A man from Nebraska faces Robbery and other charges following an incident this (Wednesday) morning, in Pottawattamie County. Council Bluffs Police say officers were dispatched at around 10:50-a.m. to 350 34th Ave., US Bank, in Council Bluffs, for a bank robbery that had just occurred. Bank employees were able to provide a description of the suspect and the vehicle that the suspect fled the area in.

Brandon N. Bird

As officers were arriving at the scene, a call came in that a subject and vehicle that matched this description were now at an address in the 5100 Block of Gifford Road in Council Bluffs, attempting to break into the residence and garage, in an attempt to steal a vehicle parked there. A short time later officers arrived in that area and observed the vehicle leaving that scene. Officers used stop sticks on the vehicle, causing the tires to go flat.

A short time later the suspect, later identified as 40-year old Brandon N. Bird, of Hastings, NE., lost control of the vehicle, which went off the road into a ditch. Bird was taken into custody at the scene. At this time, Council Bluffs Police along with the FBI are investigating all crimes that took place during the incident. Bird was set to be booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail on charges of Robbery 2nd, Burglary 1st, Theft 1st and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest of 63-year-old Sheryl Franzen of Red Oak in the 900 Block of North 4th Street in Red Oak Wednesday at 1:26pm. Franzen was charged with Theft 5th Degree after taking an item from the Red Oak Public Library on Tuesday at about 2:30pm. The item was valued at less than $200. Franzen was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 cash bond.

(12-p.m. News) — Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer today (Wednesday) released a report on arrests. On Tuesday, 66 year old Darold Ray Otten, of Audubon, was arrested for Keeping a Vicious Dog.  Otten was cited and released on promise to appear. On Sunday, 26 year old Matthew Scott Tillman, of Audubon, was arrested for Theft in the 5th Degree.  Tillman was cited and released on promise to appear.

Last Thursday, 22 year old Andrew Allen Malloy, of Omaha, was arrested in Audubon for Driving Under Suspension.  Malloy was also cited and released on scene on promise to appear. On Oct. 22nd, a 17 year old juvenile was referred to the Juvenile Court System for Theft in the 3rd degree. Oct. 18th, Audubon Police arrested 49 year old Brian Lane Berry, of Des Moines, for Driving While Revoked.  Berry was transported to the Audubon County Jail and held on a $1,000 bond, pending a court appearance.

And, on Oct. 10th, Audubon Police arrested 19 year old Jatana Nejla Gist, of Audubon, for Domestic Abuse Assault.  Gist was transported to the Audubon County Jail and held pending an appearance before a magistrate.

A man from Malvern was arrested following a traffic stop at around 2:40-a.m. today (Wednesday), in Mills County. Sheriff’s officials say 41-year old Kent Eric Hertz was taken into custody for OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.

(Radio Iowa) — Even with snow flying and very chilly temperatures in the 20s, many Iowa kids won’t let wintry weather get in the way of trick-or-treating tonight (Wednesday) or tomorrow night, depending on the community. Besides bundling up and staying visible, Poison Control Center educator Lauren Prnjat offers a few suggestions to parents for keeping kids safe.  “A big thing for this year would be medicines that look like candy,” Prnjat says. “A lot of pills can be really colorful or just attractive to young children, so making sure you keep all medications up high and away is the biggest prevention tip that we would share.”

Halloween can be a scary time for kids if they wind up with something dangerous in their trick-or-treat bags.  “We do encourage parents still to check candy to make sure everything’s in their original unopened wrapper,” she says, “and also just to check for choking hazards as well.” In addition, she suggests checking the Halloween bags for things like laundry detergent pods and liquid nicotine. The Sioux City-based Iowa Poison Control Center is open round-the-clock at 800-222-1222.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa high school students who took the A-C-T have tied for the best average score in the country with students from South Dakota. The ranking is among states with more than half of students in the Class of 2019 who took the A-C-T. Two-thirds of the Iowa students who graduated from high school last spring took the A-C-T. Their average composite score was 21-point-six out of a possible 36. That’s slightly about the national average — and slightly below the average score among Iowa students in the Class of 2018 who took the A-C-T.

A-C-T is based in Iowa City. The organization reports a growing number of high school graduates in the United States are inadequately prepared for success in college. The national average scores in the math and English sections of the A-C-T were the lowest they’ve been in 15 years.

Atlantic Fire, Law Enforcement & Medivac Ambulance all responded just before 10-a.m. today (Wednesday), to a reported garage fire in the alley at 706 Oak Street. Atlantic Police Lt. Paul Wood said as it turns out, the garage itself was not on fire. Instead, it was a vehicle in the garage.  Lt. Wood said when they arrived on the scene, the resident had already put the flames out, but fire fighters used foam to make sure there were no hot spots remaining.

Ric Hanson/photo

Wood said the resident was working on the vehicle and thinks there was a fuel leak. When the man started the vehicle, the fuel ignited. No injuries were reported. Atlantic Police and Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted at the scene.