MISSOURI VALLEY, Iowa (AP) — Investigators say they can’t be certain what caused a fire in downtown Missouri Valley that killed two people. The Daily Nonpareil reports that the investigation into the Thanksgiving Day blaze has ended.

The fire was reported about 7:45 a.m. Nov. 23 at CTI Electronics. The bodies of 44-year-old Stacy Larsen and 44-year-old Chad Stevens were found in the building. Their deaths were ruled accidental.
The State Fire Marshal Division says the damage where the fire started and the lack of witnesses kept investigators from concluding what sparked the blaze. The agency listed a possible cause: flammable vapors from an aerosol can ignited by an open flame, most likely from a candle.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports six people were arrested last week, including a man who was turned over to Homeland Security/Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Sheriff Jeff Vandewater says 28-year old Eduardo Salinas-Landero, of Des Moines, was transferred from Cass to Adair County, Feb. 14th, under the authority of an Adair County warrant for Failure to Appear in court on a 5th Degree Theft charge. Salinas-Landero was transferred that same day to officials with HS/ICE.

Also arrested Feb. 14th, was 31-year old Jeremiah Justus Grayson, of Omaha. Grayson was stopped on Interstate 80 by an Iowa State Patrol Trooper at mile marker 74. When the Trooper approached, he could smell a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A records check indicated Grayson was Driving under a suspended license for non-payment of Iowa fine. He was cited for Operating a vehicle without insurance, and operating while suspended. Grayson was arrested for Possession of Marijuana/1st offense and Driving Under Suspension. He was released later that same day on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

On Feb. 15th, 35-year old Justin Patrick Beaman, of Adel, (formerly of Stuart), was arrested on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation.  Beaman was being held without bond in the Adair County Jail. Taken into custody Feb. 16th, was 47-year old Thomas Matthew Connors, III, of Omaha. Connors was arrested on an Adair County warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense. He was also held without bond in the Adair County Jail. Also arrested Feb. 16th, was 28-year old Jordan Clay Walton, of Sterling, KS, and 20-year old Megan Riley Wilker, of Orient.

Wilker was arrested in Bridgewater for Possession of a Controlled Substance/2nd offense (Meth), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (multiple meth pipes in her coat pocket, and a water bong inside her purse). Wilker was released later that same day on a $2,000 cash or surety bond. Walton was arrested in Bridgewater, for Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd or subsequent offense, Possession of Meth, and Carrying Weapons. In his possession was a digital scale, a meth water bong, and zig zag rolling papers. He was also arrested for possessing in his vehicle, 168 Alprazolam pills, and marijuana. A pistol fell out of Walton’s vehicle and onto the ground when he attempted to step out of the Chevy Silverado. A loaded magazine was found on the floorboard, near his feet. Walton did not have a permit to carry weapons.  He was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $3,000 cash or surety bond.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports four recent arrests. At around 1:36-a.m. Monday, Pott. County Deputy Zach Norman attempted a traffic stop for speeding, on a 2013 Chrysler 200, in the area of 214th and Highway 92. The vehicle failed to stop and attempted to elude law enforcement. The driver, 23-year old Justice Joseph Bridgeford, of Omaha, was taken into custody about 10-minutes later, for the Theft  of a vehicle stolen from Treynor (Theft in the 1st degree), 1st Degree Criminal Mischief, for causing $11,000 damage to the vehicle, Felony eluding, reckless driving, and OWI/1st offense.

At around 1:50-a.m. Sunday, Pott. County Deputy Kurt Ferguson was dispatched to the area of 300th Street and Highway 6, for a vehicle accident, where a truck struck a power pole before the vehicle ended up on its side. Ferguson, and two other Deputies located the vehicle west of 310th and Highway 6. They made contact with the driver, 53-year old Scottie Allen Cetnar, of Red Oak, and, after an investigation, arrested him for OWI/1st offense, Possession of a Controlled Substance (1.4-grams of Meth), and Possession of Contraband. Cetnar was transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital for treatment, before being booked into the Pott. County Jail.

A traffic stop on an SUV that was seen driving off Interstate 29 at mile marker 60 in Pott. County, resulted in the driver being arrested for OWI/1st offense. 61-year old Phillip Thomas Koski, of Logan, was arrested at around 2:26-a.m., Sunday, and brought to the Pott. County Jail. And, at around 11:40-p.m. Friday, 18-year old Emma Jean Martinson, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested after a deputy saw her SUV swerving near the intersection of Highway 92 and 535th Street. Martinson was in possession of 18.9-grams of marijuana and four marijuana smoking pipes, at the time of the traffic stop. She also showed signs of narcotics impairment. She was charged with Possession of Marijuana with intent to deliver, and Possession of Paraphernalia. An OWI charge was pending completion of chemical testing.

A survey of health care providers and community leaders in Iowa and six other states focused on the state of health care in rural America — and strategies to improve it. Heidi Schultz, a rural health care program officer with the Bipartisan Policy Center, says there are renewed efforts to revive rural America, but its residents continue to face greater disparities and barriers to quality health care than their urban counterparts. “What we hear the most is just concern for being able to provide the kind of health care that each community needs,” Schultz says. “These health care providers really want to do the right thing for their patients but a lot of times their hands are tied by either reimbursement mechanisms or regulations.”

A federal report finds 46-million Americans living in rural areas are at a greater risk of dying from heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke than city dwellers. Schultz says rural residents also have higher rates of obesity, tobacco and opioid use, and suicide than in urban areas. “A lot of times, it’s access to health care, it’s distance to health care and it’s our population,” Schultz says. “Our population in rural (areas) tends to be older, we have a lot of obesity and we do have a lot of people living in poverty, so there are quite a few reasons those statistics exist.”

According to the report, some of the main health care issues rural residents are struggling with include heart trouble, C-O-P-D and lung problems, and a high rate of type two diabetes. Schultz says, “We also have a lower number of mental health providers and we heard a lot in these roundtables and interviews, concern for people with mental health issues and concern for the providers that want to help them but maybe don’t have the tools they need or a place to refer them to.” One recommendation is to “rightsize” health care services to fit community needs, recognizing that every rural area is different and has different needs. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that every community needs a hospital with in-patient beds,” she says. “What we see in a lot of rural communities is the need for clinics, out-patient services, specialty care, therapies following a stroke or a severe illness.”

The report, “Reinventing Rural Health Care: A Case Study of Seven Upper Midwest States,” was created in collaboration with the Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CORE). In addition to Iowa, the surveys were also conducted in Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. See the full report at: bipartisanpolicy.org.

(Radio Iowa)

Red Oak Police this (Tuesday) morning, arrested 36-year old Bobbie Jo Bruce, of Red Oak. Bruce was taken into custody for Driving While Barred, at around 8:12-a.m., following a traffic stop in the 200 block of Hammond Street, in Red Oak. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

(9-a.m. News)

The Atlantic City Council is set to hold a regular meeting Wednesday evening, at City Hall. The meeting starts as usual, at 5:30-p.m. On their agenda is a report from the Community Protection Committee, with regard to a proposed Rental Inspection Ordinance. The CPC met last Tuesday, and at that time decided not to recommend the full Council approve the Ordinance, at this time. We’ll hear more on the reasons why from Councilman Chris Jimerson, who also serves as the CPC Chair.

The Council will also hold a Public Hearing on a proposal to enter into a General Obligation Essential Purpose Loan Agreement . City Administrator John Lund says according to the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget and the City’s Capital Improvement Plan, the City is scheduled to assume a $2.68-million dollar General Obligation (G.O.) debt. A G.O. debt is that which is backed 100% by the City’s unlimited authority to levy taxes against property in the City’s jurisdiction. Unless tax revenues fall short of the amounts required to repay the debt, Lund says the G.O. makes default impossible. Essential corporate purchase debt is something the City can assume without a referendum, and is limited to infrastructure, public safety equipment and other essential functions. Iowa Code requires a Public Hearing to proceed with debt issuance.

Following the hearing, the Council will act on passing a Resolution “Taking additional action to enter into a General Obligation Essential Purpose Loan Agreement, and a Resolution setting the date for a public hearing on a proposal to enter into the aforementioned agreement.  Of the $2.68-million in debt being issued, Lund says the City is assuming $304,181 in General Corporate Purpose debt. The bond portion of the CIP would cover Police & Fire vehicles, Police & Fire equipment, a Rural Fire Pumper truck, Airport maintenance projects, street and bridge projects. It would also include Fire station improvements, beautification projects, phase 2 of the Library remodel, and an Animal Shelter incinerator.

The Council will also hold a Public Hearing, Wednesday, on a Proposal to enter into a G.O. Solid Waste Management Loan agreement, and act on a Resolution taking additional action on the proposal. Other Resolutions will cover the following: Accepting easements for the Turn Around project on South Palm Street; A Resolution adopting the preliminary Fiscal year 2019 Budget, and setting the date of a Public Hearing for March 7th and to adopt the FY2019 budget.; They will also act on a Resolution setting March 7th as the date for a Public Hearing on the Proposed adoption of the FY 2019 10-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

The Atlantic City Council meeting will conclude with a closed session for an annual performance review of City Administrator John Lund.