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Red Oak man arrested on warrant for probation violation

News

April 15th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

One person was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon in Red Oak, for probation violation. Red Oak Police say 26-year old Kyle Wayne Pack, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 4:45-p.m. at Cubby’s in Red Oak, on an active warrant for allegedly violating the terms of his probation. Pack was on probation related to his original charges of OWI and Careless Driving. Pack was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $250 bond.

Later in the evening, a Nebraska man was arrested in Red Oak, also on a Montgomery County warrant for Violation of Probation. 39-year old Floyd Robert Johnson, Jr., of Omaha, was taken into custody at around 8:20-p.m. at 106 W. Coolbaugh Street. Johnson was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $10,000 bond.

Red Oak woman arrested for assault; 4 cited on drug charges

News

April 15th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A call to a residence in Red Oak Tuesday afternoon resulted in one person being arrested on an assault charge, and four individuals cited on a drug-related charge. According to Red Oak Police, officers went to 111 E. Prospect Street at around 4-p.m., to investigate a reported incident of domestic abuse. During the investigation, police arrested 24-year old Eylissa Rose Strange, of Red Oak, on a charge of Domestic Abuse/Simple Assault. The woman was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where she was being held without bond, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

While on the scene, officers cited four people for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia: 28-year old David Andrew Strange, of Red Oak; 19-year old Robert Mitchell Farley; 22-year old Dale Monroe Reich, Jr.; and 21-year old Jazmine Raeanne Putnam. The four were released after receiving their citations, and ordered to appear in court at a future date.

Bluffs man hurt in a crash near Macedonia, Tuesday

News

April 15th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Authorities in Pottawattamie County say one person was injured during a single-vehicle rollover accident late Tuesday morning, near Macedonia. The Daily NonPareil reports 45-year old Troy Shields, of Council Bluffs, lost control of the vehicle he was driving, which hit a cement bridge, crossed the road and entered a ditch before rolling several times. The accident happened at around 11:40-a.m., as Shields’ 1994 Chevy pickup truck was traveling west on Pioneer Trail, near 385th Street, just west of Macedonia.

A passenger in the pickup, 46-year-old Randy Robinson, of Council Bluffs, suffered a broken arm and head injury in the wreck. Authorities say both men were enroute to Council Bluffs in a private vehicle after the accident, before being pulled over by a Sheriff’s deputy for speeding on U.S. Highway 6, just east of Council Bluffs.

Robinson and Shields explained they had been in a wreck and that Robinson was injured. From there, Underwood Rescue transported Robinson to Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital for treatment.

Freedom Rock lands in Oakland

News

April 15th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

An 82-ton pink quartzite rock has landed in Oakland’s Chautauqua Park. The 13-foot long and 10-feet wide boulder was brought in on a special flatbed trailer and carefully maneuvered into place, Monday. The Omaha World-Herald reports the event bringing Pottawattamie County’s version of the “Freedom Rock” to the park unfolded before residents of the community, including members of the Oakland Friday Coffee Ladies,  the group which spearheaded the project and collected donations for the purchase, transportation and, eventually, the painting of a patriotic mural on the rock.

The project began June 10th, 2011 when the coffee ladies traveled to Greenfield to see the Freedom Rock located north of there along Highway 25. Seeking one for Pottawattamie County as a show of respect and remembrance of military service members past, present and future, the group took the idea to the City Council Aug. 8t, 2013, where it was approved.

The rock, formed by a glacier about 2-million years ago, was mined from Schildberg Rock Quarry near Macedonia. Freedom Rocks are appearing in other places and painted by Ray “Bubba” Sorensen, based out of Greenfield. The Freedom Rock in Adair County attracts 14,000 people annually.

About $27,000 was the cost to buy and transport the rock, made possible through grants by the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation and from Oakland Foods and other fundraising. The cost of the painting will be around $8,000.

Study says memory loss begins at 30

News

April 15th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A new study finds memory loss starts as early as age 30 and accelerates after 40. Doctor Steve Wengel, a geriatric psychiatrist in Omaha-Council Bluffs, says research continues to reinforce that your brain is much like a muscle that needs exercise or it will get flabby. “Mental exercise is a good thing as long as you’re doing something you enjoy,” Dr. Wengel says. “Don’t make yourself learn French when you’re 50 if you hate learning new languages. Don’t force yourself to do crossword puzzles if you hate it.”

Some people start to panic that it may be early-onset Alzheimer’s if they start to forget things, but Wengel says it’s common not to remember every little tidbit in our daily lives. “Forgetting the names of people you don’t know well, business acquaintences you might not have seen in a while, that’s pretty normal,” Wengel says. “However, if you start forgetting the names of close family members, that’s more concerning.”

Everyone occasionally forgets where they left their keys, he says, but finding your keys in the dishwasher might be a sign of a problem. Also, the memory is not like wine, cheese or antique cars. “There are very few cognitive functions that get better with age, unfortunately,” Wengel says. “Vocabulary, for example, does tend to get better as we accumulate new words as we get older, but everything else, it’s kind of a slow, downhill slide.”

Those who worry about memory loss are typically the ones who end up being just fine, he says, while those who may end up with Alzheimer’s disease are the ones who think they don’t have a problem and remain oblivious to warning signs. Wengel’s practice as at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

(Radio Iowa)

DHS director confirmed despite complaints about MHI, Juvenile Home closures

News

April 15th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The director of the Iowa Department of Human Services has won senate confirmation to stay in the job, despite complaints from some senators about controversial closings of state-run Mental Health Institutions in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant and the Iowa Juvenile Home in Toledo. D-H-S chief Chuck Palmer was confirmed for another four-year term in the job by a vote of 39 to 11.

Senator Rob Hogg, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, calls the closings illegal because the legislature never approved them. “So this is a gut check moment for this body,” Hogg said. “I think it is essential that we say, ‘No, we are not going to tolerate lawbreakers as directors of our departments.'” Senator David Johnson, a Republican from Ocheyedan, says Palmer is a “compassionate” and stable leader. “This is a gut check,” Johnson said. “…I have full confidence in director Palmer.”

Johnson also discounted a district court judge’s ruling that Governor Branstad overstepped his authority in closing the Juvenile Home. “What a judge says is an opinion,” Johnson said. “I haven’t seen anything there that negates what happened last November. Elections have consequences and if there was a lack of confidence by the people in the direction that we’re going, we would have heard that.’ Senator Rich Taylor, a Democrat from Mount Pleasant, responded to Johnson.

“There would have been a bigger consequence to last November had the people of Iowa known the governor for three years has been planning to close these two mental health institutions,” Taylor said, “but he didn’t bother to tell anybody about that before the election.” Palmer got five more votes than the two-thirds support he needed to win confirmation.

The state senate on Tuesday also voted to confirm the governor’s budget director for another four year term. The woman who’s been leading the Department of Administrative Services since the governor fired the former director last year was also confirmed by the senate yesterday.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa early News Headlines: Wed., 4/15/2015

News

April 15th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A group of protesters are calling for the resignation of a Burlington police officer who fatally shot a woman when firing at a growling family dog. A few dozen people gathered in Burlington to protest 31-year-old Jesse Hill’s return to work at the Burlington Police Department. He had been on administrative leave following the Jan. 6 shooting of Autumn Steele and returned to work March 27. A rally has also been staged in support of Hill.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A 78-year-old man has been accused of sexually abusing two girls. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says 78-year-old Merlin Jensen, of Avoca, was arrested April 3 and remained in custody without bond. A criminal complaint says Jensen is accused of inappropriately touching 7- and 4-year-old girls and exposing himself to them. The complaint says Jensen gave the 7-year-old girl a vibrating toy and attempted to have sex with her at least once.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Senate has confirmed the governor’s pick to lead the state Department of Human Services. The Senate endorsed Chuck Palmer, who took over DHS in 2011 after Gov. Terry Branstad returned to office. He also ran the department years ago.

MONTICELLO, Iowa (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton says she wants to be a “champion” for struggling American families. She laid out the early cornerstones of her 2016 presidential campaign with students and teachers at a community college in Monticello, Iowa. It was her first formal public event since returning to presidential politics. Clinton is opening her campaign with small events such as the community college meeting and leaving big rallies for later.

Bird flu confirmed in Iowa turkey flock

Ag/Outdoor, News

April 14th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A bird-flu strain that has already hit numerous turkey farms in the Midwest has been found in a turkey flock in northwest Iowa. An Iowa Department of Agriculture spokesman says Tuesday the H5N2 strain of bird flu virus has been confirmed in a barn on a farm housing 27,000 birds in Buena Vista County. The disease was suspected when turkeys began dying in the barn.

An Iowa Poultry Association spokesman says the farm is under quarantine and the turkeys will be euthanized. Animal health officials have long said the virus is dangerous to all commercial poultry. Iowa has 130 turkey farms raising 11 million turkeys a year. The state also is the nation’s leading egg producer with 59.6 million egg layers. No chicken flocks in Iowa have been infected.

Clarinda Police Make Early Morning Drug Arrest

News

April 14th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Police in Clarinda today (Tuesday) arrested a local man on drug and other charges. Officials say at around 3:40-a.m., officers arrested 42-year old Jess Scott Larson, of rural Clarinda, for felony possession of marijuana, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of a controlled substance believed to be marijuana and introduction of contraband believed to be marijuana into a correctional facility or jail.

Larson was arrested without incident following a traffic stop at 20th & State streets. He was booked into the Page County Jail, and held on $3,000 bond, pending an initial appearance before a Page County Magistrate.

Bridge out/road closed notices for Shelby County

News

April 14th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency reports a bridge along Ironwood Road is closed for construction. The bridge is over Mosquito Creek, in the 1900 block of Ironwood Road, just south of 1944 Ironwood Road, between Union Township Sections 33-34. Construction is expected to last about six-weeks. Officials say the area has many dirt or Level-B roads. Considerable alternate route planning will be necessary for persons responding to emergencies in the area.

A reminder also, that a bridge along Yellowwood Road over Elk Horn Creek, is closed between 544 and 532 Yellowwood. Access to Elk Horn Park is only available from the south, in Clay Township, Section 10. The road in that area is closed for an indefinite period of time.