(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston investigated two, non-injury accidents that took place Friday (Feb. 16th). The first occurred at around 10:40-a.m., near the intersection of Sumner Street and New York Avenue. Officials say a 2002 Chevy Blazer driven by 81-year-old Joseph R. Kessler,of Creston, was stopped at a red light while westbound on New York Avenue. A 2012 Honda Civic driven by 23-year-old Sophia Alexandra Groumoutis, of Creston, was traveling west on New York Avenue.

According to the report, as the car was traveling downhill toward the stop light, it was traveling too fast for conditions, and slid into the rear bumper of the SUV, causing minor damage to both vehicles estimated at $3,000 altogether. Police noted wet/icy road conditions contributed to the collision. No citations were issued.

The second accident happened at around 2:45-p.m. Friday, in Creston. Authorities say a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix, driven by 33-year-old Samantha Jo Gile-Smith, of Creston, was traveling south in the 400 block of N. Cherry Street. An unoccupied  2013 Chrysler 200 was legally parked along the west curb facing south. Gile-Smith initially told officers her car struck the other vehicle when her steering locked-up, but she later admitted to having fallen asleep. She said her steering was fine, and that she had awakened after the collision.

Damage from the accident amounted to $7,000. Both vehicles were declared a total loss, and were towed from the scene. No citations were issued.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department today (Sunday), said there were two arrests for Theft, and an OWI arrest. Friday afternoon (Feb. 16), Creston Police arrested 20-year-old Molly Nichole Bagby, of Corning, was arrested at the Creston Hy-Vee. She was charged with Theft in the 2nd Degree/General (over $1,500 under $10,000_. Bagby was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on a $5,000 cash or surety bond.

And, 39-year-old Yarioska Rondoncama, of New York, was arrested at the Creston Union County LEC (Law Enforcement Center). Rondoncama was charged under a Union County Warrant for three counts of Theft in the 5th Degree. Rondoncama was also charged with OWI/1st offense, and Driving while revoked. He was taken to the Union County Jail where and held on a $2,900 cash or surety bond.

Early Saturday morning, 34-year-old Cody Reese Craig, of Greenfield, was arrested at the Creston Union County LEC for OWI/1st Offense. Craig was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

JOHNSON COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – The North Liberty and Solon Fire Departments responded to a fire at the Iowa Raptor Project around 4:24am on Friday.

Crews arrived to find a fire in four enclosures, which were a total loss. The four raptors in the enclosures were killed. Those include two red-tailed hawks, one Harris’s hawk, and one gyrfalcon. Officials say the remaining birds are being closely observed for any signs of distress.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation and a damage estimate is not yet available.

The Iowa Raptor Project and the Macbride Nature Recreation Area will be closed until further notice.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — Three months after the Animal Rescue League of Iowa took in dozens of neglected horses from a property near Madrid, the animals are healed and available for adoption.

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office removed 46 horses from a rural property in November 2023 and charged the owner, 78-year-old Linda Kay Kilbourne of Johnston, with livestock neglect. Once the ARL took the horses into their care, they said the animals were covered in lacerations and bite marks from the other horses and were suffering from undernourishment. Now, the ranch manager at the ARL’s Second Chance Ranch said the herd is healed and ready for new homes. In total, 31 of the 46 horses are in the ARL’s care, with 21 at the ranch facility. See all the horses available for adoption here.

The reason the ranch successfully helped the herd recover is because of recent changes at the facility. Over the past two years, the ARL updated the stalls, outdoor paddock area and hired more staff to help them handle more animals. While the new facilities are able to handle the large herd, it is at capacity. By the end of March, the ARL is expecting more horses to join when five of their mares give birth; emphasizing the importance of getting horses adopted now.

(Shenandoah, Iowa) – Officials with the Shenandoah Police Department, Friday, released a report on six arrests that took place between Feb. 3rd and Feb. 12th.

There were two arrests last Monday (Feb. 12th): 33-year-old Hope Kalkas, of Shenandoah, was arrested for Public Intoxication and Disorderly Conduct. Kalkas had previously been arrested Feb. 3rd on the same charges. And, 25-year-old Sayj Elizabeth Martin, of Clarinda, was arrested Feb. 12th, for Driving While Barred and Possession of a Controlled Substance (PCS)/Marijuana-2nd offense.

On Feb. 11th, Police in Shenandoah arrested 26-year-old Corbin Link, of Quincy, IL, on charges that include Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia, PCS/Marijuana-1st offense, and Unlawful Poss. of Prescription Drugs.

Two people were arrested Feb. 5th, in Shenandoah: 32-year-old Tanner Savage, of Carthage, IL, was arrested for Carry Weapons while intoxicated, Person ineligible to carry weapons, OWI/1st offense, Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia, and for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm; 29-year-old Derek Alan Miller, also from Carthage, IL, was arrested for Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia, PCS/Marijuana-1st offense, and Unlawful Poss. of Prescription Drugs.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Conference Board, Thursday evening,  accepted the resignation of Cass County Assessor Mary Anstey. Her resignation takes effect Feb. 29th. During their meeting the Conference Board named Shana Platt, current deputy assessor, as County Assessor, effective March 1st.

Anstey previously said she would be resigning, but agreed to continue working part time, as Chief Deputy in the office, to support Platt. Mary Anstey started work in Cass County in 1999 in various capacities.

(Radio Iowa) – State Climatologist, Justin Glisan, says Iowa is on pace to have the warmest February on record. “It’s the warmest February to the 16th on record with 152 years of records we’re about 17 degrees above average,” Glisan says. He says the colder temperatures today (Friday) and tomorrow will have some impact, but temperatures are going to warm back up. Glisan says we have two weeks to go before the end of the climatological winter, which he says has been drier than normal.

“Coming off of the third snowiest January on record we’ve really been dry, only three one hundredths of an inch reported statewide as an average so far,” he says. Glisan doesn’t see a lot of change through the end of the month. “This is a function of the strong El Nino that we have set up in the eastern Pacific. warmer ocean waters fire more thunderstorms. Those thunderstorms impact where the jet streams set up over the United States,” Glisan says. So the polar jet is further north. subtropical jet states flatter towards the south metro. We see a lot of precipitation along the Gulf states, and we’re stuck in between so warmer weather and a less active storm track.”

Glisan said early indications is that the warm weather will continue into the first few weeks of March. March 1st begins the three month climatological spring for the northern hemisphere.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congressman Zach Nunn is sponsoring legislation to update a federal program that provides capital to banks, credit unions and savings and loans that serve rural areas or low income customers. There are nine Community Development Financial Institutions in Iowa that are certified by the U.S. Treasury Department.

“For every $1 million that they receive in CDFI grant funding, they’re able to lend $20 million, so talk about a return on investment for our local community,” Nunn said during a news conference this week inside a Veridian credit union branch in Des Moines. “For every dollar invested by the feds, $20 gets to go right back into our communities.”

Nunn, a Republican from Bondurant, represents Iowa’s third congressional district. The bill he’s co-sponsoring with a Democrat from North Carolina would require the U.S. Treasury Department to disclose the reasons when financial institutions may be at risk of losing grant funding or when rules for the program change.

“What we’ve seen is that the administration has made some, like, changes that have become very convoluted, that have not been widely publicized and as a result put many of our lenders…in situations where they have to revamp their program totally,” Nunn said, “and that can delay people for months to even years with their ability to find access to it.”

Congressman Zach Nunn (R-Bondurant) speaking at news conference in Des Moines, Iowa. (RI photo)

Nunn’s calling for creation of an ombudsman’s office that would assist lenders that want to apply for the program’s grant. The bill also would forbid financial institutions accused of fraud from seeking arbitration to reduce their obligation to repay what was misspend. “We hold them accountable because at the end of the day, these are taxpayer dollars and we need to know what it’s going for,” Nunn said.

Lenders may use the program’s federal grants in a variety of ways, like investing in non-profits that are building housing as well as providing loans to businesses and individuals. The following Iowa financial institutions are Community Development Financial Institutions in Iowa: Ascentra Credit Union in Bettendorf; Dupaco Community Credit Union; Grow Iowa Foundation in Lenox; Habitat for Humanity Iowa; Mississippi Valley Neighborhood; Neighborhood Finance Corporation in Des Moines and Veridian Credit Union in Waterloo.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s FFA members will celebrate the group’s 96th anniversary as FFA week starts this Saturday. The group’s advisor in Webster City Kurt Veldhuizen says the national membership is near the one million mark and growing.

“I think that’s huge. I think it’s just a sign of you know how important society is realizing that food and food production is. And then of course the careers are just, agriculture is in such high need to fill careers and I think we see that in our students and finding an interest in this area,” he says. Iowa has 19,200 members involved in many activities. Veldhuizen says the membership is not long strictly from rural areas.

“Urban food production is very important, but beyond that agriculture is such a large industry that the jobs can’t be filled by just those kids coming from rural areas.” He says that in his own town. “I’m proud of that here in Webster City that we have about half and half, Half of our kids live outside of town city limits. Half of our kids do come from in town,” he says. “And that’s important that they’re seeing those things and the skills and the job opportunities that are there too.”

The Iowa FFA Leadership Conference is coming to Ames on April 14-16. You can find out more about FFA at www.iowaffa.com.