(Radio Iowa) – A northeast Iowa lake is seeing its first major renovation in about 70 years. Martens Lake has been a part of the Sweet Marsh Wildlife Management Area in Bremer County since the 1950s but has remained virtually untouched. That’s changing, as Iowa DNR wildlife biologist Dan Kirby says they’re widening the lake’s channels to improve boat access, and they’re making the channels deeper to improve habitat for fish and waterfowl. “This lake does have a history of having some invasive aquatic species,” Kirby says. “It should help us to have the ability to more easily manage a couple of those problems.”

The lake has battled watermilfoil and brittle naiad for the past several decades. Kirby says watermilfoil is particularly troublesome as it chokes out native aquatic plants and fish. “Because we have channels now, we should be able to draw that water down, confine the fish into a smaller area,” he says, “and deal with some of those aquatic plant issues we’ve been having in the past.”

The lake is about 30 miles north of Waterloo. The renovation is expected to be completed by September.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Atlantic Police Department say six people were arrested between July 27th and August 1st.

On August 1st, Atlantic Police arrested: 19-year-old Ryder Burk, of Atlantic, for Burglary in the 3rd Degree, and Theft in the 1st Degree; and, 34-year-old Justin Hay, of Atlantic, was arrested for Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree.

On July 30th, 33-year-old Sean Chamberlin, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI (Operating While under the Influence). 32-year-old Gage Ray, of Atlantic, was arrested July 28th, for Domestic Abuse Assault, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and on two-counts of Assault while displaying a dangerous weapon.

And, on July 27th, Atlantic Police arrested 26-year-old Jeff Edgar and 37-year-old Rinanten Amo, both of Atlantic. They were charged with Public Intoxication and Interference with Official Acts. Amo was additionally charged with Disorderly Conduct.

Each of those individuals were taken into custody and transported to the Cass County Jail, where they were booked-in. The Jail Roster shows none of the aforementioned persons remained in jail as of August 7th.

The Police Department reports also, two women were cited into court on shoplifting charges. 62-year-old Julie Peck, of Walnut, was cited July 25th, and 43-year-old Stacie Hansen, of Atlantic, was cited August 5th. In addition, 44-year-old Dawn Theisen, of Atlantic, was cited for Child Endangerment.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken provided his regular report to the Board of Supervisors, Tuesday morning. That included an update on storm damage and related clean-up, RAGBRAI and upcoming projects.

Wolken reminded the Board about the Cass County Safety Action Plan workshop, which takes place August 27^th.

Once the County gets it’s Safety Action Plan put together, the County will be eligible for funding. Wolken said intersections and curves are some areas where he wants added safety measures installed that is provided by the funding.

Wolken says they’ll look at crash data to determine where additional illumination of intersections, sight-distance issues, and other measures would make it safer for drivers, but there’s not a whole lot of incidents in the county that are caused by those type of problems. “A lot of them are paved intersections with State roads, for some reasons.”

He said also, the Secondary Roads Department is looking at obtaining some additional equipment, such as boxes for trucks that are on-hand, and three pieces of equipment that are on-order.

POCAHONTAS COUNTY, Iowa (KTIV) – A pursuit in Northwest Iowa, Tuesday morning, crossed two counties, and ended with the suspect driver eluding capture in a field. The incident began when a sheriff’s deputy saw a flatbed truck being driven erratically westbound, on Highway 3 in Humboldt County. When a deputy tried to stop the 2012 Chevy 3500 truck, it sped-off and continued on Highway 3 into Pocahontas County. The truck was reported as stolen earlier that morning to the Story County Sheriff’s Office.

In an attempt by the driver to avoid stop sticks that were deployed by Pocahontas County Sheriff Deputies, the truck entered a farm field near the intersection of Highway 3 and N-65. The vehicle drove through soybean and corn fields for nearly a mile before getting stuck in a ditch near the intersection of 530th Street and N-65 (290th Avenue) – in Pocahontas County – between Pocahontas and Gilmore City.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s office says a perimeter was set up and drones were used but they say the suspect could not be found because of the thick cover in the corn fields. The contents of the truck will be sent to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation in Ankeny for testing.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports the arrest on Monday, of 33-year-old Brice Allen Maxwell, of Creston. Maxwell was taken into custody a little after 6-p.m. at his residence. He faces seven-counts of Theft in the 5th Degree. Maxwell was taken to Union County Jail and held on a $2,100 bond.

And, Tuesday afternoon, Creston Police arrested 38-year-old Daniel Buck Busenbarrick, of Creston, for Violation of No Contact/Protective Order. Busenbarrick was taken to Union County Jail and held without bond until seen by a judge.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Engineer Karen Albert, Tuesday, updated the County Board of Supervisors on the status of various bridge/road projects. She said beginning today (Wednesday), H-34 and Nature Avenue to Q Avenue will be closed for an HMA (Hot Mix Asphalt) milling and overlay and widening. Detour signage is in-place.

Albert says the sheriff’s office and schools have been notified about the construction project. Affected residents in the area will be able to get through, but otherwise the road will be closed to through traffic. Ten-Point Construction is handling the patching of H-34, and another project in Montgomery County.

And, she said Montgomery County Secondary Roads Department employees will be meeting with representatives from FEMA and Homeland Security this Thursday, with regard to damage and debris removal, following the May storms/tornadoes.

(Radio Iowa) -0 A bestselling author who’s originally from northeast Iowa is releasing a new novel this week called “The Thirteenth Husband,” about a real-life railroad heiress who was something of a 19th century Paris Hilton. Greer Macallister, who grew up in Janesville, says Aimee Crocker was a fascinating figure in history, whose tale includes snakes, spirits, world travels, and lavish Manhattan parties, but through her public notoriety, there’s also private pain.

“She inherited $10-million when she was 10 years old in the 1880s, and that’s closer to 200-, or $300-million today. So she had a lot of money,” Macallister says. “I think a lot of people don’t think the rich have any problems, and didn’t feel very sorry for her, but she did have those tragedies, and she did have a lot to deal with and a lot to struggle with in her life, so I think that makes her very interesting.” The first of Crocker’s many marriages ended with a bitter court battle over custody of her daughter, and Macallister says it took place largely on the front pages of newspapers.

“She is very much like that sort of Paris Hilton, sort of Kim Kardashian personality, where the tabloids are a tool for her, but they’re also a curse,” Macallister says. “People would follow her around and write about everything she did, and that was great if she wanted to make a splash, but it was not great when she had personal tragedies.” Crocker’s saga is filled with both fortune and scandal, as well as ghosts, but did she really get married 13 times? Macallister says that’s a big spoiler and you’d have to read the book to learn the full story.

Greer Macallister

“She did have a lot of husbands, and the title of the book comes from a story that she told in her lifetime, ‘The Real Aimee Crocker,'” Macallister says. “She had gone to many psychics, mystics, fortune tellers, etcetera, and one of them had told her that she needed to be careful about getting married too many times and that her 13th husband would bury her.” This is Macallister’s fifth work of historical fiction and she says it would be a mistake to think the genre is only focused on the past.

“Historical fiction always has some sort of resonance with the present and even on into the future, so there’s always some sort of connection we can make,” Macallister says. “Looking back at past events, seeing how people of the past lived their lives, we can draw parallels with our current situation, both the external world and our internal personalities, and sort of see how patterns emerge and move forward.” Macallister lives with her family in Boston. Her previous books include: “Girl in Disguise,” about the first female private detective. Macallister says Kate Warne, who joined the Pinkerton Agency in the 1850s, is someone whose name should be in every textbook.

GREENFIELD, Iowa [WHO-TV]— Twister the cat survived the deadly EF4 Greenfield tornado in May and is now ready for a new home. Twister, a tuxedo cat, is one of the many animals who were taken in by AHeinz57 Pet Rescue after the tornado tore through town. Linda Adams with the pet rescue said staff, told WHO-TV, they believe Twister was a stray before the tornado. After several weeks of rehabilitation and lots of love, staff say he is ready to find a forever home for the shy little kitty.

If you’d like to learn more about Twister or any of the other animals available for adoption just visit AHeinz57’s website.

DALLAS COUNTY, Iowa — [KCCI] – The Iowa State Patrol says speeding and littering kicked off a chase on Interstate 80 on Tuesday. ISP says a trooper tried to pull over an SUV for speeding and littering in a construction zone, but the driver took off. Law enforcement was eventually able to use stop sticks and disable the vehicle on the off-ramp to Ute Avenue in Dallas County.

Iowa State Patrol says the driver was identified as Raymond Craig. He now faces multiple charges, including eluding, operating while intoxicated and possession of a controlled substance.

(Corning, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Adams County report two people from Missouri were arrested July 31^st on drug charges, following a traffic stop near the intersection of Highways 34 & 48. Authorities say 59-year-old Janie Ray, of Mexico, Missouri, and 58-year-old Phillip Hutchinson of New Florence, Missouri, were taken into custody.

Hutchinson was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine/3^rd offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Ray faces charges that include Poss. of Methamphetamine/1^st offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Bond for Hutchinson’s cash bond was set at $5,300. Ray was being held in the Adams County Jail a $1,300 cash bond.

K-9 Midge assisted with the investigation.

Sheriffs deputies in Adams County arrested 31-year-old Devin Heimke, of Corning, on charges that include Disorderly Conduct, Public Intoxication, and Interference with Official Acts. He was arrested at the Casey’s General Store and transported to the Adams County Jail, his bond was set at $900.