The Montgomery County Communications Center received a call from Cass County on Friday (11/14) night at approximately 9:33pm of an unoccupied vehicle fire around 110th Street and Pilot Grove Park.  The vehicle was then located on Q Avenue, one half mile north of 110th Street fully engulfed in flames.  Elliot Fire arrived on scene and extinguished the fire.

Car fire Friday night (Photo submitted)

Upon investigation it was determined that the owner and operator of the vehicle was 23-year-old Jared Scott Smith of New Market.  He was traveling northbound on Q Avenue when he fell asleep and woke back up as he was entering the east ditch.  Smith swerved back to center and lost control, sliding into the west ditch where the car laid to rest.  Smith stated the vehicle began to fill with smoke and he exited the vehicle and called 911.  The vehicle was a total loss.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Elliot Fire and Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office was called to a one vehicle accident at approximately 7:33am on Friday (11/14/14) in the 1300 block of Highway 275.  Officers discovered that 14-year-old Bryant Reafling was driving to school and lost control and rolled a 1996 Pontiac Bonneville. Reafling refused treatment of injuries at the scene. During the accident the car also knocked down a No Passing sign and a telephone box owned by Windstream.  The accident is still under investigation.

Officials with the Urbandale Police Department have released the video of a traffic stop involving the woman who, at the time, was serving as the spokesperson for Joni Ernst’s campaign for the U.S. Senate. Gretchen Hamel is seen sitting in a seat, talking with the policeman who pulled her over. “I’m here working on a campaign currently,” Hamel said. The officer asked: “For who?” and Hamel did not give Ernst’s name and merely said she was working “for a political candidate here in Iowa.” The officer said: “So obviously an OWI would get you fired.”

Hamel told the officer she was a passenger in the vehicle and someone else had been driving when the car hit a pole. The officer suggested video from a nearby intersection could be checked and he asked Hamel how many people would be seen in the car at that tim “Probably two,” Hamel said. The officer said: “Probably, huh? Not: ‘They should show two’ or ‘They will show two’ but ‘probably (two).'” At this point Hamel concedes: “O.K. They may show one.” After a long pause, she adds: “They may show two.” The officer then gets Hamel to admit she had been driving the car.

“Here’s the thing — all I want’s the truth from you, O.K? Right now, I’m leaning towards not charging you with OWI, OK? Not because I don’t believe you were driving because I know for a fact that you were driving, but because I really don’t necessarily think that you need to be fired from your job for this,” the cop said. “That being said, you were the driver, correct?” Hamel then admitted she was the driver. “I was pulling over,” she said. The officer continued: “You were pulling over because thought maybe you’d been drinking too much and you didn’t see the poles there.” Hamel replied, “Yes.”

A breath test showed Hamel’s blood alcohol level was point-16 (0.16). That’s two times over the legal limit. She was not charged with drunken driving for this October 3rd incident. Hamel was charged with reckless driving and her car, which was decorated with Ernst campaign stickers, was towed. Nearly four weeks later, on October 29th, Hamel was arrested in West Des Moines and charged with operating while intoxicated. She resigned from the Ernst campaign the following morning.

(Radio Iowa)

Special child adoption ceremonies will be held today (Saturday) in eastern Iowa and next Saturday in several cities across the state. Bambi Schraderis with Iowa KidsNet, which is one of the organizing agencies sponsoring “Adoption Saturday” events during November. “This year, our theme is superheroes as Batman, Spiderman, Superman, Curious George, Luke Skywalker — they were all adopted,” Schrader says. “We’ll have some figures in costume who will be able to meet and greet the families and take pictures with the kids.”

Adoptions are often not a high priority in the legal system so counties set aside these days to do multiple adoptions, often with all-volunteer courthouse staffs in place. Court dates for adoptions otherwise may get bumped back which is discouraging, so Schrader says these events become extra special for the children and their new “forever families.”

“It really is a celebration,” Schrader says. “I’ve never seen so many smiles in one place and so many tears of joy at one location at one time.” Adoption ceremonies were held in Waterloo and Cedar Rapids yesterday (Friday), while they’re being held today (Saturday) in Davenport. Many more are scheduled for next Saturday (Nov 22) in Council Bluffs, Des Moines, Sioux City and Webster City. Schrader says it’s easy to learn about the adoption process by going to the group’s website, iowakidsnet.com.

(Radio Iowa)

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge has scheduled a February sentencing for the father and son whose Iowa egg farms were linked to a huge 2010 salmonella outbreak. U.S. District Judge Mark W. Bennett ruled Thursday that Quality Egg owners Austin “Jack” DeCoster and Peter DeCoster will be sentenced during hearings that begin Feb. 9 in Sioux City and could last five days.

The DeCosters pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce. They face up to one year in jail, but their attorney is arguing for a fine and probation. Quality Egg also faces a fine after pleading guilty to bribing a federal inspector, selling misbranded food and introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce.

The outbreak sickened thousands of people nationwide and shook public confidence in the egg industry.

Area Counties: MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE; 402 AM CST SAT NOV 15 2014;

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT.

* TIMING…SNOW WILL BEGIN TO ACCUMULATE ACROSS THE AREA BETWEEN 8 AM AND 11 AM AND PERIODS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW WILL THEN CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS BEFORE EXITING THE AREA BETWEEN 9 PM AND MIDNIGHT.

* ACCUMULATIONS…TOTAL SNOWFALL SHOULD BE 2 OR 3 INCHES WITH A BIT HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND WEST CENTRAL IOWA.

* IMPACTS…SNOWFALL WILL CAUSE VISIBILITIES OF A MILE OR LESS AT TIMES AND MAY CREATE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION…AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW COULD DEVELOP THIS EVENING AS A COLD FRONT CROSSES THE AREA FURTHER IMPACTING TRAVEL.

Area Counties: SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD; 415 AM CST SAT NOV 15 2014;

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT…

* TIMING…SNOW IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD INTO WESTERN IOWA BETWEEN 9 AM AND NOON TODAY THEN WILL SPREAD OVER THE REMAINDER OF CENTRAL IOWA DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THE SNOW WILL PERSIST INTO THIS EVENING BEFORE ENDING AROUND MIDNIGHT. THE HIGHEST SNOWFALL INTENSITY WILL BE IN THE AFTERNOON.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW IS LIKELY WITH SOME LOCAL AMOUNTS TO 5 INCHES OVER NORTHERN IOWA…GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF U.S. HIGHWAY 20. THE LIGHTEST AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED IN FAR SOUTHERN IOWA.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…VISIBILITY WILL BE REDUCED TO AROUND A MILE OR LESS AT TIMES. WINDS WILL BE SOUTHEAST AT 5 TO 10 MPH.

* IMPACTS…ROADWAYS WILL BECOME SLICK IN PLACES.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

ALTOONA, Iowa (AP) — Facebook has officially launched a data center in central Iowa. The social media giant opened its doors Friday to showcase its 476,000-square-foot facility in Altoona, just outside of Des Moines. A second data center is under construction next door. The first data center has 75 employees.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The English Valley Elementary school in North English implemented a lockdown and security measures yesterday after a man who appeared intoxicated and claimed to have a knife caused a disturbance in the school’s office. The Iowa County sheriff’s office says 28-year-old Coty Schwochow (ShWOW-cow) entered the school office at 8:40 a.m. Friday and appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. No one was injured and no children were in the office at the time.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two osprey birds who nested in construction equipment this summer at the Wells Fargo complex in West Des Moines will find their nest atop a 55-foot-tall pole when they return in the spring. The Des Moines Register reports the birds had built a nest atop a construction crane.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Drake seniors Gary Ricks, Junior and Karl Madison have each been suspended for three games by the school for accepting improper benefits. The school says Ricks and Madison received the benefits in 2012 to 2013, when they played under former coach Mark Phelps. They’ll miss Drake’s first three games, starting with yesterday’s opener against Bowling Green.

A southwest Iowa man is dead following a crash that was discovered early this (Friday) morning, in Fremont County. The Sheriff’s Office reports the body of 55-year old Patrick Tobin, of Tabor, was found by a deputy at around 9:30-a.m.  The man was inside his vehicle, which was located in a spillway in the 1300 block of Plum Creek Road, about 3.5-miles southwest of Tabor. Tobin was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities think the accident happened sometime early this (Friday) morning. They said the vehicle was difficult to see from the road because of where it came to rest in the water. Tobin’s body was sent to the State DCI Crime Lab in Ankeny for an autopsy.

The Fremont County Coroner’s Office, Tabor Fire and Rescue and Thurman’s Fire Department assisted the sheriff’s office at the scene.

Officials in Harlan said Friday Todd Valline, of Elko, NV, has been named the executive director of the newly merged Shelby County Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Valline, an Iowa native who has strong family ties in the Nevada, Iowa, area, will begin his new position on Mon., Dec. 1. He replaces Jane Nielsen who has been the interim director since January 2014.

Todd Valline, new Exec. Dir. of the Shelby Co. Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber president, Kevin Campbell, Shelby County State Bank, said, “The Executive Com- mittee was delighted by the amount of interest we had in this role. Applicants from coast to coast were interested, but Todd stood out from the very beginning. His preparation and research was noticeably ahead of the other applicants.”

Valline has over 20 years of professional marketing, sales and administration experience in multiple areas across multiple industry and also has workforce development experience. He was one of four finalists among 18 candidates in the selection process which began in September.