Another southwest Iowa roadway that was reduced to rubble by this summer’s flooding of the Missouri River has reopened. State Highway 2 between Interstate 29 and Nebraska City opened to traffic over the weekend. Dena Gray-Fisher, with Iowa DOT, says it means the end to another pesky detour for many residents and commuters in Iowa and Nebraska.  “Everybody’s just so relieved,” Gray-Fisher says. “It’s been a long time, over four months now, and everybody’s trying to get back to normal after the Missouri River flooding.” Gray-Fisher says DOT crews are still hard at work rebuilding Interstate-680 from the Mormon Bridge to I-29 north of Council Bluffs.

“I-680 is making excellent progress,” she says. “The main line roadway, the traffic lanes, are paved now. Now, the work needs to be done as far as getting the median in shape, the shoulders, paving the ramps. There’s still quite a bit of work left but some major progress has been accomplished.” Months of churning water tore up miles of Iowa highways, crumbling the concrete. When the flood waters finally receded, some roads were left looking more like someone had dumped out a bag of gray potato chips.

(Radio Iowa)

Surveillance video captures image of robbery suspects

(updated w/image 10/25) In an update to a story we first told you about at Noon Monday,  on KJAN,  the Harlan Police Department that afternoon released more details about the subjects involved in an armed robbery that took place Monday morning. Officials say at approximately 11:30-a.m., a white male and female entered  the Fast Stop Convenience  Store at 2401 12th Street, in Harlan.  The couple brandished a handgun, demanded money, and left the store with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The male was about 6-feet to 6- feet 4- inches tall, with dark hair. He wore blue jeans and a dark hoodie.  The female had long dark hair, a hot pink hoodie and blue denim capris.  Both subjects were in their mid-20’s.  The pair left the area possibly driving a black, or dark colored four door sedan. 

Both are considered armed and dangerous. Police caution the public not to approach them.  If you have any information on the crime,  call 911 or the Harlan PD at 712-755-5151.

(updated 3:45-pm.)….

Authorities in Harlan this afternoon released more details about a robbery that occurred late this morning.  Police in Harlan say the incident took place at the Fast Stop convenience store at around 11:30-a.m., when two unidentified subjects entered the store at 2401 12th Street, brandishing a handgun.  The robbers demanded money and left the store with an undetermined amount of cash.

The first suspect was described as being a white male in his mid 20s, between 6′ and 6’4″ in height, wearing a pair of blue jeans and a dark hoodie. The second suspect is a white female, also in her mid 20s, with long dark hair and wearing a pink hoodie and blue denim capris. They left the scene in a dark-colored 4-door sedan.

The suspects are considered armed and dangerous, and the public is advised not to approach them. If you have any information, contact the Harlan Police Department at 712-755-5151.

Police in Atlantic report a Griswold man was arrested Friday, on a theft charge. Officials say 32-year old Andrew Michael Hansen faces a charge of 5^th degree theft. He was being held in the Cass County Jail pending a court appearance.

A chain-reaction accident Saturday afternoon in Council Bluffs caused a total of $26,500 damage to five vehicles, but no one was seriously injured. According to Bluffs Police, four of the cars were lined up at a stop light on Highway 92, at the Interstate 29 intersection on South Omaha Bridge Road, when a fifth car hit the last car in line. The initial collision resulted in a chain reaction which forced each car into the next vehicle.

The driver of car which started the incident, 43-year old Maura Ann Bonnett, of Council Bluffs, told officers she had also been stopped at the light, but Bonnett was ticketed for failure to maintain an assured clear distance, and for having no insurance. The driver of one of the vehicles involved in the collision, 50-year old Debra Larson, of Honey Creek, complained of chest pain following the incident, but she refused medical treatment. 

The other drivers were identified as 27-year old Jeffrey Hough, of Minnesota; 64-year old Lillian Irvin, of Shenandoah; and, 61-year old Charles Matthews, of Council Bluffs.

A fire that began with a car Friday evening in Red Oak spread to a nearby structure, damaging the building and destroying the car. Red Oak Police were notified about a car fire in the 500 block of East Washington Avenue. When they arrived they found a 1993 Chevy Corsica fully engulfed in flames. The fire quickly spread to a tree, stack of tires, and a shed. Red Oak Fire Fighters made quick work of putting out the car’s flames, but it was considered a total loss. The amount of damage to the shed had not been determined. Both the car and the shed are owned by Michael Shane Evans, of Red Oak.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the Red Oak Police Department at 712-623-6500, or, Montgomery County Crimestoppers at 1-800-432-1001.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office investigated two non-injury accidents and arrested one person over the past couple of weeks. In a report issued today (Monday), 18-year old Taylor Jackson Anderson, of Sidney, was arrested October 19^th, on a charge of 2^nd degree theft.

In the accident report, officials said Ryan Casey, from Riverton, was driving a 1996 Ford Ranger pickup and had stopped at the intersection with 330^th and Highway 2, before proceeding into the intersection, where his vehicle hit a 1995 Pontiac Grand Am, driven by Amy Blake, of Farragut. The accident happened on October 12^th.

The other accident in Fremont County happened on October 14^th, when an SUV driven by Karen Haigwood, of Shenandoah, pulled out from the intersection of Sheridan Avenue and Highway 59, and hit a car driven by Amanda Jones, of Council Bluffs.

No injuries were reported in either accident. The Sheriff’s report didn’t indicate if any citations were issued.