Officials with the FBI report an arrest was made Tuesday, in connection with the June 12th robbery of a bank in Pottawattamie County. Authorities said Thursday, 31-year old Davon Leander Williams was arrested Tuesday night, for his alleged role in the robbery of the Underwood branch of the US Bank.

Officials say they believe Williams and at least one other person who was armed, entered the bank and robbed it, taking an undisclosed amount of cash. A vehicle the suspects allegedly used in the robbery, had reportedly been carjacked at gunpoint, from a woman in Omaha a few hours prior to the robbery.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of a lottery security expert charged with attempting to claim a $16.5 million Iowa jackpot that he rigged. Friday’s ruling ordering a retrial for Eddie Tipton in the 2010 Hot Lotto jackpot is a victory for his defense but might have little practical impact.

Iowa prosecutors already agreed this month to vacate the conviction under a plea agreement, which requires Tipton to plead guilty to ongoing criminal conduct for his efforts to claim rigged jackpots in several states. Tipton signed the plea deal but has yet to plead guilty in Iowa. He faces up to 25 years.

The court ruled Friday that the statute of limitations expired on one of two counts in the first Iowa case, and the verdict on the other was flawed.

The Iowa Supreme Court has nullified an Oct. 2016 Appeals Court ruling in the case of a Pottawattamie County man convicted of willful injury and criminal trespass, after the Appeals Court reversed the District Court’s verdict, based on an error in a speedy trial ruling.The Supreme Court (With two justices dissenting), affirmed the District Court ruling in the case of Christopher Clay McNeal, of Council Bluffs.

McNeal was initially charged with attempt to commit murder, first-degree burglary, willful injury, and two assaults, following an investigation into an incident that took place Feb. 22nd, 2015, at an auto repair shop in Council Bluffs. He was ultimately convicted of assault with intent to inflict serious injury on his victim, Matthew Browning, by striking him with a hammer. He was also convicted of criminal trespass and willful injury causing serious injury. He was sentenced to a total of 10-years in prison.

In short, the Appeals Court reviewed McNeal’s claim that the State failed to meet its burden to bring him to trial within ninety days for the correction of legal error, and ordered the case be dismissed. The Iowa Supreme Court, in over-ruling the Appeals Court, found the District Court was within reason to schedule McNeal’s trial when it did, and its discretion was not abused.

(For more detailed information: http://www.iowacourts.gov/About_the_Courts/Supreme_Court/Supreme_Court_Opinions/Recent_Opinions/20170623/15-1606.pdf)

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — An August trial is scheduled for a Sioux City man accused of biting his baby daughter on the face. Court records say 23-year-old Edward Valdez has pleaded not guilty to child endangerment resulting in injury. His trial is set to begin Aug. 22.

A court document says the child was bitten on March 24, when Valdez was alone with her. He told an officer that the girl had been sick and wouldn’t stop crying. Valdez said he became frustrated and bit her right cheek. The document says the bite left a white mark that lasted several days.

Police in Creston report two arrests took place Thursday. At around 12:30-a.m., 55-year old Robert Edward McCrory, of Greenfield, was arrested at 210 N. Oak St, in Creston. He was taken into custody on a Probation Violation Warrant. McCrory was being held in the Union County Jail on a $1,000 and a $2,000 cash or surety
bond.

And, at around 845-p.m., Thursday, Creston Police arrested 29-year old Lisa Joanne Squibbs, at her home in Creston, for Disorderly Conduct and Public Intoxication. She was released from the Union County Jail upon paying a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

w/Chris Parks.

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(Washington, DC, June 22, 2017) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the suspension of all imports of fresh beef from Brazil because of recurring concerns about the safety of the products intended for the American market.  The suspension of shipments will remain in place until the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture takes corrective action which the USDA finds satisfactory.

Since March, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has been inspecting 100 percent of all meat products arriving in the United States from Brazil.  FSIS has refused entry to 11 percent of Brazilian fresh beef products.   That figure is substantially higher than the rejection rate of one percent of shipments from the rest of the world.  Since implementation of the increased inspection, FSIS has refused entry to 106 lots (approximately 1.9 million pounds) of Brazilian beef products due to public health concerns, sanitary conditions, and animal health issues. It is important to note that none of the rejected lots made it into the U.S. market.

The Brazilian government had pledged to address those concerns, including by self-suspending five facilities from shipping beef to the United States.  Today’s action to suspend all fresh beef shipments from Brazil supersedes the self-suspension.

Secretary Perdue issued the following statement:

“Ensuring the safety of our nation’s food supply is one of our critical missions, and it’s one we undertake with great seriousness.  Although international trade is an important part of what we do at USDA, and Brazil has long been one of our partners, my first priority is to protect American consumers. That’s what we’ve done by halting the import of Brazilian fresh beef.  I commend the work of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service for painstakingly safeguarding the food we serve our families.”

A Hamburg man was arrested Wednesday after an investigation into a social media post about a minivan “cutting cookies” around the Main Street flagpole in Hamburg, and the same vehicle driving extremely fast and attempting to “power slide”past the library. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says 20-year old Alexander Matthew Crook was arrested for Reckless Driving. He was later released after appearing before a magistrate.

Alexander M. Crook

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports one person was arrested on drug charges early Wednesday morning. At around 3:20-a.m., Deputies with the Page County Sheriff’s Office were patrolling Nodaway Valley Park, a county owned park, located approximately 1 mile northeast of Clarinda. The park adheres to state regulations on times that it is open for visitors.  3:20 in the morning is a time that the park is closed for visitors.

Deputies located a Dodge Durango with no plates parked in an area not designated for camping.  In the vehicle was a male later identified as 32-year old Joshua Dean Cooney, of Bedford.  Cooney appeared to be asleep. Drug paraphernalia was observed in the view by the Deputies, who woke Cooney up.  He was subsequently arrested on charges of Possession of drug paraphernalia, Possession of a controlled substance (Marijuana), and Possession of a controlled substance (Methamphetamine).

Cooney was transported to the Page County Jail.  He was unable to post $2000 bond, and was held while awaiting appearance in front of a Magistrate.

Cooney

A Des Moines man was arrested in Audubon County on multiple drug charges after a traffic stop in Exira on Wednesday night. At 8:00pm Audubon County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 33-year-old Justin Taylor Cannon of Des Moines for Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Marijuana. K-9 Axel alerted and found the narcotics in the vehicle during the traffic stop. Cannon was taken to the Audubon County Jail, appeared before the magistrate, and was released.