The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency reports the Fire Danger Index will be in the Moderate category through this weekend. Continue to call your local fire department before conducting an open/controlled burn.
The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency reports the Fire Danger Index will be in the Moderate category through this weekend. Continue to call your local fire department before conducting an open/controlled burn.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Court filings show that all the Younkers and Herberger’s stores in Nebraska and Iowa will be closed as part of their corporate owner’s sale to liquidators. On Wednesday a judge approved the sale of Bon-Ton Stores Inc. to a joint venture of two liquidation firms and a group of company bondholders. Court records show the liquidation sales must be completed by Aug. 31.
Bon-Ton was operating 260 stores in 24 states, largely in the Northeast and Midwest, when it filed for bankruptcy in January. Analysts say that the 160-year-old company, like several other brick-and-mortar retailers in recent years, couldn’t survive the shift toward e-commerce.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office today (Thursday), released a report on arrests. The latest took place April 14th, when 23-year-old William Hollinger, of Arcadia, was arrested on a Shelby County District Court warrant for violation of probation. Hollinger was transported to the jail without incident, and released a brief time later after posting a $500 cash bond. On April 11th, 54-year-old Tracy Kobold, of Harlan, was arrested in Shelby County for driving under suspension, having no insurance, and improper use of registration. Kobold was transferred to the Shelby County Jail and later released after posting $566.25 cash bond.
April 10th, the Iowa State Patrol arrested 31-year-old Benjamin Petersen, of Exira. Petersen was arrested and charged with driving while revoked. Petersen was brought to the Shelby County Jail without incident, and later released after posting $1,000 cash bond. The previous day, Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 22-year-old Amber Nelson, of Denison, on Domestic Abuse Assault charges. Nelson was transferred from Crawford County Jail to the Shelby County Jail, where she was released the following morning on his own recognizance. On April 7th, 33-year-old Daniel Long of Harlan, was arrested and charged with Operating while intoxicated 1st offense, and open container. Long was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was released on his own recognizance the following morning.
The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following a single-vehicle accident at around 8-a.m., Tuesday. The accident happened at around 8-a.m. on Lewis Road, as a 1994 Ford F150 driven 18-year old Brooke Rachel Byrum, of Lewis, was southbound on Lewis Road. Byrum lost control of the pickup, causing it to enter the east ditch. Damage to the vehicle was estimated to be $2,500.
The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Thursday), released a report on recent arrests. Most recently, on Wednesday, 24-year old Joseph Andrew Riesberg, of Elliott, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Riesberg was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 bond. Last Friday, 27-year old Francis Daniel Kirchner, of Villisca, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Kirchner was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on his own recognizance.
On April 12th, Cass County Deputies arrested 48-year old Thomas Mathew Connors, of Omaha, on a charge of Driving While Revoked. Connors was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $1,000 bond. Two arrests took place April 11th: 32-year old Bill Louis Stockwell, of Elk Horn, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Stockwell was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $10,000 bond. And, 32-year old Jason Michael Melanson, of Elk Horn, was arrested for OWI/1st Offense. Melanson was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.
And, on April 10th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 49-year old Jodie Ann Tuttle, of Harlan, on a District Court Warrant for Failure to Appear. Tuttle was taken to the Cass County Jail where she was later released on her own recognizance.
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa baseball team will begin its three-game weekend series at No. 25 Minnesota with two games at Target Field on Friday and Saturday afternoon.
Game one, originally slated for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, will shift to 4 p.m. in the home of the Minnesota Twins, while game two will remain at 2 p.m. on Saturday, also at Target Field. Sunday’s game three is scheduled to see the series return to Siebert Field as planned at 1 p.m. The series finale will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
Entry into the stadium will be allowed at Gate 29 on Target Field Plaza, and gates will open one hour before game time. Fans can purchase tickets at the Target Field box office for $8. Season tickets and pre-purchased tickets for Friday and Saturday’s games will be honored at the gate. Seating at Target Field will be general admission for all ticket-holders.
Des Moines – Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen today (Thursday) issued a bulletin to all health insurers writing business in Iowa stating that Iowa will allow the extension of transitional health insurance policies for individuals and small groups to continue through calendar year 2019. This decision follows an announcement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) permitting these plans to continue. Oman said “I am very concerned about the rate shock for these folks, especially the 38,000 remaining Iowans in the individual transitional pool. If these Iowans were forced to join the collapsed individual ACA-compliant market, they would see rate increases between 100 – 400 percent.
According to Ommen, “Each year, these Iowans are given the choice during open enrollment to join the ACA market and each year these Iowans have chosen not to do so. They like their plans and they have kept them. I appreciate CMS continuing to give states flexibility in this regard as has been done each year since 2014, because without transitional plans as an option for these Iowans, most would likely join the up to 26,000 Iowans that have fled our ACA-compliant individual market this year.”
Transitional plans are health insurance coverage that was purchased after the ACA was passed but prior to the implementation of the Marketplace in 2014. Transitional plans are closed blocks of business that do not allow new entrants to the risk pool.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Forecasters say minor flooding is expected following the spring storm that dumped several inches of snow on most of northern Iowa. Up to a foot (30 centimeters) of snow was reported Thursday in Winnebago County after Wednesday’s storm moved through the state. Other spots reported less.
The National Weather Service issued a warning early this (Thursday) morning for the Cedar River at Cedar Falls. The water was nearing flood stage of 88 feet (27 meters) and is forecast to crest 18 inches (46 centimeters) above flood stage Tuesday evening. Flooding in a corner of Tourist Park is likely.
Minor flooding also is expected along the Winnebago River in Mason City, the Rock River at Rock Rapids, the Ocheyedan River near Spencer and the Little Sioux River at Cherokee,
A program designed to teach students about the dangers and costs of driving impaired and distracted, was held Wednesday afternoon, in front of the Griswold High School. “Every 15 Minutes,” also stresses the importance of wearing seat belts, and it takes students through the process, legal and emotional, following a mock crash caused by an impaired or distracted driver. Judi Nelson, event coordinator and an emergency room nurse, says the program which started in the mid-1990’s, has resulted in a reduction in the number of deaths from drunk or impaired driving. She said while the number of alcohol related deaths is down, the number of other, preventable fatalities involving motor vehicles is up.
That’s because there’s more than just alcohol involved. In addition to the use of prescription and non-prescription drugs by both adults and young adults, the use of mobile devices such as cell phones, for texting and calling, has proven to be a factor in crashes resulting in deaths. The two-day “Every 15 Minutes” program began Wednesday morning, with students being removed from their classrooms in 10-to 15-minute intervals, from 8:30-a.m. until 1-p.m. They are dressed to become, the “Living dead,” and have their faces painted white to look like a skeleton. During the afternoon, there was a Mock Collision, on the north side of the Griswold School grounds, and a mock trial for the driver.
The students attended a retreat Wednesday night, where they engaged in activities and heard personal experiences from parents and teens who lost a loved one or close friend to a crash involving an impaired or distracted driver. Personal testimonies were heard from Nina McNeese and Julia Peltzer. McNeese lost her two pre-school age boys when a young driver was texting and driving, and hit their vehicle head-on, near Red Oak. There was also a Parent retreat with the some of the same speakers.
This (Thursday) morning, a Memorial/Mock Funeral Assembly was held in the Griswold School Auditorium. Local law enforcement, emergency personnel, legal services and others were involved in making the event as real as possible for spectators and those involved.
Sheriff’s officials in Mills County report 24-year old Colton Brian Edward Fricke, of Glenwood, was arrested at around 11:30-p.m. Wednesday. Fricke was taken into custody for Possession of a Controlled Substance, after the Mills County Sheriff’s Dept. K9 unit checked on a vehicle at the Foot Hills Park, outside of Glenwood. Upon investigation and searching the vehicle, THC wax was located. THC Wax is derived from marijuana plants but can have up to eight times the concentration of THC compared to the buds people typically smoke. Fricke was taken into custody and transported to the Mills County Jail, where his bond was set at $1,000.
And, no injuries were reported following a rollover accident Wednesday afternoon, in Mills County. Authorities say 66-year old Randall Barber, of Glenwood, was driving a 2011 Jeep northbound on 295th Street at around 4:10-p.m., when his SUV began to slide on the gravel as he was rounding a curve to the west. The vehicle entered the north ditch and rolled onto its roof. No citations were issued.
(9-a.m. News)