A Council Bluffs woman was injured during a single-vehicle accident late Wednesday morning. Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker says 18-year old Rikki Aherns, from rural Council Bluffs, told deputies when her purse fell off the passenger seat of her Suzuki SUV, she reached over to grab it and lost control of the vehicle as it was traveling on Pioneer Trail just east of 220th Street, at around 11:45-a.m., Wednesday.

The SUV left the road and hit a power pole. Aherns was transported from the scene by LifeNet helicopter to a local hospital, but her injuries were not believed to be life threatening.

(updated 10:45-a.m.)

Jeff Danker, Sheriff/Pottawattamie Co., IA

Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker this (Thursday) morning, issued a press release in response to what he calls “Baseless allegations” brought against him and his former Chief Deputy, by his opponent, Republican John Hitchcock, in the upcoming election. Danker says over the past year, Hitchcock made more than 24 Freedom of Information Act (FOI) request from the Sheriff’s Office. Danker says they provided him with various pieces of information, including cell phone bills…clothing allowances…the purchase of vehicles…Information Technology policy, other polices and procedures. The Sheriff told KJAN News Hitchcock put together a group of about 11 items for review by County Attorney Matt Wilber. To make sure there was no conflict of interest or impropriety,  Wilber sent the information to Dallas County Attorney Wayne M. Reisetter.

Danker says he wasn’t even aware the private investigation was underway until the information Hitchcock requested came back from Dallas County. Reisetter indicated there was no need for criminal charges, and he was pointed in his response for having gone through the process to begin with. Danker says after review of the “Baseless criminal allegations,” Reisetter concluded ”The vast majority of the material does not appear to be remotely related to a cause for criminal investigation, raising a serious question as to whether the person (Hitchcock) making the allegations, has the remotest idea as to the function and scope of a criminal investigation, or of the limits of government intrusion by investigation.”

Danker says it’s disappointing to him that Hitchcock did whatever he could to come up with something to try and destroy his reputation so he would have a better shot at winning the election for Sheriff.” This election marks the first time Danker, who’s served the residents of Pottawattamie County as Sheriff for the past 20-years, and has been with the department for a total of 35-years, is facing an opponent. He says it appears Hitchcock is disparaging him in an attempt to win the election, because “He (Hitchcock) has no experience in administration or supervising law enforcement.”

The Omaha World-Herald reports an Omaha man whom authorities say played a role in a staged shooting in Onawa on March 8th, has plead guilty to some of the charges originally filed against him. 19-year old Joseph A. Roberts agreed to plead guilty to extortion and reckless use of a firearm, in exchange for two other charges being dropped. The deal involves Roberts receiving a suspended 5-year sentence and 5-years of probation, to be served concurrently. The arrangement has yet to be approved by a judge.

As we previously reported, 32-year old Darren Hieber and 24-year old Brady Chapman were arrested in connection with a February 5th shooting at Hieber’s trucking business. Hieber told police he was shot in the leg while interrupting a burglary. Police say Hieber devised a scheme to have Chapman, his employee, shoot him with a .22-caliber rifle, to distract him from his personal problems. The Omaha World-Herald reported Hieber missed his estranged wife, and hatched the plan to try and get her back.

Authorities say Hieber was shot again on March 8th, after conspiring with Roberts and another Omaha man, 19-year old Timothy Culley, to have that event staged in-part, so the trio could allegedly extort money from Hieber’s family. Heiber and Culley have both entered pleas of not guilty in connection with the incident.

Local “Trees Forever” President Dolly Bergman presented City of Atlantic Officials with materials related to the recent awarding to the City of a “Tree City USA” award. It’s the 17^th year Atlantic has been honored with the award. The local “Trees Forever” organization has been in existence for 20-years. Bergman said receiving the award is something the City tries to do each year. She said they local group was presented with its award on April 17^th, in Des Moines. 

In order to receive the award, there are four requirements which must be met. There needs to be a Tree Board or Department within a city, a city must have a “Tree Care Ordinance,” the Community Forestry Program must have an annual budget of at least $2 per capita. Bergman says for 2011, Atlantic exceeded that by spending $19, 162. The expenditures went for tree plantings, community forestry (that includes pruning and/or tree removals), and all of the volunteer time, which was calculated at $16 per hour for every active volunteer. The only other requirement is for the City to have an Arbor Day observance and proclamation, which Atlantic approved for both last year and the current year. 

Bergman said in addition to the Tree City USA award, the City may be eligible to apply for a “Growth Award,” partly due to the tree trimming efforts that have been made downtown, the number of trees planted at the Schildberg Quarry Recreation Area, and the everyday maintenance being undertaken to keep the community green and beautiful.