Following are excerpts of activities reported by the Greene County sheriff’s office:
Tuesday, March 31: At 6:48 am the chief deputy sheriff was dispatched to a car-deer accident that occurred on County Road E-53 near Pioneer Ave east of Jefferson. Sandra J. Ostendorf, 50, of Jefferson was eastbound when a deer ran onto the roadway and was struck by the Ostendorf vehicle. Ostendorf was not injured but her 2012 Honda CRV sustained an estimated $7,500 in damages.
Monday, March 30: At 6:50 am, the chief deputy sheriff was advised of a smoldering fire next to the road on County Road E-19 and County Road N-65 in Cedar Township. It was determined that tree stumps were still burning from a previous controlled burn. At 3:01 pm the Churdan fire department was dispatched to a fire at York Ave and 390th St in Calhoun County. A barn on the farmstead was destroyed and the wind caused the ditches and grass water ways to also ignite. Fire units from Farnhamville and Lohrville were also on scene. At 3:39 pm the chief deputy sheriff was dispatched to a single vehicle accident in the 900 block of Highway 4 south of Jefferson. Marlene Ruth Larson of Jefferson was southbound when a cow ran from the ditch onto the roadway. Larson was not injured but her 2002 Pontiac Bonneville sustained an estimated $1500 in damages. The cow was not injured and is owned by Todd Muir of rural Jefferson. At 7:59 pm the Greene County sheriff’s office and the Jefferson police department were asked to try and locate several individuals living in Greene County that were involved in possible criminal activity in Boone County.
Sunday, March 29: Routine activity reported.
Saturday, March 28: At 11:01 am dispatchers from the Greene County Law Enforcement Center received an abandoned e-911 call that mapped to a residence in Grand Junction. Dispatchers determined that it was small children playing with a phone that initiated the call. At 2:03 pm a deputy and the Churdan fire and rescue department responded to a reported timber fire near County Road N-65 (D Ave) and County Road E-19 (130th St) in Cedar Township. After an investigation it was determined that a hunting blind was deliberately set ablaze and spread to the surrounding area. At 7 pm a deputy was dispatched for a trespassing concern in the 300 block of Count Road E-19 in Cedar Township. A deputy questioned three male subjects as to other items located on private property.
Friday, March 27: At 1:30 pm a deputy investigated a harassment concern in the 500 block 11th Street South in Grand Junction.
Thursday, March 26: Routine activity reported.
Wednesday, March 25: At 10:08 am a deputy is investigated a harassment concern in the 600 block of Locust Street in Scranton. At 1:01 pm, the chief deputy sheriff, his K-9 Leo and a deputy conducted a canine search at the Greene County High School in Jefferson.
Tuesday, March 24: At 7:31 pm a deputy was dispatched to provide traffic control for a vehicle that had slid off the roadway on Highway 30 at 11th Street in Grand Junction. At 10:48 pm a deputy was dispatched to the Casey’s General Store in Scranton to investigate the reported theft of alcohol from the store.
Monday, March 23: At 9 am a deputy was dispatched to Scranton to investigate criminal mischief to garage door on Main Street.
Sunday, March 22: At 3:38 pm a deputy was dispatched to Squirrel Hollow Park for a reported dark blue Ford Ranger causing criminal mischief to the roadway. The vehicle was located and the driver agreed to repair the damage he created in the park area. At 6:20 pm a deputy was advised of an interior alarm activation at a business in Paton. The key holder soon called dispatchers and advised it was employees that activated the alarm.
Saturday, March 21: At 2:45 am a deputy was dispatched to the Casey’s General Store in Grand Junction for a glass breakage alarm. A window had an exterior pane of glass broken, but no entry was gained into the store. At 7:39 am a deputy was dispatched to the 900 block of High Street in Scranton to investigate criminal mischief to a mail box. At 2:30 pm a deputy was advised that a resident in the 400 block of 210th St in Kendrick Township had found and kenneled a stray dog with a black body and brown head. He advised that he would keep the dog for several days to see if anyone would claim it.
Friday, March 20: At 11:27 am a deputy and fire units from Grand Junction and Rippey responded to a gas spill at Sparky’s One Stop in Rippey. It was estimated that 6-7 gallons of gas were spilled and quickly cleaned up. At 5:05 pm, a deputy was dispatched to a one vehicle accident involving a semi-tractor mirror being struck by another vehicle pulling a wide farm implement. Damage to the semi mirror was estimated to be $1000. The vehicle pulling the farm equipment was not located at that time. At 5:16 pm, the deputy that was dispatched for the previous accident came upon a two vehicle accident that occurred on the Union Pacific overpass near Grand Junction. As a vehicle was attempting to slow down for a truck pulling farm equipment over the bridge, it was struck from behind by another car. No injuries reported and no vehicle information was available at this time.
Thursday, March 19: At 10:50 am a deputy investigated the reported theft of personal property from a residence in the 800 block of E. Percival Street in Grand Junction. At 9:14 pm a deputy was advised of a car-deer accident that occurred on Highway 30 near Orchard Ave east of Jefferson. The vehicle was not damaged, but the driver wanted the deputy to try and locate the deer for possible injuries. The deer was never located.
Wednesday, March 18: At 12:31 am a deputy was dispatched to interior motion alarm activation at a business in Grand Junction. The key holder and the deputy determined the business to be secure. At 7:23 am a deputy was advised of a car-deer accident that occurred on County Road N-65 (D Ave) near 195th St. The driver advised that she left the scene and would come to the Law Enforcement Center to get a state report. At 11:50 am the chief deputy and JPD officers discovered that several car radios were taken from vehicles at the impound lot in Jefferson. At 2:22 pm a deputy investigated a trespassing concern and a possible theft in the 500 block of E. Main St in Grand Junction.
Tuesday, March 17: At 12:05 am a deputy spoke with a Churdan resident in the 600 block of Sand St about the possible violation of a no contact order. At 9:59 am a deputy was dispatched to S. 14th and E. Kelly Streets in Grand Junction to investigate the possibility of drug paraphernalia being found. At 1:30 pm a deputy, the chief deputy and the sheriff checked a residence in the 1600 block of Kendrick St in Scranton for criminal mischief and the possible theft of items from that location. At 4:08 pm a deputy was out of position and not able to locate several vehicles that were reported to be driving erratic and drag racing on Highway 144 south of Rippey.
Monday, March 16: At 12:40 am a deputy was advised of a business alarm activation in Grand Junction. The key holder and the deputy searched the building and found it to be secure. At 9:30 am, the sheriff investigated the reported theft of two hogs from a rural feedlot. At 1:01 pm, the chief deputy sheriff and units from the Grand Junction fire and rescue all responded to a farm field fire in the 300 block of East 1st Street, north of Highway 30, in Grand Junction. The stalk field was ignited by a small burn pile that was caught by the wind.
Sunday, March 15: At 10:07 am, a deputy while on routine patrol investigated three male subjects in a vehicle under the Union Pacific Railroad overpass at Grand Junction. After an investigation and questioning of the three, Drake Patrick Dayton, 18, of Jefferson was arrested for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia*.
Saturday, March 14: At 1:10 a deputy was dispatched to an alarm activation at a store in Grand Junction. The key holder to the store and the deputy determined the alarm was accidental. At 7:55 am, the Guthrie County sheriff’s office advised dispatchers at the Greene County Law Enforcement Center of a single vehicle rollover accident on County Road E-63 (330th St) near F Ave in Greenbrier Township that was being investigated by an Iowa State Patrol Officer. The deputy assisted with traffic control until the vehicle was removed. The driver of the vehicle was not injured. At 1:43 pm a deputy assisted a DNR conservation enforcement officer with locating several ATVs that were being ridden on public property near the Raccoon River Bridge on Highway 30 west of Jefferson. The DNR Officer will be following up with citations for the ATV drivers. At 11:35 pm a deputy, an Iowa State Patrol trooper and the Grand Junction fire and rescue squad all responded to the report of smoke in a residence in the 500 block of 3rd St in Rippey. Upon the arrival of the trooper and deputy, they extinguished a small fire within a clothes dryer in the home. No damage estimate was determined at that time.
Friday, March 13: At 1:30 am a deputy was dispatched to an interior motion alarm activation in Grand Junction. The key holder and the deputy determined the store to be secure. At 9:30 am the chief deputy sheriff and the JPD initiated a criminal investigation within the city and the county. At 7:41 pm a deputy was dispatched to 210th St and Orchard Ave in Hardin Township for the report of power lines sparking. Midland Power was advised of the electrical problem.
Wednesday, March 11: At 2:13 pm fire units from Grand Junction and Jefferson responded to a reported structure fire at 8th and Kelly St in Grand Junction. Grand Junction fire units were on scene within three minutes from the initial call and the home was fully engulfed at that time. One male was sleeping inside the home at the time of the fire, but escaped and was taken by private transport to the Greene County Medical Center to be checked for smoke inhalation. The home was estimated to be a total loss.
Tuesday, March 10: At 10:45 am a deputy was advised of a disgruntled employee that had threatened several fellow employees at a business in Paton. At 11:35 am a deputy was dispatched to the Casey’s General Store in Grand Junction to investigate the theft of fundraiser bucket from the store. At 12:45 pm a deputy investigated the theft of a small engine from behind a building in the 200 block of East Main St in Grand Junction. At 2:36 pm an Iowa State Patrol officer, a JPD officer and a Greene County deputy all assisted in finding an elderly male who had driven away from his home in Des Moines. The male had been gone from home for more than seven hours. He had called home and advised his wife that he was at a gas station, but was unsure of its location. He was found at the Sparky’s One Stop in Jefferson. He was found to be disoriented but safe and was transported by the state trooper back to a designated location to meet relatives.
Monday, March 9: At 10:06 am two deputies were dispatched to a reported burglary in progress in the 900 block of Grant Street in Scranton. The subject in question had left the scene before the deputy’s arrival but his identity was known. After an investigation by the deputies and assistance from the Carroll County sheriff’s office, Cody Lee Sellman, 25, of Dedham was arrested for criminal mischief –third degree and burglary-third degree*. At 1:13 pm a deputy spoke with a resident in the 600 block of South 15th St in Grand Junction regarding threats being made to her by her step daughter.
Sunday, March 8: Routine activity reported.
Saturday, March 7: At 7:01 pm a deputy was dispatched to the 700 block of State Street in Scranton for the report of several pickup trucks drag racing on the street. The vehicles were not found at that time but the identity of the drivers was determined and the deputy will speak with them at a later time.
Friday, March 6: At 12:12 am a deputy, while assisting the JPD, located the black 2013 crew cab truck that was reported stolen in the late hours of Thursday. A five minute pursuit ensued with the vehicle jumping the curb and striking a fire hydrant and then a tree near the intersection of N. Cedar and E. McKinley Streets. The deputy and police officers subsequently arrested Andrew Lee Jensen, 32, of Jefferson for operating while intoxicated (OWI)-first offense (serious misdemeanor), possession of methamphetamine – third offense and eluding (both class C felonies), intimidation with a dangerous weapon and theft – first degree (both class C felonies), and driving while suspended*. At 12:15 pm a deputy while on routine patrol attempted to stop a vehicle on County Road E-53(240th St) near County Road P-14 (J Ave) west of Jefferson for not displaying license plates on the vehicle. The silver mini-van sped away. The deputy followed the vehicle at speeds near 98 mph as the mini- van crossed Highway 30 and continued north on P-14. The vehicle drove out into a farm field and then back onto P-14 before heading back south. The mini-van then turned right (to the west) on Highway 30 for a short distance as the driver lost control of the vehicle and it entered into the south ditch, striking several small trees and rolling over. The deputy pulled the female driver, Amanda Fay Petrzilka, 30, from the mini-van and subsequently arrested her for eluding (class D felony), reckless driving, OWI- first offense, interference with official acts and numerous traffic violations*. At 9:54 pm a deputy was dispatched to the 600 block of S. 13th Street in Grand Junction for the report of vandalism to windows at the residence.
Thursday, March 5: At 7:47 am, deputies and the K-9 Leo assisted a JPD officer with a traffic stop and search of a pickup truck in the 200 block of W. Vest Street in Jefferson. At 10:57 pm a deputy assisted JPD officers with trying to locate a stolen black 2013 crew cab pickup taken from a residence in Jefferson.
Wednesday, March 4: At 10:48 am two deputies initiating a traffic stop in Grand Junction subsequently arrested Lawrence Shannon O’Neal, 40, of Grand Junction on a Story County warrant. At 7:57 pm a deputy assisted JPD officers with a domestic altercation in the 300 block of E. Central Ave in Jefferson.
Tuesday, March 3: At 7:07 am a deputy checked an abandoned vehicle that had slid into the ditch on Highway 30 near Granite Ave east of Scranton. The truck was later removed from the scene. At 8:52 am a deputy provided traffic control while a vehicle was removed from the ditch on 230th Street and T Ave west of Grand Junction. Slick road conditions contributed to several vehicles being in the ditch. At 10:52 am the chief deputy sheriff assisted the Jefferson police department while officers were on another assignment with investigating a two vehicle accident at the intersection of N. Vine and W. Washington. Todd Evan Muir, 51, of rural Jefferson was westbound on Washington when his 2003 GMC Yukon was struck in the passenger side door by Debra Suzanne Curtis, 28, of Carroll. She was driving a 1999 Chevrolet Lumina. No injuries were reported. Curtis was cited for failure to yield the right of way and failure to have insurance. Damage to Muir’s vehicle was estimated at $5,000. Damage to Curtis’s vehicle was estimated at $1,500. At 5:45 pm a deputy assisted a JPD officer with a possible stolen vehicle investigation.
Monday, March 2: At 10:58 am three members of the Greene County sheriff’s office and the Grand Junction fire and rescue squad all responded to a reported house fire in the 2200 block of 230th St east of Grand Junction. The home sustained minor damage to an exterior wall of a porch. At 11:15 am a deputy was advised of a vehicle that was taken from a residence in the 1800 block of D Ave in Scranton Township without the owner’s consent. The deputy is investigating the theft at this time.
Sunday, March 1: Routine activity reported.
*In all cases when a defendant has been charged, this is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
