Afton Police Chief John Coulter reports a woman from Adams County was arrested last week on charges associated with incidents that allegedly took place at the Afton Care Center, in February and March, 2016. 78-year old Stella F. DeWitt, of Prescott, was taken into custody March 23rd, and charged with Simple Assault and Disorderly Conduct in connection with the incidents that allegedly took place Feb. 19th and March 11th.

DeWitt was cited and ordered to appear later in Union County Magistrate’s Court.

A man and woman from Dallas County were arrested by authorities in Adair County, last Wednesday. Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports 22-year old Cara Ann Goering, and 33-year old Christopher George Barth, both of Dexter, were arrested on Adair County warrants charging both with Burglary in the 3rd Degree, Possession of Burglar’s tools, and Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree. The pair were picked-up at the Polk County Jail and brought back to Adair County, where they were later released on $5,000 cash bond, each.

Also arrested in Adair County was: 46-year old William John Hohertz, of Greenfield, who was taken into custody March 20th for Harassment in the 3rd degree, in association with alleged text messages. Hohertz was arrested by Greenfield Police and later released on his own recognizance; 50-year old Michelle Renee Evans, of Bridgewater, was arrested March 22nd, for Driving While Barred. During a traffic stop for alleged speeding, Evans admitted she didn’t have a driver’s license. She was brought to the Adair County Jail and later released on a $2,000 bond;And, 26-year old Zachary Ryan McNeeley, of Greenfield, was arrested March 26th, for Driving While License Denied or Revoked. Bond was set at $1,000.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A June trial has been scheduled for a man accused of killing his mother and grandmother at the home they shared in Council Bluffs. Online court records say the trial of Michael Dieckmann on two counts of first-degree murder is set to begin June 1 in Pottawattamie County District Court. He remained in custody Monday, pending $1 million bail.

Authorities say he killed his mother, 63-year-old Jacqueline Dieckmann, and her mother, 91-year-old Illa Pfeiffer. Another daughter of Pfeiffer found the bodies on March 16. Michael Dieckmann denied the allegation during a court hearing March 17.

Some of Michael Dieckmann’s family members say he is mentally ill.

The Iowa State Patrol reports three people were injured during a collision Saturday morning, in Harrison County. Officials say a 2015 Chevy Express was traveling eastbound on Harrison County Road F-58 (296th St.) at around 9:45-a.m., at the same time a 2011 GMC Sierra was traveling southbound on L-34 (Overton Ave.). The Chevy, driven by 26-year old Zuliette Arenciba-Rivera, of Omaha, failed to stop at the intersection, and hit the GMC driven by 37-year old Sarah Kline, of Logan.

Following the crash, the Chevy traveled through the intersection and came to rest in the southeast ditch. The GMC continued through the intersection as well and came to rest in the east ditch. Both drivers, and a passenger in the Chevy, 32-year old Ronald Wilcoxen, Jr., of Council Bluffs, were transported to hospitals in Omaha. None of the three were wearing their seat belts.

Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren told KJAN News that mostly minor injuries were reported following an accident this (Monday) morning between a SWITA bus and an SUV. The accident happened at around 7:40-a.m.

McLaren says the bus was traveling westbound on Fairview Road and had just topped a hill, when it was hit head-on by the SUV that was on the wrong side of the road, and driven by a female teenager. The Sheriff says the bus was almost stopped prior to the collision, which he said likely reduced the number of injuries. It’s not clear how many children were on the bus or how many were injured. The driver of the SUV reportedly suffered from a possible broken jaw in the crash. Two Medivac ambulances left the scene for the Cass County Memorial Hospital.

Photo courtesy Mike Kennon, Cass County EMA

Additional details are not available at this time.

Law enforcement and Atlantic Fire and Rescue were responding to an injury accident slightly northwest of Atlantic involving a SWITA bus this morning just west of Buck Creek Road on Fairview Road. According to dispatch reports, most of those on board the bus were children. Most of the injuries were to the children. An adult involved in the accident reportedly was suffering from a broken jaw.

The accident occurred at around 7:45-a.m.  No other details are currently available.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.7MB)

Subscribe: RSS

State Epidemiologist Patricia Quinlisk says Iowa and the rest of the country have been experiencing more cases of the mumps. “What we’ve seen in Iowa since last summer is about 550 cases of mumps reported to us. Now I’ll just tell you that number is probably under reported,” she says. Doctor Quinlisk says that’s way above past years.
“Typically in Iowa we’ve had maybe, five, ten, 15 cases of mumps reported each year,” according to Quinlisk. Part of the increase is linked to college towns.

“The highest rate of mumps that we’ve had is in Johnson County where the University of Iowa is located,” Quinlisk says. There were with 293 mumps cases in Johnson County. Black Hawk County, home to the University of Northern Iowa, has the second highest number of mumps cases at 98. “We are watching Black Hawk County very closely. Good news is — in Johnson County — the numbers do seem to be slowing, going down, so that seems to be resolving,” Quinlisk says.

She says it’s not surprising to see an increase in mumps in the two areas where there are colleges, because young adults’ mumps immunity from childhood shots is waning, and mumps spreads among those in close living conditions. Doctor Quinlisk says mumps outbreaks peak periodically — citing the year 2006 as an example — when Iowa reported two-thousand cases during a six-month period.

(Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s deputies in Montgomery County arrested a man in Villisca early this (Monday) morning, following a traffic stop. 40-year old Jason William McCollum, of Villisca, was arrested at around 3-a.m. for Driving While Revoked. McCollum was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

Authorities in Montgomery County report two arrests late Sunday evening. Sheriff’s deputies in Villisca, arrested 46-year old Matthew Kevin Miller, of Villisca, at around 7:30-p.m.  Miller was charged with Violation of a No Contact Order. He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond.

And, Red Oak Police arrested 27-year old Jacob Nathaniel Forward, of Red Oak, at around 9:35-p.m. in Red Oak, on a charge of Trespass. Forward was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.