(Creston, Iowa) – A motorist distracted by their back seat dog, ran into the back of a car Tuesday evening. According to Creston Police, a 2011 Toyota Corolla driven by 33-year-old Rachel E. Campbell, of Creston, was traveling west on Highway 34 at around 6:20-p.m., and approaching an intersection controlled by stoplights. A 2015 Toyota Tacoma pickup driven by 75-year-old Minnie Marie Penno, of Creston, was also westbound on 34, when Penno was distracted by her dog.

When she failed to see the stopped car in front of her, Penno’s pickup struck the rear of the Toyota, causing significant front end damage to the pickup, which was towed from the scene. The car was able to be driven following the accident. No citations were issued.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports two men were arrested on separate charges, Tuesday. Authorities say 35-year-old Michael Eugene Matherly, of Casey, was arrested at around 4:05-p.m., on three Failure to Appear warrants. He was being held in the Union County Jail on a $3,500 cash-only bond. And, 34-year-old Andres Pena, of Creston, was arrested at around 9:40-p.m., Tuesday, for Public Intoxication. He was later released on a Promise to Appear in court.

The latest area News from Ric Hanson.

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(Adair, Iowa) – Adair-Casey School District officials announced late Tuesday afternoon, there would not be school at the Adair-Casey campus, today, due to the water being turned off.

(UPDATED) [Atlantic, Iowa] – Atlantic Fire and CASS EMS were called to the scene of a house fire this (Wednesday) morning. The call about fire at 504 W. 15th Street was dispatched out at 5:14-a.m. Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel explains what they saw upon arrival.

After a quick knock on the flames, an AMU crew arrived on the scene and cut the power to the structure.

Everyone in the residence was able to evacuate. Cappel says smoke detectors woke the family.

Crews were on the scene for about 90-minutes. Atlantic Police and Cass EMS assisted at the scene. Chief Cappel says there was some damage, but A dollar amount of the damage was not immediately available.

Photos by Ric Hanson (KJAN News)

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak report two arrests took place Tuesday night. At around 9:20-p.m., 21-year-old Tyler Blaine Baucom, of Red Oak, was arrested on two separate charges, including Interference with Official Acts, and Disorderly Conduct. His bond at the Montgomery County Jail, was set at $300. And, 25-year-old Britnay Nichole McArdle, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 10:20-p.m., for Domestic Abuse Assault. She was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

(Red Oak, Iowa) — A traffic stop at around 4:45-p.m., Tuesday on Highway 34 in Red Oak, resulted an arrest. According to Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, 28-year-old Dillon Lucas, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance – Marijuana 1st Offense. Lucas was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $1,000 bond.

(Davenport, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Corrections, Tuesday, reported Glen Elliot Long, who was convicted of Robbery-1st Degree and other charges in Scott County, failed to report to the Davenport Work Release Facility as required, Monday.

Glen Long

Long is a 52-year-old black male, height 5’7″, and weighs 209 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on September 22, 2021. Persons with information on Long’s whereabouts should contact local police.

(Union, Iowa) –  Authorities in east central Iowa, Tuesday, announced an arrest had been made in connection with the suspicious death of a man in Hardin County. A man from Baxter, Arkansas, 22-year-old Osborn Eugene Gavel, was taken into custody for Murder in the 1st Degree, for the death of 74-year-old Steve Reece, of Union.

Early Tuesday morning, the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a resident at 302 Commercial Street in Union, about an unresponsive male.  Upon arrival, deputies located a deceased male (Reece) inside the bedroom of the residence and deemed the death suspicious.  The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

An investigation found Reece died as a result of being struck by Gavel, who, along with others, had stayed with Reece Monday evening. Gavel was being held at the Hardin County jail. Upon completion of the investigation, all results will be forwarded to the Hardin County Attorney’s Office for review.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The five members of the City of Atlantic’s Planning and Zoning Commission, Tuesday evening, approved the site plans for a new McDonald’s restaurant where the current one is located. The commission heard from Casey Thompson, Design Engineer with Bishop Construction in Des Moines – the civil engineering and land surveying firm tasked by McDonald’s Real Estate Company based in Elk Horn, Nebraska.

Thompson told KJAN News the building and site will look very similar to the more modern McDonald’s restaurants in Des Moines, Omaha, and other, larger cities. he said those locations have straighter lines on the buildings, and an updated look. The actual lot size will be smaller, but the building size will not change.

A sample of the latest McDonald’s designs (Photo via McDonalds.com)

He said a secondary drive-thru will be added to the new building in Atlantic when it’s built next year, with two side-by-side order points instead of one, as is the current situation today. It’s hoped that the site design will free-up circulation around the side so that traffic will flow more smoothly. Thompson says “The theory in that is, that they will be able get people through the line faster to get their food faster.”

Since he’s a design engineer and not an employee of McDonald’s Corporate, Thompson couldn’t comment on what would happen with the persons currently employee by the Atlantic franchise, when construction is underway. Work on demolishing the current building is slated to begin February 22, 2022, and completed by June 22, 2022.