A man and woman face charges of Attempted Murder in Fremont County, following a chase that began in Nebraska. Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports early this (Wednesday) morning, Tabor Police engaged in the pursuit of a Chevy Malibu, in Tabor. As the pursuit went south, out of Tabor on Highway 275 by the Fremont-Mills High School, shots were fired from vehicle in the direction of Police.

The Fremont County K9 unit  joined in the pursuit to assist Tabor, at around 170th Street on Highway 275. An estimated four-to five rounds were fired from inside the suspect vehicle toward the pursuing K9 Unit, hitting the vehicle three times. Both agencies continued south bound pursuing the vehicle at speeds over 100mph. The suspect vehicle continued southbound and entered the Sidney city limits at a high rate of speed.

Stanfill

Streich

Once Inside the city limits, deputies and officers slowed down through town and lost sight of the vehicle around Main and Clay Streets. The deputies continued to search finding the vehicle on the Highway 275 bypass southbound off of 290th Avenue. At that point the car continued southbound at speeds of up to 125-mph. Deputies stayed with the vehicle into hamburg city limits.

The vehicle continued southbound through Hamburg to the Missouri Line before ramping the into the river just south of Hamburg. At that point multiple agencies had responded to deputies call for assistance with shots fired. Those agencies included Mills Co. K9 Unit, Montgomery Co. K9, Cass Co. K9 Unit, Shelby Co. K9 Unit, Shenandoah K9 Unit, Red Oak Police, Iowa State Patrol, Glenwood Police, and Page Co. Sheriff.

During the search for the suspects Deputies located 28 year old William Stanfill of Bellevue NE and 37 year old Jaqueline Streich also of Bellevue. Once located both subjects gave up without further incident and were transported to Grape Community Hospital for injuries sustained from crashing into the river. Once they were released from the Hospital Deputies arrested both subjects and transported them to the Fremont County law enforcement center.

Both Stanfill and Streich are being held on $1-million dollars cash-only bond each, on charges that include two-counts of Attempted Murder of a Peace Officer, Felony Assault with a deadly weapon, Felon in possession of a Firearm, Felony Eluding, Reckless driving and numerous traffic violations. The same subjects were being sought by Bellevue Police for multiple drive by shootings in that area, and also for shooting at Law Enforcement.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — State health officials are warning residents of southeastern Minnesota about possible exposure to measles. The Minnesota Department of Health learned this week that a non-Minnesota resident with confirmed measles traveled through Minnesota from another state. According to the department, people may have been exposed to measles on April 13 at a McDonald’s on Main Street in Winona and on April 16 at the Freeborn County Co-op gas station in Albert Lea.

Health Department spokesman Doug Schultz tells the Star Tribune the infected person was from Missouri. Health officials in western Wisconsin and in Iowa also are warning people about recent potential exposure to measles. Symptoms of measles include high fever, cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes and a rash. The disease can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

AMES, IA – The Iowa FFA Creed Speaking Leadership Event was held at Iowa State University, Ames, on Monday, April 23, 2018. Eighteen individuals participated in this year’s Career Development Event (CDE). The  first place individual for the event was Anna Campbell from the Audubon FFA Chapter. Their agriculture education instructor and FFA advisor is Mrs. Brittany Elmquist.The second place individual for the event was Carter Wagner from the Harlan FFA Chapter. Their agriculture education instructors and FFA advisors are Ms. Justine McCall and Mr. James Shughart.

Anna Campbell (Photo submitted)

This event is designed to develop leadership and the ability to appear before groups by 7th through 9th grade students as they become members of the FFA.

A committee in the Iowa Senate has voted to expand Iowa’s medical marijuana law, but the move faces firm opposition in the Iowa House. Critics say current state restrictions make it difficult for the companies that won state licenses to make AND sell cannabis oil, creams and pills to stay in business. The bill that cleared the Senate Ways and Means Committee Monday afternoon would get rid of a limit on the amount of the “T-H-C” chemical allowed in cannabis products. Dane Schumann, a lobbyist for MedPharm Iowa, says the change is “crucial” for the success of the company. “With that THC cap in place at three percent as it is, it’s going to be extremely difficult for MedPharm to treat the patients that the legislature has asked us to treat,” he says, “particularly those with severe and chronic pain ad many cancer patients that are experiencing pain as well.”

Peter Komendowski of the Partnership for a Drug-free Iowa opposes the idea of increasing T-H-C levels in cannabis products. “It is the open door, the Trojan Horse that establishes all of the basis for legalizing marijuana use,” Komandowski says. “…I am very hard-pressed to find anybody in the medical community, mental health treatment that says we should rush to market with a product that has not been thoroughly tested and evaluated and approved by the FDA.”

Last year legislators voted to set up a state-licensed system for growing, producing and selling cannabis products in Iowa, but the cannabis may only be used as treatment for 15 specific medical conditions. Bruce Beeston represents the Veterans National Recovery Center and he says most veterans would like to see the cannabis oil, pills and cream available as treatment for post traumatic stress. “I know several hundred of them who have been treating themselves for 40 years and doing a great job with it,” Beeston says. “We’d love to see it be legalized, come up with a way that they could get it in a way other than smoking it.”

House Speaker Linda Upmeyer has made it clear this year that she opposes expanding Iowa’s medical marijuana law. Upmeyer says lawmakers should wait for a panel of experts that will review the law starting in May and report their findings to the legislature.

(Radio Iowa)

The Justices of the Iowa Supreme Court, former colleagues, and friends are remembering Iowa Supreme Court Justice Jerry L. Larson, of Harlan, as a dedicated public servant whose long career combined a profound respect for the rule of law, an unwavering support for fair and impartial courts, and a great fondness for his hometown and the Shelby County Courthouse.

Former IA Supreme Court Justice Jerry Larson

Justice Larson, who has passed away at the age of 81, served from 1978 to 2008 and was the longest-serving justice in the history of the Iowa Supreme Court. Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady said “The Iowa court family is saddened by the passing of former Justice Jerry Larson. I had the honor and great pleasure to serve with Justice Larson for my first 10 years as a justice on the supreme court. He was a great mentor and better friend with a keen legal mind, a quick wit, and a deep love of the law. Our sympathies go out to his entire family.”

Justice Larson was appointed a district judge in 1975. He served on the district bench until his appointment to the Iowa Supreme Court in 1978. In September 2007, Justice Larson surpassed Justice Theodore Garfield (1941 – 1969) as the longest serving justice in the history of the Iowa Supreme Court. During his 29 years as a justice, Justice Larson wrote 991 opinions. As a member of the Iowa Supreme Court, Justice Larson played a key role in developing the court’s rules for expanded media coverage of Iowa’s courts. These rules have served as a model for other states.

Justice Larson was born and raised in Harlan. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1958 and law degree in 1960, both from the University of Iowa. While at law school, he was an editor of the Iowa Law Review. Following his graduation from law school, he was a law clerk for U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge M.D. Van Oosterhout. Later, Justice Larson practiced law in Harlan with his father and served two terms as Shelby County Attorney before his appointment to the district court bench.

Justice Larson has four children: Jeffrey Larson, is the chief judge in the Fourth Judicial District.  Susan Christensen is a district judge in the Fourth District. Rebecca Larson, is an elementary teacher in Bettendorf, and his son, David, is an attorney in Avoca.

A traffic stop at around 1-a.m. today (Wednesday), in Mills County, resulted in a man being arrested on drug charges. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the Mills County Sheriff’s K9 Unit conducted at traffic stop on a vehicle near 221st St. and Ellington Avenue, for an equipment violation. Upon investigation, and searching the vehicle, prescription pills and drug paraphernalia were found. The driver, 32-year old Steve Jerrame Meyer, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Unlawful possession of Prescription pills, Possession of drug paraphernalia, and for Driving Under Suspension. Meyer was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $2,600 bond.

And, Tuesday night, 19-year old Andrew Scott Jarko, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in Mills County, on a warrant for Failure To Appear in court on a Possession of Controlled Substance charge. His bond was set at $10,000.

The state legislature is a week past the target date for completing its work for the year. Democratic Senator Rob Hogg says Republicans are heading toward setting the record for the longest annual legislative session when the same party has control of the executive and legislative branches of state government.  “So, if you can just keep this session grinding out another week and a half, you can set the record for futility in the management of a legislative session when you control the House, the Senate and the governorship,” Hogg says.

House Speaker Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake says Iowans aren’t concerned about how long the legislature meets. “We came here to do the people’s work, what they expect us to get done. We’re going to do that. I think they want it done correctly and, particularly, tax bills are very complicated,” Upmeyer says. “We want to make sure we get it right.”

This (Wednesday) morning it took the Iowa Senate about six minutes to pray, recite the pledge and adjourn until two o’clock tomorrow. The Iowa House intends to return later this (Wednesday) afternoon to debate bills that outline next year’s spending for some areas of the state budget later this (Wednesday) afternoon. There have been extended legislative sessions in the distant past that lasted into the summer, but that was when the Iowa General Assembly met every other year. In the past three decades, the legislature has been meeting annually.

(Radio Iowa)

Some motorcycles made in northwest Iowa are being recalled. The recall, involving 33-hundred Indian Motorcycles, follows two reports of motorcycles starting themselves. Polaris acquired Indian and moved production of the cycles to Spirit Lake in 2011. Officials blame the self-starting issue on corrosion in a switch. If the key fob is nearby, that can cause an electrical short and start the engine. (announcer out) Polaris confirmed one of the self-starts happened in a dealership. No injuries have been reported. The recall affects 11 models of the Indian Motorcycle from the 2018 model year. Owners can take their motorcycle to a dealer to have the problem fixed free of charge.

Indian Chief Classic

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Commercial traffic along the Mississippi River will be blocked in Dubuque while workers make temporary repairs to cracks in part of a lock and dam. The Telegraph Herald reports that officials discovered the damage to Dubuque’s Lock and Dam No. 11 on Tuesday morning. Aaron Dunlop is the operations manager for the Mississippi River Project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He says a routine inspection uncovered cracks at a mitre gate connection point, which is a mechanism that controls the lock’s water level. He says the repairs will likely take a few days.

The closure comes less than two weeks after navigation on the river fully opened for the season. Corps figures say nearly 6,000 vessels passed through the lock and dam in 2016.

ORANGE CITY, Iowa (AP) — A northwest Iowa man accused of stabbing to death his 84-year-old grandfather plans to use a defense of diminished capacity. The attorney for 20-year-old Santos Rodriguez Jr. filed the notice Tuesday in Sioux County District Court. Rodriguez has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and arson. He’s accused of stabbing Luis Luevanos in his Rock Valley home on Oct. 29 and setting the man’s house on fire.

Police say Rodriguez was later arrested in Utah. Iowa investigators say Rodriguez admitted during a police interview to stabbing his grandfather and setting the fire. Rodriguez’s trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 18 in an Orange City courtroom.