Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources and Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday evening, a search was underway in the Missouri River near Hamburg for man who is missing after being swept under a barge Sunday afternoon.

The man, whose name is being withheld pending notification to family members, was a passenger in a boat that stalled shortly after launching from a Hamburg Mitchell boat ramp access landing, at approximately 2 p.m. The boat drifted a short distance downstream where it was swept under a barge that was moored to the bank. The missing man and boat had not been located by late Sunday afternoon.

The operator of the boat, 47-year old Johnnie Fields, of Shenandoah, was able to swim under the barge and was rescued downstream by people on shore. Neither of the men were wearing life jackets.

The incident remains under investigation by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The Southwest Iowa Dive Team was still on location Sunday evening. Hamburg Fire and Rescue, Riverton Fire and Rescue and LifeNet from Clarinda assisted the DNR at the scene.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The state agency overseeing Iowa’s transition to a privatized Medicaid program waived any possible sanctions against three insurance companies during the first two months of the new system and it didn’t inform health advocates or lawmakers of its plans. Information obtained through a public records request show the Iowa Department of Human Services issued no written warnings or corrective action plans in April and May to the insurance companies that now run the state’s Medicaid program. Fees for any purported violations were also waived.

A DHS spokeswoman says the agency had discretion on when to sanction the companies and wanted to take a “collaborative approach.” The spokeswoman says no data is available yet on any possible problems recorded during that period. Some Medicaid patients and health care providers have reported delays in payments and care. DHS says the issues are not systemic.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Iowa law prohibits texting and driving, but few people in Sioux City are receiving tickets for the offense. The Sioux City Journal reports that over the past years Sioux City police have issued 18 texting while driving tickets and the Woodbury County Sheriff’s office has issued nine.

Sioux City Police Sgt. Todd Sassman says the texting law has been difficult to enforce because it’s a secondary violation that’s only enforced after a driver is pulled over for something else. And the law still allows some electronic device use even though it bans text messages or using Twitter or Facebook.

Gov. Terry Branstad has said he’s looking at the possibility of proposing a complete cellphone ban next year. He appointed a group to study ways to reduce distracted driving.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Few drivers are receiving the tough penalties Iowa lawmakers approved in 2012 for illegally passing school buses when they are stopped.
The Des Moines Register reports that the number of people charged with violating the school bus law has declined, and the law’s tough penalties may make prosecutors more willing to accept lesser charges.

The law calls for a 30-day license suspension for a first offense, costly fines and expensive high-risk insurance. The measure was prompted by the 2011 death of 7-year-old Kadyn Halverson.

The number of drivers charged with illegally passing a bus fell to 895 in 2015 from 1,030 in 2012. Authorities say part of the problem is that the bus driver or another driver is often the only witness, so it can be difficult to prove.

Police in Council Bluffs are searching for a man allegedly involved in an incident of assault that took place early Sunday morning. At around 12:12-a.m., uniformed officers were called to 202 ½ North 8th St to investigate a report of a female whom had been struck with a blunt object and was bleeding from the head. Officers spoke with the victim, 27-year old April Stout, and several witnesses.

Stout said that an unknown black male suspect with an average build and wearing dark clothing, forced his way into the residence after knocking on the door. The suspect, described as being 25-to 35-years old, and about 6-feet 3-inches tall, was apparently looking for a person unknown who did not live at Stouts address. The suspect then became upset over Stout’s dog being too close to him, and got into an altercation with Stout.

The man allegedly hit Stout in the neck with a sharp object and fled the residence on foot. Stout had a severe laceration to her neck and was transported to Mercy Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The incident remains under investigation by the Council Bluffs Police Department Criminal Investigation Division.

Two Council Bluffs Police Officers suffered minor injuries during an attempt to arrest a man Saturday night. Authorities say 26-year old Jesse Shaffer, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at around 11-p.m. on charges that include Aggravated Assault, Harassment 1^st degree, Operating While Intoxicated, and for two counts of Assault on Peace Officer.

He was taken into custody after officers were dispatched to 3408 37^th Avenue in Council Bluffs for a disturbance involving a man armed with a semi-automatic pistol.  Shaffer allegedly threatened to shoot one of the occupants of the house.  Officers arrived on scene and were told Shaffer fled the scene on foot to an open field to the north of the residence.

Officers set up a perimeter and waited for K-9 Units from Omaha to assist in the search.  As the K-9 Officer arrived and began to clear the immediate area around the house, Omaha Police helicopter Able 1 arrived on scene to assist in the search.  After about an hour officers received information that Shaffer was picked up by another party and transported out of the area.

The perimeter was shut down and two officers were still on scene when Shaffer arrived back at the house.  Officers approached the man and ordered him to show his hands, but Shaffer was uncooperative, and would not comply with officers.  As he fought with officers, one of the officers deployed his Taser, but it had no affect on Shaffer, who continued to fight with officers and not comply with instructions.

Once taken into custody, Shaffer was treated by the Council Bluffs Fire and Rescue personnel, and then transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail.

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, reports a Lincoln, Nebraska man was sentenced last week to prison on charges that include Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute and Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. U-S District Court Judge Robert Pratt sentenced 25-year old Tyler Jon Cross to 120 months (10-years) in prison, and ordered Cross to serve a term of 5 years of supervised release upon release from prison. He must also pay a $100 special assessment.

Cross’ conviction resulted from an investigation conducted by the Iowa State Patrol which began on June 20th, 2015 when Iowa State Patrol Troopers attempted to stop two motorcycles that were not displaying registration. A pursuit occurred along Interstate 80, with Cross operating his motorcycle in excess of 100 mph and driving into oncoming traffic. The pursuit ended after Cross left the interstate and traveled along two-lane roads in rural Pottawattamie and Shelby Counties, with Cross eventually losing control of his motorcycle leading to his arrest.

A backpack carried by Cross was discovered over one-half pound of methamphetamine and a loaded nine-millimeter handgun. The case was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Division of Narcotic Enforcement, and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.