Car crashes remain the leading cause of death for children under 13 and surveys find many Iowans don’t know how to properly install or use a child car seat. Tammy Fleshner, spokeswoman for the Butler County Department of Health, says car seat misuse in Iowa is tracking as high as 95-percent. “If your child’s car seat has expired — because they have expiration dates — if they’ve been in a crash and show signs that they definitely need to be replaced, or maybe it’s just the totally wrong seat your child,” Fleshner says. “The state has definite laws about child passenger safety and what type of seat they should be in, but that’s not always the best practice.”

Several factors contribute to so many misused car seats, including the high number of different vehicles on the roads today. Fleshner says misuse isn’t intentional, but it needs to be addressed to save lives. “It might be perfect for them today and in six months from today, it’s not,” Fleshner says. “We know our caregivers, our parents, our grandparents want to do the best thing, it’s just that they don’t have the knowledge to make sure it’s right. There’s a lot of us out there pushing to make sure the kids our safe. They’re our most precious cargo. We want to make sure they stay safe.”

Potential car seat buyers should be wary of car seats at garage sales. One instance from a garage sale remains in Fleshner’s mind.  “The gentleman says, ‘That’s a really good seat, it saved my grandson’s life,’ and we found out it was in a car crash, the car was totaled,” she says. “Yes, the child was saved, but now that seat is no longer good. Car seats are made for one crash only.”

Many county health departments and law enforcement agencies across Iowa offer free car seat inspections, typically by appointment.

(Radio Iowa)

A new study shows Iowa remains one of the top states for deer collisions. State Farm’s 2017 deer-collision study shows Iowa drivers have a 1-in-69 chance of hitting a deer, elk or moose. The data is based on insurance claims. Drivers in West Virginia are at the greatest risk with a 1-in-43 chance of hitting a deer with their cars. Iowa is fourth on the list behind West Virginia, Montana and Pennsylvania.

(Radio Iowa) – will be updated

A traffic stop Sept. 27th in Cass County resulted in the arrest of a man from Florida. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says 41-year old Jerome Thomas Jones,  of Miami, FL, was arrested for OWI 1st Offense. Jones was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on his own recognizance.

And, one person was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital following an accident at around 7:20-p.m. Tuesday, in Cass County. The Sheriff’s Office says the accident happened on White Pole Road near 740th Street, when one pickup rear-ended another. A 1998 Ford F150 pickup owned and driven by 37-year old Travis James Armstrong, of Cumberland, was eastbound on White Pole Road when his vehicle struck the rear of a 2000 Chevy Tahoe owned and driven by 36-year old Lisa Renee Sherwood, of Guthrie Center.

After the impact, Armstrong’s vehicle ended up in the south ditch, while Sherwood’s vehicle was able to stop on the road surface. One passenger from the Tahoe was injured and transported to CCMH by Anita Rescue. Damage to Armstrong’s vehicle is estimated at $3,000. Sherwood’s vehicle sustained about $5,000 damage.

Armstrong was subsequently arrested for OWI 1st Offense.  He was also cited for Open Container and Failure to Maintain Control.

***UPDATE 10/6/17 – THE TEEN WAS FOUND SAFE IN COLORADO. Please see the latest post on this story***

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says it has received a report of a missing 13 year old girl, Gracie Annabelle Hensley, of Anita. She was last seen at around 7:45-a.m. Wednesday, wearing white Adidas shoes, gray Victoria’s Secret leggings, and had a yellow and green Nike Swish bag. Hensley is suspected to be in the company of a 17 year old male who absconded from Georgia, whose parents’ vehicle was found abandoned in the vicinity of Anita. The pair are suspected to be driving a white 2010 Ford F150 pickup with license plate “MARNIN” that belongs to Gracie’s family.

The Sheriff’s Office says this is considered to be a NON-ABDUCTION incident. They ask you to please report any sightings of the vehicle to the Cass County Sheriff’’s Office at 712-243-2206 or to the authorities in the vicinity the pickup has been seen. The teens are believed to be heading west from Iowa. Her family says Gracie’s cell phone was last pinged near Waverly, NE. It’s thought the phone is either shut-off or has a dead battery, because there have been no further pings.

The 17-year old believed to be accompanied by Gracie

Missing teen, Gracie Hensley

Missing pickup

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County say a warrant check on a residence in the 17,000 block of Turnberry Ridge, Wednesday, resulted in 52-year old Connie May Dworak Rus, of Council Bluffs, being taken into custody at around 5-p.m.. Dworak Rus was wanted on an active warrant for Harassment in the 3rd Degree. The woman was transported to the Pott. County Jail and booked into the facility.