An Audubon woman was arrested today (Tuesday) on drug charges after a traffic stop.  The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of 30-year-old Jamie Carine Christianson around 2:00am Tuesday on charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Resisting Arrest. Christianson was stopped on Highway 71 near 280th street and K-9 Axel was deployed at the scene and detected narcotics.

Christianson was taken to the Audubon County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

OSCEOLA, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a middle school student has been killed by a train in south-central Iowa.

Officers and medics were sent to the Osceola depot around 12:20 p.m. Monday. Police have not said what led up to the student being struck. His name hasn’t been released. Authorities say he attended classes in the Clarke Community School District.

The incident is being investigated.

The Creston Police Department released details on a crash involving a woman running into a building in Creston Monday.  The crash happened at 12:49pm Monday afternoon as witnesses observed a 2008 Chevy pickup driven by 77-year-old Donna Jean Burgess of Kellerton driving on the wrong side of the road heading north on Sumner Street.  Burgess missed the turn to go to the dentist office and continued north until turning left and running into Ted Willet’s Accounting building.

The vehicle went completely inside the building and medics were called to examine Burgess who suffered minor injuries.

The truck was towed from the scene.  No citations have been issued at this time.  Both the building and the truck sustained an estimated $10,000 damage.

Health centers in five Iowa communities have received nearly two million dollars in federal funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration for dental care. HRSA spokesman, Martin Kramer, says the money is going to facilities in Council Bluffs, Fort Dodge, West Burlington, Urbandale and Ottumwa.

“Health centers can use this funding to hire more staff, to increase their capacity to see more patients, to build or expand on oral health facilities in order to make sure that people who go to the health centers –who need oral health care along with high-quality primary care — have a place to go,” Kramer says. He says the centers are private and public non-profits.

Kramer says the federal funding is usually 18-20 percent of the facilities funding. They apply for a grant and the request is reviewed by a committee of experts outside of government. That review committee assigns a rank to each request for money. “HRSA funds down the rank order list until all the funding has been allocated,” according the Kramer. “So these are health centers who through their applications demonstrated that they have a need and a capacity to see more patients.”

Kramer says oral health problems can be a sign of illness elsewhere in the body, and lack of access to preventive and routine dental care can result in dental conditions requiring more costly emergency dental treatment. “It’s important to have good oral health care and access to good oral health care services in order to maintain overall health,” Kramer says. The All Care Health Center in Council Bluffs won 350-thousand dollars, the Community Health Center in Fort Dodge won 525-thousand, the Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa in West Burlington won 350-thousand dollars, as did Primary Health Incorporated in Urbandale and River Hills Community Health Center in Ottumwa.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Council Bluffs say two women and a child riding in an SUV were injured when the vehicle they were in was struck broadside by a van, Monday night. The accident happened when the SUV, a Hyundai Tucson, ran a stop sign at the intersection of 25th Street and Avenue E, at around 8:55-p.m.

Authorities say an investigation determined the SUV stopped at a residence in the 2400 block of Ave E. An occupant got out an allegedly stole package off of a person’s porch. When confronted by the homeowner, the thief told the driver to “go” and they fled westbound on Ave E.

After the SUV was struck broadside at the intersection of 25th and Avenue E by a Chrysler Minivan, the SUV flipped onto its top. The occupants of the SUV were transported by Council Bluffs Fire and Rescue to Jennie Edmundson Hospital, but immediately fled prior to police arriving to question them. The driver of the the van, 63-year old Dianne Tuttle, of Council Bluffs, and the occupants of her vehicle, were transported to Mercy Hospital’s E-R. None of the injuries were considered life threatening.

Officers are currently looking for the suspects who fled. Their identity is known, but is not being released at this time due to the on-going investigation. Charges are currently pending. Anyone with information on the suspects is asked to call 712-328-STOP (712-328-7867).

Police in Council Bluffs late Monday night, released information about an incident of 1st degree robbery that took place early Monday morning. Officers were sent to Creighton Medical Center in Omaha at around 3:11-p.m., Monday, in reference to an assault report. Upon arrival officers made contact with a 31 year old female victim, who said she was walking eastbound in the 3400 block of 9th Avenue between 2-and 3-a.m. Monday. 

During that time, she was struck with a blunt object behind her head causing her to fall to the ground where she was struck several more times. Police say it’s possible the victim lost consciousness for a short time. They said the victim believes there was more than one person who was involved in assaulting her as they also took some cash from her.

The victim transported herself to the Creighton Medical Center before 3:00 pm, due to severe pain and bruising on her face, head, and chest. She also suffered a nasal fracture with a large bump on the front and back of her head. The victim’s injuries are not considered life threatening.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Council Bluffs Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division at 712-328-4728 or Crime Stoppers at 712-328-STOP (7867).

Bernie Sanders’ delegates at the Iowa Democratic Party’s state convention successfully inserted many of their policy objectives in the party platform, including a call to legalize not just marijuana, but ALL drugs. Jason Frericks — a Sanders supporter from Red Oak — did NOT vote for the proposal.

“But the thought process behind legalizing all drugs was this: The drug war has been a massive failure. We need to start coming up with reasonable ways to address this problem,” Frerichs says, “besides criminalizing addiction.” Frerichs has read “chatter” online suggesting Republicans may use this policy proclamation AGAINST Democratic candidates, but Frerichs doesn’t think it will work.

“I think that most people who are reasonable think that the way we approach the drug war and addiction in this country is ridiculous,” Frerich says. Governor Terry Branstad — a Republican — was asked how candidates view party platforms this morning. “The platform is a statement of the grassroots and it doesn’t necessarily represent the views of the candidates,” Branstad told reporters this (Monday) morning.

The Sanders delegates also secured “progressive” planks in the Iowa Democratic Party platform that call for a single-payer health care system and getting rid of “super delegates” at the party’s national convention. This weekend, Frerichs — who is chairman of Montgomery County Democrats — was elected chairman of the newly-created Iowa Democratic Party Progressive Caucus. It has 360 members today.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa’s governor and two of his state agencies are launching a more public “if you see something, say something” campaign. Governor Terry Branstad says Iowa is a safe place, but there are threats in every state, including Iowa. “We know that Islamic terrorists have said they’re looking for soft targets and when you have events like on the 4th of July where you have large gatherings of people, there’s a chance to have massive killings,” Branstad says. “….That’s why it’s important for people to, indeed, be very alert to the threats.”

Branstad is among the Republicans who’re critical of President Obama for failing to say “radical Islamic terrorism.” Branstad also supports a ban that would prevent Muslims from terrorism hot-spots like Syria from entering the country. “I am concerned that the federal government is not sharing information with us about people that are coming from those terrorist nations that may be placed in our states,” Branstad says. “I don’t want to put Iowans at risk, so I want to protect the safety and well-being of Iowans. That’s why we’re doing this.”

The Iowa Departments of Public Safety and Homeland Security will start airing public service announcements on Iowa radio stations later this month, urging Iowans to call local law enforcement if they see something suspicious, like someone who seems to be “doing surveillance” of a building. Branstad says there “are a lot of threats out there,” but threats from “radical Islamic terrorists” are “the biggest threat” right now.

“We have people in this country that have been radicalized by this ideology who are committed to killing us and they’ve acted again and again and they will (again) if we’re not careful,” Branstad says. Branstad is also blasting the Obama Administration for not releasing all of what the killer in Orlando said over the phone to authorities during the stand-off.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Crops across Iowa and Nebraska are off to a good start this year but stress is beginning to show in some parts of the region from very hot and mostly dry conditions over the past week. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Monday the leaves are beginning to curl on corn plants across the lower two-thirds of Iowa. The state saw half of the normal rain for the week during its seventh consecutive week of below normal precipitation and the fourth consecutive week with warmer than normal temperatures.

Police in Council Bluffs are investigating a residential burglary that took place Monday morning. Officers were called to a home in the 700 block of Parkwild Drive at around 10:11-a.m., for a burglary in progress. A 20 year female resident told officers that she had been in an upstairs room, with her infant child, when the doorbell rang.

The female was not able to get to the door quickly and the bell rang a second time. When she was finally able to respond to the front door, she could not see anyone outside. She then heard someone kicking at the home’s locked back door.

The female ran back upstairs, locking a bedroom door behind her and hiding with her child inside a closet. After hearing the suspect going room to room, the female stepped out of the bedroom and confronted the suspect, telling him to get out of her home. The suspect ran back down the stairs and out of the same door he had forced open.

Responding officers searched the area, but were unable to locate the suspect. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 40-50 years old, 5’8” with brown hair. No one was injured during the incident. The suspect left the home with a diaper bag containing personal paperwork and credit cards.

The Council Bluffs Police Department continues to investigate this incident and requests that anyone who saw any suspicious subjects in the area call the Criminal Investigations Division at 712-328-4728 or Crime Stoppers at 712-328-STOP (7867) with that information.