The Adair County Sheriff’s Office says six people were arrested last week following an investigation into the theft from Cass County, of a laptop computer. An Adair County Sheriff’s Deputy assisted Cass County Deputies in executing a search warrant at a residence in the 400 block of N. Main Street, in Bridgewater, Wednesday night. Inside the home, authorities found a Macbook Air computer valued at $1,200, along with methamphetamine in several rooms, and marijuana in another room.

27-year old Matthew Ryan Johnson, of Bridgewater, was taken into custody for felony Theft in the 2nd degree/Possession of Stolen Property. Johnson claimed he bought the laptop from another man for $50.  Also arrested at the same time, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Meth, 46-year old Thomas Matthew Connors, III, of Omaha, 52-year old Mark Elmer Steil, of Bridgewater, and 53-year old Toni Lynn Reese, of Bridgewater. 62-year old James Jeffrey Reese, of Bridgewater, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Meth-2nd offense.

And, 34-year old Julie Ann Holmes, of Des Moines, was arrested at the residence in Bridgewater, for felony Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Possession of Marijuana-3rd or subsequent offense.

Julie Holmes, Matthew Johnson and Toni Reese were later released on $5,000 bond, each. James Reese was subsequently released on $2,000 bond. Thomas Conners III was released on $1,000 bond. Steil was also wanted on warrants from Adair and Polk Counties, and was being without bond on the Polk County warrant.

Police in Atlantic report the arrest on Friday, of 59-year old Douglas Cook, of Atlantic, for 2nd Degree Sexual Abuse (forcible fondling), Sexual abuse in the 3rd degree (forcible fondling and dissemination of obscene materials). Cook was being held in the Cass County Jail. That same day, 18-year old Ethan Erlacher, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. He was also booked into the Cass County Jail.

And, on Sunday, Atlantic Police arrested 41-year old Nicholas Johnson, of Exira, for Assault causing injury to a Health Care Provider. Johnson was being held in the Cass County Jail.

The National Weather Service is offering Storm Spotter Training classes free of charge to the public in the coming months. Storm spotters relay real-time information to the National Weather Service, especially during the tornado season. Information reported includes hail, tornadoes, high winds, damage, heavy rain and any phenomenon associated with severe storms.

Locally, Storm Spotter Training classes are being offered:

• In Cass County: 7-p.m. Wed., March 8th, at the Cass County Courthouse, in Atlantic. For more information, call Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon at 712-243-1500.
• In Adair and Guthrie Counties: 7-p.m. Wed., March 15th, at the Menlo Community Building, in Menlo. For more info., call Adair-Guthrie EMC Bob Kempf at 641-332-3030.
• In Union County: 7-p.m. Tue., March 21st, at the Alliant Bldg. upstairs conference room (208 W. Taylor), in Creston. For more info., call Union County EMC JoAnne Duckworth at 641-782-1622.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Audubon County, late Friday night, arrested 38-year old Philip Andrew Fees, of Audubon, for Domestic Abuse Assault. Audubon Police assisted in making the arrest, which was the result of an investigation into an incident that allegedly occurred at a residence in the 2500 block of 200th Street. Fees was released from custody after appearing before a magistrate.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A northwest Iowa man who hit five cyclists without bike lights several years ago is now pushing for stricter bike laws. The Des Moines Register reports Daryl Hasche hit five teenage girls with his motorcycle while riding in the dark five years ago. The cyclists were riding side by side, and didn’t have any lights on their bikes. Now, he shares the story of the accident in order to encourage cyclists to use bike lamps and to call attention to the topic for Iowa lawmakers.

Republican Rep. John Wills says a bill requiring flashing rear-facing lights on bicycles between sunset and sunrise could be introduced through the Iowa House Transportation Committee this session. But, he says the bill’s language has not yet been finalized. Currently, state law only requires a bicycle to have a front-lighted lamp.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports four recent arrests. Early this (Monday) morning, 41-year old Jason Ryan Deyo, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for OWI/1st offense and cited for Careless Driving, after a Deputy observed a 2033 Chevy pickup enter the ditch off N. 15th Street and Big Lake Road, near the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office. Deyo told the Deputy he was texting his girlfriend, but the man appeared intoxicated and consented to sobriety tests. Based on the results, he was taken into custody.

Sunday afternoon, 54-year old Vicky Roxanne Wright, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for OWI/1st Offense-narcotics related, after a records check of her license plate indicated Wright was driving without a valid license. The windshield of the vehicle was also cracked in several places. During the traffic stop, Wright showed signs of alleged drug use, and was taken into custody. She was also cited for Driving While Suspended and Failure to show proof of insurance.

Early Saturday morning, Pottawattamie County Deputies arrested 25-year old Jeffrey Lynn Schubert, of Council Bluffs, for OWI/1st offense-narcotics related, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Schubert was taken into custody after he was seen sleeping at the wheel of his vehicle as it was parked next to a gas pump at a Casey’s Store in Crescent. An investigation resulted in the recovery of 9.5-grams of marijuana.

Last Friday night, 24-year old Zane Michael Hytrek, of Avoca, was arrested for Simple Domestic Assault, and on a valid warrant out of Shelby County for Probation Violation. He was taken into custody following an investigation into a domestic disturbance involving his girlfriend, at a residence in the 200 block of W. High Street, in Avoca.

The search in Crawford County continues today, for a 15-year old female missing since the car she was in went off a rural Crawford County Road early Thursday morning, and went into the Boyer River. Each day since the accident occurred, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other volunteers have assembled to resume the search along the Boyer river, a prayer is said over them, asking that they remain safe and that their search is successful.

Each evening when they return, a prayer is said over them again, giving thanks that everyone returned to the command center safely.  On Sunday, the family of the missing teen and their friends gathered at the command center in the Western Iowa Expo Building at the county fairgrounds in Denison and wanted to join the search.

Sheriff James Steinkuehler explained to them that the search should be left to the officials and volunteers.  The river banks are high, steep and soft.  And the family and friends understood.  Along with an outpouring of prayers, the command center has been the site of an outpouring of community support.  Supplies of food and beverages have been donated by local stores.

During Sunday’s search efforts, two boats from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources towing drag lines searched a stretch of the Boyer River north of Denison, and volunteer firefighters conducted another search of the river banks and were also able to search along the shallow edges of the river.  The river has dropped 12 inches, maybe a little more, and now they are able to stand along the edge.  The firefighters were also able to search six to seven feet out from the edges of the river.

Steinkuehler added that where the water has undercut the banks, the firefighters were checking those pockets.  The river had previously dropped about three feet since the accident.  Sunday’s search was unsuccessful.   Today (Monday), dive team members will search hot spots along the river, areas more likely than others where the girl’s body might be found.  A number of firefighters volunteered to continue the search today.

If today’s search is  not successful, members of the Crawford County  Sheriff’s Office and the Denison Police Department will make frequent checks of the river as part of their patrols.  Firefighters in the county will also check the rivers repeatedly.  Law enforcement and firefighters in Harrison County will do the same.  The sheriff continues to ask everyone to pray for the family that their daughter might be found quickly to give them some closure.

(Thanks to our sister station KNOD in Harlan)

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two men from Atlantic were arrested on separate OWI charges last week. On January 17th, 32-year old Adam Lee Morris was arrested on a felony charge of OWI/3^rd or Subsequent Offense, and, Driving While Revoked. Morris was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.

Last Wednesday, Cass County Deputies arrested 28-year old Carl James Soglin on a charge of OWI/1^st Offense. Soglin was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrested last week of a man for allegedly using or displaying a weapon during an assault. 32-year old George W. Poorker, of Emerson, was arrested early Wednesday morning. His bond was set at $2,000.

On Friday, Mills County Deputies arrested 41-year old Steven Wayne Thompson, of Omaha, on a warrant out of Shelby County, for 2nd Degree Theft. His bond was also set at $2,000. That same day, 27-year old Christopher Lee McDaniel, of Pacific Junction, was arrested for Violation of an Order. He was being held in the Mills County Jail on $10,000 bond.

And, Sunday, 31-year old Brandon Heath Smith, of Malvern, was arrested for 2nd Degree Theft. His bond was set at $5,000.

Forecasters say a snowstorm is headed for northern Iowa that could dump up to eight inches of snow on the region by Wednesday afternoon. Meteorologist Kenny Podrazik, at the National Weather Service, says the much of Iowa will see at least some precipitation from this storm system.

“We’ll see rain and snow develop during the late morning hours tomorrow and the rain-snow mix line will be along the Highway 20 to Highway 30 corridor,” Podrazik says. “Anything south of that is going to be more rain. Further north, toward the Minnesota border, you’ll see the bulk of the snow.” Anyone who will need to be traveling across Iowa’s northern third during the next 48 hours may have to rethink their plans.

“Snow’s going to really start to accumulate during the late afternoon tomorrow and into tomorrow night,” Podrazik says. “It’ll really impact rush hour traffic across northern Iowa. The winds may really start to develop during the overnight hours toward Wednesday morning, so that’ll cause some blowing and drifting snow and probably some visibility restrictions as well.” Predictions call for the deepest snow to be farther north and nearly 40 Iowa counties are now under an advisory.

“We have a Winter Storm Watch out along the Highway 20 corridor northward, so we’re looking at anywhere from four to eight inches in that area,” Podrazik says. “From Estherville to Mason City, we’re looking at six-to-eight inches and from Fort Dodge, that area, we’re looking at a four-to-six range.”

Cold weather is forecast to remain after the storm passes, with highs statewide mostly in the 20s and 30s and lows in the teens and 20s.

(Radio Iowa)