Sheriff’s Officials in Union County say an Audubon man reported Tuesday that sometime over the past week, someone took his green, 2011 Yamaha 4-wheeler. The ATV was taken from a farm on Clover Avenue, in Union County. The machine was valued at $6,000.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office said also, no injuries were reported after pickup hit a pot hole, blew a tire and went out of control on Cherry Street Road, Wednesday night. The 1994 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup driven by 18-year old Hunter Miller, of Creston, hit the side of a bridge railing and entered the east ditch before it clipped part of a corn field and finally came to rest on the edge of the roadway, still in the east ditch.

Miller was cited for Failure to have a valid driver’s license. Damage from the mishap amounted $4,000.

A majority of Iowans use natural gas to heat their homes and for those folks, there’s good news and even better news from the American Gas Association. Spokesman Bruce McDowell says supplies are up, prices are down and the winter ahead in Iowa may not be as bitter cold as some fear.  “There’s more than enough gas to satisfy demand this winter, even if it gets very cold, but we don’t expect it to get very cold,” McDowell says. “We think it’s going to be warmer than normal so that’s going to drop the bills a little bit, and with the prices being so low because supply is so prevalent, we’ve got an abundance of natural gas ready to be brought to market.”

The latest long-range forecasts point to a strong El Nino weather pattern which typically means a warmer-than-normal winter for Iowa and the Midwest. He predicts customers may see lower utility bills throughout the winter, in fact, they may be the lowest bills in a decade.  “We think there’s going to be a drop in the gas prices mainly because there’s so much gas out there and we produce more gas than we need so we’re putting it into storage,” McDowell says. “Without a weather event, we don’t think there’s going to be any drastic change in the supply situation.”

Iowans will be gratified to hear their utility bills could be dropping by a significant amount in the typically-expensive heating months ahead. “We think there’s going to be a 5-to-7% decline ourselves,” he says. “Other government agencies are predicting even more, up to 9 and 10% discounts.” McDowell says homeowners also need to do their part in conserving natural gas and in insulating and weather-proofing their homes.

A report from the U.S. Census Bureau estimates 67-percent of Iowans use natural gas to heat their homes, 15-percent use electricity, 14-percent use propane, and the rest use wood or fuel oil.

(Radio Iowa)

A fire early this morning in Hancock destroyed a home, but no injuries were reported. Fire officials say the blaze at 212 E. Duncan Street was reported at around 1-a.m. A blown, nearby electrical transformer and power lines connected to the home are suspected as the cause of the fire. The home’s owner was gone when the fire broke out and discovered the blaze when she got home.

Firefighters from Oakland and Avoca provided mutual aid to Hancock Fire. Crews were on the scene still, late this morning, trying to douse the smoldering remains of the home.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Sioux City officials, community leaders and law enforcement are considering banning the sale of certain single-serve beer for off-site consumption in an effort to curb public intoxication. The Sioux City Journal reports that consideration of the idea of banning the sale of high-power malt liquor stemmed from a round table discussion last month over possible solutions to homelessness and alcohol addiction in downtown Sioux City.

Sioux City Police Chief Doug Young says controlling the sale of single cans of alcoholic beverages might take care of the amount of homeless intoxicated individuals in the area, but says a ban could be difficult to implement. City officials say the idea of a ban is only in the early stages of discussion.

Police in Creston say a man’s flip-flop (sandal) got caught between his brake and accelerator pedals Wednesday afternoon, interfering with his ability to stop, and resulting in a chain reaction accident. 22-year old Casey Bird, of Creston, was traveling north on Sumner Street at around 2:20-p.m., when his footwear got sandwiched between the two pedals, causing him to push on both pedals at the same time. Bird was unable to stop his 1992 Ford van before it hit the rear of a 2000 Mercury SUV driven by 35-year old Timothy Bledsoe, of Nevada, which was stopped in traffic waiting for the light to change at the intersection with Adams Street.

The impact caused the SUV to run into the rear of a 2011 Chevy Malibu, driven by 76-year old Marisue Lewis, of Creston, who was also waiting at the stop light. Bird’s Van kept pushing on the SUV for a few moments before he could free his foot and stop the vehicle.

The accident caused a total of $1,600 damage. No citations were issued.

Police in Creston say three residents reported incidents of theft, this week. On Wednesday, a woman in the 200 block of N. Jarvis Street told police her boyfriends’ cell phone was stolen from her vehicle while it was parked outside her home. The theft occurred on Oct. 8th, and the loss was estimated at $15.  And, a woman residing in the 1000 block of Manor Drive, in Creston, reported Wednesday that sometime between 11:30-a.m. and 3:30-p.m. Tuesday, someone took money from her purse, while she was working at ECC. The loss was estimated at $100.

On Tuesday, a Creston resident reported someone stole his debit card and attempted to use it for numerous online purchases. The incidents took place Monday and Tuesday. The man’s bank was able to cancel all transactions before any funds were lost.