(Creston, Iowa) – The driver of a 2007 Pontiac Grand Am fell asleep at the wheel Saturday afternoon, in Creston, and crashed into a parked pickup truck, causing a chain reaction accident. According to Creston Police, 15-year-old Jake Nelson Hoyt, of Creston, was traveling north on Sumner Avenue at around 12:19-p.m., when he fell asleep. He told authorities that he crossed two opposite lanes of traffic, and when he woke up, saw he was approaching the rear end of a truck, but it was too late to take evasive action.

The car hit a curb before hitting one parked truck, which in-turn, struck another parked truck. Hoyt was injured during the accident and transported by EMS to the hospital in Creston to be checked out and treated. Damage to the Grand Am, registered to Andrea Hoyt, of Creston, was estimate to be $5,000.

Damage to the pickups, a 2014 Ford F150, and a 2015 Dodge R25, was estimated at $200 each.

(Radio Iowa) – A policeman in southern Iowa has been fired for conduct unbecoming to an officer. Chief Tom Demry of the Centerville Police Department said in press release that Officer Jacob Downs, a member of the department since 2017, was terminated on Thursday following an internal investigation for “violation of department general orders.” According to public documents, Downs sent an explicit video to at least one person while he was on duty. The investigation also revealed that Downs took part in a sexual relationship with at least one person who has a notorious reputation in the community for criminal behavior.

The review found Downs violated rules on ethics and his “actions and associations brought the department and himself into dispute and ridicule.” A complaint was submitted to the department on August 31st and Downs was placed on paid administrative leave on September 1st.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater had a very light report for the media this (Monday) morning. In the report, the Sheriff said 24-year-old Dylan James Albaugh-Cornelison, of Adair, was pulled over on Highway 25 at around 6:24-p.m., Sept. 12th.  Albaugh-Cornelison was cited for Driving while license suspended and revoked. His license had been revoked for OWI/Test Failure and suspended for Violation of Probation. Albaugh-Cornelison was released from the scene with his citation.

(Radio Iowa) – Officials with the U-S Army Corps of Engineers will cut short the navigation season on the Missouri River this fall due to the continued drought. John Remus, chief of the Corps’ Missouri River Basin Water Management Office, says they’ve been conserving water for months. “We restrict our releases from Gavins Point, we start cutting service to navigation,” Remus says. “When that both is a lesser service during the flow support season and then if it gets worse, we will make that flow support season shorter.”

Clear signs of the drought first began to emerge in July of 2020, and Remus says one priority is to keep a reserve of water in the upstream reservoirs. “If it gets real bad, if we reach a certain level of storage in the system, we don’t support navigation at all for that year,” Remus says, “and if we ever reach that, and we never have, we could maintain that lower level of service to all the other purposes, even if we get what we call lower decile run offs which are very, very dry years.”

The Corps has cut back releases, dropping Missouri River levels by a full foot, which will impact boat traffic and could affect municipal water supplies and other utilities that rely on the river. Navigation continues on the Missouri, though barges will have to lighten their loads to float. Remus says the navigation season will end November 28th, which is three days early.

(Area) – The area Boards of Supervisors will hold their regular (separate) weekly meetings, Tuesday morning. Beginning at 8:30-a.m., the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors will meet in Red Oak. New Business includes: Approving an abatement of taxes for the county farm, in the amount of $4,278; ISAC support of a petition to Intervene with action, as needed; the tax transfer to Secondary Roads – 2022 Month of August; Monday Club – Certificate of Appreciation; Technology quotes update, with action as needed. Discussion will once again be held, with regard to the Carbon Summit pipeline.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will meet at 9-a.m. Tuesday, in their courthouse Boardroom. Discussion and/or action items include: The Cass County Attorney/Sheriff’s Office sharing of an employee, and a resolution approving the Title 6 Program between the DOT and Cass County Secondary Roads; also Zoning Ordinance changes. The Board will receive updates from Jothem Arber, Cass/Guthrie County Environmental Health, and County Engineer Trent Wolken.

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors will hold recess to hold a hearing with regard to changes to Cass County Ordinance #2, followed by a return to the regular session, and action on Ordinance #2 – General Relief Assistance Program. They are also expected to discuss and/or act on matters pertaining to: a Carbon Dioxide Pipeline; Sale of the County-owned farm; and appointment of a Brighton Township Clerk, along with two Washington Township Trustees.

And, the Shelby County, the Board of Supervisors will meet at 9-a.m. Tuesday, in their room at the Courthouse, in Harlan. Auditor/Commissioner of Elections, Mark Maxwell, will comment before the Board on the Post Election Audit, followed by a Board canvas of votes for the Harlan CSD Bond Vote. The Board will act on: an application for the use of building and grounds; A fiscal year sponsorship of the Sheriff’s Department grant; A Home Base Iowa initiative, and an agreement between the Iowa DOT and Shelby County Secondary Roads, for the Title 6 Program.

Regular reports will be presented to the Shelby County Supervisors from the following Department Heads: Terri Daringer – Environmental Health; Kyle Lindberg – Jail Administrator; Alex Londo – EMA Coordinator, and Brandon Burmeister with the Secondary Roads Dept. The Board is also expecting to receive a report from the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce.

(Radio Iowa) – One of the key structures on the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls is going to get an update to its roof. U-N-I vice president Michael Hager says the fabric portion of the UNI-dome roof is going to be replaced.

The UNI-dome was built in 1976 and the original roof was all fabric and held up by air. The building hosts the high school football playoffs, U-N-I football games, and many other events. Hager spoke to the Board of Regents during their meeting last week and says they are looking at two types of fabric that have the benefit of making things brighter inside.

He says the new fabric will have a brown color when it is installed.

UNI photo

This new product is projected to last 20 to 25 years.

Hager says the fabric does not require a lot of ongoing maintenance.

The Board of Regents approved the eight-million dollar budget for the replacement, which also includes some other related work on the building. Hager says the project will be paid for mostly with gift funds — but some university funds will also be included as well as athletic department funds.

(Radio Iowa) – This is Tractor Safety Day, the first day of National Farm Safety Week, and one of the biggest dangers involving farm tractors is a lack of rollover protection. A program offers Iowa tractor owners a rebate to install rollover protective structures, or ROPS. Jackie Curnick, program coordinator at the University of Iowa’s Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, says the rebate saves money — and rollbars save lives. Curnick says, “We can provide up to $500 in funding for a retrofitted rollbar and typically that’s about half of the price of the retrofit.” The program often has a lengthy national wait list but Curnick says Iowans have a special “in” and should apply for the rebate.

“Iowa is lucky because we do have some funds available, so we do say, ‘Yes get on the list,'” Curnick says. “In the last couple of years we’ve retrofitted about 30 tractors because we have that funding through the Iowa Center for Agricultural Safety and Health.” Studies find ROPS are 99% effective in preventing injury or death in the event of a rollover when used with a seatbelt, and 70% effective when used without a seatbelt.

“Half of U.S. tractors don’t have rollover protection. They are the leading cause of death on a farm, and 80% of deaths caused by tractor rollovers happen to farmers,” Curnick says. “The most frequent cause of them are going from the side or rear turnovers and that’s about 96 deaths per year.” She says virtually any tractor can be retrofitted with a ROPS. Learn more about the rebate program at www.i-cash.org.

(Radio Iowa) – Employees at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown have been sent an email titled “facility closure,” but a spokesman for the governor says there are no plans to close the home. Alex Murphy, a spokesman for Governor Reynolds, says the document about closing the Iowa Veterans Home is nothing more than a policy statement required by the federal government. The email was sent by the administrator who is now overseeing day to day operations at the home. Matthew Peterson, who had been Commandant of the Iowa Veterans Home, recently resigned from the post after 13 months in the job.

The president of the union that represents contract workers at the Veterans Home and a top Democrat in the Iowa Senate say the memo raises concerns because the governor ordered the closure of the state-run Glenwood Resource Center after saying it would not close. The governor’s spokesman says it’s irresponsible for Democrats to spread what he calls a false rumor and create unnecessary concern for Iowa Veterans Home employees, veterans and their families.

About 900 employees work at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown. There are more than 550 residents, making it one of the country’s largest state-owned nursing homes for veterans and their spouses.

(Sidney, Iowa) – Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope today (Monday), issued a report detailing multiple arrests from Sept. 4th through the 18th. One suspect was arrested three times, while another was arrested twice.

64-year-old Edward Umbreit, of Riverton, was initially arrested for multiple violations of No Contact Orders on 09/10/22.  After being released on bond, on 09/11/22, he appeared in court on 09/14/22 and urinated outside on the grounds of the Fremont County Courthouse.  He was re-released on $300 bond Sept. 18th at 2:30-p.m., and less than six hours later, arrested for Domestic Assault, Going Armed with Intent, Interference with 911 Communications, and Interference with Official Acts.

Umbreit

34-year-old Blake Tobin, of Sidney, was arrested Sunday (9/18), for Domestic Abuse/3rd offense, Interference with Official Acts, as well as Possession of a Controlled Substance; and, 50-year-old Ralph Backley, of Sidney, was arrested for Public Intoxication. He was later released on a $300 bond.

Last Friday, 37-year-old Zachary Anderson, of Sidney, was arrested for OWI, Driving Under Suspension, Criminal Mischief, and a registration violation. 34-year-old Michelle Labbe, of Riverton, was arrested for Assault with Bodily Injury, and Assault. Her bond was set at $1,000.

Sept. 14th, Fremont County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 30-year-old Cassandra Rodriguez, of Sidney, for Driving while Barred (Habitual Violator). She was released on a $2,000 bond. And, 64-year-old Edward Umbreit, of Riverton, was arrested for Public Urination. He was released on a $300 bond.

A Glenwood man was arrested in Fremont County Sept. 11th. 34-year-old Justin McFail was arrested for Violation of Probation. He was later released on a $10,000 bond. On the 1th, 64-year-old Edward Umbreit, of Riverton, was arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order (4th offense). He was later released on a $300 bond.

Rhoades

And, on Sept. 7th, 23-year-old Jermey Rhoades, of Hamburg, was arrested for Domestic Abuse (Bodily Injury), and Probation Violation ($6,000 bond). Rhoades was wanted in connection to a domestic disturbance that occurred in June of 2022 in Hamburg. Rhoades allegedly fled the state and began taunting law enforcement on social media. Rhoades was arrested by the Missouri Highway Patrol and extradited to Iowa to face charges.

30-year-old Cassandra Rodriguez, of Sidney, was arrested for Public Intoxication, Sept. 7th. She was released on her Own Recognizance (RoR).

There were two arrests Sept. 6th in Fremont County: 57-year-old Greg Vergets, of St. Charles, MO., was arrested for Disorderly Conduct ($300 bond), and 38-year-old Benjamin Johnson, of Farragut, was arrested for Driving While Barred. ($2,000 bond). On the 5th of September, 31-year-old Kevin Booher was arrested and held for Failure to Appear ($25,00 bond). And, on the 4th, 29-year-old Elijah Faust, of Thurman, was arrested for Domestic Assault (Strangulation). He was later RoR.