Red Oak Police report two arrests took place late Monday night into early this (Tuesday) morning. At around 11:58-p.m., 29-year old Myles Dustin Longcor, of Carbondale, KS, was arrested at the intersection of Highways 34 and 48, for OWI/Drugged. Longcor was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 cash bond. And, at around 1:19-a.m. today (Tuesday), 21-year old Cassandra Jane Rohner, of Red Oak, was arrested at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center, for Public Intoxication. Her cash bond was set at $300.

Police in Council Bluffs are investigating an armed robbery that took place Monday night. Authorities say at around 8:50-p.m., officers were dispatched to the 800 block of 1st Avenue on a Robbery. There, they met with the victim, 21-year old James Peterson, of Council Bluffs. Peterson said while he was walking in the 100 block of South 10th street, going to a friend’s home, he was approached from behind by an unknown male. The male demanded Peterson to give him everything, while pointing a silver handgun at him.

Peterson gave this male his personal property. The suspect then fled the area in a southbound direction. Peterson was not injured in the incident and there were no witnesses. He described the suspect as being 5-feet 11-inches to around 6-feet tall, weighing 250 to 260-pounds. He might have been Hispanic, and had a goatee. The male was dressed in a white shirt with black clothing and a black beanie. The suspect also had his face painted with black and green paint, with a pattern of stripes and dots.

The investigation is ongoing by the Criminal Investigation Division. Anyone with any information that was in the area at the time of this incident is encouraged to contact this Division at 712-328-4728 or they may call Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 2:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa is increasing the amount of money it pays three private insurance companies to administer the state’s Medicaid program. The non-partisan Legislative Services Agency says the Iowa Department of Human Services decided recently to pay more in rates distributed for each Medicaid patient. It’s unclear how the extra $33.2 million in payments will affect the state’s cost projections.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A Cedar Rapids man has been sentenced to more than 28 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges in connection to the illegal export of guns to Lebanon. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says 51-year-old Ali Afif Al Herz was sentenced Monday to 28½ years in prison and ordered to pay a $150,000 fine. Al Herz’s son, Adam, and sister in law, Sarah Majid Zeaiter, were sentenced to prison earlier this month on related charges.

PERRY, Iowa (AP) — Police in Perry, Iowa, have charged a man in Morrison, Illinois with two counts of first-degree murder. Officers charged 24-year-old Carlos Marlo Hernandez-Ventura on Sunday with the deaths of 34-year-old Lourdes Flor De Leak and her daughter, 14-year-old Melany Elizabeth Barraz. All three lived at a Perry home where the bodies of Flor De Leak and Barraz were found Saturday night. A 78-year-old man, whose name wasn’t released, was found injured at the home.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An unseasonably warm week has aided farmers in getting crops out of fields in Iowa and Nebraska although both states remain slightly behind the five-year average. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday in its weekly crop update that in Iowa 71 percent of corn is harvested, about two days behind the average.

PERRY, Iowa (AP) — Police have arrested a man in Illinois on charges on murder charges from Iowa. Police in Perry, Iowa, announced Monday that officers in Morrison, Illinois, charged 24-year-old Carlos Marlo Hernandez-Ventura on Sunday with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. He was held in the Whiteside County Jail in Morrison, a city near the Mississippi River, 210 miles east of Perry.

Authorities will seek to return Hernandez-Ventura to Dallas County, Iowa, to face charges in the deaths of 34-year-old Lourdes Flor De Leak and her daughter, 14-year-old Melany Elizabeth Barraz. All three lived at a Perry home where the bodies of Flor De Leak and Barraz were found Saturday night.

A 78-year-old man, whose name wasn’t released, was found injured at the home. He’s hospitalized in critical condition.

Officials with the West Central Valley (WCV) School District today (Monday) said on their social media page, that Guthrie County, Stuart Police and State law enforcement officials provided “Solid security” Monday to the district, in light of a threatening note found in the High School commons last Friday, in Stuart. The District says “Stuart Police and our Highway Patrol representative are continuing their investigation to locate the person or persons responsible for the note.”

District officials said also, that “For the remainder of this week, all buildings will be utilizing a single point of access for all students and families. All doors in each building will be locked, and the access point will be monitored (The access point is normally the main entry door). The high school will continue to have a modified contingent of law enforcement personnel onsite for a good portion of this week as their investigation continues. High school students will continue to have their bags checked when they enter the building. The elementary buildings and the middle school will operate under normal conditions with the exception of the single point of access.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An unseasonably warm week has aided farmers in getting crops out of fields in Iowa and Nebraska although both states remain slightly behind the five-year average. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday in its weekly crop update that in Iowa 71 percent of corn is harvested, about two days behind the average. The soybean crop is 89 percent harvested, about five days behind average.

Farmers in southwest and south central Iowa still have a third or more of their soybeans to harvest. Nebraska experienced a week with temperatures averaging nine degrees above normal helping to get 91 percent of the soybean crop in, near the 96 percent five-year average.

Corn farmers in Nebraska are 69 percent harvested which is near the 70 percent five-year average.

Officials with the Cass County Health System have announced Dr. Elaine Berry has received the Iowa Hospital Association’s 2016 Hospital Hero award. The award was presented on October 19^th during the IHA annual meeting in Des Moines. On hand to present the award was Pat Markham, CCHS CEO and former professional boxer/motivational speaker Sugar Ray Leonard, who was a keynote speaker at the event.

According to the IHA website, the IHA Hospital Hero Award “recognizes hospital employees who have performed heroic acts or have consistently and tirelessly given of their time, talent and expertise to improve their organizations, patients and communities.  These everyday heroes are the role models for other hospital employees and the communities they serve.”

Only 10 people from across the state are chosen as hospital heroes each year.  Dr. Berry’s nomination was submitted by hospital staff with letters of support noting her dedication to the community and her patients, particularly with hospice care and emergency medical services throughout Cass County.

From left to right: CCHS CEO Pat Markham, Dr. Berry, and Sugar Ray Leonard.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa State University campus police are using body cameras but because no formal policy for the technology has been adopted, it is unclear when the public has the right to see the videos.  The Des Moines Register reports that campus police began using cameras this summer under a draft policy that the department has refused to release. There is no timeline for when a formal policy may be finalized.

University interim police chief Aaron DeLashmutt says the public safety department wants to make sure privacy rights are looked at before making a policy public. ISU student government president Cole Staudt says that although campus police told the organization that officer were going to wear body cameras, no student input was sought while developing the policy.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa is increasing the amount of money it pays three private insurance companies to administer the state’s Medicaid program. The non-partisan Legislative Services Agency says the Iowa Department of Human Services decided recently to pay more in rates distributed for each Medicaid patient. It’s unclear how the extra $33.2 million will affect the state’s cost projections.

LSA analyst Jess Benson says the agency will predict a $20 million to $30 million shortfall for the current budget year when the agency meets soon with state officials. The figure is preliminary, and it’s unclear if the Department of Human Services would absorb such costs or if Gov. Terry Branstad would request extra state funding.

Branstad said Monday he still believes the state will save roughly $110 million this budget year from privatization. Senate Democrats have challenged those savings.

Police in Council Bluffs say a man from Mississippi is in custody on robbery, kidnapping and assault charges, following an incident that took place Sunday night at the Hampton Inn, in Council Bluffs. 53-year old Allan McGowan, of Olive Branch, MS, was arrested sometime after 7:46-p.m., which was when officers responded to a reported assault at the hotel.

Allan McGowan

McGowan was charged with Robbery 1st Degree, Kidnapping 1st Degree, Assault while Participating in a Felony and Obstruction of Emergency Communications. He was being held in the Pottawattamie County Jail.

The victim of the assault, 37-year old Norma Hineline, of Omaha, told police she was attacked by McGowan inside one of the hotel rooms. She said prior to being assaulted, McGowan grabbed her purse and began to remove some of her cash. The woman said  she attempted to use the hotel phone to dial 9-1-1, but McGowan hung up the phone.

After being unable to get her purse back from McGowan, Police say Hineline attempted to leave the room, but McGowan reportedly grabbed her and pulled her back into the room, putting her in a “choke hold” and strangling her until she lost consciousness. When Hineline awoke, McGowan was removing cash from her purse and had possession of her cell phone. Eventually, McGowan allowed Hineline to leave the hotel room.