WEST UNION, Iowa (AP) — A northeastern Iowa man has been arrested for having no license and driving to a court hearing — on his tractor. Television station KCRG reports that 54-year-old Jeffery Johanningmeier, of Wadena, was stopped Wednesday by deputies when he pulled up to the Fayette County Courthouse on his John Deere tractor.

Deputies say he had made the nearly 15-mile trip for a court appearance, but did not have a valid driver’s license, which has been suspended for nonpayment of child support. Johanningmeier was arrested and later released.

(Radio Iowa) — Sioux City Police officer was injured Wednesday morning as he was assisting at the scene of a traffic accident on the Highway 20 bypass. Police Lieutenant Chris Groves says the officer was seated in his S-U-V around 6:45am helping to direct traffic when the S-U-V was struck by a passing car.

He says the officer saw the car in the rear view mirror and observed it starting to fishtail as it tried to slow to avoid the patrol car, but ended up hitting it in the rear. Groves says the side airbags deployed and the officer sustained minor injuries. He says it’s not known yet why the driver didn’t see the patrol vehicle and its flashing lights.

“I don’t know what the person was doing, but the reminder is: make sure you are paying attention to the road, make sure you pay attention to what is ahead of you. There is a law that requires drivers to move over,” Groves says. The driver of the car will be cited and was taken to the hospital by ambulance with non-life threatening injuries.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — The Army Corps of Engineers has partially opened the Mississippi River to barge traffic, but farmers in Iowa are still worried about the financial impact of the slow recovery of shipping on the waterway. Dozens of barges have been at a standstill during this devastating flood season .

Robb Ewoldt tells the Quad-City Times that he has around $80,000 worth of soybeans in storage at his farm in Scott County, waiting to be shipped down the river. The halt to barge traffic is delaying farmers’ income and has prevented some from planting crops because fertilizer arrives by barge.

Doug Weber, a manager at shipping company Alter River Terminal Rock Island, says they usually ship one or two barges per day. But only a dozen barges have moved since traffic closed mid-March.

The Council Bluffs Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 38-year old Justin Messmore (Hgt, 6’1” Wgt, 170, DOB 5-4-81, brown hair, blue eyes). He was last seen in Council Bluffs on June 25th, 2019 at 11:30pm. Justin left his residence on foot and he does not have his cell phone with him. If located please contact the Council Bluffs Police Department at 712-328-5737.

Justin Messmore

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports on Tuesday, June 25th, a recent burglary in Pacific Junction was being investigated. During the investigation, deputies were able to identify multiple suspects involved in several other burglaries in Pacific Junction. On Wednesday, with assistance from Glenwood Police, search warrants were executed at 23998 Ives Avenue, just outside of Glenwood, and at an apartment located at 101 S. Hazel Street, in Glenwood.

Five people were arrested, and more than $10,000 in stolen property was seized, along with about 724.6-grams of marijuana, and firearms. Arrested on 15 felony counts and several other charges, was: 39-year old Daniel Lee Walling, II, 32-year old Danielle Jean Frazier, 32-year old Shaw Aaron Peterson, and 36-year old Misty Bea Petterson, all of Glenwood, along with 23-year old Gregory Jacob Jamison, of Pacific Junction.

DUNKERTON, Iowa (AP) — The police chief of a small eastern Iowa town has been placed on paid leave while facing accusations that she misreported the hours she’d been working. Black Hawk County court records say Katherine “Kate” Krieger, of Jesup, is charged with theft, felonious misconduct in office and four counts of records tampering. It’s unclear whether she has an attorney.

City clerk Sheila Steffen says a special City Council meeting scheduled for Thursday evening has but one item on the agenda: the potential termination of Krieger. Steffen says Krieger has been chief since August 2018. The Black Hawk County town of about 830 residents employs a full-time chief and two part-time officers.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa administrator is planning to retire after a state investigation blamed her for creating a hostile work environment for judges who rule on unemployment benefits disputes. Newly filed records show that Emily Chafa, chief of the unemployment insurance appeals bureau at Iowa Workforce Development, was abruptly removed from the building March 8 and kept on paid leave for one month.

In April, the investigation concluded that Chafa had treated subordinates “disrespectfully and discourteously which has created an uncomfortable, unprofessional work environment.” She was given the equivalent of a three-day suspension and ordered to make changes. Chafa disputes the finding and is appealing her discipline, saying the state hasn’t given specifics of her alleged inappropriate behavior. Earlier this month, her attorney complained that Chafa has been locked out of her email and office while on vacation ahead of a July 11 retirement date.

For months, Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend and her staff had refused to confirm the removal, leave and investigation of Chafa.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say first responders sent to help a child needing CPR found the 2-year-old had already died at a Des Moines apartment. Officers and medics were dispatched around 7:45 a.m. Thursday, after the child’s mother awakened to find the child was unresponsive. Officers say it appears the child had ingested a prescription medication. Officers say a 4-year-old found at the apartment was not sick. The incident is being investigated. The child’s name and other information about the incident haven’t been released.

(Radio Iowa) — A-A-R-P Iowa held the first of what will be several education sessions Wednesday on a new law for family caregivers that goes into effect Monday. The group’s advocacy director Anthony Carroll says the CARE Act will make an impact across the state. “Family caregivers represent the majority of long-term services and support. With over 317-thousand family caregivers who provide care to loved ones in unpaid fashion every day,” Carroll says.

The law requires hospitals to give patients the opportunity to name a caregiver at the start of the process. “If you’re going into a hospital with a loved one as a family caregiver — you perhaps don’t even identify yourself yet as a family caregiver,” Carroll says. “So, having the hospital ask a patient and loved one ‘do you have a family caregiver that you are going home to, would you like to record them and put them into your medical record’?”

There is also followup to the initial notation of a caregiver. “And if you do chose to designate a caregiver — that caregiver is notified before the patient is sent home. And then, last but not least, there’s an opportunity have a discussion about the caregiver’s abilities, limitations, and an opportunity to receive instructions on any medical care needed before that patient is sent home — rather than you get home and realize, what do I need to do, how do I need to do this,” according to Carroll.

He says the process is designed to take the surprises out of the situation for the caregiver. “Thinking from the git-go what you might need to do. Being prepared to ask questions, and then hopefully alleviating the stress that comes with that situation, being thrust in that role perhaps unanticipated after the fact,” Carroll says. “So, that’s really the idea, elevating family caregivers, helping them think about it upon admission.”

Carroll says they also understand the issues facing healthcare providers and this should help them better server patients. “The provider themselves actually has a better understanding of what exactly care reality or support reality is this patient returning home to,” he says. Carroll says A-A-R-P has information available to help you understand the new law. “There’s free downloadable cards available — you don’t have to be an A-A-R-P member — there’s no cost, at www.AARP/IA. Again, that’s an opportunity for people to understand what the new law is. You can detach a wallet card and put it in your pocket,” Carroll says.

He says they have been working with the area agencies on aging and other groups to get the information out about the new law.

MANCHESTER, Iowa (AP) — The owner of an eastern Iowa recycling business is accused of cheating customers who turned in cans and bottles to get back their deposit money. Delaware County court records say 39-year-old Greg Rogers, of Manchester, is charged with theft. The records say Rogers owns Can Do Too Redemption Center in Manchester. A criminal complaint says Rogers stole more than $10,000 from customers by not paying them or not paying them the correct amount for item redemption.

Iowa law says consumers must pay 5-cent deposits on bottled or canned beverages and can then take the containers back to a store or redemption center to get back their deposits. Beverage distributors pay redemption centers 6 cents per item returned.