The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a Villisca man was arrested on an assault charge, Sunday afternoon. 44-year old Christopher D. Vannausdle, was taken into custody at around 1:45-p.m. for Domestic Abuse Assault Causing Bodily Injury. The charge is the result of an investigation into an incident that took place at around 10:45-a.m. Sunday, where an alleged victim in Villisca contacted authorities and reported an assault had occurred. The victim was said have had a minor injury that did not require medical treatment.

Vannausdle was located at his residence and arrested without incident. He was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail pending an initial court appearance.

An accident Saturday evening in Montgomery County resulted in the arrest of a Cass County man. Sheriff’s officials say a 1986 Ford Econoline van owned by Ann Luther and driven by 51-year old Douglas Dean Erickson, of Massena, was traveling east on 190th Street northeast of Red Oak at around 5:50-p.m., when Erickson looked back into the driver’s side mirror, and failed to notice the van had crossed the center line of the road. The mirror hit a stop sign at M Avenue. The impact knocked the mirror off the van.

The vehicle continued into a ditch and then drove out, heading east to O Avenue. Deputies stopped the vehicle at 201st and O Avenue, and took Erickson into custody for Driving While Revoked. He was also cited for No Proof of Insurance and Failure to Maintain Control. Erickson was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

Damage to the van was estimated at $100. The stop sign and post sustained $500 damage. No injuries were reported.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A bill pending in the Iowa House would allow specially trained psychologists to prescribe medication to mentally ill people in hopes of alleviating a shortage of treatment options, but the proposal has run into opposition from some of the state’s psychiatrists.

Sen. Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, has been the leading supporter of the bill, which would allow licensed psychologists who complete additional coursework and training to prescribe about 100 medications. Supporters of the bill hope to ease treatment delays, especially among rural patients, that can stretch on for a month or longer and require long drives to larger cities.

Some psychiatrists in the state say it would be risky for someone without medical training to prescribe medication, especially without direct oversight from the Iowa Board of Medicine.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A hotel in western Iowa had to be evacuated after a fire early Sunday morning. The Omaha World-Herald reports authorities believe a lightning strike around 7:30 a.m. Sunday caused the fire at the Value Place Hotel in Council Bluffs. The hotel was evacuated while firefighters battled the fire.

Assistant Fire Chief Derrick Williams says no injuries were reported in the fire, but the building will need to be repaired before it can be used again. The hotel sustained both water and smoke damage from the fire and the effort to contain it.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said Sunday, an Oelwein man was fatally injured Saturday while turkey hunting in Fayette County. 63-year old Michael Adams was hit in the face and chest area by shot from a 12-gauge shotgun fired from another hunter in his hunting party at approximately 3-p.m. Saturday, north of Maynard.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident remains under investigation by the DNR.

A vehicle traveling recklessly on Interstate 29 in western Iowa’s Monona County, struck a motorcycle Saturday evening, sending a South Dakota couple to the hospital. The Iowa State Patrol says 35-year old Sarrell Manley, of Omaha, was driving a 2006 Ford 500 northbound on I-29 a little after 7-p.m. Saturday, and attempted to pass between a 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle in the right lane, and another vehicle in the left lane.

Manley’s car hit the cycle ridden by 52-year old David Yeadon and 49-year old Patricia Yeadon, both of Sioux Falls, SD. The impact caused both motorcycle riders to be tossed to the pavement. Manley continued northbound on I-29, leaving the scene of the accident. He was later stopped deputies from the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office near Salix, and arrested for leaving the scene of an accident.

The Yeadon’s were transported by Burgess Rescue to Mercy Hospital in Sioux City. A report on their conditions was not immediately available.