Police in Harlan report three people were arrested, one of them for attempted murder, following an investigation into a stabbing incident. Officials say authorities received a call Thursday morning regarding an alleged stabbing. During their investigation, two people involved in a knife fight were arrested and treated at Myrtue Medical Center for their wounds, while a third individual was taken into custody at a separate residence, following the execution of a search warrant.

27-year old Bradley Ryan, of Harlan, was taken into custody on charges of: Public Intoxication; Disorderly Conduct; and Assault on a Peace Officer. His bond was set at $2,000. 27-year old Andrew Smith, also of Harlan, was arrested for: Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was being held in the Shelby County Jail ojn $1,000 bond.

And, 29-year old Sean Gifford, of Harlan, faces a felony charge of Attempted Murder. His bond was set at $25,000. He was also being held in the Shelby County Jail.

The Atlantic Police Department reports 38-year old Ranea Fief, of Atlantic, was arrested Thursday on an OWI charge, Fief was brought to the Cass County Jail and held pending a court appearance.

The Page County Sheriff’s office says no injuries were reported when a car struck and killed a deer on 140th Street Thursday morning. Officials say 68-year old Judith Barker, of Villisca, was traveling west on 140th when a deer crossed the road. Barker was unable to avoid hitting the animal. Her 2007 Ford Fusion sustained $2,500 damage, and was rendered inoperative.

The Page County Sheriff’s Department is asking for your help in identifying the person or persons responsible for a burglary at a rural Braddyville residence, which resulted in the theft of several weapons. The incident happened sometime between 9:45-a.m. and 9:45-p.m. Wednesday (April 18th), at 2668 310th Street.

Included among the missing items is: a Jimenez 9-mm nickel-plated handgun with 2 hip concealed holsters and 2 boxes of Winchester 9-mm shells; a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun with a box of Winchester shells; a .22-caliber bolt action rifle equipped with a scope; and, a pair of Fila 13 tennis shoes. The items have an estimated combined value of nearly $700.

If you have any information about the crime, you’re asked to call the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 712-542-5193.

(9-a.m. News)

Sheriff’s officials in Page County say a Shenandoah man was arrested Wednesday night on a warrant out of California. 31-year old John Joseph Bowen was taken into custody at around 10:30-p.m., at his residence in Shenandoah. Bowen was wanted for a Parole Violation. He was being held in the Page County Jail without bond, while awaiting extradition to California.

w/ Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (9.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a Monona County woman held her infant son under a bathtub faucet to drown him.  Twenty-four-old Ashley Cameron, of Onawa, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 15-month-old son, Markis Dahms.  Assistant Onawa Police Chief Jim Fouts said Thursday that investigators believe Cameron acted alone. Fouts says Cameron “was with Markis during the time of his death, and she was the sole caregiver for Markis.”  Officers were sent to the Onawa home on Feb. 11th because of a report that a toddler wasn’t breathing. Fouts says Cameron wasn’t arrested until all the autopsy results had been obtained.  She remains jailed pending $1 million bail.  Cameron’s 2-year-old daughter is being cared for by relatives.

More than one hundred Iowa homes were damaged and at least 14 were destroyed in last weekend’s tornadoes and severe storms. Julie Rochman, president of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, offers some advice for Iowans who have to rebuild. Rochman says science shows we can make homes more resistant to strong winds, hail and flying debris. “In the middle of the country, the building codes really do not incorporate provisions that will make your home really safe from really high winds,” Rochman says. “The main thing you want to make sure of, if you’re building a new home or looking at how to make your current home safer, you need your roof to be held on by more than gravity. Strapping the roof to the walls, the walls to each other and the walls to the foundation to create a continuous path of safety.” While we can’t prevent tornadoes, she says we can reduce the level of damage and loss of life from these horrific storms.

“First, it’s important to understand that even the best engineering can be overwhelmed by an EF4 or EF5 tornado,” she says. “When it comes to EF-zeros, ones and twos, we really can eliminate that kind of damage that comes from debris in a storm, breaking windows, the gusty winds tearing off a piece or all of the roof, those types of things can be prevented.” When rebuilding, she says it’s a good idea to look at the cost benefits of making the structure more wind-resistant, adding, it doesn’t cost that much more. Rochman, a Nebraska native, says storm shelters serve an important purpose.

“It used to be that everybody had a safe place, a basement or a root cellar, someplace they could go that was windowless and away from the wind,” she says. “Now, unfortunately, fewer people have those types of places. We do recommend if someone wants to be particularly safe, there are storm shelters that are certified by the National Storm Shelter Association and there are FEMA grants that help people offset the cost of those.” A federal report finds the number of tornadoes rose dramatically over the past year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there were 379 preliminary tornado reports in the first quarter of 2012 compared to 154 twisters during the same period last year. The 20-year average for the first quarter is 144.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

w/ Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.9MB)

Subscribe: RSS

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A state hotline to combat bullying is under consideration for Iowa. The idea follows the weekend suicide of a 14-year-old northwest Iowa boy who was bullied after he acknowledged to others that he was gay. At least two lawmakers are checking into whether a hotline can be set up before the legislative session ends. Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City, says she’s been thinking about “how isolating it is for kids who are bullied and are scared.”  Mascher and Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, are checking costs and looking into whether an anti-bullying component could be added to the Iowa Suicide & Crisis Hotlines.

Residents in Shelby County currently signed-up for the “Code Red” alert system will receive an alert next week, as part of a test of the system. The test is scheduled to occur at about 7-p.m., on April 26^th. County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert says any resident of Shelby County who has not signed-up for the Code Red Alerts, should do so as soon as possible, especially in light of the severe weather season.

The system was made available to residents of the County in 2009. Sievert says nearly 17-hundred out of the County’s 12,000 residents are currently signed-up for the alerts. The Code Red system was used in Fremont County, and was credited with making a difference in saving the lives of Thurman residents, who were alerted to a tornado which nearly destroyed the small town, but resulted in no deaths. 

The Code Red system will deliver warnings to your cell and home phones. It can also be used for a missing child alert, chemical spill or release, and other such emergencies. To sign-up for Code Red Alerts in Shelby County, log on to https://cne.coderedweb.com/Default.aspx?groupid=roU6u4tSj3bzjR8hdqfzcg%3d%3d,go to http://www.shco.org/ and click on the Code Red Warning System quick link, or call 712-755-2124.