The Page County Sheriff’s Office, Thursday (Today), reported on a single-vehicle, personal injury accident that took place at around 12:34-p.m., Monday. Authorities say the accident happened in the 3200 block of 305^th Street, or about 3.5 miles east of Braddyville. An investigation determined 36-year old Emily Christine Garcia, of Clarinda, was driving a 2001 Nissan XTR eastbound, when the vehicle went out of control on the soft gravel road. When Garcia tried to regain control of the SUV, the vehicle swerved and entered the north ditch, where it struck the bank and became stuck. Garcia – who was the only occupant of the vehicle- suffered possible/undisclosed injuries, and was transported to the Clarinda Regional Hospital by Clarinda Ambulance service.

Damage to her vehicle was estimated at $500. No citations were issued. The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Clarinda Ambulance service, Braddyville Fire & Rescue, and the Clarinda Fire Department. Page County EMA also assisted at the scene.

(Radio Iowa) – A mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic was held at the Tyson Events Center in downtown Sioux City on Wednesday. Officials say around 15-hundred people received their first dose of the vaccine. Siouxland District Health Department spokesman Tyler Brock says vaccine demand is still high and a mass clinic can help meet that demand — a little. “We know it’s not enough,” Brock says. “We know there’s more people out there still that want vaccine and haven’t been able to get it, but we also are starting to see more and more people actually cancel their appointments because they’re getting vaccine somewhere else.”

The clinic was only for people in Woodbury County who are 65 and older, teachers and others who are eligible. Sixty-five-year-old Gloria Anderson got her vaccine and says she’s a little uneasy about possible side effects from it. “But I think that getting it is better than the risk of not getting it,” Anderson says.

When the event was announced last week, the phone bank got seven-thousand calls from people trying to make appointments for 15-hundred slots. This was the fourth mass clinic at the Tyson in Sioux City. The University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics has also been holding large-scale vaccination events in Iowa City.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Casey Welcher

The Creston Police Department reports a traffic stop in the 600 block of Sheldon at around 10-p.m. Wednesday, resulted in a man being arrested on assault and other charges. Authorities say 28-year old Casey Welcher, of Afton, was arrested on charges that include Interference with Official Acts, Assault on a Police Officer without injury, Criminal Mischief 5th degree and Driving While Barred. Welcher was being held in the Union County Jail on a $3,600 bond.

And, at around 3-a.m. today (Thursday), 20-year old Joel William Blazek, of Creston, was arrested at Fremont and New York Streets. Blazek was charged with Driving While Suspended. He was taken to Union County Jail, and soon thereafter released on bond.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Red Oak Police, Wednesday night, executed a search warrant at 904 N. Boundary Street. During their investigation, Officers arrested 27-year old Ozzy Ray Hunter, of Red Oak, on charges that include:

• Unlawful Possession of Prescription drug(s)
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
• Possession of a Controlled Substance-Marijuana/3rd offense
• Possession of a Controlled Substance – 3rd or great offense
• Gathering for use of Marijuana
• and three counts of Child Endangerment.

Hunter was taken into custody at around 10:50-p.m. and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held on $2,000 bond. Authorities say additional charges are pending.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office posted on social media, Wednesday, a statement that read “Our local DOT Officer was very lucky to survive today as she was hit while directing traffic on Interstate 29 assisting DOT workers.”

According to the Iowa State Patrol, at around 2:45-p.m., a Volvo semi registered to a company out of Denver, CO., was traveling in the right-hand lane of I-29 southbound near the Exit 1 overpass. A 2015 Chevy Tahoe was also in the right-hand lane, traveling south, with its driver, 56-year old Theresa Ann Fox, of Ankeny, providing traffic control for a DOT Highway repair crew conducting pavement patching.

Photos via Fremont County Sheriff’s Office & Officer Fox.

The Tahoe was traveling slowly with its rear emergency lights activated and arrow stick directing traffic to merge left, upon approach. The semi, driven by 34-year old Makalim Rafkat, of Hollywood, FL, failed to merge left, and struck the rear of the Tahoe, causing the SUV to leave the road to right before it rolled over, coming to rest on its wheels.

DOT Officer Fox was transported by Hamburg Rescue to Grape Memorial Hospital, where she was treated and released. She said on social media, “I’m alright. Seat belts save lives.” The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office added, “ Please move over and slow down for stopped vehicles on the roadway.”

Police in Council Bluffs are investigating the armed robbery late Wednesday night, of a convenience store. Authorities say at around 11-p.m., a black male entered the Kwik Shop at 1749 West Broadway.  The suspect approached the clerk and displayed a handgun while demanding money. He then left the store in a dark colored Chevrolet Malibu with an undisclosed amount of cash. No one was injured in this incident.

The suspect is about 5’ 2” tall. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark pants, and a surgical mask. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call the Criminal Investigation Division at (712) 328‐4728 or Crime Stoppers at (712) 328-STOP.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa House Republicans have cast the final vote needed to send a bill to the governor that sharply limits early voting in the state, months after a general election overseen by a Republican secretary of state that saw record turnout and overwhelming victories by GOP candidates. Like states across the country with Republican legislatures, Iowa lawmakers said early voting must be reined in because of the potential for fraud, even after a successful election in a state with no history of problems. The House passed the bill Wednesday a plan approved by the Senate a day earlier, Democrats who are outnumbered in both chambers were left aghast but in no position to stop the changes.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s Democratic attorney general has installed the Republican governor’s lawyer into a high-level job in which he is defending his former boss’ policy agenda and management decisions in court. Weeks after joining Attorney General Tom Miller’s staff, Sam Langholz has participated in cases defending Gov. Kim Reynolds’ coronavirus restrictions, her law requiring a 24-hour waiting period for abortions, her denial of overtime pay to some nurses, and her administration’s ouster of a longtime public health spokeswoman. Miller and Reynolds announced Langholz’s appointment as an assistant attorney general for civil and appellate litigation in November.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Police in Ames say an autopsy shows the death last month of a 21-year-old woman outside an Iowa State University sorority house was caused by acute alcohol intoxication and hypothermia. Emergency responders found the body of Olivia Chutich on the ground in the parking lot of the Delta Delta Delta Sorority the morning of Jan. 22. Chutich was the daughter of Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Margaret Chutich and Allina Health CEO Penny Wheeler. Investigators have said Chutich was last seen late the night before she was found and believe she had been lying in the parking lot for several hours before she was found. No foul play is suspected.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest on Wednesday evening of 46-year-old Eric Stephen Pierson of Carroll on a charge of Public Intoxication. Pierson was arrested at 6:12 p.m. in the 600 block of East Washington Street in Red Oak. Pierson was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond.