DAYTON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are scaling back their search for a missing Iowa teenager abducted from a rural school bus stop this week. The state Department of Public Safety says trained law enforcement will narrow their search around Dayton on Saturday for 15-year-old Kathlynn Shepard. Authorities say they’re focusing on terrain that’s difficult to navigate and requires specialized skills and equipment, so citizen volunteers are not needed. Residents are encouraged to check their rural properties for anything suspicious.

Police suspect Michael Klunder took Kathlynn and a 12-year-old girl on Monday to a hog confinement building several miles away. The younger girl managed to escape. Klunder was later found dead of self-inflicted injuries. Authorities will search land between the hog confinement and a location where the girls’ backpacks were found.

Authorities in Harrison County today (Friday), released the name of a man who died when he was hit by a train earlier this week. Officials say 59-year old Alan C. Nelson, from  Lawrence, Kansas,was struck Monday afternoon by a train traveling from California to Chicago. The locomotive hauling freight had just crossed the Missouri River into Iowa east of the Blair, NE bridge on the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, when Nelson was struck. His death has been ruled a suicide.

May is National Nurses Month, a time designated to celebrate the contributions and commitments nurses make while educating the public about the significant work they perform.  Officials with the Cass County Health System (CCHS), say nursing managers recently hosted a luncheon to honor the many nursing caregivers who work throughout the health system, including RNs, LPNs, Certified Nurse Anesthetists, Certified Nursing Assistants, Certified Medical Assistants, Psychiatric Assistants, and Surgical Technical Assistants.

Some of the nursing staff at Cass County Health System gathered for a photo during National Nurses Month. Left to Right row 1 – Heather Turner, Brittany Thompson, Row 2 – Jeri Orstad, Trudi Nelson, Susan Christofferson, Row 3 – Brenda Euken, Cathie Alff, Jenifer Arp, Row 4 – Linda Hemminger, Lisa Parker, Amber Scott, Row 5 – Diana Krull, Marie Kucera, Kathy Spurr, Row 6 – Crystal Shannon, Tammy Wyman, Row 7 – Kathy Pulido, Tammy Nelson, Nancy Reimer, Sherry Kennon, Row – Jena Waters, Tricia Cook, Brent Goodrich.

CCHS employs over 130 staff in these key caregiver roles.  Their duties range from caring for inpatients, both medical and behavioral health, to working in outpatient clinics, to education, surgery and emergency department care. They care for patients around the clock, 365 days a year.  Some nurses work in administrative roles or manage clinical quality and infection control initiatives. Nursing professionals come from all walks of life, and have varied backgrounds but they all have one thing in common – they take pride in caring for others.

Linda Hemminger, Assistant Administrator of Clinical Services/Chief Nursing Officer, say the nurses at CCHS are truly a group of caring professionals. Hemminger says “National Nurses Month is a great time to have meaningful reflection on the value of nurses’ work to both patients and health care systems. Nurses change lives and save lives!”

Authorities in Page County are investigating the theft of two central air conditioning units and propane furnace. The a/c units were less than seven-years old. The theft and associated damage was discovered during the evening of May 2nd, as a Blanchard man was mowing the lawn at 1830 290th Street, between Blanchard and Coin.
Officials say Scott Langley noticed the air conditioning units on the outside of the residence were missing, and there was damage to a shop window. A deputy notified the property owner, Greg Stone, of Garden City, KS. Stone told the deputy he had neither removed the items nor given anyone else permission to do so.
The loss was estimated at $10,550. Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 712-542-5193.

A rural Page County man was arrested Thursday evening for being a felon in possession of firearms, after deputies investigated a report of shots fired. Authorities received word just after 6-p.m. that shots had been heard at 1672 A Avenue, about two-miles north of Shenandoah.
During their investigation, deputies learned 39-year old David Allen Ryan lived at the residence. Ryan is a convicted felon, and had access to the firearms as well as ammunition. He was taken into custody and held in the Page County Jail on $5,000 bond.

A man from Pottawattamie County suffered what were described as “non-life threatening injuries” during an ATV accident that took place at around 12:20-p.m., Thursday. Sheriff Jeff Danker identified the victim of the accident as 46-year old Bruce Campbell, of rural Neola.  Danker told KJAN News the accident took place in a farm field northeast of Teakwood and 240^th Street. It happened when the Kawasaki ATV was traveling north, up an incline. When the machine  met a terrace, it became airborne and Campbell was ejected. 

The accident was witnessed and reported to authorities. Campbell reportedly complained of pain, but the extent of his injuries were not known. He was flown by LifeNet to the Creighton Medical Center for treatment.

A jury in Audubon County has rendered a guilty verdict against a south central Iowa man facing felony charges of Vehicular Homicide by OWI and Serious Injury by Vehicle. According to online court records, 57-year old Kendall Lee Ware, of Lineville, was found guilty Thursday on both counts. A pre-sentence investigation has been ordered, with sentencing set for July 18^th.

Authorities say Ware had a blood alcohol content of more than two-and-half times the legal limit when an SUV and a pickup crashed at around 11:25-p.m. on October 11^th, 2011, near Brayton. The crash claimed the life of 17-year old Kristopher Crawley, and caused serious injuries to his passenger, 22-year old Jason Rattenborg. Both of the crash victims are from Audubon. Ware, and a passenger in his truck, were also injured. 

While an investigation into the crash was being conducted, Ware fled the area. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and he was taken into custody by the U.S.Marshals last October, in North Dakota before being extradited to Audubon County.