One of Kansas’ most wanted fugitives could be with relatives in Iowa. Deputy U-S Marshal, Chris Johnson says they are looking for 20-year-old Bryan Levi Bridges.  He says Bridges is wanted for a 2014 home robbery where the home owner was murdered. He is wanted for first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery for the crime in Pittsburg, Kansas. People who were with Bridges were arrested, but Deputy Johnson says Bridges fled and could be here.

“Some of his family members often do roofing projects and things like that, are working for cash doing roofing type work in the Iowa area,” Johnson explains. “We don’t have a specific town or area where they may be in Iowa.” He may also have personal ties in Mexico or Denver, Colorado. Johnson says they are seeking help in finding him.

He says anyone who may’ve spotted Bridges or have information about him is urge to call the U-S Marshals Service or local police.

Bryan Bridges

Johnson urges you to use caution. “The murder weapon has not been recovered from the crime, so he is considered armed and dangerous at this point,” Johnson says. Bridges uses the alias El Chinito, is described a five-foot-seven Laotian/Caucasian male, but he may be claiming Hispanic descent.

He weighs 170 pounds and has black hair, brown eyes and a scar next to his right eye.  A reward of up to 20-thousand dollars is being offered for information leading directly to Bridges’ arrest. Anyone with information is urged to contact the U-S Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Supreme Court has overturned a drug bust made by a State Trooper following a stop for a minor violation.  State Trooper Eric Vander Weil was in Powesheik County watching for out-of-state vehicles on Interstate 80 in June of 2012 as part of an effort to locate drugs being transported across the state. He saw a car with California license plates and pulled it over for having a non-working taillight.

The trooper wrote out two traffic violations and after talking with the driver and passenger, he felt something was up and brought a drug dog. The dog found marijuana and 33-thousand dollars in cash in the car. The passenger in the car, Robert Pardee, was later acquitted of a marijuana possession charge and filed to get the money back saying it was illegally seized.

The Iowa Supreme Court on a 5-2 vote ruled the stop violated Pardee’s constitutional rights. Based on recent cases with the U-S Supreme Court, the Iowa court says the trooper developed reasonable suspicion of other criminal activity only by prolonging the initial traffic stop beyond the time reasonably necessary to execute the traffic violation warnings.

Chief Justice Mark Cady was one of the three judges to disagree, saying the nervous of Pardee and the driver, the smell of air freshener in their car and other indicators were enough to prolong the stop to look for drugs.

(Radio Iowa)

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest this (Friday) morning, of Jeremy Scarpello. The man was taken into custody on Adams County Warrant for Domestic Assault related to an incident that allegedly occurred on December 8th.

And, on Dec. 8th, deputies in Adams County arrested Edward Hoskins, following a traffic stop. Upon further investigation, Hoskins was arrested for OWI 1st Offense.

Additional details concerning the arrests are currently not available.

Authorities in Pottawattamie County have released the name of a pilot killed during the crash of an aircraft late Thursday morning, near Council Bluffs. Pottawattamie County Chief Deputy Sheriff John Reynolds told KJAN the crash victim and sole occupant of the aircraft, was 65-year old John W. Rogers, of Omaha. Reynolds said the plane, a 2003 Piper Malibu Meridian single-engine plane, left Omaha’s Eppley Airfield at 11:51 a.m.

He said the Pott. County 9-1-1 Center was notified about the crash at 11:55-a.m. Deputies and Troopers with the Iowa State Patrol arrived and discovered the body of the pilot inside the aircraft. Reynolds said when rescue and law enforcement arrived on the scene, they found the plane upside down after it struck some power lines. The left wing was completely torn-away from the fuselage.

Officials with the FAA were on the scene Thursday to begin their investigation, while crews from the NTSB were expected to be at the crash site some time today. The aircraft was registered to Airsea Charters, Inc., in Omaha. The NTSB was expected to conclude their on-site investigation today (Friday) before the plane is moved to a secure facility for a more thorough investigation.

Reynolds said early indications are the aircraft had experienced some sort of mechanical issue shortly after take-off from Omaha. Early reports indicated Rogers had radioed the tower requesting permission to return to the airport. As he was flying extremely low southbound, he banked to left. The wing-tip caught a power line, which caused the plane to cart-wheel into the ground.

According to FlightAware, the plane was scheduled to go from Omaha to a small airport in Trinidad, Colorado, and then later depart for Chandler, Arizona.

An investigation earlier this week in Shelby County into a disturbance and possible car accident with injuries, resulting in a man being arrested on numerous charges, including for allegedly assaulting a deputy. 40-year old Michael Stessman, of Defiance, faces charges that include: Assaulting a Peace Officer (Serious Misdemeanor); Interference with Official Acts, Possession of Prescription Drugs, and Public Intoxication (all three are Simple Misdemeanor’s). Stessman was being held in the Shelby County Jail on $4,000 bond.

His arrest followed a call to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office at around 10-p.m.,  Monday, with regard to a disturbance in the 2300 block of Linden Road. Before deputies arrived, they were notified of a possible car accident. A deputy arrived on the scene and saw a man (later identified as Stessman), lying in the middle of the road, with a pickup in the ditch.

When the deputy checked on Stessman, he allegedly attacked the deputy. A fight ensured, but the deputy was able to restrain Stessman until rescue personnel arrived on the scene to aid in handcuffing the man.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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A Mills County man was arrested late Thursday morning, in Creston. Authorities say 20-year old Dominique Schlup, of Hastings, was arrested at a home in the 200 block of Pine Street at around 11:50-a.m. He was wanted on a Dept. of Corrections warrant for Violation of Parole. Schlup was being held without bond, in the Union County Jail.

And, Creston Police says Creston Automotive staff reported Thursday that sometime between 5:30-p.m. Wednesday and 8-a.m. Thursday, someone shot out two windows on the north side of the business. Damage was estimated at $500.

Red Oak Police report a man from Pottawattamie County was arrested Thursday night on theft and other charges. 26-year old Nicholas Thomas Rohrberg, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody in the 1300 block of North Broadway Street. He faces charges that include Driving While Barred, Identity Theft, and two counts of Unlawful use of a License.

Rohrberg was cited for at least four other traffic violations, and he was wanted on a Pott. County warrant for fraudulent practice in the 3rd degree. Authorities say additional charges are pending.

Rohrberg was being held in the Montgomery County jail on $4,000 bond.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Sioux City elementary school has been given a monetary prize for their computer programming efforts during an international week dedicated to teaching code. The Sioux City Journal reports that Loess Hills Elementary received the Code Iowa award from the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council and code.org, a computer science nonprofit, this week.

The school received $4,000 to be used toward instructional technology for their efforts in Hour of Code week. Millions of students work on a computer-coding related activity in the worldwide event. Loess Hills Elementary is a computer programming specialty school. Instructors teach core subjects through a computer programming lens.

The students dedicated their Hour of Code week to spreading knowledge to City Council members, business owners and representatives of higher education institutions.