The Iowa Department of Transporation passed along an update on the Highway 6/7th Street project in Atlantic on Monday.  Worked completed in the past week includes grading the East bound land from Plum to Spruce Street in preparation for mainline paving.  Driveways and sidewalks also were poured from Spruce to Plum.

This week plans are to continue main line subgrade prep along with modified base and subdrain installation for South 12 foot lane, East bound lane from Plum to Cherry Streets.  Work will also continue on pouring driveways and sidewalk from Spruce to Pine Streets.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Department assisted during a high-speed chase on Friday, August 14th. Deputies joined the pursuit of a stolen Black 2015 Toyota Camry that began in Ankeny. The vehicle was pursued by officers in Dallas, Greene, and Guthrie Counties until finally ending in Greene County in Jefferson.

At 4:32pm a Guthrie County Deputy was traveling eastbound on Highway 141 from Highway 25 in Guthrie County when he met a group of cars coming towards him. A car in the middle of the group fit the description of the stolen vehicle. The Deputy pursued the vehicle with speeds reaching 96mph.

Green County Deputies set out spike strip at Highway 30 and M Avenue. The suspect vehicle hit the spikes with its right front tire. The suspect vehicle continued into the City limits of Jefferson and ran through the four way stop of Hwy 30 and Hwy 4. The vehicle continued east on Hwy 30 until the right front tire blew out and it crashed into the south ditch of Highway 30.

The suspect was removed from the vehicle and detained. The suspect was identified as 29-year-old Meriah Teamer of Des Moines. A check of her driver’s license shows she is suspended in Iowa for Non Payment of an Iowa fine. The vehicle was determined to have been stolen out of the City of Ames.

Teamer was arrested and transported to the Guthrie County Jail and charged with Eluding while participating in a Felony, Possession of a stolen vehicle, Driving while suspended, and speeding. Meriah will also face charges from other jurisdictions.

Agency’s that assisted include Iowa State Patrol, Green Co Sheriff’s Office, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Coon Rapids Police Dept, Jefferson Police Dept, and Panora Police Dept.

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer released a weekly arrest report on Monday.

On Wednesday, August 12th the Audubon Police Department executed a search warrant and arrested 19-year-old Zachary James Ratliff of Audubon.  He was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Gathering Where Controlled Substance is Unlawfully Used. Also arrested was 37-year-old Tiffany Lyn Densmore of Audubon. Densmore was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Marijuana 3rd or subsequent offense, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Gathering Where Controlled Substance is Unlawfully Used and 2 counts of Child Endangerment. Both were transported to the Audubon County Jail where they were held to see a magistrate. This investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending.

On Friday, August 14th the Audubon Police Department arrested 54-year-old Robert Charles Atkinson of Audubon. Atkinson was charged with Theft-5th degree and Public Intoxication – 3rd or more offenses. Atkinson was transported to the Audubon County Jail where he was held to see a magistrate.

Also on Friday, August 14th the Audubon Police Department arrested 20-year-old Joshua Adam Petersen of Audubon. Petersen was arrested on a Carroll County warrant and transferred to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.

On Monday, August 17th the Audubon Police Department arrested 35-year-old Michael David Lollie of Audubon. Lollie was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. Lollie was cited and released on promise to appear.

Page County Sheriff’s Officials arrested a Braddyville man on Sunday for Driving while Barred.  At approximately 8:00pm Sunday Deputies stopped a silver and green Chevy K1500 pickup approximately 1 mile east of Braddyville. Deputies had seen the driver of the vehicle when it passed by them in Braddyville, and identified him as 45-year-old John David Stone of Braddyville. It was known by the Deputies and confirmed through a driver’s license check that Stone was barred from driving a motor vehicle for being a habitual offender.

Stone was arrested for Driving while Barred and transported to the Page County Jail for holding. Stone was also cited for open container of alcohol in the vehicle while operating on a public roadway. Stone is currently being held in the Page County Jail on $2,000 bond awaiting trial.

AVOCA, Iowa (AP) — A western Iowa community has celebrated the opening of a pedestrian bridge over the West Nishnabotna River. The Daily Nonpareil reports that the span opened in March and is the latest step in an effort to install trails throughout the town of Avoca. A dedication for the bridge was held Friday.

Before the crossing was built, residents would have to walk along a highway shoulder or take other less-than-ideal routes to get to the Edgington Memorial Park, which sits east of the river. Avoca librarian Serena Riesgaard remembers her brothers having to wade across the river to get to the park.

The bridge cost about $340,000, with about 50 percent of the project covered by a state transportation grant. The remainder was funded with local option sales tax dollars.

The University of Iowa is asking students to be sure their vaccinations are all up-to-date after six cases of the mumps have been reported among students in the last couple of weeks. The majority of students will return to campus next week for the state of classes, and university spokesman, Tom More, says they want them to be prepared. “If they have not had two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella, or M-M-R vaccine, it’s a good idea that they get those two doses before they show up on campus. That’ll maximize their protection,” Moore says. Moore says the mumps are another reason for students to get the vaccinations now instead of waiting.

“The students have essentially until the end of the first semester to provide proof of their immunization status,” Moore says. “So, it is something that we do require, but they do have a little bit of a time frame here to do it. But, we recommend that they do it as soon as possible that they are protected.” Many students returning to campus will be living in dorms with a lot of new people, and lots of daily contact. The mumps virus is spread through contact with saliva or mucous from the mouth, nose, or throat.

“That’s always a concern in close living quarters — is that when you have a contagious disease it can spread from person to person with relatively ease. And so we are trying to do everything we can to help protect the safety, health and well-being of our students,” Moore says. Mumps cases have been reported on other campuses in the midwest, but Moore hasn’t heard of any in Iowa.

“We’ve shared this information with our sister institutions at Iowa State and Northern Iowa, but have not heard any reports that they have seen anything similar,” Moore says. The university says it has also alerted area health care professionals and has provided additional training for resident hall staff and resident assistants in the wake of the six reported cases of mumps. U-I classes start on August 24th.

(Radio Iowa)