UPDATE 10:45-a.m.: AMBER ALERT CANCELLED. The woman and child have been located. No other details available.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety has issued an AMBER ALERT for a 4-month old male child taken from the Waterloo area. The suspect is a white female, 28-year old Sarah Nagy Brown. Brown and the child are believed to be in a gray 2017 Nissan Sentra, Oregon license plate # 067 JYL. It’s believed the pair may be enroute to Texas. The child, Rashaun Graves, Jr., is black, about 19-to 24-inches tall, weighing approximately 12 pounds. He was last seen wearing a diaper. The child has black hair and brown eyes. He has a large dimple on his chin.

The suspect is 28-years old, 5-feet 1-inches tall, weighs about 150 pounds, has reddish-blonde hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a blue sports bra and black pants. Anyone with information about the vehicle or the subjects of the AMBER ALERT, should contact your local law enforcement agency or 9-1-1.

(No photos currently available)

Clarinda Police, Friday evening, executed a search warrant at 1100 E. Lincoln Street. During their search of the residence, Officers seized approximately 10 grams of methamphetamine and items used in the distribution and sale of methamphetamine. Taken into custody, was 37-year old Eric Brandon Wise, of Clarinda. Wise was arrested for felony possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, failure to affix the required drug tax stamps, gathering where controlled substances are used and trespassing. He was being held in the Page County Jail on a $500,000 cash bond.

Reports concerning the incident have been submitted to the office of Page County Attorney Carl M. Sonksen for review regarding the filing of formal charges.

Fireworks will go on sale again in Iowa communities later this week and the state fire marshal’s office expects the number of licensed sellers will increase by as much as 20 percent this year. State Fire Marshal Dan Wood says many stands were NOT inspected last year because of the narrow window between passage of the law that now allows fireworks in Iowa and the 4th of July holiday. With as many as 800 licenses expected to be issued this year, Wood’s agency still may not be able to inspect them all. “With the amount that there is and with the amount of staff we have to put at it, we’ll do our best, but I can’t guarantee that every place will get inspected,” Wood says. “I wish they could.

Wood says his office is working hard to approve the plans for all licensees before the permanent stands begin selling on June 1st. Wood says the plans, though, are just a piece of paper. “It’s, you know, what they plan on doing. Sometimes, not always, sometimes when they go to set up, it doesn’t get done the way the plans say they get done and that’s why we do inspections,” Wood says. “And we do inspections because we want them to be safe, too.”

Temporary stands for selling fireworks may open for business on June 13th. Wood advises fireworks buyers to check their local ordinances about when and where to set off the fireworks around the 4th of July holiday.
(Radio Iowa/Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Joyce Russell)

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports an Atlantic man was injured during a single-vehicle accident Monday afternoon, near the Atlantic Municipal Airport. Authorities and emergency crews were called to the accident on Highland Road, north of the airport, at around 4:06-p.m. An investigation determined a 2000 Chevy Silverado owned and driven by Donald Lee Murphy, Jr., was westbound on Marne Avenue when it is believed the driver’s side front tire blew, causing the vehicle to enter the north ditch, hit a field entrance, ramp the entrance and go over another field entrance. The pickup struck a utility pole and a fence post before flipping end to end and coming to rest on its top. Murphy was transported to CCMH by Atlantic Medivac, and later transported to the UNMC in Omaha, where he was being treated for head, neck and chest injuuries. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $4,000.

The Atlantic Community School Board voted 3-to 2 this (Tuesday) morning to approve all of the 2018-19  Coaches/Sponsors Continuing Contracts, except for one. The Contract for Head Girls Basketball Coach Kelly Juhl, was not renewed. Their decision came following a closed session held at the Schuler Elementary School Media Center. Officials have stated the job will be opened up for a typical search to find a new coach.

A lot of people bargain hunt before making a purchase — and that hunt now includes shopping for a final resting place. Iowa State University regional planning expert Carlton Basmajian discovered the phenomenon of “cemetery shopping” while doing a land use study for the city of Perry’s cemetery. He says the operators of the cemetery have noticed people coming there from Des Moines looking for a cheaper burial plot.  Basmajian says being laid to rest in a smaller town has its advantages. “They told us they’re seeing people come up and say “well it is half the price to buy a plot and half the price to open a grave than it is in metro Des Moines’,” Basmajian says.

He is associate professor of community and regional planning and says the metro areas of the state have seen land developed all around cemeteries, leaving them will less room to expand. And he says the cities only revenue to run the cemeteries comes from selling the plots and services associated with them. Basmajian says smaller rural towns don’t have the same land use problems and can charge less. “So you have an outmigration — it’s crazy — of people seeking these cheaper cemeteries. And Perry is not that far from the metro, it’s in Dallas County,” Basmajian says.

It’s around 40 miles from Des Moines to Perry. Basmajian says Perry has looked at how to handle those from out of town who want to be buried there to be sure their budget doesn’t get overstretched. He says they looked at the city charging more for those who come in from the outside. It would still be cheaper for people coming in and would provide some more funds for upkeep of the gravestones. Basmajian says upkeep at cemeteries can get expensive — especially for gravestones. “They degrade. They are affected by the freeze-thaw cycle, they get run over by cars, they get toppled by vandals,” Basmajian explains, “and in a lot of cases, especially the older graves, there’s nobody left in the family to even contact and say what do you want to do. So, the city is left trying to prop these things back up.”

He says as the cemeteries fill up, there are more stones to take care of and less opportunities from selling new plots to pay for the upkeep.

(Radio Iowa)

The blinding sun played a role in a non-injury accident Saturday morning, in Red Oak. According to the Red Oak P-D, a 2002 Honda CR-V LX driven by 39-year old Chastity McFarland, of Red Oak, was traveling east on E. Washington Street at around 8-a.m., and coming to the top of a hill. Another vehicle traveling westbound, popped up over the hill. The driver couldn’t see very well with the sun in her eyes. McFarland swerved to avoid the non-contact vehicle, and in the process, struck a parked 2004 Pontiac Aztec in the left rear. The parked vehicle was registered to Bonnie Hayes, of Red Oak. Damage from the collision amounted to $5,000. No citations were issued, due to the environmental conditions.

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

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The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says they took a report Monday afternoon about a stolen or missing 2013 Kenworth T-660 semi with trailer. The rig, belonging to W.W. Transport, of Burlington, IA., left Minsa in Red Oak at around 3:30-a.m., and was recovered in Denver, CO., at around 5-p.m.  The semi was returned to the trucking company, but the driver has not contacted them. The driver is from the Colorado area. No charges are pending.

The Red Oak Police Department reports no injuries occurred during a two-vehicle accident on Saturday in Red Oak. Officers were called to the scene of the accident at about 10:00am Saturday in the 100 block of East Reed Street in Red Oak. Before officers arrived both vehicles had been moved. After investigation it was determined that a 2004 Volkswagen Beetle GLS driven by 59-year-old Gary Lee Hudson of Red Oak was westbound on East Reed Street and turned north onto Miller Street and then backed west on East Reed Street to park in font of his home on Reed Street. Before the Beetle was against the curb and was pointing to the center of the road, a 2003 Mazda Tribute ES driven by 16-year-old Cameron Alexander Travis of Red Oak began to back west on Reed Street and did not see the Beetle behind him. Travis said he was trying to fix his radio at the time. The Mazda then backed into the right side of the Volkswagen with the left rear of the vehicle.

Both vehicles were drive-able after the accident. Damage to the Mazda was estimated at $1,000 while damage to the Volkswagen was estimated at $2,000. No citations were issued.