The Sac County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) are investigating a shooting that took place at around 12:30-a.m. Wednesday, at a residence in Lake View. The victim was identified as 55-year old Richard Vossberg, of Lake View. Vossberg was transferred to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Authorities say Vossberg was shot by an unknown man that showed-up at his home. After examining the crime scene and conducting interviews, law enforcement concluded Vossberg had been targeted by the assailant, and that there is no general threat to the public.

Authorities however, encourage the public to report any suspicious activity, no matter how insignificant it may appear to be. Anyone with information about the Lake View incident is asked to contact the Sac County Sheriff’s Office at 712-662-7127.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety report a Montgomery County man was sentenced to Thursday to prison, on Federal charges. 40-year old Kevin Duane Staley, of Red Oak, was sentenced to six and one-half years (78 months) in federal prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

His arrest followed an investigation that began in October 2017, when the Red Oak Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation became aware of firearms violations involving Staley, who was 39-years old at the time. On May 30, 2018, Agents from the Division of Criminal Investigation obtained a federal arrest warrant for Staley, who was charged with one count of possessing of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a second count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. On September 5, 2018, Staley entered a guilty plea to count two of the federal indictment.

In addition to his term of imprisonment, Staley is required to pay a $100 Special Assessment Fee, and will be on supervised release for three years following his release from federal prison.  After his sentencing, Staley was remanded to the custody of the US Marshal’s Office.                        

The committee working on the Atlantic facilities improvement plan presented their latest project proposal to business and community leaders on Thursday at the Atlantic High School auditorium. After looking further into the project some adjustments were made to improve safety and get the most out of the project budget of 9.5 million dollars.

The two major adjustments were eliminating the proposed street that would have connected Linn Street to 14th Street to the west of the middle school and moving the synthetic turf from the Trojan Bowl to the high school field.

After consulting with law enforcement it was determined that there was a safer alternative to the street going through. The parking spaces in front of Washington school would be eliminated to create an off street drop off zone. Bus drop off and pick up would all occur in the parking lot behind the middle school to alleviate bus congestion from 14th street. This was already the drop off zone in the morning so it made sense to officials to make it the pick up area as well. A new faculty parking lot just to the west of Washington would be constructed by removing at least a portion of the tennis courts that sit there now.

The field turf was moved to the high school facility to better accommodate activities and practices at the high school. The field would be used by the soccer teams for practice and games, the football team for practice, and for marching band practice. This adjustment would also eliminate the previous proposal for construction of a team building at the Trojan Bowl.

Updates at the Trojan bowl would still include a new 4-lane track that would accommodate the newly widened natural grass playing surface and improved sloping around the perimeter. A new press box and addition of a visitor press box along with new ADA compliant bleachers. A new concrete apron would be put in place around the facility as well along with a new concession/restroom/storage building.

The proposal also has tennis courts being built north of the track at the high school and new shotput and discus areas to the south to eliminate competition for space between track and soccer in the spring.

The baseball and softball complex improvements include; new dugouts, batting cages, concessions, and press boxes. Terracing of the hill behind the fields is also proposed to help water run-off issues.

The committee said two public forums are being planned to inform the community of the plan.

The proposal is scheduled to go in front of school district voters on April 2. Early voting on the project starts March 4. Polls on April 2 Bond election are scheduled to be open from noon to 8:00 p.m., with early voting at 8:00 a.m. on election day at the Cass County Auditor’s Office.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa’s law enforcement community is asking senators to establish a new penalty for making GENERAL threats directed at public places where people gather. Individuals currently may be charged with arson for making a bomb threat — and it is a crime in Iowa to threaten to terrorize or harass an intended victim — but Kelly Meyers, a lobbyist for the Iowa County Attorneys Association, says prosecutors are seeking a direct way to charge those who make general threats.

“Putting something out there maybe on social media, if you will. ‘You’d better not go to school tomorrow or bad stuff’s going to happen,'” she says, “or putting a threat out there that there could be a school shooting.” Three senators reviewed the proposal this (Thursday) afternoon and all three endorsed the concept. Cyndi Pederson, a lobbyist for the Iowa Fraternal Order of Police, is urging lawmakers to act.  “Any time you can add potential penalties for persons threatening public active shooter events I think is a good thing,” she said.

The bill as currently drafted calls for a felony charge against those accused of threatening serious injury or death to people in “a public place, school building or any occupied structure.” The Iowa Association for Justice — the group representing trial lawyers — is registered in opposition to the bill. “If many of these school threats are a bullied kid who’s reaching out for help, do we really want to make them a felon?”  That’s Lisa Davis-Cook, a lobbyist for the group.

Bill backers say they’re open to a lesser charge. Susan Cameron Daemen is a lobbyist for the Iowa State Sheriffs’ and Deputies’ Association. “We do believe there needs to be something so these children or juveniles, if they are juveniles, have an opportunity to get treatment or help, if that’s what they need,” she says.

The bill will next be considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

(UPDATED) — The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports the Mayor of Jamaica and her husband have been arrested on drug charges. Mayor LaDonna, and Randy Kennedy, were taken into custody after a marijuana growing operation was located inside their home during the execution of a search warrant.

Randy Kennedy

Ladonna Kennedy

The couple face charges that include: manufacture with intent to deliver no more than 50 kilograms of marijuana, class D felony; two counts of failure to affix a drug stamp, class D felonies; one count of knowingly keeping a dwelling for possessing or selling a controlled substance, an aggravated misdemeanor; and possession of a controlled substance – first offense, a serious misdemeanor.

Kennedy and her husband were initially held on $18,300 bond, but they have since been released by a Dallas County Magistrate (filling in for the Guthrie County Magistrate) on their own recognizance.

Their arrests happened Wednesday, after Guthrie County Deputies went to 500 1st Ave. in Jamaica on a tip that Randy Halterman was located at the residence. Halterman was wanted out of Story County on an arrest warrant for Attempted Murder. After attempting to make contact with the occupants of the residence, probable cause was established for a search warrant.

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) today (Thursday) announced she will kick off her 99 County Tour for 2019 with a town hall meeting in her hometown of Red Oak in Montgomery County.  Senator Ernst looks forward to hearing from constituents in the area about the issues most important to them. This town hall meeting is open to the public. Her schedule is as follows:

Monday, January 21, 2019

Montgomery County Town Hall Meeting: 5:00 PM, Red Oak National Guard Armory (2001 G Avenue), Red Oak.

Due to the partial government shutdown, if a vote in the Senate is scheduled, Senator Ernst will return to the Senate.