(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman from Ankeny suffered severe/incapacitating lower extremity injuries, during a collision that occurred at around 1-p.m. on February 8th, near Panora. Officials say a Fed Ex delivery van driven by 45-year-old Joel Brink, of Ames, was traveling south on Highway 25 and had stopped at the intersection with 120th Street, while waiting for cross traffic to pass. A 2005 Chevy pickup truck driven by 22-year-old Meghan McBride, of Ankeny, was also southbound on Highway 25. When she looked down at her watch to view a message, she failed to notice the van stopped ahead of her.

The pickup struck the van from behind, causing the van to be propelled into the southeast ditch, where it rolled onto its side. The pickup continued southwest past the point of impact, and into the southwest corner of the intersection, before impacting a ditch. McBride was not wearing her seat belt. Brink was properly belted into the van.

Both drivers were transported by Panora EMS, with McBride being taken to Methodist Hospital in Des Moines, and Brink transported to the Guthrie County Hospital in Guthrie Center.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’ll be attending a briefing today (Tuesday) as military and intelligence officials update members of Congress about the recent rash of unidentified flying objects being shot down by American warplanes. Grassley says he isn’t optimistic about the update, the second involving U-F-Os in two weeks. Grassley says, “Sometimes I walk away from a lot of briefings and think, ‘Well, I didn’t learn anything more than I read in The Washington Post or heard on television.'” Government officials say a Chinese spy balloon was shot down off the South Carolina coast ten days ago, after it overflew much of the U-S. Three more objects have been shot down in the past four days, two near Alaska and a third over Lake Huron. Grassley says we’re all in the dark and deserve answers.

“There’s too much classified as secret, and in the end, the public ought to know more than they know right now,” Grassley says. “The briefing is part of congressional oversight to see whether or not the administration is doing what the Constitution requires them to do, to have a top priority on national security.” Officials are saying very little about the three latest U-F-Os and it’s unclear if they’re also intelligence-gathering platforms like the first Chinese balloon. Grassley questions how many other devices have been overhead that we’ve missed — or that we weren’t told about.

Grassley says, “I think the most important thing is to assess what holes there are in our surveillance system that we don’t know about all these intrusions on our sovereignty and threats to our national security.” Chinese officials have issued statements saying the first object was a weather balloon that veered off course, but U-S officials say they’ve recovered most of the craft’s antenna array which they say was certainly used for surveillance.

(Anita, Iowa) – The CAM School District’s Board of Directors met in a regular session Monday evening at the High School in Anita. Superintendent Paul Croghan said there were no resignations to come before the Board, but they did approve contracts for: Brian Foglemen, Co-Head Golf Coach; and, Jeni Follman, Assistant Softball Coach. The Board also approved Ericka Stender as Softball Coach.

The CAM School Board approved 200 series policies, and a Budget Guarantee for 2023-24.

They also approved the sale of Excess Property, including buses and excess parts, which will be sold online.

And, with regard to District Facilities discussion, Paul Croghan said the Facilities Committee has met twice already, and will have their third meeting in Massena on Wednesday, Feb. 15th, beginning at 6-p.m. The meeting will be held in the South Elementary Media Center.

No action was taken on the Committee’s recommendations during Monday’s CAM School Board session. The Board will likely act on a decision within the next couple of months, according to Mr. Croghan.

(Creston, Iowa) – Two people were arrested on separate charges at a restaurant in Creston, Monday evening. According to Creston Police, at around 5:07-p.m., 30-year-old Shanqunek Shirlena Fleming, of South Carolina, was arrested at 802 W Taylor Street. She was charged with Possession of Controlled Substance, Marijuana 1st Offense. Fleming was released on Promise to Appear.

And, 19-year-old Jadon Ahmed Penn, of Maryland, was arrested for Carry a Weapon-Loaded Gun in City Limits, and Possession of Controlled Substance, Marijuana 1st Offense. Penn was taken to the Union County Jail where he was later released on a $3,000 cash or surety bond.