the incident, and told him he was taking his vehicle. The suspect was last seen walking up toward the school and had a gun in the center of his waistband. The subject also allegedly tried to steal another car, and was seen walking in front of the school, and subsequently in the smaller parking lot. It was noted that he never actually pulled the gun out, but showed the butt of the weapon. Upon arrival, deputies located 18-year old Puom Gatluak Gach, of Bellevue, NE., in a stolen vehicle. Gach was taken into custody without incident and brought to the Pott. County Jail, where he was charged with Robbery in the 1st Degree – Armed with a dangerous weapon, and Theft in the 2nd Degree – Motor vehicle theft under $10,000. He was being held on $25,000 bond for the Robbery charge, and $5,000 bond for the Theft charge.

(Radio Iowa) — A 12-year-old boy is in custody and facing criminal charges after he allegedly called 9-1-1 at midday Tuesday, claiming there had been a shooting at Sioux City West High School. Police Lieutenant Chris Groves says they quickly determined it was a prank. “Officers first responded to West High School and found that there was nothing there, everything was okay,” Groves says. “Through the investigation, we determined that the call originated near North Middle School.”

There was also no trouble at North Middle School. The investigation led officers to the boy, whose name was not released. The boy was taken to juvenile detention on a charge of making a false police report, a serious misdemeanor. Groves says the call caused many anxious moments for school officials, authorities, parents and students. “I actually put it on Facebook right away just to hopefully let people know that this was a false claim and that everything was okay,” he says, “but what that does is just cause chaos in everyone’s life.”

Groves says this is the latest in a series of recent crank calls which all appear to have come from the same source.”That particular phone number has made other prank or at least false, fictitious calls into the communications center over the last three weeks,” he says.  Officers are investigating to determine whether any other juveniles were involved in the calls.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A man who sued a Black Hawk County board has lost his bid to block a planned wind energy project. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that a judge affirmed Monday the county Board of Adjustment’s power and decision to issue a permit to Washburn Wind Energy. The company plans to erect 35 wind turbines east of Hudson.

Farmer Harold Youngblut’s lawsuit says the board’s April 2018 action violated the county’s zoning ordinance and amounted to an illegal “taking” of property because of the wind project’s potential effect on neighbors. The $120 million project drew objections from nearby property owners concerned about its potential impact on their health, quality of life and property values. Project supporters have said it would generate clean energy and give farmers where the turbines would be placed new revenue to keep their farms viable.

Youngblut’s lawyer says he’ll probably appeal.