(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – The Council Bluffs Police Department is investigating an incident that took place early Thursday night. Authorities say that at approximately 7:14 pm, Council Bluffs Police and Fire Departments were dispatched to the area of East Pierce Street and South 1 st Street for a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located a 14 year old male who
sustained a gunshot wound to one of his legs. The victim was transported by Council Bluffs Fire Department medics to a
local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The initial investigation revealed that two juvenile males were confronted by two male suspects at the intersection of East Pierce Street and Grace Street. During the confrontation, one of the male suspects produced a handgun and shot the victim once in the leg. The investigation is ongoing and no suspects have been taken into custody as of this report.

Council Bluffs Police are asking for the public’s assistance with identifying the suspects. Specifically, investigators would like to speak with anyone with surveillance video that may have captured the suspect’s movements before or after the incident. Investigators believe that the suspects were walking in the North and East downtown areas of Council Bluffs prior to the
shooting. Suspect #1, the suspected shooter, is described as a clean shaven white male, 16 to 20 years old, wearing a
black hooded sweatshirt, black pants and Jordan shoes. Suspect #2 is described as a white male, 16 to 20 years old, red
hair and red facial hair, wearing a Nike brand zip-up style jacket with white on top and gray on the bottom and cream
colored slide sandals.

Council Bluffs PD Shield

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call the Council Bluffs Police Department Criminal
Investigation Division at 712-328-4728. To remain anonymous, they may call CrimeStoppers at 712-328-7867 or submit
an on-line crime tip at: https://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/FormCenter/Police-Department-2/Online-CrimeStoppers-Tip-70

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a distribution quantity of methamphetamine.

According to public court documents, Richard James Murphy, 42, sold an ounce of methamphetamine to a confidential source in August 2023. Four days later, law enforcement executed a state search warrant at Murphy’s Davenport residence and found approximately one-half pound of meth, which Murphy intended to distribute, and ten rounds of ammunition. Murphy is a felon and was on probation at the time he committed this offense.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Murphy will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Bettendorf Police Department, Davenport Police Department, and the Scott County Sheriff’s Office.

DES MOINES, Iowa – A federal grand jury in Des Moines returned a three-count indictment yesterday charging Shawnna Marie Cunningham, 47, with offenses related to her possession of a firearm as a drug user and her aiding and abetting the possession and disposal of a firearm to a person she knew was a felon.

According to public court documents, on September 16, 2024, Cunningham was a passenger in a vehicle that refused to stop when law enforcement attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The driver, Joshua Dean Green, a convicted felon, produced a nine-millimeter pistol and fired at Des Moines Police officers. One officer was struck in the head and another officer was struck in the arm. Officers returned fire and Green ultimately died from his injuries. Cunningham was searched immediately following the traffic stop. A methamphetamine pipe was located on Cunningham’s person. In addition, Cunningham admitted to using methamphetamine. It is a crime under federal law to possess a firearm as a drug user.

In May 2020, Cunningham purchased the nine-millimeter pistol Green used to shoot the police officers. In September 2021, Green was arrested with the same pistol and later convicted of unlawfully possessing it as a felon. In March 2022, the gun was returned to Cunningham at her request. After Green was released from prison in January 2024, Cunningham again knowingly allowed Green to access, possess, and use her firearm.

If convicted, Cunningham faces a sentence of up to fifteen years in prison on each count.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case, with assistance from the Des Moines Police Department.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

(Radio Iowa) – The final Iowa county has fallen to the Emerald ash borer invasion. The invasive insect that destroys ash trees was discovered recently in an ash tree in Armstrong in Emett County in northwest Iowa, marking the 99th county with an infestation. The first E-A-B infestation was discovered in Allamakee County in eastern Iowa in 2010.

There were an estimated 54 million woodland ash trees and three million in urban areas when the outbreak was first discovered. Many infect ash trees were cut down, and some were also cut down as a precaution. Some tree owners have opted to treat their ash trees to keep them alive as long as they can.

EAB is now found in all 99 counties after being discovered in Emmet county.

(Radio Iowa) – Some Iowans are in the habit of gobbling a few multivitamins daily, but one health care professional says too much of a good thing -can- lead to complications.

Halley Molstad, a registered dietician at Gundersen Health System, says you don’t need a multivitamin if you’re eating a well balanced, healthy diet, though she knows older Iowans often face a series of potential barriers.

Halley Molstad (Gundersen photo)

“People might have conditions like arthritis or Parkinson’s that interfere with their ability to cook,” Molstad says. “They might have dental issues which might make it harder for them to chew certain foods, or they might have limited access to the grocery store due to transportation issues, so they’re more at risk of not getting in all of those nutrients.”

Studies show most Americans are -not- getting the recommended amounts of healthy foods they need, so Molstad says they might benefit from taking a multivitamin.

“I would prefer that people would really focus on trying to improve their diets, trying to get more fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, lean proteins, low fat dairy, that would be my first choice,” Molstad says, “but sometimes, people just aren’t able to do that consistently, so a multivitamin can be helpful to kind of fill in those gaps.”

She says people who have various health conditions should -not- be taking certain nutrients in a supplement form.

“Definitely, there can be some health risks to having very high doses of vitamins and minerals,” Molstad says. “If you are planning to start a supplement, I would encourage you to talk to your doctor, especially if you have a serious health condition. High doses of Vitamin A, high doses of Vitamin E, have some health risks.”

Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.

(Radio Iowa) [updated]- The governor’s budget director says he’s been told by a top court official that the computer programming error that has improperly distributed over 53 million dollars in court fees and fines has NOT been fixed. Kraig Paulsen spoke with reporters late this (Thursday) morning. “My understanding is that the system is still not corrected and I have offered assistance to the chief justice and she is taking me up on that and we’re meeting here very soon, as in yet this week,” Paulsen said. “…We don’t have the code, we haven’t seen the code and by this I mean the programming code and so that all has to be analyzed, but it is my understanding that the errant distributions continue to this day.”

The Judicial Branch has not issued a statement on the situation. Paulsen says the state fund for road and bridge projects has been shorted by nearly 10 million dollars over the past few years, for example, and some of the money it should be getting is still being sent elsewhere. Paulsen says he’ll discuss all the misdirected funds with the chief justice.  “What has to be corrected from what’s already been done and how do we fix this prospectively,” Paulsen said. The state court system is an independent branch of state government. However, the legislature and governor approve the budget for the courts. Spending levels for several programs that were changed five years ago were not programmed correctly into the court’s computer system.

Paulsen says court officials have given his department spreadsheets explaining the under-funding and where the over-payments have gone. “Some counties got more than the distribution dictated or the law dictated and some got less, so on and so forth and we’re going through that right now,” Paulsen says. “It’s a lot of money and a lot of different distributions. It’s going to take a little bit to unwind.”

Paulsen says he believes the age of the computer system for Iowa courts is a factor in this, but he’ll find out more when he meets with the Iowa Supreme Court’s chief justice.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with Vision Atlantic have announced Community 1st Credit Union (C1st), with a location in Atlantic, recently awarded a $10,000 grant to Vision Atlantic through their foundation to support the Lakin Foundation Child Development Center of Atlantic. C1st grant funded project awards are made possible through the C1st Credit Union Impact Giving Fund of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation.

Community 1st Credit Union President and CEO Greg Hanshaw says “One of the most important goals we have at Community 1st Credit Union is to help people enjoy a secure future. The C1st Foundation, developed in 2016, supports causes close to our hearts – financial literacy, mental wellness/suicide prevention, and community betterment. We couldn’t be more thrilled to support this project and continue to make our community better – Together IS Better!”

A new child development center is being built to meet the increased need for childcare in Cass and surrounding counties. According to Dianna Williams, Director of the Ann Wickman Child Development Center, they are out of space at the current facility. “Over the past four years, our center has been at full capacity, and we consistently have a waitlist of over sixty children. The lack of available childcare in the region negatively impacts families and employers,” Williams said.

According to a study conducted in 2023, it was discovered that Cass County has a childcare availability shortfall of over 1,000 children. The new center will be constructed on south Olive Street in Atlantic and will have capacity for 300 children. The Jack and Jill Preschool, currently housed at the Nishna Valley Family YMCA, will be co-located with the new child development center. Rates for the new center have not been determined yet, and reservations for childcare spots have not been opened. More information relating to the operation of the center will be made available as the project progresses.

Vision Atlantic President Christina Bateman said “We are excited about this award to support the Lakin Foundation Child Development Center of Atlantic. We know that the new center will provide quality care for children, which is a critical component of economic development of the region, and an important consideration for families when they choose where they want to live.”

If you are interested in helping transform Atlantic, whether it’s through monetary donations or acts of volunteerism, please contact Vision Atlantic at visionatlanticiowa@gmail.com. Follow Vision Atlantic on Facebook for behind-the-scenes access to project updates. Vision Atlantic is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to empower growth, enhance lives, and build a thriving community together through the economic development of Atlantic, Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – A libertarian think tank’s latest Fiscal Responsibility Report Card on America’s Governors gives Iowa’s Kim Reynolds its highest score. The CATO Institute’s report says Reynolds has overseen lean budgets and been a champion tax reformer. She got an “A” grade for signing five income tax cuts into law, including one earlier this year that will shrink Iowa’s income tax to a single rate of three-point-eight percent for the 2025 tax year. The group’s “Fiscal Responsibility” score card gave Reynolds its highest rating in 2022 as well. Reynolds says it’s an honor to be recognized by an organization that promotes limited government and free markets. The CATO Institute hosted Reynolds at a forum in 2023.

“The great thing about Republican governors is we’re very competitive,” Reynolds said, “…which means I’m going to have to continue to cut taxes for Iowans that I have the amazing opportunity to represent.” Reynolds has said her goal is to eliminate the state income tax before her current term as governor ends in early 2027. The CATO Institute gave five other Republican governors “A” grades for fiscal responsibility, including neighboring governors in Nebraska and South Dakota.

Governor Kim Reynolds (File photo)

The Democratic governors of Wisconsin and Minnesota are among six who got failing grades. The Republican governor of neighboring Missouri got a “D” in the group’s “Fiscal Responsibility” rating and the Democratic governor of Illinois got a “C” grade.

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – The Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton School Board met in a regular monthly session Tuesday evening. Superintendent Trevor Miller said the Board approved an agreement with the Heartland Therapeutic School in Winterset.

The agreement is year-to-year, and based on a consortium that looks at the qualifications and helps the student find a spot in the program. The Board also approved an agreement with Stalk Chiropractic & Health in Exira, for district transportation personnel physicals.

The Exira-EHK Board approved the sale to the IKM-Manning School District, of a 65-passenger, 2016 Bluebird Bus, with a little more than 52,000 miles on it.

And, the Board approved the hiring of two additions to the Transportation staff – Michael Miller and Daniel Turpin – pending completion of background checks. Superintendent Miller said also, during his regular report to the Board, he mentioned the District’s Certified Enrollment numbers, which were finalized Tuesday (Oct. 15th).

He says it’s a busy time of year for athletics and the FFA. Parent-teacher conferences are coming up Oct. 28th and 29th, as well. Miller said “It’s hard to believe we’re almost through the first-quarter.”

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report a man from Missouri was arrested early this (Thursday) morning, on drug charges. 24-year-old Dagon Michael Cooper, of Grant City, MO., was arrested at the Creston Hardee’s restaurant. He was taken into custody a little after 1-a.m., and charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Poss. of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – 1st offense. Cooper was taken to Union County Jail and later posted at $1,300 bond before being released.