A man and a woman were arrested on drug charges, Monday night, in Mills County. The Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday 55-year old Terry Joe Halvin, of Red Oak, and 55-year-old Julie Ann Vore, of Council Bluffs, were taken into custody at Highway 34 and Kidd Road at around 11:50-p.m., for possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and interference with official acts. Their bonds were set at $1,600.

On Monday, 21-year old Dylan Lee Conn was arrested in Plattsmouth, NE, on a Mills County warrant for Failure to Appear. Conn was being held in the Mills County Jail on $5,000 bond. Also arrested Monday, was 28-year-old Rueben Darnell Davis, of Glenwood, who was wanted on a warrant out of Pottawattamie County. His bond was set at $1,000.

On Saturday, 46-year old Matthew James Kelleher, of Glenwood, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. Bond was set at $1,000. And, 38-year old Michael Raymond Carver, of Omaha, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. His bond was set at $300.

And, on Jan. 1st, Mills County deputies arrested 53-year old Randy Joseph Huff, of Council Bluffs, for Driving Under Suspension. Also, 49-year-old Karen Ann Schneidewind, of McClelland, was arrested on a warrant for Harassment in the 3rd degee. Their bonds were set at $300 each.

Sheriff’s officials in Fremont County say a Hamburg man was arrested recently in connection with an assault that took place Dec. 16th at the Cubby’s gas station, located near the intersection of Highway 2 and Interstate 29. After an investigation, 62-year old John Moyer was arrested for Assault Causing Bodily Injury in Violation of Individual Rights. Moyer was later released on a $2000 cash only bond.

The incident that resulted in his arrest began after deputies made contact with 49-year old Cleo Henry, of Jonesboro, Arkansas who advised that he was parked at the diesel fuel pumps when a male approached him and began arguing with him. He stated the male (later identified as Moyer) used a racial slur and then sprayed him with diesel fuel.

(12:40-p.m. News)

Des Moines, IOWA – The Iowa Department of Public Safety reminds Iowans heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths during the winter months. Almost half of home heating equipment fires are reported during the months of December, January, and February. Some simple steps can prevent most heating-related fires from happening.

Safety Tips

• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, such as the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable heater.

• Only use heating equipment that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.

• Never use your oven for heating.

• Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.

• Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected annually by a qualified professional.

• Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.

• For fuel burning space heaters, always use the proper fuel as specified by the manufacturer.

• Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from flying into the room and burn only dry, seasoned wood. Allow ashes to cool before disposing in a metal container, which is kept a safe distance from the home.

• If you smell gas in your gas heater, do not attempt to light the appliance. Turn off all the controls and open doors and windows. Call a gas service person.

• Test smoke alarms at least monthly.

If you have questions about heating safety, contact the State Fire Marshal Division at 515-725-6145 or e-mail at fminfo@dps.state.ia.us.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The estimated jackpot for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing has soared to $450 million thanks to strong sales. Multi-State Lottery Association officials on Tuesday increased the expected prize from $400 million because of fast sales for the largest lottery jackpot in nearly a year.

No one has won Powerball’s biggest prize since Nov. 4. The jackpot now is the sixth-largest ever in North America, and if there is no winner after Wednesday night’s drawing, the prize will keep climbing. The biggest jackpot was a $656 million Mega Millions prize won in 2012. The last time Powerball had grown this large was in February 2015, when three winners split a $564.1 million prize.

Powerball is played in 44 states as well as the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Water quality funding is among the topics legislative leaders are talking about in the week before the Iowa Legislature convenes. Gov. Terry Branstad is considering a proposal to fund water quality efforts by diverting a portion of a sales tax designed to help schools pay for repairs and updated technology. Some lawmakers oppose the idea that would pit the needs of schools against the need for clean water.

More attention has been focused on water quality as Des Moines Water Works had to spend $1.5 million last year to operate a system that removed record levels of nitrate from the drinking water to remain in compliance with federal regulations. The utility filed a federal lawsuit last year seeking monetary damages and clean water permits for agriculture drainage districts.

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

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The area’s top news at 7:07-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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A reminder today from the office of Iowa Republican U-S Senator Joni Ernst, that the Senator will kick-off of her 99 county tour of Iowa for 2016, this Thursday morning (1/7). Ernst will return to the Montgomery County Courthouse in her hometown of Red Oak to host a town meeting that begins at 8-a.m.  The event is open to the public.

Officials with the Atlantic Community School District (ACSD) will hold an open session Wednesday afternoon. During the 4-p.m. meeting in the library at the Atlantic Middle School, the District’s Administration will receive the Non-Certified Collective Bargaining Unit’s initial proposal for 2016-17. No action will be taken. The District will present the Atlantic Education Association’s initial proposal at 5-p.m. Jan. 13th, in the Media Center at the Atlantic High School.

Former Senator and Republican Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum will be stopping in Atlantic this Saturday (Jan. 9th). Santorum will meet with the public at Noon, at the home of Paul & Sheryl Iekel, 56384 Highland Road (4 miles west of Atlantic on G-30). All who are interested are invited to attend.

During the event, Santorum will share his vision for America, and address the threat of ISIS and the Middle East.