(Glenwood, Iowa) –  The Glenwood Police Department reports the arrest on Sunday (May 4), of 42-year-old Jared Newman, from Glenwood. Newman was arrested on a Pottawattamie County Warrant. He posted a $5,000 bond and was released.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Officials with the Red Oak Police Department report three men were arrested Sunday, following an alleged incident of shoplifting at the Red Oak Do It Best store. Authorities say 27-year-old Tucker Evan Webster of Shenandoah, 42-year-old Ryan Lee Wulfekuhl, of Gretna, Nebraska, and 45-year-old Gregg Stephen Hammer of Omaha, Nebraska, allegedly attempted to steal tools before running out of the store and fleeing in a 1998 Ford SUV. Red Oak Police were able to locate the vehicle heading northbound on G Avenue where a traffic stop was conducted at 180^th Street.

Tucker Webster was charged with Theft 4^th Degree and was held on $1,000 bond. Ryan Wulfekuhl was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine), Theft 4^th Degree, and Child Endangerment. He was held on $5,000 bond. Gregg Hammer was charged with Theft 4^th Degree, Child Endangerment, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. He was held on $2,000 bond.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Montgomery County K9 assisted with the incident.

Atlantic, IA – Officials with Cass Health in Atlantic, say they are thrilled to announce Emmy Benton, RN, BSN is the newest recipient of The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.® The award is part of The DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate care nurses provide to patients and families every day. Benton has been a nurse since 2016, and she joined the Cass Health Specialty Clinic team in 2020.

Benton says she “Always knew [she] would have a career where [she] would help people. It’s just how we were raised — it was instilled in us to always help others.” At the award presentation, she was surprised to hear her name called. “When we saw the banner announcing that the winner was in our department, I never would have guessed it was for me! I could tell you a reason why every nurse in this department is deserving of this award,” she said.

She was nominated by Brittany Knudsen—a fellow nurse at Cass Health— for the care that she provided to Knudsen’s grandparents. Knudsen wrote: “Emmy met them in their car and explained the provider’s new recommendations for plan of care. Emmy answered all the questions the patient and his wife had. Her compassion and determination allowed them to leave the hospital feeling calm and optimistic. I know how important and meaningful that was to the patient, because he is my grandpa.”

In the nomination, Knudsen also remarked, “Emmy goes above and beyond to ensure that each patient receives not only the best medical care but also holistic support during some of their most vulnerable moments. In addition to her clinical skills, Emmy is a team player who inspires those around her. She continually supports her colleagues, whether through mentorship, assisting with challenging cases, or offering a listening ear when needed. Her ability to remain calm and composed under pressure is a true asset, and her infectious positivity uplifts everyone she works with. Emmy embodies the core values of nursing: care, compassion, and commitment to the well-being of her patients.”

DAISY Winner Emmy with husband Beck Benton and children Lettie and Ames.

Benton said that it means a lot to be recognized with this award. “You do small things every day. And it doesn’t seem out of the ordinary to me, but those small things are what makes a difference to people.” Nurses at Cass Health are honored twice annually with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.® The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.)

The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families. CCHS says one initiative of The DAISY Foundation is to express gratitude to the nursing profession. Additionally, DAISY offers J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, The DAISY Faculty Award to honor inspiring faculty members in schools and colleges of nursing, and The DAISY in Training Award for nursing students.

More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org. An online nomination form is available at https://www.casshealth.org/daisy.

(Radio Iowa) – State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott is running for the Democratic nomination in Iowa’s third congressional district, which Republican Zach Nunn has represented since 2023. Trone Garriott of West Des Moines is a Lutheran pastor who has served in the Iowa legislature since 2021. Trone Garriott says she’s running for congress to take on the political establishment and stand up for reproductive freedom.

State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott (D-West Des Moines) (official photo)

Trone Garriott, who is 46, says the General Election race in Iowa’s third congressional district will be one of the closest in the country.

In 2022, Republican Zach Nunn won the district by just two-thousand votes and won reelection last year by a nearly four percent margin. Trone Garriott says she’s no stranger to tough elections. Due to the once-a-decade reshuffling of district lines and the timing of elections, Trone Garriott has won three races in the past four years for a seat in the Iowa Senate. She’s the first Democrat to announce a run in the third district.

Trone Garriott has been a hospital chaplain and has served congregations in rural Virginia and suburban Des Moines. Since 2017, she been coordinator of interfaith engagement for the Des Moines Area Religious Council Food Pantry Network.

(Radio Iowa) – Walks to bring awareness to a rare degenerative disease were held in five Iowa cities over the weekend. Huntington’s disease is a genetic brain disorder that causes progressive nerve cell breakdown, which brings a decline in physical and mental abilities. Angie Conley, who lives in Polk City, helped to organize Saturday’s walk in Le Mars.

If someone’s parent has Huntington’s, they have a 50% chance of inheriting the deadly disease. Conley says it’s like having Alzheimer’s, A-L-S and Parkinson’s all at once.

Huntingtons Walk in Le Mars (Photo courtesy Katie Wess)

The Conley family is taking part in a research project with the Center for Excellence at the University of Iowa. Money raised during the walks will help with the development of a treatment, and research in finding a cure. Angie’s daughter, Emma Conley, was pleased the Le Mars walk raised a few thousand dollars.

Other walks took place in Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa City and Indianola. For more information about Huntington’s Disease, visit: hdsa.org.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports that  on Friday evening, May 2^nd, the Clarinda Police Department executed a search warrant at 515 South 10^th St. #16. Officers seized methamphetamine, Psylocibin mushrooms and a marijuana grow operation.

Officers arrested 50-year-old Brian Keith Huseman, of Coin, and 64-year-old Helena Jean Dietl, of Clarinda.

Huseman and Dietl were taken into custody for felony distribution of drugs, felony possession of drugs and failure to have the required drug tax stamps. They are currently being held on bail at the Page County Jail pending formal charging decisions by the Page County Attorney’s Office.

The search and arrests were pursuant to an on-going investigation into the illegal distribution of narcotics in Clarinda by the Clarinda Police Department.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports two men were arrested last week on separate charges. On Aoril 27th, 29-year-old Joshua Michael Irlmeier, of Fontanelle, was arrested on an Adair County warrant for Invasion of Privacy, Child Endangerment, and the use of a camera/electronic surveillance device – Trespass/1st offense. His cash-only bond was set at $10,000. Irlmeier was released the following day after posting bond.

Authorities say the Trespass and Invasion of Privacy charges stem from an incident that occurred Nov. 19, 2024, when Irlmeier allegedly used a cell phone to videotape a woman who was naked in her bathroom. A warrant was obtained for Irlmeier’s cell phone location tracking, that put him in the vicinity of the woman’s home at the time of the alleged incident. During a search of Irlmeier’s residents on March 3rd, 2025, his cell phone, and other electronic devices were seized as evidence. His three-year-old daughter was inside the residence, sleeping. Authorities found the home to be in disarray, with bottles of tobacco spit, condom wrappers and sexual devices located in Irlmeier’s bedroom.

And, as previously reported, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office says, 20-year-old Wilson Erwin Everildo Choc Cuc, of Stuart, was arrested May 1st in Stuart, for Sexual Abuse in the 2nd Degree (with regard to a victim under 12 years of age)/1st offense, and Providing False Identification to law enforcement.  Choc Cuc remains held in the Adair County Jail on a $100,000 cash-only bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is using a mix of conventional and modern methods as it tries to figure out why the population of the gray fox has rapidly declined in the state. Wildlife biologist Vince Evelsizer says they started the study by putting tracking devices on a couple of the animals.

They are also reviewing photos from stationary trail cameras set out in areas where the animals live.

Evelsizer says new A-I technology is helping them look for clues in those thousands of photos.

He says D-N-R experts finish off the work after the A-I review.

Evelsizer says they hope the information gained from tracking the gray fox and the photos will help them learn why their populations have dramatically dropped.

(Radio Iowa) – As more measles outbreaks are reported in the U-S, a partnership in Iowa is starting a vaccination awareness campaign to connect refugee and immigrant communities with doctors. Refugee and Immigrant Voices in Action, or RIVA, is working with small businesses and local healthcare providers to prevent misinformation about measles. RIVA’s Christina Fernandez-Morrow says they learned how to navigate public health communications during the COVID pandemic.

In addition, she says providers are re-learning how to spot symptoms, and she notes it’s important to tell people what to look out for to counter any medical bias that may be looming.

RIVA is also coordinating with translators who will reach out to Iowa communities where English is not the dominant language in a broader push to create healthy habits.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two juveniles were cited in connection with a structure fire Friday, in Elliott. The two -unidentified – juveniles were charged with Reckless Use of Fire. They were cited into court and released to their parents.