Two Guthrie County deputies who were shot while executing a search warrant late Thursday night in Stuart, have been released from a hospital, and are now recovering at home. Guthrie County Sheriff Marty Arganbright told KCCI in Des Moines, that Deputies Steven Henry and Jim Mink, who were sent home Saturday, are doing well, and he hopes to have them back to work soon. Deputy Kent Gries, who suffered from powder burns during the incident and was also injured, was released earlier, and is also recovering at home. A Stuart Police Officer was discharged from the hospital early Friday morning. The suspect they were trying to arrest and who opened fire on law enforcement Thursday, 52-year old Randall Comly, was shot at least twice and is recovering in police custody.

Comly remains in law enforcement custody at an undisclosed hospital in Des Moines. Criminal charges have yet to be filed in connection with the shooting. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s Major Crimes Unit said Friday the incident remains under investigation, and may take several weeks to complete.

DES MOINES, Iowa — This week (National Teen Driver Safety Week) and every week, parents should have conversations with their teens about the important rules they need to follow to stay safe behind the wheel. These rules address the greatest dangers for teen drivers: alcohol, inconsistent or no seat belt use, distracted and drowsy driving, speeding, and number of passengers. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens (15 to 18 years old) in the United States – ahead of all other types of injury, disease, or violence. In 2017, there were 2,247 people killed in crashes involving a teen driver (15 to 18 years old), of which 755 deaths were the teen driver.  This is a 3% increase from 2016.

Alcohol and Drugs: All teens are too young to legally buy, possess, or consume alcohol.  However, nationally in 2017, 15% of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes had alcohol in their system.  But alcohol isn’t the only substance that can keep teens from driving safely.  According to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.5% of adolescents 12 to 17 years old reported using marijuana.  Like other drugs, marijuana affects a driver’s ability to react to their surroundings.  Remind teens that driving under the influence of any impairing substance could have deadly consequences.
Seat Belts: Wearing a seat belt is one of the simplest ways for teens to stay safe in a vehicle. A total of 539 passengers died in passenger vehicles driven by teen drivers and more than half (60%) of those passengers who died were NOT buckled up at the time of the fatal crash. Even more troubling, in 87% of cases when the teen driver was unbuckled, the passengers were also unbuckled.  The chances of surviving a traffic crash are 45% higher when properly restrained in a seat belt.
Distracted Driving: Distractions while driving are more than just risky—they can be deadly. In 2017, among teen drivers involved in fatal crashes, 9 percent were reported as distracted at the time of the crash.  The use of mobile devices while driving is a big problem, but there are other causes of teen distracted driving which pose dangers as well.  They include adjusting the radio, applying makeup, eating or drinking, or distractions from other passengers in the vehicle.
Speeding: In 2017, almost one-quarter (27%) of all teen passenger vehicle drivers involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time of the crash, and males were more likely to be involved in fatal crashes than females.
Passengers: Teen drivers transporting passengers can lead to disastrous results.  Research shows the risk of a fatal crash goes up in direct relation to the number of passengers in a car. The likelihood of teen drivers engaging in risky behavior triples when traveling with multiple passengers.
Drowsy Driving: Teens are busier than ever: studying, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, and spending time with friends are among the long list of things they do to fill their time. However, with all of these activities, teens tend to compromise something very important—sleep. This is a dangerous habit that can lead to drowsy driving or falling asleep at the wheel.

In 2018, Iowa lost 29 young drivers between the ages of 14 – 20 in motor vehicle crashes. Four of those drivers had a blood alcohol over the legal limit and nine of these young people were unbelted.  The Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau encourages you to talk to your teen drivers about safe driving practices. Losing even one is one too many, don’t you think?

(Statistics provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

(UPDATE He was found safe, Sunday!)

Police in Glenwood are asking for your help in locating a teenager missing since last Tuesday, Oct. 15th. Authorities say 14-year old Michael Johnson, Jr., might be in the Carter Lake area. (see his pictures below).

14-year old Michael Johnson, Jr

If anyone has seen him or knows his whereabouts we ask you to notify the Glenwood Police Dept. at 712-527-4844.

Police in Red Oak report a man from Cass County was arrested at around 10:45-p.m. Saturday, for Public Intoxication and Interference with Official Acts. 24-year old Bryce Charles Elihue Baker, of Atlantic, was arrested in the 400 block of E. Reed Street, in Red Oak, was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where his bond was set at $300. Red Oak Police were assisted by Deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, in handling the arrest.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 1:45 a.m. CDT

WEST BRANCH, Iowa (AP) — Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is finding fans among skeptics of the Democratic establishment in Iowa. This, after 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton suggested without giving evidence that Gabbard is being “groomed” by Russians to act as a spoiler in the 2020 race.

MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in eastern Iowa say a bicyclist has died after being hit by a car in Muscatine County. The Iowa State Patrol tells the Des Moines Register that 56-year-old Michael Joseph Mann, of Muscatine, was biking on a county road near Moscow late Thursday afternoon when a vehicle struck him from behind. Mann was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators have not reported filing charges in the case.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — The last of the five people charged in a man’s fatal 2017 shooting during a Davenport robbery has been found guilty. The Quad-City Times reports that a jury on Friday found 36-year-old Christopher Dixon guilty of first-degree murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony in the Sept. 22, 2017, shooting that killed 20-year-old Brady Tumlinson and injured Tumlinson’s girlfriend.

NORTHWOOD, Iowa (AP) — The owner of a northern Iowa dog breeding operation has been found been guilty of animal neglect. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that 66-year-old Barbara Kavars, of Manly, was found guilty Friday of 14 counts of misdemeanor animal neglect in connection with the operation of a puppy mill. Prosecutors say Kavars was holding Samoyed dogs in inhumane conditions when officials raided her operation on Nov. 12 and took about 150 dogs.