The Mills County Sheriff’s Department Thursday (Today) issued a report on recent arrests, incidents and accidents. Officials say 45-year old Andrew Peter Smith, of Omaha, was arrested Wednesday, on a charge of OWI/1st offense. Smith was taken into custody on Interstate 29 near the 42-mile marker, at around 1:20-a.m. His bond was set at $1,000.

On Tuesday, Mills County deputies arrested 40-year old Michael Scott Jones, of Hastings, on a charge of Public Intoxication, and, 41-year old Kenneth Benjamin McDonald, of Glenwood, for Violating the terms of his probation. McDonald was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail Tuesday night, and held on $10,000 bond. Jones was arrested just before 8-p.m. Tuesday in Hastings. His bond was set at $300.

Authorities in Mills County said also, they were investigating two burglaries.  A burglary was reported by a Glenwood resident, whose property was located along Garfield Lane. And a burglary and theft was reported to have occurred at a property along 190th Street. The report was submitted by a person in Pacific Junction.

There were also two accidents in Mills County. Both happened Wednesday morning, and were attributed to frosty or slick roads. One of the accidents happened on 221st Street, at around 7:15-a.m., Wednesday, when a 2002 Ford driven by Kari Dykstra, of Glenwood, went out of control after hitting an icy spot on the road, about 8-miles northwest of Glenwood. The vehicle spun off the road and hit a power pole. Dykstra was transported to Mercy Hospital, by Glenwood Rescue.

The other accident also happened on 221st Street, about one-mile northwest of Glenwood, just after 8-a.m. Wednesday. Sheriff’s officials say a 1998 Ford driven by Sharon Sullivan, of Glenwood, was traveling south on 221st when her vehicle went out of control and hit an embankment. No injuries were reported.

Iowa’s number of flu cases is now considered widespread, and officials say the seasonal outbreak could get even worse now that children are back in school. Shelby County Public Health nurse Rachel Birks said that there have been many cases of flu seen by Myrtue Medical Center providers in December and so far in January.  There have been at least two cases that needed hospitalization—a small child and an elderly person.

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) says at least 151 people were hospitalized state-wide for flu complications in Iowa during the last week of December.  IDPH Medical Director Patricia Quinlisk said that she doubts the surge of illnesses will slow down soon. Dr. Quinlisk has said “We have “all the hallmarks of a relatively bad and prolonged flu season.”   .

Experts say the viruses are affecting more people than usual across much of the nation.  Government health experts say 18 children have died from complications of the flu, and 2,257 people were hospitalized with flu symptoms through the end of December. No child deaths have been reported in Iowa, though the state has had deaths of children in previous years.

Birks urges nearly everyone to get a vaccination now, if they have not gotten one already last fall.  The vaccine (shot or nasal mist) is recommended for everyone 6 months and older every year.   Call Myrtue Medical Center at 755-5130 or the Public Health Department at 755-4422 to make an appointment for your immunization.