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Iowa early News Headlines: Sun., March 8th 2015

News

March 8th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

(Des Moines) – An AMBER ALERT issued Saturday afternoon in Iowa has been cancelled The Iowa Department of Public Safety reported early Sunday morning 9-year old Brianna Crane, of Solon, was safely returned to her family. The girl was allegedly abducted at around 2:30-p.m. Saturday, by her step-father, 48-year old Kenneth Eugene Johns and the pair were thought to have been in southeast Iowa hours after the Alert was issued.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) – A Burlington glass manufacturer has told employees the plant will close its doors May 1st, leaving the eastern Iowa city with about 30 fewer jobs. The Burlington Hawk Eye reports that the PPG Industries plant announced the impending closure on Friday. Employees were told of the plan Thursday. The 29 employees affected will be given an opportunity to transfer to PPG manufacturing plants in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and Wichita Falls, Texas.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The clear rift over immigration opened up publicly Saturday at an Iowa forum on agriculture, energy, trade and food policy. Most of the nine possible Republican presidential candidates for 2016 called for enforcing existing laws. But outliers Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida, and South Carolina’s Senator Lindsay Graham proposed offering the estimated 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally a path to legal status.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Police in Cedar Rapids are investigating a shooting that has left one man with critical injuries. The Cedar Rapids Police Department says it received reports of several shots fired just before 3 a.m. Saturday. Police have not yet released the name of the man shot or other details of the shooting.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) – Iowa State wrapped up the Number 2 seed behind Kansas in the Big 12 tournament in the last game of the regular season. The Cyclones’ 89-76 win Saturday night at TCU locked in the pairings for the tournament that starts Wednesday in Kansas City.

Essex man arrested on drug charges early Sun. morning

News

March 8th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A traffic stop in Red Oak early this (Sunday) morning, resulted in a man being arrested on numerous drug charges. Red Oak Police say 31-year old Matthew Wayne Echternach, of Essex, was taken into custody at around 12:25-a.m. near the intersection of North Broadway and West Oak Streets. The man was charged with OWI Drugged/1st Offense, Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Echternach was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 cash bond. Red Oak Police were assisted during the traffic stop, by deputies with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

Red Oak man arrested Saturday night while on an ATV

News

March 8th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A traffic stop Saturday evening in Montgomery County led to the arrest of a Red Oak man. Red Oak Police say 57-year old Jeffrey Alan Runyan was arrested at around 7:40-p.m. for driving an ATV on a public street, while allegedly intoxicated. Runyan was charged with OWI/3rd offense and Driving While Revoked. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 bond.

Iowa AMBER ALERT cancelled Sunday morning

News

March 8th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

An AMBER ALERT issued Saturday afternoon in Iowa has been cancelled The Iowa Department of Public Safety reported early Sunday morning 9-year old Brianna Crane, of Solon, was found safe.  Capt. Gary Kramer with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that Brianna Crane was found early Sunday and “appears to be in good health.” Kramer said authorities are investigating what happened.

The girl was allegedly abducted at around 2:30-p.m. Saturday, by her step-father, 48-year old Kenneth Eugene Johns and the pair were thought to have been in southeast Iowa hours after the Alert was issued. Authorities are still searching for Johns. He is still believed to be armed and dangerous. If you know where he is, do not approach him. Instead, you should call 9-1-1.

Kenneth Johns

Kenneth Johns

Brianna Crane

Brianna Crane

Atlantic Fire Department to Conduct Smoke Detector Installation Project Monday

News

March 7th, 2015 by admin

The Atlantic Fire Department will be conducting a targeted door to door smoke detector installation project on Monday, March 9th in Atlantic.

The department will conduct the installations beginning at 5:30 pm and continuing throughout the evening.

Fire Chief Mark McNees stated “this is an expansion of the program we have been working on where we targeted residences with school age children. We now are going to target high risk areas.” The department will be focusing on the Sycamore Village mobile home park, and low income high density apartments.

Fire Prevention Officer Dustin McLaren has been working with Rolling Hills Bank, and Brocker, Carns and Carns Insurance to expand the program. McLaren says “ these two local businesses approached us about helping our program. They have funded the purchase of over 300 detectors for our efforts and we thank them for their generous gift to the department and community.”

The department was one of the first in the state to partner with the State Fire Marshal’s office. The marshal’s program is still distributing detectors throughout the state to departments that wish to conduct installations.

Firefighters will install up to two detectors free of charge at each residence and will advise residents on proper placement of other detectors and the necessity of escape plans. McLaren added, “smoke detectors are proven to be the most effective way to prevent injuries and deaths from fire. The Atlantic Fire Department is committed to preventing fires, injury, and death in any manner possible.”

Chief McNees reminds residents that the department has a priority list for installation of detectors and if those residents are missed they can contact the department and firefighters will install detectors as long as the supply lasts. The priority list for installation includes homes with school age children, homes with elderly residents, and low income residences.

McLaren adds that if smoke detectors are present in a home, but are over ten years old, the department recommends replacing them with a dual sensor detector.

AMBER ALERT UPDATE 4:45-p.m. 3/7/15

News

March 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

An AMBER ALERT was issued in Iowa at 3:33-p.m. Saturday, March 7th, for 9-year old Brianna Christine Elise Crane, who was allegedly abducted in Solon at around 2:30-p.m.

Brianna Crane

Brianna Crane

Brianna is hearing impaired, 4-feet tall, and weighs about 85 pounds. She has brown hair, hazel eyes, as was last seen wearing blue jeans, black high top shoes and an unknown color/style blouse.

It’s believed she and the suspect, 48-year old Kenneth Eugene Johns, are in a gray 2014 Ford Focus, with license plate CKJ 484. He is described as being a 48-year old white male, 6-feet tall, weighing 210 pounds. He has blonde hair and blue eyes, and is clean shaven. He was wearing a white shirt, blue jeans and gray, Ocean Pacific shoes. The suspect is possibly armed and dangerous.

As of 4:45-p.m., it was believed the pair may be in or near southeastern Iowa.

Alleged abductor

Kenneth Eugene Johns (Alleged abductor)

If you see the suspect or have any information about the child’s location, call 9-1-1 or the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office at 515-443-3014. Do not attempt to confront the suspect!

(Updated 4:45-p.m.) Amber Alert! Abducted eastern Iowa child

News

March 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

An AMBER ALERT was issued in Iowa at 3:33-p.m. Saturday, March 7th, for 9-year old Brianna Christine Elise Crane, who was allegedly abducted in Solon at around 2:30-p.m.

Brianna Crane

Brianna Crane

Brianne is hearing impaired, 4-feet tall, and weighs about 85 pounds. She was brown hair, hazel eyes, as was last seen wearing blue jeans, black high top shoes and an unknown color/style blouse.

It’s believed she and the suspect, 48-year old Kenneth Eugene Johns, are in a gray 2014 Ford Focus, with license plate CKJ 484. He is described as being a 48-year old white male, 6-feet tall, weighing 210 pounds. He has blonde hair and blue eyes, and is clean shaven. He was wearing a white shirt, blue jeans and gray, Ocean Pacific shoes. The suspect is possibly armed and dangerous.

As of 4:45-p.m., it was believed the pair may be in or near southeastern Iowa.

Alleged abductor

Kenneth Eugene Johns (Alleged abductor)

If you see the suspect or have any information about the child’s location, call 9-1-1 or the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office at 515-443-3014. Do not attempt to confront the suspect!

Texas’ Cruz tells Iowans he opposes renewable fuel quota

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is telling Iowa Republicans and agribusiness leaders that he opposes the federal standard for renewable production, including ethanol. At a forum focused on agricultural issues on Saturday, Cruz likens the federal renewable fuel standard to “corporate welfare.” Cruz tells the audience of roughly 1,000 that he has “every bit of faith that businesses can continue to compete, continue to do well without going on bended knee to the government.”

Iowa is the nation’s largest producer of ethanol. A 2007 law increases the volume of ethanol and other renewables blended into transportation fuel to 36 billion gallons by 2022. The federal Environmental Protection Agency in 2013 proposed reducing the increase. Leaders from both parties in Iowa say that would hurt the state’s economy.

Man rescued after falling through ice on western Iowa lake

News

March 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A man who fell through the ice of a western Iowa lake is recovering after being rescued. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports that rescue crews were called to Big Lake at Council Bluffs around 3 p.m. Friday. Authorities found the man in the water about 70 feet from shore.

Assistant Fire Chief Brad Nocita says workers used a boat to get to him and pull him from the water. The man, whose name has not been released, was treated at a local hospital. A witness says the man was fishing with two boys on a dock when he walked on the ice. Both boys tried to help pull the man out.

Nocita says one of the boys was treated at the scene; the other didn’t need treatment.

Sleepy driver rolls his pickup Sat. morning

News

March 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The driver of  a pickup truck fell asleep at the wheel Saturday morning, causing his pickup to crash. The Iowa State Patrol says 19-year old Zachary Thomas, of Council Bluffs, was driving a 2007 Ford Ranger northbound on Interstate 29 in Fremont County, when he fell asleep just before 7:30-a.m.. The pickup veered off the road and into the median.

Thomas woke up and took corrective action that caused the pickup to fishtail around and roll numerous times before re-entering I-29. The vehicle rolled across both northbound lanes of traffic before coming to rest in a ditch upside down on top of a fence. Thomas, who was wearing his seat belt, was transported by Tabor Rescue to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs.