The Iowa State Patrol says a distracted driver caused a rear-end collision that sent two people to the hospital Monday evening, in Pottawattamie County. Officials say a 2001 Honda Civic driven by 30-year Jeffrey Vana, of Logan, was stopped in the outside lane of  northbound Interstate 29 due to a previous accident, when his car was rear-ended by a 2004 Chevy Impala. The driver of the Impala, 26-year old Teddy E. Mahoney, of Onawa, was distracted by a bag in the passenger compartment of his vehicle, just before the collision occurred.

The Patrol says following the collision, both cars ended-up in the east ditch. Even though they were wearing their seat belts, both drivers were injured in the crash, with Vana being transported by Crescent Rescue to Mercy Hospital, in Council Bluffs. The accident happened at around 5:50-p.m., at the 67.65-mile marker, or about two-miles north of the Honey Creek exit.

The Atlantic Police Department reports 35-year old Amanda Sedina, of Atlantic, was arrested Friday. Sedina was taken into custody on a Shelby County warrant for Invasion of Privacy. The woman was brought to the Cass County Jail and held until being picked up by Shelby County deputies.

Authorities report also, the arrest Sunday, of 40-year old Anthony Stice, of Des Moines, on a charge of  OWI/1st offense, Stice was booked into the Cass County Jail.

The National Weather Service in Valley, NE has issued a Wind Advisory for portions of eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa. The Advisory in western Iowa affects Monona & Harrison Counties, and is in effect until 7-p.m. Monday. Winds in the advisory area will continue to increase throughout the afternoon, from the south-southeast, at 25-35 mph with gusts to 45mph. Cross winds may affect drivers on east-to-west roads.

In addition, the Grassland Fire Danger Index will be in the EXTREME category this afternoon in Monona, Harrison, Pottawattamie, Mills, Montgomery, Fremont and Page Counties in western and southwest Iowa. That means fires can start quickly, spread furiously and burn intensely. All fires are potentially serious.

ALL OUTDOOR BURNING SHOULD BE AVOIDED IN AREAS UNDER EXTREME FIRE DANGER!

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports an Atlantic man was arrested Friday night on an outstanding warrant out of Audubon County, for Revocation of his probation. The warrant for 50-year old Robert Charles Atkinson stems from an original charge of 3rd Offense Public Intoxication. Atkinson was picked up from Cass County authorities and brought to the Audubon County Jail, where he was being held on $10,000 bond.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green was transported to a hospital in Des Moines, Sunday, after he fell off of a ladder while trimming a tree.

Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green (photo from the City's website)

His family says the 53-year old Green suffered from a broken shoulder blade, fractured shoulder and collar bone, two broken ribs, and bruises to his face. Police Lt. Dave Erickson said Green was on a ladder at his home cutting a branch off of a tree. Green was about 15-to 18- feet off the ground when the branch hit the ladder, which caused the Chief to fall to the ground, where he hit his shoulder and head. The accident happened at around 1:45-p.m. Green was flown to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, where he is recovering from his injuries.

Erickson says Green is expected to be released from the hospital in “a couple of days.”

MANNING, Iowa (AP) – A 58-year-old Manning man faces a felony charge of terrorism after standoff at his home ended in a tear gas cloud.  A Carroll County jailer says David Wurr remained in custody today (Monday), pending $25,000 bail.  The incident began Friday night when a relative asked police to check on Wurr. 
 
Carroll County Sheriff Doug Bass says Wurr had a pistol when he came to the front door a little before 8 p.m. He refused to leave his home but later talked to a negotiator who was called to the scene. Iowa State Patrol Lt. Darin Fratzke says several shots were fired inside the home, then more at officers outside. No injuries were reported.

Around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, tear gas was fired into the home, and officers went in to apprehend Wurr.

Top brass in the U-S Army Corps of Engineers have wrapped up a spring inspection tour of the six dams along the main stem of the Missouri River. All of the dams had to release record amounts of water last spring and summer as the Corps dealt with record levels and historic flooding. Brigadier General John McMahon, commander of the Corps’ Northwest Division, says the recovery and repair process is well underway. “We’re making good progress in the assessments,” General McMahon says. “We have money flowing at one dam. We have construction crews going out that we actually saw at other dams, there was evidence of construction so, the process is working. That’s always good to see. We’ve got a lot to do and we don’t know all that we have to do because we haven’t concluded all of the assessments that we need to do.”

 McMahon says there are critical issues at some of the dams. “There are, but they’re being addressed, as you would expect them to be,” he says. “We have a good scheme of what needs to be done first and those things are being done but no surprises in that regard.” There were several levee breaks downstream of Gavins Point Dam in Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri. McMahon says most of those compromised levees have had at least temporary repairs. “There are other places in northwestern Missouri where we’ve got a lot of work to do but that’s being held up by different aspects of the process,” he says. “We’ve got to get easements, we’ve got to get land and those are responsibilities of the local folks but all of that’s unfolding as we speak.” McMahon says another issue for the Corps will be regaining the trust of the people who live along and near the river.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)