Red Oak Police say no injuries were reported following two separate accidents over the weekend. Just before Noon, Sunday, a 1998 Buick Park Avenue sustained $4,000 damage after it collided with a tree at N. 6th and E. Hammond Streets. Authorities say 97-year old Darrell Pratt, of Red Oak, had parked the vehicle in the 600 block of E. Hammond Street while he was attending church. After the services, he got back into the car and thought he had it started before putting his seat belt on and putting the vehicle in “Drive.” The car, with its engine not started, began rolling downhill westbound. Pratt was unable to turn the wheel due to a lack of power steering. His vehicle collided with a large Maple Tree on the north side of the street. The tree was not damaged in the collision.

And, at around 12:10-p.m. Sunday, vehicles driven by 18-year old Thomas Blocker, of Red Oak, and 26-year old Travis Kester, of Clarinda, collided at the intersection of N. 8th and E. Joy Streets, in Red Oak. The accident happened after Blocker came to the intersection but did not see Kester’s approaching 2009 Chevy Impala. When Blocker’s 1996 Dodge pulled into the intersection, it was struck on the driver’s side front fender by the Impala, causing a total of $3,800 damage. Blocker told police he didn’t think his brakes were working properly. He was cited for Failing to Yield from a Yield sign.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police have arrested a man shot at by an officer during a foot chase in Des Moines. Police say 21-year-old Michael Garrison was taken into custody Sunday and charged with assault and other crimes. The Des Moines Police Department says in a news release that Garrison had wielded a gun in threatening a person in a home and then fled. Police say Sgt. Jeremy Sprague spotted Garrison and chased him as Garrison ran. Police say Sprague fired at Garrison when Garrison pointed a handgun at Sprague.

Garrison was soon captured, and police recovered a pellet gun believed to be the weapon Garrison pointed at Sprague. Police say no one was injured.

(Radio Iowa) — A manufacturer of compostable packaging is moving its operations from California to Iowa. Jon Kallen, spokesperson for Chamness Biodegradables, says Iowa’s “business climate” is the main factor in the company’s decision to relocate from Camarillo, to Ankeny. “This company uses a lot of energy to make the products and we’re paying about 21-cents a kilowatt hour for electricity in Southern California. We’ll probably pay around six-to-seven-cents a kilowatt hour in Ankeny,” Kallen told Radio Iowa.

Gary Chamness, the owner of the company, is a native of Blairsburg in northern Iowa’s Hamilton County. Kallen expects the new facility in Ankeny will eventually employ 36 people. “The jobs are going to be in research and development, sales, production, and custom fabrication because for a lot of these materials you have to make molds,” Kallen said.  Chamness Biodegradables makes serve-ware and bakeware, and according to Kallen, the company’s customized packaging division is booming. “We make a myriad of packaging items for clients, including six-pack beer ring holders, test tube holders for laboratories, we make packaging for a national pizza home delivery company, and we provide all the packaging for a company that delivers home meals,” Kallen said.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority Board, on Friday, awarded Chamness with $140,000 in direct financial assistance and tax benefits. Chamness plans to lease a 27,500 square foot building in Ankeny.

(RADIO IOWA) — A report by the American Gaming Association finds the impact of the 19 state-licensed casinos is bigger than previously estimates. Iowa Gaming Association president, Wes Ehrecke (Air-uh-key) says the A-G-A report looked at the job and dollar impact of the casinos. “The ripple affect with the support that they have for a lot of the small businesses, the non-profits and more — they estimated that job support at about 15-thousand-660. And total economic impact of two-point-five BILLION dollars,”Ehrecke says.  He says his organization had estimated the impact on the state at one billion dollars. The A-S-A report shows the impact of casinos was found to be widespread. “Just the support not only in charitable contributions — but often times the volunteer efforts of casino employees — as well as just the presence of having so many sponsorships and other ways that they support the community,”Ehrecke says.

Ehrecke says the casino industry has come a long way in the state. “It was difficult to imagine by anyone 27 years ago when the first riverboat casinos in the country opened up on April 1st 1991. Today now we have 19 commercial casinos that are by design and encouragement by our regulators to be premiere entertainment destinations,” Ehrecke says.  He says the amenities that go along with the casinos are part of the big impact they have on communities. “Most have some form of dinning and lodging and in some cases, golf courses, bowling alleys, spas and other entertainment entities that really make these worthwhile attractions,” according to Ehrecke. “Plus the meeting space, the concert venues that make it a really the cornerstone of any community in any region.”

Ehrecke says the casinos also take the concern of those who might develop a gambling problem very seriously. He says the gaming industry has always been at the forefront of responsible gaming and he says for the gaming industry the number of problem gamblers has held around one-percent. Ehrecke says they fund and encourage those with a problem to call the gambling addiction help line.

The A-G-A survey looked across the gambling facilities in Iowa, with a special focus on the impact of the casinos in Dubuque and Council Bluffs. The study was released as a part of its “getting to know gambling” campaign.

Authorities in Montgomery County report the arrest of two women over the weekend. A little after 11-p.m. Sunday, Red Oak Police arrested 47-year old Ann Kristine Harding, of Red Oak, on a warrant out of Lancaster County, NE., for Theft/shoplifting. During her arrest, Harding provided false information to officers, resulting in a charge for the same offense. She was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond for the local charge, and No Bond on the Nebraska warrant. And, at around 7:20-p.m. Saturday, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 53-year old Jodie Bobbett Gibson, of Plattsmouth, NE. Gibson was taken into custody for OWI/1st offense, following a traffic stop near G Avenue and Highway 34, west of Red Oak. Her bond was set at $1,000.

(Updated 6:19-a.m.) Anita Rescue and Wiota 1st Responders were called to the scene of a semi tractor-trailer rollover accident early this morning on Interstate 80, in Cass County. According to dispatch reports, the semi was in the north ditch on its side near Exit 64, westbound. Two people were said to have suffered serious injuries. One was flown from the scene by Midwest Med-Air, another was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital before being flown to a hospital in Des Moines by Mercy helicopter. The accident was reported at around 4:45-a.m. No other details are currently available.

Midwest Med-Air (photo by Mike Kennon, Cass County Emergency Management Agency)

Photo courtesy Mike Kennon, Cass County EMA (Click to enlarge)

(RADIO IOWA) — President Trump is scheduled to visit Iowa this Thursday. Congressman Rod Blum, of Dubuque tweeted about the visit, saying Trump would participate in a round table” discussion in Blum’s hometown of Dubuque. Abby Finkenaur, the Democrat who’s challenging the congressman’s bid for a third term, says Blum “has a responsibility” to make it clear how much Trump’s “Twitter trade war” is damaging farmers’ finances. Iowa Republican Party chairman Jeff Kaufmann downplays the idea Republicans are abandoning the president.

“The Republican Party of Iowa stands with President Donald Trump. We’re proud of you, Mr. President,” Kaufmann said. “There! We’ve got that out of the way.”  Kaufmann made his comments Friday evening to about 400 Republicans gathered in a Des Moines for a party fundraiser. “Do we agree 100 percent of the time? No. No one does. Are we proud of him? Absolutely. Is he better than the left-wing nuts that they’d like to replace him with? Always!” Kaufmann yelled into the microphone, the volume of his voice so loud it drew chuckles from the crowd.

The top Republican in the Iowa legislature also addressed the party activists and donors. House Speaker Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake touted the agenda Republicans in the House, Senate and governor’s office pursued the past two years. “If you care about lower taxes, gun rights, protecting life, election integrity or responsible budgets, you had a good two years,” Upmeyer said. “…But here’s the thing: we’re only halfway there. The Democrats are running to reverse every single bit of this.”

Upmeyer says a G-O-P priority for 2019 will be passing a resolution so Iowans may vote on a constitutional amendment on gun rights. “Our constitution is one of the very few in the nation that doesn’t enshrine your right to bear arms today,” Upmeyer said. “…So that’s what I mean — we’re only halfway there.”

Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver of Ankeny says Republicans decided to “think big” rather than make small changes that didn’t “ruffle feathers.” “We can continue down the path that we’re heading,” Whitver said, “or we can go back to the way of Chet Culver and Democrats in control.”

Whitver told his fellow Republicans 2018 is the “most important election in at least a generation.”