The Cass County Sheriff’s Office has released additional details about a high-speed chase that began Monday night in Griswold and ended early this (Tuesday) morning, in Page County. As we reported earlier today (Tuesday) a Cass County deputy attempted a traffic stop on a 2002 Chevy pickup on 550th Street in Griswold. A pursuit began when the driver of the vehicle refused to stop. The chase continued through Montgomery County into Page County where the vehicle wrecked and two subjects were apprehended at around 1:24-a.m.  The suspects were identified as 21-year old Johnathan Tyler McAlpin, of Red Oak, and 22-year old Alexandra Marie Sindt, of Griswold. The pair were found after a nearly 2-hour search. The State Patrol said they were suffering from hypothermia and were transported to a hospital for treatment before being taken to the Page County Jail.

Authorities in Montgomery County have charged McAlpin, who was driving the pickup, with felony Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree and Assault with a Deadly Weapon upon a Peace Officer, as the result of the alleged ramming of a police cruiser with the pursued vehicle.

Two cruisers were also rammed in Page County. Page County is charging McAlpin with several felonies, including two counts of Assault with Intent to Cause Serious Injury, Eluding, Criminal Mischief 1st Degree, Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree, and a serious misdemeanor charge of OWI 1st Offense. Sindt, who was a passenger in the vehicle,  is charged in Page County with Interference with Official Acts (Simple Misdemeanor). Traffic violations are forthcoming in Cass County in connection with the incident.

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The 2014 Iowa political calendar effectively begins tonight (Tuesday) at the precinct caucuses for both parties. These organizing meetings kick off a series of party events, culminating with the state conventions in June. They tend to mostly attract loyalists in non-presidential election years.

The caucuses begin a process of building a volunteer base. That party faithful sets the tone for the elections in 2014 and starts organizing in advance of the 2016 presidential election in the early-voting state of Iowa.

Attendance is expected to be much lower than in presidential years. Republicans had more than 120,000 attend the 2012 caucuses, when there was an open primary. More than 200,000 Democrats participated in the 2008 caucuses, the last time there was an open Democratic presidential primary.

A traffic stop that began at around 9:30-p.m. Monday in Griswold ended in Page County nearly 4-hours later following a high-speed chase and search. According to the State Patrol Communications Center near Lewis, the incident began when a Cass County deputy attempted to stop a Chevy pickup in Griswold. The vehicle and two persons inside took off and led authorities on a chase into Mongtomery County and the City’s of Elliott and Clarinda before ending near Clarinda, in Page County. The suspects bailed out of their disabled vehicle and tried to hide from authorities, who apprehended them at around 1:24-a.m. in a cornfield west of Clarinda.

Numerous law enforcement vehicles were damaged during the chase when the suspects’ pickup “rammed” or came into contact with those vehicles. Other patrol vehicles sustained blown tires during the chase. At times, speeds during the chase were in excess of 100-miles per hour. Cass County Deputies Ben Bartholomew, Josh McLaren and Kyle Quist were all involved in the pursuit.

The suspects were brought to the Clarinda Regional Medical Center for treatment of hypothermia before being transported to the jail. Their names and additional details are currently not available. No law enforcement officers were injured during the pursuit, but their lives were in danger many times, according to law enforcement sources.

Police in Red Oak arrested a Council Bluffs man Monday afternoon. 19-year old Eric Michael Chapin was taken into custody a little after 2-p.m., on an active Montgomery County warrant for a Probation Violation. Chapin was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 bond.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha Police have identified one of the two men killed in Monday’s explosion and fire at an animal feed processing plant. Police said 53-year-old Keith Everett was the victim rescuers recovered Monday evening. The other victim’s body remains inside the unstable plant. Rescuers plan to renew their efforts to reach that victim this (Tuesday) morning.

Besides the two people who were killed, 10 other workers at the International Nutrition plant were hospitalized. Interim Omaha Fire Chief Bernie Kanger says it could be weeks before investigators are able to determine what caused the industrial accident.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Iowa man has been killed and an Iowa woman has been injured in an accident along Interstate 80 in eastern Omaha. Omaha police say the accident occurred a little after 6 a.m. Monday where I-80 merges with Interstate 480 and U.S. Highway 75.

Police say 28-year-old Brian Pete, of Des Moines, Iowa, had stopped and parked his car on the painted median of I-80. Police say It was hit by a westbound sport utility vehicle driven by 26-year-old Sara Barker, of Council Bluffs.

Pete was pronounced dead at the scene. Barker was taken to an Omaha hospital. The accident is being investigated.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Iowans will have to re-adjust to colder weather after record-setting high temperatures over the weekend. Cathy Zapotocny, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Valley, Nebraska says much colder air will be coming in for the overnight hours into Tuesday. A wind chill advisory is in effect for the northern part of Iowa until noon today.

CHEROKEE, Iowa (AP) — The 60 workers who lost their jobs at the Tyson plant in northwest Iowa’s Cherokee could return if business were to pick up and more production were needed. After Friday’s layoff, the plant still employs about 500 people. The plant produces deli meats. Tyson spokesman Dan Fogleman says the company will be working with the 60 to see whether they meet job requirements for openings at Tyson’s other northwest Iowa plants.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Police say a potential suicide jumper who scaled a bridge between Nebraska and Iowa has come down. The Sioux City Journal says the man climbed the Veterans Memorial Bridge around 6 p.m. Sunday. The bridge carries U.S. Highways 77 and 20 traffic between South Sioux City, Nebraska and Sioux City, Iowa. Officers shut off bridge traffic for 15 to 20 minutes before the man came down willingly.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Iowa man has been killed and an Iowa woman has been injured in an accident along Interstate 80 in eastern Nebraska. Omaha police say the accident occurred a little after 6 a.m. Monday where I-80 merges with Interstate 480 and U.S. Highway 75.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Publisher and Des Moines community activist Jonathan Narcisse (NAR-siss) says he will seek the Democratic nomination for governor. Narcisse made his announcement Monday morning at the African American Museum of Iowa in Cedar Rapids. Narcisse ran as an independent for governor in 2010.

Des Moines Sen. Jack Hatch also is seeking the Democratic nomination to face Republican Gov. Terry Branstad, who announced last week that he would run for a sixth term. Narcisse has owned a number of publications, including the Iowa Bystander. He served on the Des Moines School Board for two years.

There are fatalities after an accident this (Monday) morning at an Omaha animal feed processing plant. Interim Omaha Fire Chief Bernie Kanger says 38 employees were inside the International Nutrition plant at the time. Many workers escaped unharmed, while 10 were taken to area hospitals. Four were listed in critical condition.

Picture Courtesy Omaha Police Dept.

“There are fatalities,” Kanger said a mid-afternoon press conference. “We are not going to release the number of those fatalities at this time simply because we have not had the opportunity to clear the entire structure. This is a large building with significant structural damage.” Part of plant collapsed in the accident and there was a fire. The fire was extinguished, but firefighters – who rescued some workers – were ordered out of the building over fears of another collapse.

At 2 p.m., Kanger said the mission switched from rescue to recovery mode. “The chance of finding any victims alive is no longer there,” Kanger said. “Our efforts are to secure the building and then go in to find any victims that may still be in the structure.” Kanger said the cause of the accident, which occurred around 10 a.m., is unknown.  “What we do know is this was an industrial accident that resulted in structural collapse and fire,” Kanger said. “We do not know if there was an explosion. That will be part of the cause investigation.” International Nutrition, located in south-central Omaha, produces prepared feed and feed ingredients for livestock.

(Radio Iowa)