NODAWAY, Iowa — The Adams County Sheriff’s Office along with the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Iowa Division if Criminal Investigation (DCI) are investigating a suspicious death in Nodaway, Iowa.

The investigation is ongoing and the name of the decedent is not being released at this time pending notification of family memebers.

Summer is here and if you haven’t already had a cookout, it’s time to think about cooking outdoors. Although many people cook outdoors all year around, summer is still a time for barbeques. Here are some simple guidelines from the USDA and ISU Extension for safe food grilling, to prevent bacteria from multiplying and possible food borne illness from happening to you.

From the store: Separate raw meat and poultry in your shopping cart to prevent cross contamination. If meat juices drip unto uncooked food, it can spread bacteria. Plan to go directly home from the grocery store or take a cooler and ice with you. All perishable food should be refrigerated within two hours and one hour if the temperature is above 90°.

Thaw safely: Thaw meat before grilling so it cooks more evenly. Thaw in the refrigerator, in cold running water, or the microwave. Use the microwave only if you are going to cook it immediately.

Transporting: When transporting food to another location, keep it cold. Use ice or cold packs to keep food at less than 40° Pack cold food directly from the refrigerator into insulated coolers for transport.

Keep everything clean: Use clean platters and utensils. Don’t use the same platter for raw and cooked meat. Harmful bacteria from raw meat can contaminate cooked meat. Take clean water with you for cleanup or use moistened towelettes for cleaning surfaces and hands.

Cook thoroughly: Just because it looks done, does not mean meat and poultry have reached safe internal temperatures to prevent food borne illness. Use a meat thermometer to make sure it is safe. Beef and pork steaks should reach 145°for medium rare, 160° for medium. Ground beef and ground pork should be at 160°, and all poultry to 165° to be considered safe to eat.

Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold: Cold foods should always be kept at 40° or less. Hot foods should be held at 140° or more. Foods should not left out for more than 2 hours or only 1 hour if the temperature is 90°.

If you have any questions about grilling call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline number 1-888-674-6854 or Iowa State University Extension Answer Line at 1-800-262-3804.

A man from Nebraska was arrested early this (Sunday) morning, in Montgomery County. The Sheriff’s Office says 24-year old Matthew John Pruss, of Omaha, was taken into custody at around 2:30-a.m., following a traffic stop in the 2100 block of Highway 48, south of Red Oak. Pruss was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and charged with OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.

Two men were being treated for non-life threatening injuries after they were beaten in Council Bluffs. The men, who are brothers, were identified as 41-year old Johnny and 38-year old Craig Anfinson, both of Council Bluffs. Authorities say officers initially responded at around 9:50-p.m. Saturday to reports of shots fired and someone possibly run over, at 2122 6th Avenue.

When they arrived they found Johnny Anfinson had been robbed of cash and a vehicle. When Anfinson tried to retrieve his vehicle with his brother, they were both struck with blunt objects. The suspects fled the area and had not been located as of last report.

The incident is being investigated as a robbery by the Council Bluffs P-D’s Criminal Investigation Division.

The driver of an SUV was taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Saturday, after the vehicle rear-ended a semi, in Fremont County. The accident happened at around 2:45-p.m.  According to the Iowa State Patrol, the semi, driven by 55-year old Jerry Harmon, of Orlando, FL., was traveling east in the outside lane of Highway 2, and slowing for the intersection at 208th Street, when the 2015 Freightliner he was in, was hit from behind by a 1997 Ford Explorer.

Following the crash, 49-year old Ishag Mohamed, of Lincoln, NE, was transported to the hospital by Mercy LifeFlight helicopter. Deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, as well as crews from Hamburg and Sidney Fire and Rescue, assisted at the scene.