CORYDON, Iowa (AP) — A man accused of killing a deer hunter in south-central Iowa has been found guilty of misdemeanor charges in a separate burglary case. The Daily Iowegian reports 27-year-old Ethan Davis was acquitted of first-degree burglary Friday, but found guilty of misdemeanor counts of assault causing bodily injury and child endangerment. Police said Davis was armed when he burst into a Seymour home on Nov. 24 where his ex-fiance and her boyfriend were. Police say he pistol-whipped the boyfriend and fired a shot into the ceiling before trying to leave with is 1-year-old son. Davis maintained he was worried about his son’s safety.

Police say later that day, Davis shot and killed 31-year-old Curtis Ross, of Cedar Falls, whose body was found Dec. 2 in a remote area of Appanoose County. An autopsy report says Ross suffered several stabbing and gunshot wounds. Davis is set to stand trial later this year for first-degree murder in that case.

PELLA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a Minnesota man has drowned trying to save his 7-year-old niece at Lake Red Rock at the Des Moines River in central Iowa. Des Moines television station KCCI reports that the incident happened around 3 p.m. Friday. Authorities say the girl had been playing on the water’s edge and ventured into deeper water. Her uncle, 42-year-old Cha Charles Lee, of St. Paul, tried to help the girl, but also went under the water.

Officials say a boater pulled the girl to safety and was able to resuscitate her. She was taken to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines in stable condition. A Pleasantville dive team found Lee’s body about 20 yards away after a two-hour search.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports an inmate held in the Page County Jail, escaped Saturday morning, but was quickly apprehended by Clarinda Police with help from the public. Just after 9-a.m., 34-year old inmate Timothy Dean Curphey scaled the Clarinda Jail’s exercise yard fence. Palmer said inmates were out for one of the two State mandated one-hour periods for the week. Curphey was on the outside of the fence in less than 1 ½ minutes from the time inmates were let out into the fence enclosed exercise area. Once on the ground, he ran east. Immediately Law Enforcement began searching the area for him.

Timothy Dean Curphey

Curphey was apprehended approximately 1 ½ blocks east of the Sheriff’s office in approximately 5 minutes from the time he was outside of the fence on the ground. Curphey was being held on probation violation from an original charge of possession of a controlled substance, the bond for which is $5,000. He had been arrested at the Adams County Jail when once his time was served or his case was finished on charges in Adams County.

Curphey was being held on Federal charges of Distribution of Methamphetamine, for which there is no bond. A Federal detainer on theFederal charge was placed on Curphey on June 14, 2018. His new charges are Escape from custody (class D Felony), Criminal mischief 4th degree (serious misdemeanor). The man was being held without bond in the Page County Jail on those charges. More charges on Curphey stemming from the escape are possible.

SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa (AP) — A city in western Iowa has opened its first official public library after years of moving to different sites. The Sergeant Bluff library is sharing space with the city’s Community Center, the Sioux City Journal reported . The library has previously shared space with the Sergeant Bluff-Luton Community School District and with the area’s senior center.

The new library has a separate entrance and is run by mostly volunteers. Library director Tami Coil works at libraries in Sergeant Bluff and nearby Sloan. “I think it will be good, it will be another option, it will be more convenient for the residents to be able to come to the library,” Coil said.

The new space allows for computers, storybook times and other programs, said Mayor Jon Winkel. Residents will also be able to check out DVDs, use a TV and have access to the internet. City Council member Carol Clark said she’s been working to create a permanent public library since she ran for the council more than three years ago. The community has helped staffed the library, donated books to the library’s collection and fundraised money for the purchase of new books, she said.

“I can’t tell you how much the community has stepped up to support this project,” Clark said. “It’s amazing when you walk into that building and realize that a year ago we had nothing.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster proclamation in two Iowa counties suffering recent severe weather and flooding. The proclamation covers Hamilton County in central Iowa and O’Brien County in northwestern Iowa. The only state resources currently requested with the proclamation is the activation of the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant and Disaster Case Management programs.
The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The money can be used for such things as home and car repairs, temporary housing expenses or replacement of clothing or food.

Disaster Case Management offers case managers to work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice and referral to obtain a service or resource.

The Democratic ticket for governor and lieutenant governor is Hubbell-Hart. Fred Hubbell, the Democratic nominee for governor, has chosen state Senator Rita Hart as his running mate.  “I decided this is a challenge that is really important,” Hart told Radio Iowa. “It’s important for the state of Iowa and I needed to step up and answer the call.” Hart is a farmer and former teacher from the small eastern Iowa town of Wheatland. Delegates at the Iowa Democratic Party state convention are expected to ratify Hubbell’s pick for his lieutenant governor running mate later today (Saturday).

“My background as a teacher, as a farmer, as a mother, as a volunteer gives me the experiences and the background that will benefit me in this position,” Hart says. “My experience as a legislator has given me some background there that will be helpful and I think my interest in a lot of issues that are important to the people of the state of Iowa will always help me to do a good job on their behalf.”  Hart and her husband have been operating his family’s century farm near Wheatland since 1986. They are the parents of five children. Hart, who is 62 years old, taught school for more than 20 years in the Calamus-Wheatland and Bennett school districts. She’s been a state senator since January of 2013, representing all of Clinton County as well as northern and eastern parts of Scott County. Hart’s bid for reelection to the state senate has ended as she emerges at the Democratic Party’s nominee for lieutenant governor. “We’re ready to get started and roll up our sleeves and get to work,” Hart says.

She pledges to “fight tooth and nail” alongside Hubbell in the top-of-the-ticket race. “And hen I believe in something, I’m all in,” Hart says. Hart grew up near Charles City. She holds an associates degree from North Iowa Area Community College, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa and a masters from the University of Iowa. Lieutenant governors in Iowa were independently elected until 1990. That’s the year a constitutional change took effect and party nominees for governor began choosing a lieutenant governor as a running mate, in the same way the president and vice president run together as a team. In the past seven gubernatorial elections, Republicans and Democrats have presented voters with “gender balanced” tickets. Iowa Republican Party state convention delegates will formally nominate Adam Gregg as Governor Kim Reynolds’ running mate later today as well.

(Radio Iowa)