The head of the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement says larger quantities of purer methamphetamine produced by Mexican drug cartels and trafficking organizations have been showing up in Iowa. Director Steve Dejoode recently briefed the Governor’s Drug Policy Advisory Council about trends in the meth trade in Iowa. He says the product offered by Mexican meth cooks now is different than what we saw from 1998 through 2006.

“The average purity level I think we were seeing then on methamphetamine was anywhere from 14 to 40-percent,” Dejoode says. “The purity levels that I’m seeing are from 98 to 100-percent.” Dejoode says the purer meth can potentially bring a higher price on the streets for dealers, and it raises concerns for those trying to combat the problem.

“It may have an impact on addiction and success of treatment potentially, and then the potential for overdose complications or death,” DeJoode explains. He says while Iowa meth labs haven’t gone away — as much as 90-percent of the drug sold in Iowa comes from across the border.

(Radio Iowa)

An accident involving a Lenox Volunteer Fire Department truck caused a total of $6,500 damage Sunday, but no one was hurt. The Lenox Police Department reports officers responded to the scene of the accident in front of the fire station, at around 6:30-p.m., Sunday.

Photo from Lenox P-D’s Facebook page.

An investigation determined a 1979 Dodge pickup owned by the fire department was parked outside the fire station during the annual soup supper and was on display. While looking at the truck, a child hit the gearshift into neutral causing the truck to roll down the drive before it hit a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer parked on the street.

The Trailblazer, owned by Randy Samo, of Lenox, sustained $4, 000 damage, while the fire department’s truck sustained $2,500 damage. No. citations were issued.

The driver of a vehicle which struck and killed a Shelby County firefighter two years ago on Interstate 80 is now suing the City of Shelby. The Omaha World Herald reports David L. Thies, of Boone, is suing the city for $5,000, a fraction of what the accident cost him. Thies was involved in the accident on I-80 two years ago when he struck Shelby firefighter Michael Collins who was killed while directing traffic after another accident had taken place on the interstate.

Thies claims Collins was under the influence of drugs at the time and stepped into traffic. The papers says documents inside the Iowa State Patrol’s full investigation report say Collins had THC in his system, which is the active ingredient in marijuana and a narcotic pain reliever called oxymorphone. A hearing on his claim is set to take place Oct. 21st, in Pottawattamie County Small Claims Court.

The accident that took the life of Collins happened around 6:50-pm on September 18th, 2011 as Collins was directing traffic. The patrol says Thies was traveling on the Interstate and went around the stopped vehicles and hit Collins in the left lane. No criminal charges were ever filed against Thies, as the investigators did not find his actions reckless. He was however charged with driving without proper registration.

The accident report from the Iowa State Patrol says Collins received oxymorphone from someone who had a prescription. Thies stated his expenses from the accident including medical bills are over $30,000. The City of Shelby declined to comment to the paper on the lawsuit. This was the second accident fatal accident Thies was involved in. Back in 1988, Thies was driving a motorcycle in Nebraska when it crashed and killed the passenger 20 year old Gina Pearson. He was charged with vehicular homicide and served a 17 month jail sentence.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Department reports a Missouri man was arrested over the weekend on drug and other charges. 39-year old Raymond Bartholomew Johnson, of Seneca, Mo., was arrested Saturday for Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana with the intent to deliver, 2 counts of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, no Tax Stamp, Driving Under Suspension, failure to have proof of insurance, registration violation, and on a warrant out of Shelby County.

And, a Tabor man, 24-year old Michael Douglas Auten, was arrested Friday in Fremont County, for Driving Under Suspension, Failure to secure a child, and failure to maintain registration.