Sheriff’s officials in Adams County report a Lenox man was arrested early this (Friday) morning on an attempted murder charge. Authorities say a search warrant was executed at around 1:30-a.m. at 409 W. Dallas Street in Lenox. During a search of the residence, 40-year old Antonio Valenzuela was arrested for Attempted Murder. Francisco Valenzuela was also, later arrested for Attempted Murder. Both men were being held in the Adams County Jail

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Officials with the Cass County Sheriff’s Department say a Nebraska woman faces charges of eluding, theft and criminal mischief following a rather slow speed chase early this (Friday) morning, south of Massena. Authorities say 46-year old Roxana Hall, of Omaha, was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic following the incident, which ended just before 6-a.m. near 710th Street and Yankton Road.

The Cass County Communications Center received a call about a female subject (later identified as Hall) who was walking on Victoria Road near 720th. A local resident stopped to see if the woman needed help.  Hall told him she needed to call 9-1-1. Hall then allegedly took the citizen’s phone and would not give it back. She got in her vehicle and drove down the road. A member of the Massena fire department kept watch on the vehicle until law enforcement could arrive.

A Cass County Deputy made contact with the female who was described as being non-compliant. Hall  then took off from the traffic stop,  which resulted in a vehicle pursuit. Speeds during the “chase” rarely exceeded 20-miles per hour. The woman told a Cass County 9-1-1 dispatcher she didn’t believe the person behind was a law enforcement officer, and after the dispatcher convinced Hall to stop her vehicle at Yankton Road and 710th, said she wanted to talk to a female officer.

Officers from the Atlantic Police Department, Montgomery County K-9 unit, and Adams County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene. After the woman still refused to exit her vehicle, officers were able to break out a window of the vehicle to remove the Hall, who was taken to CCMH for a mental evaluation.

Charges of Eluding, theft and criminal mischief are pending at this time.

(9-a.m. News)

Iowa pheasant hunters may have fewer targets when the next season rolls around. Due to the cold, snowy winter and the wet spring, forecast models predict much of Iowa will see the pheasant population stagnate or fall. Todd Bogenschutz, a wildlife biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says some parts of the state may see a boost in the bird numbers, while other areas will drop. “The patterns we’re seeing aren’t necessarily uniform across the state,” Bogenschutz says. “The western third of the state really was fairly mild this winter compared to the rest of the state and actually, they didn’t have as much rain in that part of the state during nesting either, compared to the rest of the state.”

The nesting forecast will be updated with the D-N-R’s August roadside survey, which he says is the best gauge of what pheasant hunters can expect to find in the fall. Despite the weather, Bogenschutz says he’s encouraged by passage of the new Farm Bill and actions earlier this week to boost preservation of pheasant habitat with landowners enrolling in the Conservation Reserve Program, or C-R-P.   “Monday, the USDA began taking CRP sign-ups under the continuous program,” he says. “We have a new pheasant recovery practice under the continuing CRP. They refer to it as SAFE, State Acres For Wildlife Enhancement.”

With high commodity prices and the growing demand for ethanol, Bogenschutz says many farmers have been converting former grassland bird habitats to farm fields. The D-N-R says hunters shot roughly 158-thousand pheasants in Iowa last year. Back in 2011, about 109-thousand pheasants were harvested in Iowa, the lowest number since the state began keeping track in 1962.

(Radio Iowa)

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It isn’t over until it’s over. That’s the phrase befitting the results of the June 3rd primary election in Crawford County. The Omaha World-Herald reports Steve Ulmer’s name was drawn from a basket this week to settle a tie vote in the Crawford County Board of Supervisors election. Ulmer was one of four Republicans seeking the nomination for three board seats. No Democrats were on the ballot.

Kyle Schultz, a challenger from Charter Oak, was the top vote winner. Eric Skoog, an incumbent from Denison, had the second-highest vote total. But Ulmer and Jerry Buller tied for the third spot. The drawing was done after the board canvassed votes Tuesday morning. Ulmer, of Arion, and Buller, of Kiron, were tied at 541 votes each after two provisional ballots were counted.

By Iowa law, when a vote ends in a tie, the winner is determined by lot. Both Ulmer and Buller were incumbents. Buller has requested a recount, which is scheduled for Thursday.

The National Weather Service in Valley, NE., says severe storms are possible Saturday night through early Sunday morning across a large portion of east central Nebraska and parts of western Iowa. In the KJAN listening area, parts of  Crawford, Monona, Harrison, Shelby and Pottawattamie Counties will be under the gun for the most severe weather this weekend.

In their Hazardous Weather Outlook issued this (Friday) morning, the Weather Service says very large hail, damaging winds and heavy rainfall can be expected, with some areas along and north of Interstate 80 picking up in excess of two-inches of rain.

An isolated tornado cannot be ruled out, either Saturday evening. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK., has indicated that a “Moderate Risk” of severe storms will exist across most of the area. Storm spotters will likely be called into action Saturday afternoon and night.

Authorities in Fremont County are asking for the public’s help in solving a crime that involves the theft of firearms. Sheriff’s officials say sometime between Monday, June 2nd and Monday, June 9th, a person or persons unknown entered a storage unit at Holliman Storage in Hamburg. Inside, they removed several firearms, including assault rifles.

A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in connection with the incident. If you have information you think might be helpful in solving the crime, call Fremont County Chief Deputy Steve Owen or Deputy Andrew Wake, at 712-374-2424.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press