Red Oak Police report 70-year old woman was arrested this (Saturday) morning, following an investigation into a possible Theft and Trespass incident. Authorities were notified about the incident at a residence in the 1400 block of E. Coolbaugh Street, on Friday. Their investigation led them to arrest Martha Jean Barnett, of Red Oak, on charges of Theft in the 5th Degree and Trespassing. Barnett was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 cash bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – State officials have issued burn bans in four Iowa counties due to dry conditions. The Iowa Department of Public Safety’s State Fire Marshal issued the bans this week for Decatur in southern Iowa and Lee, Wapello and Muscatine counties in southeastern Iowa. The ban prohibits open burning unless a fire chief issues a permit and supervision is planned.

Also allowed are fires in outdoor fireplaces, barbecue grills and properly supervised landfills, as well as burning of trash in incinerators or trash burners made of metal or masonry.

Approximately 60 Soldiers from the Iowa National Guard will be welcomed home today (Saturday) in a ceremony at the Des Moines air base. Guard spokesman, Colonel Greg Hapgood. “The 185th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion from the Iowa Army National Guard is based at Camp Dodge. And they’ve been mobilized for the past year. They’ve spent approximately nine months in the Afghanistan theater operating out of Bagram Airfield and some other locations in Afghanistan,” Hapgood says.

Col. Hapgood spoke about the 185th CSS Battalion’s responsibilities. He says the soldiers specialize in command and control of units and support the coalition and U-S forces through transportation, maintenance, supplies, water purification and other logistical tasks.

Hapgood says their work is key to the entire mission. “Certainly when you are talking about operations like we have in Afghanistan, its incredibly important that you have logistics on time, you have what you need, when you need it and where you need it. And these soldiers do an excellent job at making sure those who are in combat directly have everything they need to do their job,” Hapgood says.

The public is welcome to attend the homecoming ceremony which will be held at 3 p-m today (Saturday).

(Radio Iowa)

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

A call about an alleged assault at a bar in Red Oak early this (Saturday) morning, resulted in the arrest of 32-year old Jacob Michael Carnes, of Red Oak. According to Red Oak Police, officers were flagged down at around 12:30-a.m. outside the Red Oak Tap, where patrons stated Carnes had struck a female patron.

Carnes was charged with Public Intoxication and Domestic Abuse Assault/3rd or subsequent offense. He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond, pending a court appearance.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports a narcotics investigation in Hamburg, Friday, resulted in the arrest on drug charges, of a Nebraska man. The Fremont County K9 Unit conducted the investigation, during which 20-year old Brayden Murrison, of Beatrice, Nebraska, was arrested for Delivery of a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Murrison was being held at the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center on $6,000 bond.

Brayden Murrison (Photo courtesy Fremont Co. S/O)

A call about a person carrying weapons in the parking lot of a store Friday evening in Council Bluffs, resulted in the arrest of a man on assault and weapons charges. Bluffs Police say at around 5:35-p.m., Friday, officers were dispatched to the Family Dollar parking lot at 2801 West Broadway for an armed subject damaging the business’ sign.

Upon arrival, an officer was approached by a man later identified as 30-year old Matthew Swarbrick, of Council Bluffs, as Swarbrick was carrying two open pocket knives. The man allegedly threatened the officer and threw both pocket knives at him.

Matthew Swarbrick

The officer was able to quickly take cover then ordered Swarbrick to the ground so he could be safely apprehended. No one was injured during the incident. Swarbrick was booked into Pottawattamie County Corrections for Assault on a Peace Officer, Going Armed with Intent, Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon and Criminal Mischief 2nd.

Atlantic firefighters were called to a reported large grass fire early this (Saturday) morning on the northeast side of town. The call went out at around 3:25-a.m. for the blaze located just east/northeast of the Little League Ball fields, in the Atlantic Municipal Utilities’ well field complex. The area burning was said to be roughly 150-yards long by 50-feet wide, and was easily visible from less than one-mile away.

The flames were extinguished by 4-a.m.  No immediate cause for the blaze was determined, but smoking materials were a possibility, according to Fire Chief Mark McNees.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

CARROLL, Iowa (AP) — Outside his sprawling Iowa congressional district, Republican U.S. Rep. Steve King’s stream of inflammatory comments generate outrage and condemnation. But back home they rate little more than a shrug. Many interrupt King’s comments as racist, and House Speaker Paul Ryan and the White House have distanced themselves from his most recent statements. But in King’s conservative district, he likely can count on continued support.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican Sen. Joni Ernst met with confrontational crowds in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids where she was repeatedly shouted down and booed over the GOP health care reform plan. Ernst drew laughter and booing when she said many of the millions of people likely to lose insurance under the bill will willingly chose not to buy insurance once the mandates under the current law are lifted.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police in Des Moines are investigating a shooting that left one man dead and injured another man. Police say officers were called around 4 p.m. Friday to a residence for a report of a shooting and found two men injured. Police say one man had been shot in a foot, and the other man had been shot in his upper torso. Both me were taken to local hospitals, where the man shot in the torso died.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a 79-year-old Omaha woman embezzled more than $1.2 million from her employer and blew it gambling at casinos. The Omaha World-Herald reports that Annie Carbullido pleaded no contest Tuesday to two counts of theft by deception and two counts of tax evasion. Her sentencing is set for May 17.