The Page County Sheriff’s Office said today (Tuesday), that on March 23rd, at approximately 11:45-p.m., a Page County Deputy initiated a traffic stop on a Red Mazda pickup on Highway 71 in the 2800 block for a traffic violation. That’s about one-mile mile south of Shambaugh. During the investigation on the traffic stop, 44-year old Jason Leigh Carter, of St. Joseph, MO., was issued a citation for Operating without a driver’s license.

Carter was also arrested for Possession of a controlled substance, Methamphetamine, and O.W.I. 1st offense. He remains in the Page County Jail on $2,000 bond.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors say Genesis Medical Center has agreed to pay $1.88 million to settle a Medicare overpayments case. The office of the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa said in a news release Tuesday that the settlement resolves allegations that the Davenport hospital violated the federal False Claims Act from 2013 through 2016 by keeping overpayments for inpatient admission claims.

The release says the claims should have been billed at a lower reimbursement rate for either outpatient or observation services. The release says the claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only.
Genesis Vice President Paul Bollinger says Genesis resolved the matter to avoid costly and protracted litigation and says the settlement is not an admission of error.

Sheriff’s officials in Shelby County report 40-year-old Brian Anthony Wood, of Woodbine, was arrested Monday, after 911 Communications received a call of an assault in progress along the 1700 Block of 100th Street outside of Walnut, in Shelby County. As officials were responding to the scene, Wood fled. A perimeter was setup, and authorities located Wood in a field a brief time later.  He was taken into custody without incident. Wood was charged with Assault with dangerous weapon (an Aggravated Misdemeanor) and then transferred to the Shelby County Jail, where he was held on a $2,000 Cash/Surety bond while awaiting appearance before a magistrate. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Harlan Police Department, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, and Iowa Department of Transportation.

And, last Friday, Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 50-year-old Jack Alan Tacner of Magnolia, on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court on charges of driving while barred. Tacner was taken in custody by Harrison County Sheriff’s Office and then transferred to Shelby County where he is awaiting a court appearance on April 2nd in District Court. Tacner is currently held in the Shelby County Jail under a $5,000 cash/surety bond.

(UPDATED)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating allegations of financial misconduct by a woman who had worked as city clerk for neighboring Iowa towns, a county sheriff said Tuesday. State auditors said in newly released reports that they’ve identified thousands of dollars in improper and unsupported spending by Yale and Bayard when they employed Renee Van Gundy. Guthrie County Sheriff Marty Arganbright confirmed that his deputies and state agents are investigating Van Gundy, whom he said has moved out of Iowa. Arganbright said the investigation hasn’t been completed and a report hasn’t yet been sent to the county attorney for a decision on any charges..

Sheriff’s Deputy Jesse Swensen said he’ll likely recommend charges of theft and felonious conduct in office. “She has given us a full confession,” Swensen said, and has been cooperating with investigators.
Her attorney, F. Montgomery Brown, said: “If there are criminal charges we’ll resolve them promptly. I can’t say how she’ll plead — she hasn’t been charged.” He declined to say where she’s moved.
The Yale audit said the improper spending included more than $5,800 paid for Van Gundy’s personal natural gas and electric bills; nearly $4,700 for her personal cellphone bills; and more than $4,000 for personal purchases made with the city’s credit card.

The Bayard audit said the improper spending included more than $26,000 for personal purchases made at grocery stores and other retailers and for meals at various restaurants.

The Iowa Department of Public Health has approved five licenses for distributing medical marijuana. The department says it has offered dispensary licenses to Have a Heart Compassion Care for facilities in Council Bluffs and Davenport and one for the Iowa Cannabis Company in Waterloo. And it has also offered licenses for two MedPharm facilities in Windsor Heights and Sioux City. Those five have until nine a-m Wednesday to accept.

The information from the department says 10 other applicants met the requirements for a license, but will not be awarded one unless one of the first five applicants doesn’t take a license. They included applications in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Coralville. Five other applicants did not meet the minimum requirement to obtain a license. Changes in the medical marijuana law allow for the five dispensaries to distribute the products created by MedPharm Iowa, which was the only company licensed to produce the products.

Sheriff’s deputies in Pottawattamie County, Monday afternoon, served a warrant on an inmate at the Pott. County Jail. 46-year old Strozier Darnell Moore, of Council Bluffs, was read a warrant for Violation of Probation, and then returned to the custody of Jail staff. A call about a domestic disturbance at a residence on Chapel Ridge Lane, resulted in the arrest of 27-year old Alexander William Everage, of Council Bluffs. Everage was arrested for Child Endangerment, Domestic Assault Simple, and Possession of Controlled Substance Marijuana, and was being held without bond at the Pottawattamie County Jail.

A traffic stop Monday on a pickup at the intersection of Birdsley Road and Perry Road resulted in the arrest of the driver, 31-year old Ricky Lee Paulsen, of Council Bluffs. He was arrested after a records check showed he was wanted on three valid warrants out of Council Bluffs for Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order (2 counts), and Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. Paulsen was also arrested on a warrant out of Nebraska, for being a Fugitive from Justice, and he was charged with OWI/3rd offense.

A Pott. County Deputy on patrol late Monday night in Walnut, noticed a Red Chevy Impala in park, idling with the engine on in front of Haystackers Diner. He observed a younger male subject in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, as well. A check of the license plate and registered owner revealed 20-year old Austin Daniel Malloy, of Walnut, had a valid warrant for Violation of Probation on an original charge of driving while revoked, and his driver’s license was listed as barred. He was charged in Pottawattamie County for Driving Barred and placed on Hold for the warrant out of Cass County.