(Radio Iowa) – Dead fish are washing up on the shore of Storm Lake. Iowa Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist Ben Wallace says an initial investigation indicates one species of fish is affected. “It looks to be a disease kind of specifically impacting the common carp,” he says, “so, to be honest, not a huge impact on the fishery there.” Wallace says thousands of dead carp have been found along Storm Lake’s shore.

“This kind of thing does happen. It’s not super common, but it’s a natural occurrence to have disease outbreaks in wild fish populations,” he says. “…They have a lot of necrotic tissue on their gills, had some fungus growing on their scales and stuff, so everything points to a disease impacting the common carp.”

Wallace hopes to find a lab to test sample fish to gain more information. He says the kill could last a couple more weeks before the disease runs its course. He does not expect other species of fish in Storm Lake to be impacted.

(Nora Springs, Iowa) – One person died and two others were injured during a crash late Monday night in Cerro Gordo County. The Iowa State Patrol says a 2013 Nissan Altima driven by 58-year-old Timothy Hoy, of Charles City, was westbound on 265th Street at around 11:10-p.m., when the vehicle crossed the center line of the road and collided head-on with a 2005 Pontiac G5, driven by 41-year-old Stephen Miles, of Mason City.

The Pontiac came to rest in the north ditch. The Nissan stopped on the roadway, and was struck by a third vehicle. Authorities say Stephen Miles died at the scene. He was wearing his seat belt. Two passengers in his car, 16-year-old Tyler Miles -who was not buckled-in, and 17-year-old Jackson Gobeli, both of Mason City, who was wearing his seat belt, were injured and transported by ambulance to the hospital.

The crash remains under investigation. Nora Springs First Responders and EMS, along with Mason City EMS, responded to the scene.

An investigation into a rollover accident Friday afternoon resulted in a rural Clarinda man being cited for Failure to Maintain Control. According to the Page County Sheriff’s Office, Deputies were notified at around 1:10-p.m. Friday about a motor vehicle accident having taken place in the vicinity of 200th Street and O Ave, about three-miles northwest of Clarinda.

When Deputies arrived, they found a vehicle upside down in a field, with heavy damage resulting from the rollover accident. No one was found at the scene. Deputies and personnel from the Clarinda Fire Department and Clarinda Regional Health Center EMS searched the area looking for the driver, and after an extensive search, the driver, identified as 48-year-old Jason Ludwig Reents, was located at his residence approximately three-miles to the west.

Reents was transported to Clarinda Regional Health Center with non-life-threatening injuries by Clarinda Ambulance Service. Reents was later cited for Driving While Revoked and Failure to Maintain Control. The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Clarinda Fire Department and the Clarinda Ambulance Service.

Note: A charge is merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 23-year-old Gage Burman Kephart, of Plattsmouth, NE, was arrested the evening of July 20th on I-29, for Public Intoxication. His bond was set at $300. And, on the 21st, 24-year-old David Glen Combs, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant for Failure To Appear on an original charges of OWI1st and Driving While Barred. His bond was set at $5,000.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – Page County Sheriff’s Deputies, Monday, arrested a man wanted on a Page County warrant for Consumption of alcohol in a public place/1st offense, and, Disorderly Conduct. Authorities say 40-year-old Joshua Jay Martin, of Clarinda, was transported to the Page County Jail and held on a $1,000 cash-only bond, pending further court appearances.

Joshua J. Martin

(Clarinda, Iowa) –  The Page County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported after a helicopter struck a power line, cutting the line, Sunday evening. According to Sheriff Lyle Palmer, Deputies were dispatched a little after 6-p.m., to the area of 180th Street and Redwood Avenue, about 1.5-miles north of Clarinda, where the blades of a Bell Model 206 Helicopter had accidentally struck and cut the power line, while the chopper was in the process of spraying a field.

The pilot, Oren William Perkins of Abbeville, LA., returned the helicopter to the designated landing zone near 205th Street and T Avenue in Montgomery County, where it landed without incident. The chopper is owned by JBI helicopters of Abbeville, LA.

A Bell Model 206 helicopter similar to the one involved in the Page County incident.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office notified the FAA of the incident. A damage estimate for the helicopter was not available. Damage to the MidAmerican Energy power line and Southwest REC transformer, was estimated at $270,000.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Clarinda Fire Department at the scene.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing today (Tuesday), on the 2^nd reading of revision/amendments to the Solar Power Zoning Ordinance. The hearing was part of the Board’s regular weekly meeting. They also passed a motion to waive the third reading, and passed the Ordinance as written. Last week, the Board approved the 1^st reading that made language in the Ordinance more consistent and removed unneeded definitions. They also added some sections with regard to the availability of funds for decommissioning, ground cover, and noise.

Board Chair Mark Peterson read the Ordinance which amends one that was created/updated in 1997. Here’s a part of what he said..

In other business, Chairman Peterson administered the the Oath of Office Jill Ozuna, the new Montgomery County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections. She will succeed Stephanie Burke, who resigned to take a job with the Stanton Community School District. Ozuna will fill the seat by appointment, effective August 1^st, and until at least the General Election in November.

Jill Ozuna is administered the Oath of Office as County Auditor/Commissioner of Elections (7-26-22)

The Montgomery County Supervisor’s also approved a request for use of the Courthouse lawn on Aug. 20^th, for the Red Oak Farmer’s Market; They approved an ARPA funding request for the Law Enforcement Center’s LED lighting upgrade. Sheriff John Spunaugle said MidAmerican Energy is providing the County with an incentive that pays for 25 percent of the project. The cost to replace the fixtures is $34,487, with MidAmerican kicking in $8,600. It’s estimated the new lighting would save the county around $7,634 per year.

Snyder and Associates Engineer Dave Sturm and his associate provided the Board with a proposal for pipeline inspection and related services. The Board took the proposal under consideration. And, they approved the abatement of taxes for County-owned property.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Environmental Council is calling for updating the system for measuring pollution in Iowa waterways. The state’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy program uses models to estimate the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in Iowa’s water. Iowa Environmental Council water program director Ingrid Gronstal says a lack of in-stream sensors makes it difficult to accurately assess water quality. “The public needs to know what their tax dollars are going toward and whether that money is being spent wisely,” Gronstal says. “So, are we actually getting a water quality benefit out of that?”

According to the Iowa Environmental Council, the State of Iowa has spent 100 million dollars since 2013 on water quality projects, but a lack of real-time water measurements means its difficult to determine if the investments are working. Gronstal says the models currently being used to estimate water quality can exclude factors that may impact a waterway – like land use changes or extreme weather patterns. “These are models that were developed close to a decade ago,” she says, “and they didn’t account for climate change effects then, and so certainly not responding to climate change effects now.”

The Iowa Environmental Council is calling for the state to release all of its water quality monitoring information to the public.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Kendall Crawford; additional reporting by Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson)

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report the arrest on Monday night, of a Council Bluffs woman. 37-year-old Jessica Jo Clymer was arrested two outstanding Pott. County warrants, including Violation of Probation. She was being held in the Pott. County Jail. Sheriff’s Deputies served two separate warrants in inmates being held in the Pott. County Jail, Monday:

• 29-year-old Mitchell Lee Bronston, of Omaha, was presented with a warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree. He was being held on bond amounting to $6,000.
• 20-year-old Dalton Michael Fastnacht, of Council Bluffs, was served with a warrant for Violation of Probation.

Both inmates were then returned to their cells by Corrections Staff. The Pott. County Sheriff’s Office said also, 39-year-old Amanda Marie Gordon, of Omaha, was transported from the Douglas County, Nebraska Jail to Pottawattamie County, to address a valid Pott. County warrant for Absence from Custody, and on a hold for another agency. Her bond was set at $1,000.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston said Tuesday (today), that on July 18th, a woman from Creston was cited for allowing an animal to run At Large. Amanda Montanye was presented with her citation at the scene of the incident, and released on a promise to appear in court.