(Update to our report posted Saturday night)

A pickup truck being pursued by a Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputy crashed Saturday night, injuring two young men. Dispatch reports during the chase indicated the pickup reached speed of up to 100 miles per hour, but for the last few miles was about 75-80 mph on the gravel. The Iowa State Patrol reports 18-year old Justin Dickinson, of Harlan, was the driver of a 1994 Dodge Dakota pickup that went out of control and rolled over south of Jacksonville, at around 8:45-p.m.

The Patrol says the pickup, which was traveling northbound at a high rate of speed during the pursuit, entered the west ditch at the intersection of Shelby County Road M-56 and Highway 44. The vehicle hit an embankment before rolling over and coming to rest on its wheels. Dickinson, and his passenger, 17-year old Nicholas Haner, of Council Bluffs, both of whom were wearing seat belts, were injured during the crash and transported to Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, by Medivac Ambulance.

While dispatch reports at the time of the crash said one of the males was critically injured and was to be flown to a trauma center, the State Patrol could not confirm that information early this (Sunday) morning. Harlan Fire and Rescue and deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Patrol at the crash scene.

Another, separate accident happened minutes later about two-miles north of Harlan on Linden Road, where a vehicle went into a ditch. No injuries were reported.

A traffic stop Saturday for a simple equipment violation in Fremont County resulted in one person being arrested on drug charges. The Sheriff’s Office says after the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit stopped a 2006 Dodge Status near the intersection of Manti Road and Airport Road near Shenandoah, a narcotics K9 was deployed and alerted to the presence of a controlled substance in the vehicle.

A passenger in the vehicle, 39-year old Nikki Garner, of Shenandoah, was arrested and transported to the Fremont County Jail.

Nikki Garner

Upon arrival to the jail, it was discovered that Garner was concealing controlled substances inside a body cavity and attempted to destroy the evidence at the jail.

She was arrested for: Possession of a controlled Substance (marijuana); Possession of drug paraphernalia; Possession of Contraband in a Correctional Institution; Interference with Official Acts; 3 counts of Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drug, and two counts of Possession of a Schedule IV Controlled Substance.

Garner was being held on $11,300 bond. The Shenandoah Police Department assisted the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office with the stop.

Rescue crews were called to the scene of a rollover accident near Jacksonville, in Shelby County. The accident happened during the pursuit of a pickup truck and ended at around 8:39-p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Highway 44 and M-56. The vehicle was occupied by two subjects. Speeds during the pursuit reached 100 miles per hour, but for the last few miles was about 75-80 mph on the gravel. One of the subjects, the 19-year old male driver of the vehicle, was said to be in critical condition. He was set to be flown from the scene by LifeNet helicopter late Saturday night. The other person was freed from the vehicle by mechanical means and transported to Myrtue Memorial Hospital in Harlan.

There was no immediate word on the condition of the other subject. At least one of the subjects was trapped in the vehicle and extrication was called for. No other details are currently available. Watch this post for updates.

Another, separate accident happened minutes later about two-miles north of Harlan on Linden Road, where a vehicle went into a ditch. No injuries were reported.

Seven fire departments and numerous other agencies responded to fire late Friday night at the Flint Hills Resources ethanol plant, near Menlo. Menlo Fire Chief Ben Gilman told KJAN News the call came in at around 11:30-p.m. Friday, about a fire on a conveyor for an elevator at the plant. The fire was attributed to a mechanical failure of some sort, possibly a burned out bearing.

Crews from Stuart Fire and Rescue, Casey Fire, Greenfield Fire, Adair Fire, Guthrie Center Fire, Panora Fire and Dexter Fire, also with Deputies from the Guthrie County Sheriffs Office, and Adair/Guthrie County Emergency Manger Bob Kempf, all responded to the scene.

Menlo Fire was on location for about 3 1/2 hours. No injuries were reported. The damage was said to have been confined to the conveyor.

w/ Chris Parks

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The Council Bluffs Police Department reports the driver of a vehicle was found unconscious and injured after a crash Friday night in Council Bluffs.  At approximately 7:00pm police and fire responded to an injury crash in the 3000 block of 9th Avenue in Council Bluffs.

Upon arrival officers located 59-year-old Edward Abraham of Council Bluffs inside a minivan unconscious.  The van had rear-ended an unoccupied parked Ford Crown Victoria.  Abraham was transported to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs with the extent of his injuries unknown.

The preliminary investigation determined that Abraham went off the right side of the roadway onto the parking lane striking the Crown Victoria.  Both vehicles were pushed about 50 feet west before coming to rest.  Impairment is not suspected and the roadway was closed for approximately 1 1/2 hours in both directions during the investigation and was fully opened at 9:00pm Friday. The crash is still under investigation.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office released details on a couple of recent arrests.

On Friday at approximately 7:45pm deputies stopped a car driven by 35-year-old Dustin Mattox of Shenandoah in the 400 block of Main Street in Tabor. Deputies found that Mattox was driving with a suspended license and he was arrested for Driving While Suspended.  He was taken to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center and he posted bond of $435.

Also early today (Saturday) at 2:00am deputies arrested 30-year-old Randall Timmerman of Percival for Operating While Intoxicated, 1st Offense after a traffic stop in Hamburg. Timmerman was taken to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center and held on $1,000 bond.

The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office reports a jury has found Bedford man charged in connection with the death of a child last year, guilty of 1st degree murder and child endangerment resulting in serious injury. 26-year old Charles Emanuel Hall was convicted Friday (1/29) in Taylor County district court of murder in the 1st degree and child endangerment resulting in serious injury in relation to the May 2015 death of 3 year old Janiya King, in Bedford. Hall, who is the father of the child, will be sentenced at a later date.

On May 22nd, 2015, authorities said they responded to a 911 call for a child not breathing at 806 Washington St.  Deputies found Janiya King, unresponsive. She was pronounced dead by the medical examiner. Court documents indicate Janiya had severe burns on her face and right shoulder.

Hall’s girlfriend, 25-year-old April Clair, of Bedford, was also initially charged with child endangerment causing serious injury, a Class-C forcible Felony. Clair had told authorities that Janiya accidentally knocked over a pot of boiling hot dog water onto herself two weeks prior to her death. Clari told authorities she didn’t think it was necessary to seek medical attention.

Authorities however, said the burns were so bad that they caused permanent disfigurement. Clair also told investigators the girl fell down the stairs multiple times and became weaker, but still did not seek medical attention. The woman reached a plea deal and was found guilty by the court on Sept. 8th of Child Endangerment Causing Bodily Injury, a Class-D Felony, which carries a maximum prison term of 5-years. Her sentencing hearing was set for Feb. 16th.

COBURG – The DNR Atlantic field office is investigating a complaint of manure runoff about three miles southwest of Coburg near the Montgomery-Page county line. DNR staff found manure runoff and snow melt leading to an unnamed tributary to the East Nishnabotna River. Field tests show ammonia levels of greater than 10 parts per million, which is high enough to kill fish. However, staff found no dead fish in the stream.

Water samples collected from the creek will be sent for laboratory analysis. Field staff are working to determine which of several potential sources is responsible for the runoff. DNR will continue to monitor the situation, and look for the responsible party to begin clean up. The DNR will consider appropriate enforcement action.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Minnesota businessman whose construction company has built many of the nation’s ethanol plants is planning to complete a previously idled southwest Iowa plant using newly approved state tax incentives. The Iowa Economic Development Authority approved Friday tax benefits for the corn ethanol project proposed by Farmers Energy Cardinal northwest of Atlantic.

The IEDA board approved $4.25 million in sales tax refunds for the company promising to create 49 jobs. Ohio-based FEC is led by Ron Fagen, founder of Minnesota-based Fagen Inc., which has helped build 100 biofuels plants in the U.S. and will design and build the Atlantic facility.

The plant, originally planned in 2006, stalled and wasn’t completed. It will be Iowa’s 44th corn ethanol refinery and at 150 million gallons a year is among the state’s largest.