The Creston Police Department reports two arrests on Thursday along with one reported theft.

At 12:01pm Officers arrested 55-year-old Timothy C. Fechter of Creston on a Union County Warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on $1,000 bond.

At 5:00pm Creston PD arrested 23-year-old Jameson C. Cox of Creston for OWI 1st Offense. Cox was also charged with Eluding by the Union County Sheriff’s Office. Cox was arrested at 302 North Pine Street in Creston and taken to the Union County Jail and held on $6,000 bond.

Creston Police also received a report from a resident on Walnut Street that he had a Glock pistol stolen from his residence between 10:30am and 10:00pm. The loss was estimated at $550.

The driver of a motorcycle and his passenger were injured in an accident on Thursday evening near Council Bluffs. The Council Bluffs Police Department reports the accident occurred on the I-29 southbound off ramp to Avenue G at 6:09pm.

40-year-old Johnathon Scott Enarson of Council Bluffs was exiting I-29 to Avenue G when he lost control on the off ramp causing the crash. Enarson and his passenger 53-year-old Jackie Lorraine Usher of Council Bluffs were both taken to a local hospital. Enarson suffered serious life-threatening injuries and Usher suffered non-life threatening injuries. Neither rider was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

The Council Bluffs Traffic Unit is investigating the crash and it is believed that both speed and alcohol were factors. The Iowa DOT assisted at the scene with traffic control.

John Whitaker has recently been selected to serve as the Executive Director of the Conservation Districts of Iowa. Mr. Whitaker most recently served as the State Executive Director for USDA Farm Service Agency in Iowa under President Obama.

“I am honored to be working with CDI which is dedicated to conserving our soil, natural resources and improving water quality in Iowa” said Whitaker.

In addition to serving in USDA, Mr. Whitaker served ten years as County Supervisor in Van Buren County and seven years in the Iowa House of Representative. During his legislative service, he served two years as an Assistant Minority Leader and three years as an Assistant Majority Leader. He also served three years as Vice President, and nine years as President of the Iowa Farmers Union.

“We are thrilled to have someone with John’s conservation ethic and public service background join CDI” stated Alex Schmidt, President of CDI.

John continues to be actively engaged in their family farm operations with his brother Bruce and son Gabe. They raise corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, rye, and hay by no till methods. They feed hogs for Niman Ranch in a deep bedding system and have a cow/calf herd.

John and his wife Lorrie are both graduates of ISU along with their three children Gabe, Daniel and Becca. He is active in both the Hillsboro Baptist Church and First Baptist Church in Ames. John is also active in his local Masonic lodge, Order of the Eastern Star, Pheasants Forever, and serves as chair of Veterans in Agriculture (John is a non-veteran member).

The mission of CDI is to inform, educate and lead Iowans through our local soil and water conservation districts to promote conservation of our natural resources. CDI is the nonprofit umbrella organization representing the 100 local soil and water conservation commissions and the 500 locally elected commissioners who make up those local commissions.

DES MOINES – Iowans are invited to provide input on children’s mental health needs at regional listening posts scheduled statewide beginning Oct. 2.

The listening posts will be hosted by Iowa’s area education agencies on behalf of the Children’s System State Board established by Gov. Kim Reynolds through Executive Order 2 in April. The board is co-chaired by Iowa Department of Human Services Director Jerry Foxhoven and Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise.

Board members will review information gathered from the listening posts as part of their charge to develop recommendations to create a children’s mental health system. The recommendations are due to the legislature on Nov. 15.

In our area, Listening post details are as follows:

Oct. 10, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Green Hills AEA
257 Swan St., Creston

Iowa families who are unable to participate in the listening posts may provide input online in the following ways:

An online survey. The survey deadline is Oct. 12.

An online listening post will run from noon to 1 p.m. on Oct. 4. To join from a computer, visit: https://zoom.us/j/290354386. To join by phone, call 1-646-876-9923. When prompted, enter meeting code 290-354-386

For more information about the Children’s System State Board, visit the Iowa Department of Human Services’ website.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa has reached a record number of pigs on farms as the pork industry continues to expand production amid questionable export demand due to tariff battles with China.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday Iowa has 23.6 million pigs on farms as of Sept. 1, an increase of 4 percent from the previous year and the highest number recorded.

That makes Iowa the leading pork producer by far. North Carolina is second with 9.4 million pigs and Minnesota third with 8.6 million.

The total for the United States has reached 75.5 million pigs, a 3 percent increase from a year ago.

Overproduction and fewer export markets could result in cheaper pork chops and ham, but low prices make profitability a challenge for farmers.

The USDA predicts increased U.S. demand for pork and industry groups say they’re working to find other markets to sell product.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two men from Elliott were cited on alcohol charges late Thursday night. At 11:27pm Deputies cited 20-year-old Shane Dalton Dunkerson and another 16-year-old male juvenile both for Minor in Possession of Alcohol. The juvenile was cited into court and released to a parent. Dunkerson was cited and released on scene.

After meeting on Wednesday the Adair County Board of Supervisors will hold a special session on Friday morning at 10:30am for a vote on the second reading of an ordinance amendment in regards to the Wind Energy Conversion Property. The board will take action on moving the proposed ordinance to a third reading.

The amendment will place a cap on wind turbines within the county at 530. Two current large wind turbine projects are being constructed in the county that will bring the total up to near 500 turbines. A number of other restrictions on setback distances from other properties were drafted earlier this month by the board.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors are set to meet on Friday morning at 8:30am in the board room at the Cass County Courthouse.

On their agenda is a public hearing on changing the zoning classification of a parcel in Pleasant Township from Agricultural to Business. This change was requested by Dollar General Retail Store in order to construct a new store on the site. After the public hearing the board plans to take action on approving the change.

The board is also set to take action on approving appointment to fill a vacancy for the Treasurer’s Deputy. That position is a title change from Treasurer’s Assistant.

The board will also hear a number of regular reports as well as review and act on applications for a part-time Mental Health Advocate.

BOONE, Iowa (AP) — A dispute over whether to sell the Iowa birthplace of former first lady Mamie Doud Eisenhower has led to a lawsuit and mismanagement allegations.

Former members of the Boone County Historical Society filed a lawsuit last week against the nonprofit, The Des Moines Register reported . The lawsuit seeks an injunction to block the sale of the home, which has since been turned into a museum.

The nonprofit historical society announced last year that it planned to close the home to focus efforts on other projects, according to the lawsuit. The home was listed for $184,000 on Sept. 7, the lawsuit said.
The filing alleges that society officials retaliated against members who opposed the plan and terminated their memberships, which would violate state law and the organization’s bylaws.

Mara MacKay is the historical society’s former executive director and a defendant in the lawsuit. She now volunteers at the organization after being terminated due to lack of funds. MacKay said she’s “confident that the board members did what they needed to do and upheld their responsibilities.”

MacKay said the home is no longer for sale and the organization will need to find other ways to raise revenue. The group had considered turning the home into a vacation rental or bed and breakfast.

“We’re going to back away from that for right now because we’re aware that there’s differing opinions,” she said.

The former first lady was born in the Boone home in 1896, according to the Boone History Museum. She later married President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served as the 34th president from 1953 to 1961.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Lawyers for two abortion providers have asked an Iowa judge to forgo a trial and rule that the state’s fetal heartbeat law is unconstitutional.

The Des Moines Register reports that lawyers for Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and the Emma Goldman Clinic in Iowa City filed a motion Monday that cites the Iowa Supreme Court’s June decision to strike down a 72-hour waiting period to obtain an abortion. The high court said the state’s women have a fundamental right to abortion protected by the state constitution.

The fetal heartbeat law would ban nearly all abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur about six weeks into a pregnancy and often before a woman realizes she’s pregnant. The law hasn’t taken effect, pending the litigation’s outcome.

Lawyers representing the state have not yet responded to the motion filed Monday. Nor has the judge indicated when he will rule on it.