The house where Iowa’s infamous axe murders took place more than a century ago is one of the focal points of this weekend’s Paranormal Summit. Two adults and six children were slaughtered in 1912 in the two-story house in the southwest Iowa town of Villisca. Dave Pares, who oversees the conference, says paranormal investigators will be presenting evidence from several mysterious locations.

“One of them deals with Villisca, the Axe Murder House,” Pares says, “and we actually have some really interesting imagery that has been collected.” Some believe the house is a hotspot for otherworldly activity because the murders were never solved. Pares says a second, undisclosed Iowa site will be featured at the summit, which draws the curious from all across the region.

Pares says, “Another investigation took place in a town in Iowa in an old building and we actually have thermal infrared pictures of a, literally, a ‘ghost’ that goes across the shelving units.” The Paranormal Summit is being held on Friday, that’s Friday the 13th, on the campus of the University of Nebraska – Omaha. Pares, an adjunct professor of geography and meteorology, is faculty advisor for the U-N-O Paranormal Society. He says they seek out logical, scientific, rational explanations for the various phenomena.

“We’re highly skeptical about everything and we actually use science to try to drive down into what’s the real deal here into the investigation,” Pares says. “Is it valid or we are just collecting a bunch of nothing?” At the annual summit, there will be a presentation at 6 P-M Friday about the investigations conducted across the region in the past year and people will be shown the equipment that’s used. Afterwards, they’ll get the chance to use that equipment on what’s known as a “ghost hunt” on the Omaha campus.

Pares says, “The ghost hunt is going to begin at 9 o’clock and it gives a little more time to go to the various sites around campus that we’ve detected activity.” Believers and doubters are all welcome, he says. The event is open to the public and will be held at the C-PACS building at U-N-O. Admission is $10 and all proceeds go to the American Red Cross for hurricane relief.

(Radio Iowa)

The Page County Sheriff’s Office says a woman from Coin reported on Monday, that sometime between early Sunday morning and Monday mid-day, someone had stolen her vehicle parked outside her residence. The missing vehicle is a red 2001 Pontiac Grand Am 4 door with Iowa License plate FJP 800.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 712-246-5193 or their local Law Enforcement agency.

Vehicle similar to the make and model reported stolen

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports the arrest on Sunday, of 36-year old Tanya Lynn Snyder, of Audubon. Snyder was arrested for Disorderly Conduct and Public Intoxication 3rd or subsequent offense. She was transported to the Audubon County Jail.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports a Cass County man was arrested on drug and other charges Oct. 3rd following a traffic stop on Highway 92 at Cedar Avenue, in Bridgewater. 35-year old Brian Harold Eilts, of Massena, was charged with Driving While Barred, possessing drug paraphernalia (2 meth pipes), and two counts of possession of a controlled substance (meth and marijuana)/3rd or subsequent offense. Eilts was also cited for fraudulent use of registration and operating a vehicle without registration card or plate. He was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $10,000 bond.

The Sheriff reports 31-year old John Lyle VanScoy, of Bridgewater, was arrested Oct. 5th for Eluding – speed 25mph over the limit, and Driving while barred, on a Sept. 6th Adair County warrant for Eluding – speed over 25 & Driving While Barred, and for three counts of Failure to Obey a Stop sign & yield the right of way. VanScoy was being held without bond in the Adair County Jail on the warrant. Bond on the other offenses was set at $4,000.

And, 45-year old Curtis Paul Hoch, of Adair, was arrested Sunday night (Oct. 7th) in Adair, for Driving While License Denied or revoked for OWI. He was released from custody the following day on a $1,000 bond. In other news from the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, 32-year old Elizabeth Rene Clayton, of Lenox, was cited for Driving Under Suspension, Oct. 4th in Bridgewater. And, 59-year old Christopher Sanger, of Ankeny, was cited in Greenfield for Driving While Barred and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (marijuana and meth smoking devices). Sanger and Clayton were issued their citations and then released from the scene of their infractions.

NASHUA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say they’re investigating an accident in which an 8-year-old boy at an orchard was wounded by a gunshot fired from a nearby gun range in northeast Iowa.

The Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office says a preliminary investigation shows the child was wounded Sunday at the Apples on the Avenue orchard by a bullet fired from one of several ranges operated by the Nashua Fish and Game Club. The boy has been flown to an Iowa City hospital. His name has not been released.

The pick-your-own-apples operation sits about 1½ miles south of Nashua.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the driver of a 2003 Dodge was injured during a rollover accident early Saturday morning. 37-year old Helen Tuper, of Malvern, was traveling south on 315th Street near Jahnke, when she fell asleep at the wheel. Her vehicle crossed the center line, entered a ditch and flipped over, landing on its top. Tuper was transported to Jenny Edmundson Hospital by Malvern Rescue.

Two other drivers were cited following separate accidents. 32-year old Troy Grindle, of Glenwood, and 24-year old Elizabeth Voll, of Omaha, were both cited for Failure to Maintain Control, following accidents that happened Oct. 5th and 7th respectively. Neither driver was injured.

Two people were arrested on separate drug charges in Mills County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 42-year old Justin Alan Grafenstine, of Pacific Junction, was arrested following an accident that happened on I-29 at around 1:46-a.m. Friday, where his SUV struck a cable barrier. He was charged with OWI 3rd offense, and Possession of Controlled Substance. His bond was set at $6,000

And, at around 5:23-a.m. Saturday, 24-year old Diw Kir Puoch, of Omaha, was arrested following a traffic stop, also on I-29. Puoch was charged with Possession of Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $1,000.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office say no injuries were reported following a collision between an SUV and a deer, Sunday. The accident happened at around 1:17-a.m., as 25-year old Bailey Linn Smith, of Anita, was driving a 2015 Chevy Equinox northbound on Highway 71. Damage to the vehicle is estimated at $5,000.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports two recent arrests.  Friday evening, 59-year old Robin Clark Latham, of rural Braddyville, was arrested following a traffic stop. Latham was arrested for Driving while license is revoked and Possession of drug paraphernalia.  He was also cited for speeding.  Latham was transported to the Page County Jail where he was held on $1,300 bond.

And, early Saturday morning, Deputies with the Page County Sheriff’s Office responded to a vehicle that was stopped in the traveled portion of intersection at Highways 2 and 59.  Deputies made contact with the driver, 58-year old Richard Gilbert Donnelly, of Fort Collins, CO.  During the investigation, Deputies determined that Donnelly was intoxicated.  He was arrested for OWI 1st Offense and transported to the Page County Jail, where was booked in and later posted $1,000 pending future court appearances.

Two of the Republicans in Iowa’s congressional delegation are calling on the Trump Administration to quickly review federal regulations on so-called “bump stocks.” The device was used by the sniper in last week’s mass shooting in Las Vegas. Republican Congressman David Young of Van Meter, says “I can’t think of a good reason why these things are existing.”  Young says he had no idea what a bump stock was before last week’s news stories about the product. “My understanding is it is basically a tool, an accessory to make a legal weapon into an illegal weapon,” Young says. “And so I’m reaching out with my colleagues to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to revisit their ruling in 2010 when they decided not to regulate these.”

Young is NOT calling for congress to pass a law banning the sale of bump stocks. In the U.S. Senate, Iowa Republican Joni Ernst and a handful of other senators wrote a letter asking the A-T-F to “swiftly review” its permitting of bump stocks which “turn semi-automatic rifles into fully automatic weapons.” Senator Chuck Grassley isn’t rejecting the idea the Senate Judiciary Committee might hold a hearing on legislation that would ban the sale of bump stocks. Grassley, though, has said he needs to “think through” the consequences since a bill that clears his committee could spawn a debate on the senate floor on a number of OTHER gun-related proposal.

Republican Congressman Steve King tweeted on the “slippery slope” subject last Wednesday, asking: “How do good people defend themselves from murderers if liberals take our guns?” The National Rifle Association last week called for an administrative review of the 2010 A-T-F decision that legalized the sale of bump stocks.

(Radio Iowa)