COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A woman accused of stealing narcotic pain pills while working for a Council Bluffs assisted living facility has taken a plea deal. The Daily Nonpareil reports that 31-year-old Mandi Newsom was given two years of probation and fined $1,000 Friday. She also was granted a deferred judgment. That means Newsom’s conviction in the case can be removed from court records if she fulfills her probation terms.

She pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge, and prosecutors dropped two related charges in return. Her trial was scheduled to begin Jan. 15. Newsom was accused of stealing nearly 1,900 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills from January 2017 to August 2017 while working at Bethany Heights Assisted Living.

(Radio Iowa) — The leader of the Food Bank of Iowa says they saw an increased demand in November and she doesn’t expect that to drop off. Food Bank C-E-O, Michelle Book, says they had been distributing an average of one million pounds of food each month to their 55 counties. “We saw our distribution spike dramatically to a million and-half pounds of food for the month of November. That’s a first time for us to distribute at that level,” Book says.

Iowa’s unemployment level has dropped to its lowest in decades and Book says she’s often asked why there is still such a need with the level so low. She says while people are employed, productivity hasn’t gone up, and that means wages haven’t risen much. “For ten years wages in Iowa have been stagnant,” Book says. “At the same time the cost of living continues to increase. “For many of us when the recession cured, things improved for many of us.But for the folks who’re on that lower rung of the ladder — things did not improve for them.”  Book says cold weather puts an added strain on people’s budgets. “You can choose not to run your air conditioner in the summer — and most folks when they are in that situation make that choice. But in the winter time, you can’t make the choice to not run your furnace. Especially when you are elderly or you have children in the household. Difficult decisions are made every day,” according to Book.

And she says when schools close for the holidays, there is another resource not available. “The kids are not in school and they are not getting two key meals a day from the school system,” she says. Book says they have been able to handle the increase need for food after expanding their warehouse. One thing she says they do need more of is volunteers. “Of the food that we distribute every month — 55 percent of it is donated — and almost all of that has to be touched in one way or another,” Book says. “So, we’d love to have people come in an volunteer at Food Bank of Iowa.

She says if you can’t get into their facility in Des Moines, you can offer to help and volunteer at your local food pantry. Book says donations of money also help. “We’re always looking for additional funds. We prefer to get the food donated, but when we can’t we do buy food to make sure that we have a full and complete inventory,” Book explains. “And one dollar donated to the Food Bank of Iowa can be turned into four meals for hungry Iowans.”  You can make a donation at: www.foodbankiowa.org.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrests on Sunday, of two men from Glenwood. 30-year old Brian Mitchell Adams was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance. And, 45-year old David Monroe Reeves was arrested for Failure to Maintain Control, and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability. Bond for both men was set at $1,000 each.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous recent arrests. Early this (Monday) morning, a Deputy patrolling on Interstate 80 near the 22 mile marker, observed a vehicle ahead of him with no lights on the entire rear end of the vehicle. The vehicle was also displaying paper registration plates. During the course of a traffic stop, the 24-year old female driver was identified as having a protection order in place with a passenger of the vehicle. After confirmation of the order, the passenger, 24-year old Albert Finley, of Omaha, was arrested for violation of a protection order.

At around 11:30-p.m. Sunday, a Pott. County Deputy dispatched to the 20 mile marker of I-80 for an unknown injury accident involving a 2011 Dodge Caliber, arrested 39 year old Edgar Gerardo Badillo, of Council Bluffs, for OWI/1st offense. Earlier that same evening, a Deputy on patrol was dispatched to the area of Highway 59 and Cottonwood Road for a check location call. Dispatch advised Mills County took a report of stolen license plates on a vehicle and the vehicle was in the area. Upon arrival, the vehicle was on location and was unoccupied. The license plates, which had come from a vehicle in Macedonia, were removed from the vehicle and placed into evidence. 33-year old Nicholas John Horgdal, of Emerson, was arrested for Theft in the 5th Degree.

On December 8th, Pott. County Deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 21,000 block of Greenview Road for a disturbance. Upon arrival and further investigation it was determined that an assault had occurred and the offender, 25-year old Philip Michael Richard Moffat, of Council Bluffs, was placed under arrest for the incident involving his 25-year old girlfriend, from Council Bluffs. Moffatt was transported to Pott. County Corrections.

At around 11:10-p.m. Friday, 21-year old Austin Daniel Malloy, of Walnut, was operating a motor vehicle at Highway 92 and 480th Street and was stopped for failing to dim his bright lights and littering. Malloy showed signs of being impaired and had a barred driving status at the time of contact and was placed under arrest for OWI 2nd, and driving while barred. At around 8:50-p.m., Friday, a traffic stop at Highway 59 and Cottonwood Road resulted in the arrest for Driving While Barred, of  33-year old Nicholas John Horgdal, from Emerson. At around Noon, Friday, 29-year old Phillip Michael Manriquez,  of Omaha, turned himself-in to the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Manriquez was turned over to Corrections staff and booked into the jail without incident.

At around 7:15-a.m. Friday, a Deputy was dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of Eagle Circle, in Underwood for a verbal disturbance. When authorities arrived on location, they found 63-year old Michael James Hunter, of Underwood, at the residence. Hunter was found to be the suspect in a Domestic Assault that occurred Dec. 6th. He was arrested on the charge of Simple Domestic Assault, and taken to the Pott. County Jail. A couple of hours later, an inventory of Hunter’s property at the jail, revealed there were two small bags with 1.1-grams of a white substance, that was found in the zippered part of his wallet. The substance was believed to be methamphetamine. Hunter was subsequently charged with Possession of Contraband in a Jail Facility.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports that at a little before 9-p.m. Saturday, officers arrested on numerous charges, 45-year old Jess Scott Larson, of rural Clarinda. Larson faces charges that include: felony possession of methamphetamine; introduction of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) on the premises of a correctional facility (The Page County Jail), and theft in the fifth degree by exercising control over stolen property.

Larson was taken into custody at 16^th at Boundary Streets, following a shoplifting complaint officers were investigating, after being summoned to the Hy-Vee Food Store. He was arrested without incident and was  being held at the Page County Jail on $10,300 bond.

Reports concerning the incident have been submitted to the office of Page County Attorney Carl M. Sonksen for review regarding the filing of formal charges.

Two, school bond elections will take place in the KJAN listening area, Tuesday. Voters in Cass, Adair, Adams, Audubon, Crawford, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, and Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie and Shelby Counties, will decide the fate of an $11.5-million bond issue for Iowa Western Community College. The funds would be used to replace steam lines at IWCC’s main campus, in Council Bluffs.  The polls will be open from noon to 8:00 p.m.

And, patrons of the Harlan Community School District will head to the polls from 7-a.m. until 8-p.m., to decide the fate of a $28.5-million bond referendum. There are four propositions on the ballot:

• Proposition A: A General Obligation bond which would fund facility updates.
• Proposition B – Authorizing an increase in the tax levy by $4.05 per thousand dollars of taxable property value, of which the district will contribute 80-cents per $4.05, leaving a net tax impact of $3.25 per thousand.
• Proposition C – asks for voter approval to extend the PPEL (Physical Plant and Equipment Levy).
• Proposition D – Seeks to extend the Instructional Support Levy (ISL).

The latter two propositions have no added tax effect, and are renewals of those levies. Proposition A would impact for homeowners’ property taxes. A homeowner with property assessed at $100,000 would pay $13.75/month, while persons owning agricultural property would pay $3.97/acre.

School officials say the Harlan Intermediate and High School facilities are between 40- and 50-years old, and are in need of major renovations that include security and system updates at the Intermediate and High School. It also would provide more Classrooms/Hands-on space; Auditorium updates; STEM/Science spaces, and updates to the Weight Room, at the Harlan High School. The bond would fund over 180-thousand square feet of renovations at a cost of 50-percent less than a new building.

Safety and Security, Educational Enhancements, and Systems Upgrades are the three main priorities identified as a result of multiple work sessions, and community meetings.