An on-going operation to deter the sex trafficking of children netted seven arrests Wednesday, in Council Bluffs. Council Bluffs Police Sgt. Bob Christensen, who is with the Vice/Narcotics Division, told KJAN News the prostitution sting, part of the “Great Plains Lost Innocence Task Force, was conducted at a Bluffs’ motel, with the cooperation of the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, and FBI. He says they are targeting teenage or child prostitution, by looking at ads both online and in print. If the ad offers or asks for young girls, the Task Force will place their own ads, and try to lure prostitutes or their customers, into a motel room. Once in the room, he says, most of the prostitutes or customers, both male and female, turn out to adults. He says once money is offered or requested for a sex act, the persons involved are cooperative for the most part, when confronted, but sometimes they’re not. 

Sgt. Christensen says both male and female undercover officers are used in the sting. Taken into custody on Suspicion of Prostitution charges, were five women: 23-year old’s Charla Bulcalf and Seanna Clemmon, 25-year old’s Abigail Rodriquez and Jessica Mackey, and 24-year old Courtney Evans, all of whom were from Omaha. Two men, 59-year old Timothy A. Jensen, and 30-year old Jeremy Jensen (no relation) were also arrested on Suspicion of Prostitution. Both are from the Omaha area. 

Christensen said Wednesday’s stormy weather may have played a role in how many actual perps and prostitutes they were able to nab, but he’s still satisfied with the results. He said they try and run these types of operations every couple of months, and they typically end up making about 10 arrests each time. The fact Wednesday wasn’t a “pay day” for most people seeking those types of services, also may have factored into the low response. In April, 17 people were arrested in a two-day operation, also held in a Council Bluffs motel. Christensen has some advice for those who seek prostitutes or those who offer sexual services for pay…He said “We’re going to be operations all the time, so if you’re doing this kind of stuff, you need to stop.”

The main purpose of the sting, he said, is not to try and lure men, regardless of age into the motels to arrest them. He says they’re trying to target the people who are forcing young girls into prostitution. Some of those girls start as early as 13- or 14-years of age.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Officials with Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU) say residents in the community may have noticed AMU crews installing Fiber Optic cable around town. Matt Klein, AMU Information Technology Coordinator says the project has been in the works for months and installation began this Spring. The Fiber Optic Project consists of placing Fiber Optic cable from the Power Plant and Control Center, located near the intersection of Pine and 3^rd Street, to AMU’s Main Office on West 3^rd Street. The special cable is also being installed to the substation and water tower located on 22^nd Street, thereby providing a direct data connection to a majority of the utilities’ facilities.

The cable is being installed to allow AMU to control and monitor equipment, which should improve their reliability and increase our responsiveness to AMU’s customers. And, it will allow a high speed data connection to the 22^nd Street Water Tower area. Kelin says in the near future AMU plans to begin installing Smart Meters to certain parts of their service area, as part of a pilot project that is being partially funded by the US Department of Energy.

With the data connection, the Smart Meter program will allow AMU to obtain meter readings remotely from their office, and obtain real-time data from the electric meter Klein says having a fiber connection to these locations will allow us to provide reliable High Speed Internet Service between all of AMU’s facilities. Previously, AMU utilized a private wireless internet network to provide internet connections from the main office to the water plant, power plant and control center. The connection will also allow AMU to back up large data files located in one facility to a server located in another facility. By doing this, Klein says they hope to greatly improve their  ability to recover data from a minor event or a major catastrophe.

Authorities say a traffic stop late Thursday night at 12th and Stuart Streets in Clarinda, resulted in the arrest of 31-year old Adam James Randolph, of Clarinda. Randolph was taken into custody at around 10-p.m., for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, 1^st offense. Randolph was released on a personal recognizance bail and will appear before the Page County Magistrate Court at a later date.

There is still no confirmation from authorities, but it is believed that a body found Tuesday afternoon in west central Iowa’s Crawford County is that of 44-year old Jonathan Elwell. The Shillington, Pennsylvania man went missing on April 17 and his rented car was found abandoned in rural Westside, Iowa three days later. The body, which was badly decomposed, was found by railroad workers about a mile from where the car was located. Crawford County Sheriff Jim Steinkuehler says his office is working with Elwell’s family to obtain his dental records. The records would allow the state medical examiner’s office to confirm if the body is that of Elwell. Steinkuehler says the Elwell family was uncertain if they’d be able to locate his records because they didn’t know his dentist. If the records can’t be found, it could take weeks for the family to learn more. “They’ll do DNA testing…that could take up to four to six weeks,” Steinkuehler said. The medical examiner’s office is also working to determine the cause of death. Elwell’s family said it was “out of character” for him to disappear without telling anyone. Elwell’s brother is a magistrate judge in Pennsylvania.

The Elwell family says they’ve been informed by the Crawford County Sheriff that they are “99% sure” the remains are Jonathan’s, which is why he allowed the family to release the final statement KJAN and other media. The family of Jonathan Elwell said “although we still – and probably always will – have unanswered questions about how he came to this place and this end, we are grateful that we will be able to bring him home to rest.”  They went on to thank members of law enforcement, U-S Representative Charles W. Dent and Iowa Congressman Steve King, along with the many volunteers, who assisted in the search efforts. The family closed by saying “Although this is not the outcome we had hoped for, it is, at any rate, an ending, and we will strive for a new beginning.”

(Radio Iowa/Elwell family statement)

For the price of a latte, you can save a town. That’s the message being touted in Hamburg. The southwest Iowa town is launching a major fundraiser to keep the levee built last year just outside of the city at its current height. Hamburg-area residents are preparing to record a “Flash Mob”-type dance which they’ll post on the internet to raise awareness of their need for funding. Hamburg Mayor Cathy Crain says the current levee did the job.

Hamburg Levee (IA State Patrol photo)

Mayor Crain says, “We had an 11-foot levee to protect us from the west ditch and the Corps (of Engineers) and our people added eight feet to that levee, so combined, the levee is 19 feet and has held as much as 17 feet of water for 120 days.” But now, she says, there’s a problem that puts the levee at risk.  “After the Missouri River levees are completed this September, Hamburg will be forced by federal regulations to either remove that eight feet of dirt for $1.3-million or raise $5.6-million to make (the levee) permanent,” she says.

Crain says the levee project requires money the town simply doesn’t have. “We’ve aggressively sought funding and the state of Iowa has contributed $1-million and we need $4.6-million more,” she says. “Our city and the businesses have already exhausted their funds fighting the flood.” She says they’ve tried to get grants for eight months and there’s just not a lot of money out there for secondary levees. “There’s money out there for the Missouri levees,” she says, “and we want them to get those levees fixed, but we haven’t found any money for us.” After a series of rehearsals today and through the weekend, Hamburg’s Main Street will be closed Monday morning at 11:30 for shooting the video. She says the dance steps and movements will be very simple but they’ll make people take notice.

Hamburg Levee (IA Dept. of Public Safety photo)

“The words are very clever and it will be very charming,” she says. “We’re going to have people of all ages doing this and the volunteers involved in this are really good at what they do. It’s gonna put a smile on your face and you’re going to walk away and say, ‘They’re a small town but they sure are resourceful and they have a lot of talent.'” Crain says the video will be posted to Youtube, Google+, Facebook and another video site. They’re also requesting that everyone forward it on whenever they can. A Paypal link to donate will be listed with the video or a check can be made to the City of Hamburg Iowa Flood Recovery. “Our business strategy is to use email addresses from businesses, citizens and friends and get the message out,” the mayor says. “We need 1.5-million people to donate $3.00 each.”

(Radio Iowa)

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Two men face felony charges for allegedly vandalizing a memorial to the 1989 crash of United Airlines Flight 232 in Sioux City. Scott Coleson of Lehigh, and Felipe Sebastian of South Sioux City, Nebraska are suspected of pushing over a boulder at the memorial at a park early Wednesday. Both are charged with criminal mischief. The city says it will cost $3,000 to replace the cracked boulder. It’s one of eight leading up to a statue commemorating the accident. United Flight 232 was en route from Denver, Colorado to Chicago, Illinois when it crashed at the Sioux City airport, killing 112 people. Online court records show the state public defender’s office is appointed to the men’s cases, but lists no specific attorneys.

A sizable, appreciative crowd showed up in the Atlantic City Park Thursday evening, for the first of three, free,  “Third Thursday” Summer Concert events, sponsored by the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce.

Dirt Road Acoustic Rehab performs in the Atlantic City Park (Ric Hanson photo)

Taking to the stage was “Dirt Road Acoustic Rehab,” with their renditions of some popular Country, Blues and Rock songs.

One of the Dirt Road Acoustic Rehab band members

(For more information about the band, surf to http://dirtroadacousticrehab.com/index.html).

The next Third Thursday event will take place July 19th, from 5:30-7:30pm, also in the Atlantic City Park.  The concert will feature the Travelin’ Light Band, with 60’s & 70’s music, along with a little variety.

For more information about the concert series, check out the Chamber’s website at http://www.atlanticiowa.com/