An accident investigation Saturday in Montgomery County resulted in a citation for a rural Villisca woman, and minor injuries. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports they received a call about a single vehicle accident having occurred at 190th Street and Q Avenue, but when deputies arrived, there was no vehicle present, but the accident scene was located about one-quarter of a mile north of the intersection, on the west side of the road. Indication were that a vehicle had gone out of control and left the road before traveling airborne, entering a ditch and continuing for about 50-feet into a standing corn field.

A Deputy went to the residence after getting information about the driver, and located 19-year old Megan A. McCall, of rural Villisca, along with a 1998 Mercury Sable, which was in the driveway. The car had damage consistent with the markings located at the scene, and the airbags had deployed. McCall told authorities she lost control of the car and went into a ditch. She suffered a small abrasion on her right forearm from the airbag, and that her neck hurt. A check of McCall’s driver’s license determined her license had been suspended. She was subsequently issued a citation for Driving Under Suspension.

The car sustained about $1,500 damage, and the corn, owned by Roger G. Cerven, of rural Stanton, sustained about $200 damage. There were no further charges, and the investigation is complete.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police have identified a woman who died after she was hit by a sport utility vehicle as she walked across a Des Moines street. Police said in a news release Saturday that 58-year-old Peggy Bragg, of Des Moines, was hit Friday afternoon as she crossed University Avenue on Des Moines’ west side. Investigators say she was hit by a sport utility vehicle driven by a 16-year-old boy, and police believe the SUV was speeding at the time of the crash.

Bragg was taken to Iowa Methodist Medical Center, where she died. Police are investigating, but say no charges had been filed by Saturday morning.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Officials have identified two people killed in a head-on crash in eastern Iowa. The Linn County Sheriff’s office said Saturday in a news release that 22-year-old Kaelonnie Moore and 43-year-old Darla Moander, both of Cedar Rapids, where killed in the late Friday night crash.

Officials say the crash happened on Highway 151 near Cedar Rapids when a southbound vehicle tried to pass another car and hit a northbound vehicle head-on. Investigators say Moore was passenger in the passing vehicle and Moander was the driver and lone occupant of the northbound vehicle.

Deputies say the 22-year-old Cedar Rapids woman driving the southbound vehicle was taken to a hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

The crash remains under investigation.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports that 19-year-old Chelsea Leeann Adams of Atlantic turned herself in to the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office on Friday on outstanding warrants. Adams has been charged with 12 counts of Aiding and Abetting the Violation of a No Contact Order. The charges stem from the investigation into a no contact order being violated by an inmate at the Audubon County Jail.

Sheriff’s Officials reported Thursday that a current inmate at the jail, 28-year-old Joseph Dean White of Exira, received additional charges of 15 counts of Violation of a No Contact Order in the same case.

Adams and White are both also being charged with Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia after a search warrant was executed at White’s home at 311 West Washington Street in Exira as part of the investigation.

Adams was booked into the Audubon County Jail and held on $2,300 bond. White was reported on Thursday as being held in the Audubon County Jail on $11,500 bond.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reported the arrest of a Red Oak man on drug charges Friday morning. At 9:00am Deputies arrested 34-year-old Bryan David Sapp Jr. of Red Oak on a charge of Delivery of Methamphetamine, a class C Felony. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $10,000 cash bond. Sapp Jr. was also just arrested the night before in Red Oak for Interference with Official Acts.

A northwest Iowa woman ended a 31-year career as a 9-1-1 dispatcher on Thursday — a career highlighted by a plane crash with nearly 300 people on board. Louise Keleher says she’ll remember many calls, but none more vividly than the emergency summon she answered 28 years ago.

“Probably the biggest call of all was the crash of Flight 232. I was working fire radio that day. I took the call from the tower and I’m the one who sent out the fire rigs and the ambulances that day,” Keleher said. The crash of United Flight 232 in Sioux City on July 19, 1989 killed 111 people. Another 185 survived. The plane’s crew and emergency responders were praised for their actions in the incident that most thought would not be survivable.

Keleher landed the dispatcher’s job after answering a newspaper ad. She noted the technology to dispatch emergency crews has changed dramatically since her first day on the job. “We had one computer. We did not have anything that we have today. So, everything was hand written on cards and dispatched that way,” Keleher said.

Louise Keleher

While Keleher’s calm demeanor has helped many people in need over the years, the job is often stressful and isn’t ideal for just anyone.

“You miss a lot of family time because you work holidays and weekends,” Keleher said. “It’s something you really have to commit to and have your family’s support before you can do this kind of job.” Keleher’s son is a lieutenant with Sioux City Fire Rescue and has been dispatched on calls by his mother. A reception for Keleher was held Thursday at Sioux City Police and Fire headquarters.

(Radio Iowa)