The Creston Police Department reports today (Wednesday), the arrest Tuesday evening of 48-year old Joel Alan Weeks, of Creston. Weeks was apprehended just after 7:10-p.m. during a traffic stop. He was charged with Driving While Barred and OWI/3rd offense. Weeks was being held in the Union County Jail while awaiting an appearance before the magistrate.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A statewide firefighters union has censured the Des Moines fire chief, criticizing what it says is his anti-labor management style. The Des Moines Register reports that the group took the action at its convention on Friday. The group president, Douglas Neys, says the censure has no actual effect on Chief John TeKippe other than subjecting him to public scrutiny for what the union says are his failings. TeKippe was president of Des Moines Local 4 before becoming chief in 2009.

TeKippe on Tuesday called the censure disappointing but dismissed it as a personal attack that lacked substance or merit. He says union representatives have used inaccurate statements to question the safety of firefighters and residents due to staffing levels.

Firefighters from Minden and Underwood responded to a structure fire south of Minden, Tuesday afternoon.

Photo from the Minden Fire and Rescue Facebook page.

The call came in at around 4:30-p.m. Officials say upon approach, heavy smoke and flames were showing from a barn, or outbuilding-type structure. Due to lack of water supply, the Neola, Oakland, and McClelland Fire Departments were called-in to provide additional  water support. Personnel from all departments contained the blaze to the lone structure. No injuries were reported. The cause of the blaze was not immediately clear.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A report on a June survey underscores previous survey signs that slower economic growth likely is ahead for nine Midwestern and Plains states. The survey report issued Wednesday says the overall Mid-America Business Conditions Index rose to 53.0 from 50.4 in May and 52.7 in April.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says “improvements at the national level in housing, retail sales and hiring pushed supply managers to raise their expectations about future economic conditions.”

The survey results from supply managers are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests economic growth, while a score below that suggests decline. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.