Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County say a California man was arrested Wednesday afternoon, after authorities found 53 pounds of marijuana in a rooftop luggage carrier on his vehicle. According to the sheriff’s department, Deputy Brian Miller stopped an SUV driven by 28-year old Robert Jones, of Oakdale, CA, on Interstate 80 eastbound near Neola at around 1:45 p.m., when the deputy noticed the 2005 Dodge Durango allegedly made an improper use of lane change.

During the stop, Miller asked for and received permission to search the vehicle. His k-9 partner Francisco alerted to the possible prescence of narotics. A  search of the rooftop carrier yielded numerous vacuum sealed bags of pot, which amounted to 53-pounds. Jones faces a charge of Possession with the Intent to Deliver/Marijuana, and other, related offenses. The man was booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety say an Iowa State Patrol Trooper suffered non-life threatening injuries this (Thursday) morning, after his cruiser collided with a pickup truck. The incident happened at around 11:30-a.m. According to the DPS report, Trooper Tim Sieleman attempted to make a traffic stop near the intersection of the South Expressway and 23rd Ave in Council Bluffs.

The driver of a white Dodge pickup refused to stop.  A pursuit ensued and the driver of the pickup crossed the median, driving north in the southbound lane.  The pickup and the patrol cruiser collided, injuring the trooper.  The trooper was taken to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs for treatment of minor injuries, and later released.

The driver of the pickup still would not pull over. They continued south on South Expressway, and then west on Veterans Memorial Highway (Hwy 92), where once again the suspect drove west in the eastbound lanes of Veterans Memorial Highway. At this point his pickup hit another patrol cruiser. The pursuit continued west on Veterans Memorial Highway, where stop-sticks were deployed to disable the vehicle. Two tires were punctured, but the pickup continued, crossing the Missouri River Bridge and entering Omaha.  Troopers then used their vehicles to box in the pickup at 24th and L St. in Omaha, ending the pursuit.

The 1998 Dodge Ram pickup had been reported stolen out of Omaha. The driver of the pickup and the single female passenger have been identified as 36 year old Carl Eugene Pelander, of Council Bluffs and 25-year old Katherine Elizabeth Lynn, of Shenandoah. The pair were taken into custody by officers the Omaha Police Department and being held in the Douglas County, Nebraska, Jail.

The Lenox Police Department reports a Taylor County man arrested November 15^th on a felony charge of 1st degree arson, now faces two additional felony charges of Arson in the second degree. The original charge against 25-year old Christopher Cameron, of Clearfield, was the result of a joint investigation by the Lenox Police Department and the State Fire Marshalls Office into a fire that occurred on November 6th, 2011, at the Lenox Motel.

The latest charges allege that on February 28th and August 11^th, Cameron started fires at a structure with the intent to destroy such structure. Two charges of fraudulent insurance submissions, both class D felonies have been filed in connection with the arson charges on Feb. 28th and August 11th.

Cameron remains in the Taylor County Jail on a $125,000 bond. His arraignment is set to take place December 6^th.

Police in Lenox report a Creston woman plead guilty Tuesday, to a felony forgery charge. The charge against 19-year old Brielle Moen, was filed on September 13th, and was the result of an investigation to checks belonging to another person being fraudulently passed at the Lenox Casey’s store. Moen was placed on supervised probation for 2 years. In addition, she was ordered to pay more than $1,300 in court-related fees and fines. The woman is also required to submit a DNA sample, and is not allowed access to firearms.

w/ Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (8.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

w/ Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

A Cass County woman scheduled to appear at a trial this month in connection with a June 2010 crash, has instead plead guilty to a felony charge of Vehicle Homicide/OWI. 46-year old Christine Riedemann, of Griswold, waived her rights to a trial and plead guilty on November 21^st.

Riedemann was the driver of an SUV that went out of control on June 4^th, 2010. The vehicle entered the ditch, and hit a utility pole west of Atlantic. 44-year old Katrina L. Christensen, a passenger in the vehicle died in the accident.

Two separate blood-alcohol tests each indicated Riedemann was above the legal limit to drive. She was also found to have been in possession of marijuana. Riedemann is scheduled to be sentenced January 23^rd in Cass County District Court.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – An economic survey index for nine Midwest and Plains states has rebounded, suggesting slow growth in the months ahead. A survey report released Thursday says the overall regional Business Conditions index rose to 52.6 in November, jumping 2.7 percentage points from the 49.9 in October. Organizers say any survey score above 50 suggests growth while a score below 50 suggests decline for that factor. Creighton University economics professor Ernie Goss oversees the survey. He says the regional surveys over the past several months indicate the slowdowns in the national and global economies are pushing down the region’s economy.

The nine states are Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

The Walnut City Council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting this evening. On their agenda for the 5-p.m. session at City Hall, is: a request for possible business incentives; discussion with regard to a proposed trail plan for Pottawattamie County; the Appointment of a replacement Zoning Administrator; Discussion pertaining to: solid waste disposal, the City’s budget, and, the annual evaluation of City Employees’ salary.