Audubon County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Jensen is putting out the word early, about a bridge replacement project slated to begin in March along Lark Avenue. Jensen says beginning the week of March 13th, contract crews will begin replacing a bridge in the 1900 block of Lark Ave. The closure will be in effect until sometime this June.

Lark Avenue will be closing just south of Audubon County Road F-32 while contractors replace a bridge located in Leroy Township, section 24. Construction, which again starts March 13th, is expected to last about 65 working days.

Residents and emergency responders should plan for alternative routes in order to reach properties in the affected area. If you have any questions, please call the Audubon County Engineer’s Office at 712-563-4286.

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Three people were arrested, one escaped apprehension, and an elderly male was injured, all following a pursuit in Pottawattamie County, Tuesday afternoon. Authorities say at around 10:20-a.m., Council Bluffs Police assisted the Carter Lake Police Department and the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department in the apprehension of a vehicle pursuit suspect.

Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputies and Carter Lake Police initiated a vehicle stop on a black Dodge Stratus with stolen plates in Carter Lake. The vehicle failed to yield and fled to Omaha and then across the I-480 bridge into Council Bluffs and to the area of Northgate Apartments at 1222 N. 31st St. Officers and Deputies located one of two suspects, 24-year old Lathen Bills, of Council Bluffs, while he was running from the area. Bills was taken into custody approximately two blocks from the suspect vehicle. He was charged with Eluding a Police Officer and taken to Pottawattamie County Corrections. Additional charges are pending completion of investigations by the Carter Lake P-D and Pott. County Sheriff’s  Department.

The second suspect, described as a Hispanic male fled from the scene as well. Authorities were unable to locate or identify the second suspect. Officials say that while running away from the scene, Bills was allegedly involved in a confrontation with an elderly gentleman. It’s believed Bills struck the elderly victim in the face causing significant facial injuries and a possible concussion. The victim was taken to the hospital for examination. Bills was charged with Willful injury for the assault.

While at the scene, an officer observed a white Honda Civic traveling at a high rate of speed. The vehicle pulled into the general area where officers were searching, parked and two females exited the vehicle. The officer approached the vehicle and ran the license plate finding that the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Omaha.

Two women fled from the vehicle, but they were eventually located in the Featherstone Apartment Complex. An investigation determined the stolen vehicle was not related to the initial pursuit by Carter Lake Police. The driver of the stolen vehicle, 32-year old Jherri Stabler, of Omaha, was arrested for Theft 2nd and eluding. The passenger in the vehicle, 23-year old Hope Walking Bull, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for eluding and possession of weapons, after she was found to be in possession of brass knuckles.

Several dozen people turned up at the Iowa Capitol to watch lawmakers debate a bill that would limit how public workers can negotiate their working conditions. Public galleries in the GOP-controlled Senate were nearly full by 6 p.m. Tuesday as lawmakers discussed details of a bill that would cut mandatory collective bargaining rights for public sector employees like teachers, nurses and correctional officers. Lawmakers in the Senate began debating the bill around 4 p.m.

Democrats in the Iowa Legislature have introduced dozens of proposed changes to a GOP-backed bill that would cut most collective bargaining rights for public sector employees in the state. Lawmakers filed more than 70 amendments in the Republican-majority House ahead of scheduled debate Tuesday. More than a dozen amendments were filed in the GOP-controlled Senate before debate in that chamber.

The process of reviewing all the proposed changes could take hours. It’s unclear when formal votes will take place. Republican lawmakers announced Tuesday afternoon they would also make some changes to the bill. Democrats say even with those changes, the legislation would gut the state’s collective bargaining law.

A juvenile female who ran away from the Clarinda Academy Tuesday afternoon, was apprehended less than  one-half hour after she was reported missing, not far away from the Academy campus. The Clarinda Academy is a residential foster care facility that provides residential treatment to at-risk and delinquent male and female youth from several states.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer said Tuesday, that the Sheriff’s Office was notified the Native American female was missing at around 2:34-p.m. She had been missing for an hour prior to the facility notifying Law Enforcement.

Personnel from the Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of the area to the west of P Avenue on 190th Street after receiving a phone call a little after 2:30-p.m. from an observant citizen.  Just before 3-p.m., personnel from the Sheriff’s Office located the juvenile on 190th Street approximately .4 mile west of N Avenue, or about 4.5 miles from the Clarinda Academy grounds.  She was apprehended without incident and transported back to the Clarinda Academy where she was turned over to Academy staff.

The run-a-way report was taken by the Clarinda Police Department.  The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Clarinda Police Department and observant citizens of rural Page County.