(Red Oak, Iowa) – Red Oak Police report two recent arrests. Friday afternoon, 30-year-old Stephanie Rose Eggleston, of Red Oak, was arrested at the Family Dollar Store, for Theft in the 5th Degree. Her bond at the Montgomery County Jail was set at $300. And, 51-year-old Wendi Jo Latus, of Red Oak, was arrested Friday in the 1200 block of N. Broadway, for Theft in the 4th Degree. Her bond was set at $1,000.

(Oakdale, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Corrections, late Saturday, said a man serving a prison sentence for the Harrison County crimes of Sex Abuse in the 2nd Degree, and Lascivious Acts with a Child – has died. 72-year-old James Robert McDuffie was pronounced dead due to natural causes at 5:50 p.m. on Friday, July 21, 2023 in a hospice room of the Iowa Medical and Classification Center where he had been housed due to chronic illness.

McDuffie had been serving a 25-year maximum term on the charges with a Lifetime Special Sentence. His sentence began on August, 30th 2016.

(Afton, Iowa) – The Iowa State Patrol late Saturday evening in a **CORRECTED** report, released the names of the victims of a crash that occurred late Friday night, in Union County. Authorities say 19-year-old Halsie Lynn Barnes, of Tingley, died at the scene.

19-year-old Ella Jo Leonard, of Winterset**, was injured and flown by helicopter to Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. Both were passengers in a 2017 Chevy Malibu that was struck nearly broadside by a 2016 Ford F-350 pickup. The crash happened at around 10:28-p.m., Friday, at Highway 34 and 190th Street in Union County.

According to the report, the pickup, driven by 59-year-old Andy David Merritt, of Seymour, was traveling east on Highway 34 approaching 190th Street, when the Malibu, driven by 19-year-old Madalynn Mae Stewart, of Maloy (IA), failed to stop at the stop sign on 190th Street. When the car entered Highway 34, it was struck on the driver’s side. Both vehicles ended-up in the north ditch.

Madalynn Stewart, and another other passenger in the car, 20-year-old Abigail Dawn Barnes, of Lamoni, were injured. Stewart was flown by helicopter to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. Barnes was transported to Methodist Hospital by ambulance. Andy Merritt, and 62-year-old Julia Ann Merritt, of Seymour, were injured and transported by a relative to their residence.

Halsie Barnes, Madalynn Stewart, Abigail Barnes, and Andy Merritt, were not wearing seat belts. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Union County Sheriff’s Office, along with Union and Clarke County EMS.

NOTE: The Patrol’s initial report early Saturday morning DID indicate 1 fatality. Saturday afternoon, however, it was changed to 2 fatalities. About 2-hours later, they changed the report AGAIN, with the clarification of 1 fatality.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council, this past Wednesday, approved an Order to restrict down Chestnut Street parking spaces for a special event that takes place on August 19th. The Downtown Block Party/Food Truck event is being planned by four local businesses: Homebody; Brown’s Shoe Fit; Unique Salon, and Atlantic Jazzercise. The ordinance states that food trucks cannot park adjacent to brick-and-mortar businesses. At the time the order was passed, the nearby Xu’s Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant was still closed, but the owner has posted on social media, that the business was expected to re-open August 1st.

It remains to be seen how that will affect the plans for a a food truck parked across parking stalls on the right-of-way.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council passed the first reading of an ordinance that repeals a subsection of the City’s Code of Ordinances, with regard to permitted truck parking.

City Administrator John Lund notes the ordinance is a “technical correction,” that allows truck parking on certain city-owned lots north of the railroad tracks. The lots have been leased for years to Murphy Heavy Construction.

The section being removed (69.11) states “All motor trucks, semi-trailers, semi-trailer tractors or any other motor vehicle with trailer attached may park, without charge, at the “truck/truck trailer parking area, located on Lots 31,32,33 and 34 in Walker’s Addition to the City of Atlantic, with an address of 110 State Street.”

Murphy’s trucks are not affected by the change, since he has a lease with the City. There currently is no designated truck parking within the City.