SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Texas man and woman who spent nearly $25,000 using stolen credit card numbers in stores across Iowa have been sentenced to five years in prison. Police say 36-year-old Yuniel Sanchez, of Grand Prairie, Texas, and 35-year-old Shannon Marlowe, of Forth Worth, used the numbers to create fake credit cards. The purchased items such as lawn mowers, welding supplies and furniture at stores in four Iowa cities and one in Rochester, Minnesota.

They were caught June 11 in Sioux City. Sanchez and Marlowe were sentenced Friday in federal court after pleading guilty to four charges. Twenty-one other charges were dropped as part of the plea deal.

The City of Council Bluffs has implemented another curfew beginning tonight, June 1 at 8 p.m. lasting until June 2 at 5 a.m. This curfew does not prohibit people from getting to/ from work, seeking medical care, etc and it is not meant to disrupt open businesses or travel plans.

Council Bluffs PD Shield

Authorities said “We are not concerned with law-abiding citizens. Please use common sense and avoid any potentially dangerous areas.”

(Radio Iowa) — As of today (Monday), Iowans are again allowed to gather in groups of ten or more for outdoor performances and some sporting events, while minding the rules on social distancing and capacities. Iowans can also now mourn the loss of a loved one with visitations and graveside services. Suzanne Gebel, of the Iowa Funeral Directors Association, says decisions will ultimately be up to families, funeral homes and officiants.

“People will be able to line up inside again or outside again for visitations to see families, when they’ve lost a loved one,” Gebel says, “if the family so chooses, and if the funeral home so chooses to proceed that way.” Even as many activities are allowed to resume, some places of worship in Iowa remain closed and some funeral homes are setting their own restrictions. Gebel says families and funeral homes will decide what they’re comfortable doing during the pandemic.

“It depends on the community, quite honestly, because we have communities and areas of Iowa that have been very majorly impacted, were hotspots for a long time,” Gebel says. “It feels to me that those areas are proceeding with a lot of caution.” Even as more activities are allowed to resume, some funeral homes are explicitly urging mourners to not hug or shake hands, or they’re asking elderly Iowans to avoid in-person services entirely.

(By Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds will be holding a press conference on the Iowa Capitol steps today at 2:00 p.m. along with Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert, Representative Ako Abdul-Samad and other law enforcement and community leaders. We will provide audio on KJAN as well.

John David Stone

Page County Sheriff’s Deputies, Saturday, conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for a minor traffic infraction. The stop occurred near 280th and Teak Ave., in rural Page County, or about a mile east of Shambaugh. During the traffic stop, 50-year John David Stone, of rural Page County, was arrested for Driving while License is barred. Stone was transported to the Page County Jail
where he was being held on $2000.00 bond.

Also during the arrest it was found that Stone had an active warrant for Assault from Fremont County. This warrant has no bond. Stone will be held until the Page County case has been taken care of or Stone posts bond prior to going to Fremont County to face that charge.

Montgomery County Emergency Management Director Brian Hamman today (Monday), said a seventh and eighth case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been confirmed in Montgomery County. The new cases are an older adult (61-80) and an elderly adult (over 80), both individuals are currently hospitalized.

The total number of recovered cases amounts to six. Hamman says 330 persons have been tested for the virus in Montgomery County. Serology results show: 1 person positive and 50 are  negative. Hamman said also, press releases concerning COVID-19 in Montgomery County will now be distributed on Monday and Friday’s unless otherwise needed. Current COVID-19 information can be found by visiting the Iowa Coronavirus webpage at https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/

An event 6-p.m. Wednesday in Atlantic at Sunnyside Park, will serve as an opportunity for the community to show its support of law enforcement, for the healing of our country, and, for those protesting for justice, in light of the death over one-week ago in Minneapolis, of George Floyd. Event organizer, Ali Pieken, whose husband Dustin is with the Iowa State Patrol (& formerly the Atlantic Police Dept.), said she was approached by a local photographer with interest or an idea for our local law enforcement to do something in show of our support for what is going on in the US right now. The plan she and others came up with, is a program all local law enforcement officers can partake in. The Atlantic Fire Department will be there as well, and free hot dogs will be served.

Officers, Deputies and others will gather in the Camblin Addition for the event. They will form a large (socially distant) circle, and be asked to “take a knee,” if they feel comfortable. Local pastor Ben Winford will be in the middle of the circle to recite a prayer. Ali Pieken says “If you are not religious and would not like to be apart of the prayer, we understand but would love for you to see come and be apart of the event. I encourage you to invite your family and friends to be apart of this as well. It’s a beautiful thing when we can all come together. And it delivers a powerful message to our amazing community.”

Pieken says the event has a two-fold purpose:

1. To show support to the black community and everything that are feeling and facing right now
2. To show our support for all our blue family (law enforcement), and what they are facing right now all over the country.

The public is invited to attend. The event is NOT designed to be a protest rally or to reason to spark a riot. It is a time for the community to come together and draw strength for each other and our law enforcement community. Ali says “Although we do not anticipate riots breaking out in our community, we know some people are hurting and we want them to see the human behind the badge. We want them to be able to come out and support the badge, process their feelings, or simply be apart of the community coming together in these amazing United States of America.”

(Updated) The Mills County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying the person or persons who vandalized the “Malvern” entrance sign. The sign, located at 315th Street and U-S Highway 34, was damaged sometime overnight Sunday, May 31st. The Malvern Bank is offering a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.

If you have information about the incident, please call Sgt. Ryan Pittman, at 712-527-4871.

Cass County Health System officials report the Anita Medical Center will close at noon today, Monday, June 1, 2020. There was no indication of the reason, or for how long the center will be closed.