(Anita, Iowa) – CAM Speech and Debate Head Coach Manda Thomas reports the CAM Debate team started their year off strong with tournaments at Johnston High School on October 1st, and the IFL (Iowa Forensic League) season opener at Dowling Catholic, on October 5th. Megan Gerlock and Sophie Herzberg participated in the Lincoln Douglas Debate at Johnston. Megan went 1-1, and Sophie was 2-0, in their first time competing. Creighton Kinzie and Declan Cambage participated in mixed exempt. No results were posted for them at the time of this article’s writing.

On Saturday, October 5, Sophie Herzberg, Megan Gerlock, and Macy Burg traveled to Dowling Catholic to participate in the IFL opener.  Sophie and Megan both participated in Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate.  Sophie went 3-2 against some tough West Des Moines Valley, Bettendorf and Dowling Catholic students.  Megan went 4-0 and advanced to the finals against West Des Moines Valley.  In a 2-1 decision Megan won and was the IFL Season opener champion in Novice Lincoln Douglas. Macy Burg participated in Informative Speaking on Saturday.  She placed 4th overall with her piece on Natural Disaster Preparedness. (Photos submitted by Coach Thomas)

Macy Burg Informative Speaking 4th place

Sophie Herzberg, Macy Burg, and Megan Gerlock

Megan Gerlock Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate 1st place

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood say a man from Council Bluffs was arrested on drug charges, Saturday. 20-year-old Avery Clawson was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Clausen posted a $1,300 bond, and was released from custody.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports two recent arrests: on Oct. 3rd, 30-year-old Christopher Wah Bryant, of Des Moines, was arrested on an Adair County warrant for Driving While Barred. Bryant was released that same day on a $2,000 bond.

And, on Oct. 4th, 47-year-old Brant Alan Grasty, of Guthrie Center, turned himself-in to the Clerk of Court. Grasty was wanted on Adair County warrants for Harassment in the 2nd Degree, and Disorderly Conduct. He appeared before a magistrate on was released on his Own Recognizance.

(Creston, Iowa) – No injuries were reported, but a Creston woman was arrested following an accident Sunday night. Creston Police say a 2016 Lincoln MKX driven by 54-year-old Anne Marie Chapman, of Creston, was traveling west in the 700 block of W. Mills Street at around 9:10-p.m., when the vehicle struck a legally parked 2017 Jeep Wrangler registered to a Creston resident.

Authorities say both vehicles sustained front, driver’s side damage amounting to a police estimated $3,000, total. Chapman drove away from the scene of the accident, but officers eventually made contact with her and conducted an OWI investigation. Chapman was arrested for OWI/1st offense and transported to the Union County Jail.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston say seven people were arrested over the past few days. Friday afternoon, 43-year-old Timothy Robert Hudek, of Creston, was arrested on a Union County Warrant for Probation Violation. Hudek was taken to the Union County Jail where he later bonded out on $2,000. Saturday evening, 34-year-old Alex Richard Cunningham, of Creston, was arrested for Harassment in the 1st Degree – 4th or Sub Offense. Cunningham was taken to the Union County Jail where he later posted at $2,000 bond. Friday night, Creston Police arrested 21-year-old Aaron James Cozad, of Creston, for Driving while Revoked and Without Interlock Device. Cozad was later released on a $1,000 bond.

Early Sunday morning, 26-year-old Lynn Marie Singer, of Creston, was arrested for OWI – 1st Offense. She was later released on $1,000 bond, 62-year-old Ronald Dale Brammer, of Creston, was arrested early Sunday morning, for Driving While Suspended. Brammer was later released on a $300 bond. Sunday afternoon, 39-year-old Fallon Danielle May, of Creston, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st Offense – Intend to inflict Serious Injury. May was being held in the Union County Jail on $2,000 bond.  And, late Sunday night 54-year-old Anne Marie Chapman, of Creston, was arrested for OWI/ 1st Offense. Chapman later posted a $1,000 bond and was released from the Union County Jail.

Early Saturday morning, a Creston woman reported her house, located in the 500 block of N. Oak Street, was egged overnight. The damage estimated at $50.

LE MARS, Iowa — Officials with the Le Mars Police Department report a suspect in a deadly shooting that occurred on September 30^th is in custody. 21-year-old Omar Martinez Cruz is suspected in the death of 21-year-old Miguel Martinez. Le Mars Police officers were called to an apartment at 37 3rd Northwest for reports of “shots fired.” Officers arriving on the scene found 21-year-old Miguel Martinez with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Investigators determined Cruz was in Sioux Center on Friday, Oct. 4. A tip helped investigators determine he returned to Le Mars, at 8:30-p.m. that same day.

The incident remains under investigation.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Area fire departments held free-will donation breakfasts Sunday to kick-off Fire Prevention Week, which is now through Saturday, Oct. 12^th. In Atlantic, a breakfast served at the fire station included pancakes, sausage/bacon, scrambled eggs and coffee or juice. The donation breakfast helps with Fire Prevention and Education efforts at schools and elsewhere. The theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week is “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you.”

In Atlantic, the week concludes Saturday with the Annual Fireman’s Parade downtown at 6-p.m. The parade line-up begins at 4-p.m., at 3^rd & Olive Streets, and features the “Destruction Drill Team,” along with numerous participating area fire department trucks and personnel, EMS crews and their vehicles, and much more.

Oct. 12, 2024 Atlantic Fireman’s Parade route

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports there were no injuries following a collision Friday afternoon at Prairie and Spruce Streets. The accident happened at around 2:20-p.m., when two pickup trucks collided as a 2006 GMC Canyon traveling north on Spruce and driven by a 16-year-old male from Creston, stopped, and then slowly pulled into the intersection. The GMC was struck by a 2007 Chevy Tahoe, driven by 42-year-old Robert Quinn, of Creston, was traveling west on Prairie Street.

The teen driver’s vision of oncoming traffic, police said, was obstructed by numerous parked vehicles lined along Prairie Street, all the way up to the corner of Prairie and Spruce. The teen didn’t see the Chevy pickup until the collision occurred. There were no citations issued. Damage from the accident amounted to $6,000 altogether, according to the Creston Police report.

(Radio Iowa) – After several days of repairs in Ohio, a team of about 70 Iowa utility workers is now in western North Carolina, helping to restore power to tens of thousands of customers who were hit by the remnants of Hurricane Helene. Line mechanic and crew leader Lee Tyler, of Le Mars, has worked for MidAmerican Energy nearly 20 years. Tyler says there’s nothing he’s seen in the Asheville area so far that’s surprised him, not after all of the storms, tornadoes and derechos that have lashed Iowa. “No, it’s pretty typical of a major storm, a lot of trees and wires down, but nothing that I’ve seen so far is out of the ordinary,” Tyler says. “Lots of broken poles, lots of trees on lines, just the regular storm work that we’re all used to.”

The crews are working mostly 16-hour days, and come home understandably exhausted to catch a little shut-eye in tents, trailers and trucks. “As long as there’s sunlight, we’re out working,” Tyler says. “They’ve got breakfast for us back at the show-up area, and they do have trailers with bunks in it, but a lot of guys are just sleeping out in the trucks because the weather’s so nice out right now.” Aside from the paycheck, Tyler was asked what keeps him motivated on this type of mission, working long hours in challenging conditions far from home. “Just the fact that we’re getting power back on to all these people that have been without power for so long, and it disrupts their lives, not being able to have the power that they normally have during the day to do their daily activities,” Tyler says, “and everybody’s so thrilled and excited when everything comes back on.”

A simple thank you goes a long way, too. The Iowa utility crews were gratified to get up one morning to find someone had taped a hand-lettered thank you note to one of their bucket trucks, along with a heart and a smiley face. “That was actually my truck that it got taped to, and yeah, we’ve had nothing but positive from everybody,” Tyler says. “Everybody’s honking and waving and thanking us as they go by. And yeah, it’s been a pretty positive experience, so far, from everybody.” Tyler talked with Radio Iowa via satellite phone, as there are precious few cell towers still standing in the North Carolina mountains. He says they’re methodically restoring power to 200 customers at time, and sometimes just one or two houses. It’s anybody’s guess how long it’ll take to get this job done and come home, he says. There are conflicting rumors it may be a matter of days, weeks, or even a month.

“Some of the areas that they’re telling them that, the reason it’s going to take so long is when it flooded, it ruined some of the big substations,” he says, “and it’s going to take that long to get replacement parts to fix the substations back up.”

The destruction from the winds and flooding is extensive, he says. Helene is being called one of the deadliest and most expensive storms ever to hit the nation, with more than 200 dead, hundreds listed as missing, and damage some estimates peg at 34-billion dollars.