MEMORANDUM
To: City of Newton, IA
101 W. 4th Street S.
Newton, IA 50208
(641) 792-2787
Subj: IOWA OPEN RECORDS REQUEST – CITY OF NEWTON, IA – #025 – ELIMINATION OF THE FOG OF WAR – #01
Enc: 1. Memorandum – Michael J. Merritt – Freedom of Information Request to the City of Newton, Iowa – #003 – 04 JAN 2022
2. Memorandum – City of Newton, IA Attorney Matthew Brick – 10 MAR 2022
3. Electronic Mail – City of Newton, IA Chief of Police Robert Burdess – 01 APR 2022
4. Reference Database – https://airtable.com/shreoWR08av1fK2tl
1. Introduction
Enclosure (1.) is the originator’s original request for, “All Newton, IA Police Department Iowa Incident Reports mentioning the names Michael Merritt, Michael J Merritt, Michael J. Merritt, or Michael James Merritt during 01 JUL 2018 at 0001 Local Time through 03 JAN 2022 at 2359 Local Time.”
Enclosure (2.) is the City of Newton, IA’s Attorney Matthew Brick of Brick Gentry PC’s response communicating, “There are certain records in response, specifically incident reports and call for service records mentioning the names in your request; however, peace officer investigative reports are exempt from public disclosure. See Iowa Code Section 22.7”
Enclosure (3.) is the City of Newton, IA Chief of Police Burdess’ response to Enclosure (1.) which provides evidence of a violation of Iowa Code Section 22.2(2.), “Mr. Merritt, Your request is being handled by our contracted City Attorney at Brick Gentry Law Firm. Please contact them with your questions regarding these requests”
Paragraph (2.) provides a list of records including corresponding evidence of the City of Newton, IA releasing Iowa Incident Reports to the Newton Daily News, specifically information Iowa Code Section 22.7(5) communicates cannot be withheld in accordance with this subsection.
At the same time, the City of Newton, IA has produced evidence of violating Iowa Code Section 22.7(5) in its response to Enclosure (1.) shown in Enclosure (3.). At the same time, City Attorney Matthew Brick of Brick Gentry PC’s 10 MAR 2022 response provides evidence of a misrepresentation of his client’s responsibilities as articulated in Iowa Code Section 22.7(5.) to a citizen requesting records in accordance with Iowa Code Section 22.
2. Requested Information
(a.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Shawn N. Stevens on 13 APR 2022. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 120 No. 2. Retrieved January 7, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(b.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Andrew L. Hefley on 18 APR 2022. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 104. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(c.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Aaron R. Thompson on 01 OCT 2021. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 120 No. 145. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(d.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Landon S. Dixon on 17 APR 2021. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 102. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(e.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Stanley L. Brown on 06 JAN 2021. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 75. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(f.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Dakota J. Carpenter on 17 JAN 2021. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 72. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(g.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Taylor M.J. Lunsford on 28 DEC 2021. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 68. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(h.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Dalton J. Dupee on 08 OCT 2020. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 44. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(i.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Hannah N. Long-Stevens on 01 OCT 2020. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 44. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(j.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Benjamin J.J. Grulke on 23 JUN 2020. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(k.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Elizabeth A. Etter on 23 JUN 2020. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(l.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Darryl G. Watson on 08 JUL 2020. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 26. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(m.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Brandon H. Cornelison on 24 JUN 2020. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 19. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(n.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Melody S. Ryther on 17 MAY 2020. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 16. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(o.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Jordan L. Versteegh on 17 JUN 2020. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 14. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(p.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving James A. Garland on 17 MAY 2020. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 08. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(q.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving David R. Neasham on 05 MAY 2020. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 05. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(r.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Jerad O. Oldham on 02 MAY 2020. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 119 No. 04. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(s.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Jeramie D. Doran on 06 APR 2020. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 118 No. 225. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(t.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Angela S. Ryan on 02 APR 2020. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 118 No. 223. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(u.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Darlene Van Balen on 16 FEB 2020. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 118 No. 210. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(v.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving David L. Smith on 08 MAR 2020. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 118 No. 209. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(w.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Christopher C. Cain on 09 SEP 2019. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 118 No. 89. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(x.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Cassius P. Stahl on 09 JUL 2019. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 118 No. 38. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(y.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Shaun E. Troxel on 09 JUN 2019. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 118 No. 25. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(z.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Tyler D. Lakin on 15 JUN 2019. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 118 No. 22. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(aa.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Scott K. Auten on 28 MAY 2019. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 118 No. 11. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(ab.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Shay R. Vannoy on 19 MAY 2019. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 118 No. 2. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(ac.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Sonja J. Vanderputte on 26 APR 2019. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 117 No. 239. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(ad.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Joseph Robert Mathews on 17 APR 2019. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 117 No. 233. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(ae.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Trevor M. Lamb on 13 APR 2019. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 117 No. 229. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(af.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Danny V. Hobbs on 22 AUG 2018. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 117 No. 69. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(ag.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Edward J. Wheeler on 25 JUL 2018. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 117 No. 51. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
(ah.) Iowa Incident Report(s) documenting an incident involving Alexander F. Shafer on 01 MAY 2018. Data Collection Source: Shaw Media. (n.d.). Newton Daily News Archive. Newton Daily News Volume No. 116 No. 250. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://www.newtondailynews.com/online-newspaper/
3. Conclusion
Tactical operations may be delegated to whom a commander chooses. At the same time, strategic responsibility remains in the hands of the commander (Iowa Code Section 22.2(2.).
God parted the Red Sea for Moses, he cracked rock for Joshua, he will dismantle bricks that attempt to shroud Truth in darkness.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7
Darkness will never extinguish or shroud the Light because the Light is all that is seen by those with the courage and faith to open their eyes. At the same time, possessing the humility to know they are lost in darkness without it.
