A traffic stop Wednesday night in Montgomery County resulted in the arrest of a Pottawattamie County woman on drug, and other charges. Sheriff’s officials say 52-year old Julie Ann Vore, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at around 8-p.m. in Red Oak. Vore faces Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Driving While Suspended, charges. She was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on an undisclosed bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

A report from the Center for Rural Affairs finds those giant wind turbines that dot the farmland skyline are helping power distant cities, not rural homes. Johnathan Hladik, the center’s energy policy advocate, says major power lines are -not- connected to the areas where the wind power is generated. Hladik says, “We’re finding that all of the important, big transmission lines that can move a lot of capacity, the kind of capacity we need, are far away from the rural areas that are home to all of our wind turbines.”

Iowa ranks third in the nation for wind energy production, behind Texas and California. Under the old model of generation, power plants were located close to the population areas they serve. Now, utilities are finding it difficult to locate new plants in heavily-populated areas. Hladik says the study found only a few miles of the modern, major power lines are located close to the wind turbines. “Only 6% of the lines 400 kilovolts and above are located in the top ten states for wind energy potential and most of those states are in the upper Midwest and the Great Plains areas,” Hladik says. “But even more importantly, less than 1% of the lines over 600 kilovolts are located in these areas. That’s only nine miles.”

Hladik says making a more efficient use of infrastructure now in place is a critical first step, and to make major improvements, it will take some creative partnerships. “It’s not only the job of individual utilities and public utility commissions in each state to recognize the problem and to recognize what we need to do to tap our wind resources, but the onus also falls on states working together, on regional collaboratives,” he says. The utilities need to come up with plans to move more power over a more efficient energy grid, he says, to insure a clean energy future and more jobs. The Center for Rural Affairs is based in Lyons, Nebraska. Learn more about the report at: www.cfra.org

(Radio Iowa)

The Red Oak Police Department reports that two juveniles were arrested for theft on Wednesday. Seventeen-year old Amithist Chyane Clemmons and 13-year old Faith Leeann Clemmons of Red Oak were arrested Wednesday for Theft/5th Degree. No bond was set and both girls were released to their parents.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County say two people were arrested Tuesday on separate charges. In their report issued today (Wednesday), authorities said 26-year old Chelsea Ann Rodrigues, of Glenwood, was arrested early Tuesday morning on a charge of OWI/2nd offense. The woman was taken into custody following a traffic stop at 250th and Barrus Road. She was being held in the Mills County Jail on $2,000 bond.

And, 19-year old Tyler Allen Dittus, of Henderson, was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office at around 5:30-p.m., Tuesday, on a warrant for Forgery. His bond was set at $5,000.

(12-p.m. News)

A snowball thrown at a school bus may be to blame for a traffic accident that injured several young people in Sioux City Tuesday afternoon. School district spokesperson Alison Benson says a school bus was struck from behind by a city bus at 3:20 p.m. outside West Middle School.  “We’re investigating why it occurred,” Benson said. “We did treat six students on the scene for minor injuries and we brought another bus to the scene to take the rest of the students home.”

Both buses were transporting students. One person was transported to a Sioux City hospital as a precaution. Benson said someone may have hit the school bus with a snowball, causing the driver to stop.

(Radio Iowa)

ORANGE CITY, Iowa (AP) – A college student from Sioux Falls, S.D., who lost her entire family in a car crash was told about the accident during the intermission of a school play. Greg Christy, president of Northwestern College, broke the news to Brittany Vollmer, a sophomore at the Orange City school who was watching the play.

Christy tells KMEG that it was painful to share such tragic news and it’s something no one would ever want to do. The Saturday crash on Interstate 90 in South Dakota killed James and Julie Vollmer and their children, 16-year-old Alyssa and 13-year-old Caleb.  Funeral services are set for 11 a.m. Friday at Sioux Falls Christian Schools.

No injuries were reported following a two-vehicle accident Tuesday afternoon, in Atlantic. According to the Police Department, vehicles driven by Kristi Burg, of Bridgewater, and William Fox, of Shelby, collided at 1401 Sunnyside Lane at around 2:30-p.m., as Burg’s vehicle was backing out of a parking stall. Officials say Fox’ vehicle was traveling east in the parking lot, and Burg didn’t see his vehicle approaching. When she backed out, her vehicle struck Fox’ vehicle, causing a total of $4,000 damage. No citations were issued.

w/ Ric Hanson

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