Officials with the Council Bluffs Police Department have identified the body of a man whose body was pulled from the Missouri River, Sunday evening. Police Sgt. Chad Meyers said the victim was 37-year old Jeffrey Kahler of Omaha. Meyers said at this time, there is no evidence to suggest that foul play was involved.

The Council Bluffs P-D’s 911 dispatch center had received a transfer call about the possibility of a body in the river, from the Omaha Police Department at around 5:25-p.m., Sunday. The Council Bluffs Fire Department’s rescue boat was then dispatched to the area located one-quarter of a mile south of the Vets Memorial Highway. Crews were able to recover Kahler’s body from the river just after 5:45-p.m.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on July 21st of 50-year old David Duane Kirchner, of Atlantic. Kirchner was taken into custody on charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance and Prescription Drug Violation. He was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $3,000 bond.

On July 23rd, deputies with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested 38-year old Kameo Margaret Smith, of Exira, on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Theft 4th Degree. Smith was taken to the Cass County Jail where she was later released on $1000 bond.

On July 24th, deputies arrested 24-year old Mark Alan Fredericksen, of Atlantic,  on a Cass County warrant for Failure to Appear and a charge of Driving While Revoked. Fredericksen was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following day on his own recognizance.

On July 25th, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested 25-year old Devin Sparks Register, of Atlantic, on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Theft 5th Degree. Register was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on $325 bond.

And on Monday (July 27th), deputies arrested 39-year old Marc Edward Ernst, of Bridgewater, on a charge of Theft 5th Degree. Ernst was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on his own recognizance.

Members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement are turning in petition signatures to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, calling for tougher enforcement of the Clean Water Act. Jess Mazour, I-C-C-I’s farm and environment organizer, says the comments were focused on the D-N-R’s draft list of impaired waterways. She says more accountability is needed.

“We decided we were going to get as many comments as we can, offering a solution to some of these problems,” Mazour says. “In our eyes, issuing Clean Water Act permits and holding factory farms and manure polluters accountable is one way we can start cleaning up Iowa’s waters. We got about 2,000 comments collected online and in person from across the state and then we hand-delivered them to the DNR.” Mazour says tougher rules and better enforcement are needed to protect the state’s waters.

“Not a single hog confinement in Iowa has a Clean Water Act permit and the current permitting system is not working, obviously, because we continue to have manure spill after manure spill,” Mazour says. “We know these factory farms are basically getting away with polluting and the DNR’s not doing anything about it. We think the Clean Water Act will give them tougher regulations to follow and then start cleaning up our water.” Mazour says the agency could use more state dollars to be able to enforce state environmental regulations.

“The DNR needs more funding to hire more inspectors,” she says. “Right now, there’s only 15.75 full-time equivalent inspectors for over 9,000 of these facilities in Iowa. Obviously, the Clean Water Act needs to be implemented. They need to start issuing tough fines and penalties when manure spills occur.” The DNR’s most recent list of impaired waterways in Iowa is at 725, that’s up from 630 in 2012.

(Radio Iowa)

Update on our 8-a.m. lead story, and more news from around western Iowa, with KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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A search warrant executed at a residence in Defiance late Tuesday night resulted in the arrest of three people on felony drug and other charges. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reports deputies served the warrant at around 11:45-p.m., at 313 Railway Street, in Defiance, where three people were residing. The individuals were identified as 26-year old Andrew Nielsen and 27-year old Jackie Thielen, both of Defiance, and 24-year old Anthony Bennett, of Harlan.

Deputies also discovered a controlled substance believed to be methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, packaging material, and related items.

Officials say the suspects were brought to the Shelby County Jail, where Nielsen and Thielen each face felony charges that include Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, Gathering where Controlled Substances are unlawfully used, and Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp. Both also face misdemeanor charges of Prohibited Acts and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.  Their bonds were set at $100,000 each.

Bennett faces a single felony charge of Gathering Where Controlled Substances are Unlawfully Used. His bond was set at $5,000.  Assisting the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in conducting the residential search, was the Harlan Police Department’s K9 unit.

An accident next to the bacon processing plant south of Harlan, Tuesday, resulted in minor injuries to the drivers of two vehicles. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office says the collision happened at around 2:50-p.m. on Highway 59, at the intersection with 870th Street, near Shelby County Cookers. An investigation determined a 2001 Ford Escape driven by 59-year old Becky Watkins, of Harlan, was southbound on Highway 59 and had slowed down prior to attempting a left turn onto 870th Street, when her SUV was struck from behind by a 2002 Buick Lesabre. The driver of the Buick was identified as 20-year old Alexandria Temme, of Harlan.

Both drivers were transported by Medivac Ambulance to Myrtue Memorial Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Harlan Fire and Rescue personnel assisted at the scene. The accident remains under investigation, with charges pending at this time.

(Update 8:17-a.m. – Suspect in Custody)

Authorities in Cass County spent about 30-minutes this (Wednesday) morning, searching for a man who took off during a traffic stop on Interstate 80. Iowa State Patrol Trooper Craig Zenor attempted to pull over a 1999 Chrysler Concorde for speeding on I-80 eastbound at the 50-mile marker at around 7:42-a.m., when the driver took off for reasons unknown. The vehicle left the Interstate to the south at the Marne exit and crashed into the ditch. The driver, a man who was initially reported to be from Sioux City, took off on foot. After he followed the fence line and laid down on the ground, the Trooper lost sight of the subject.

Law enforcement, including k9 units converged on the scene trying to find the man, who was described as being a white male with tattoos on his arms. The Trooper who initiated the traffic stop reported the subject grabbed something from a dashboard compartment when he took off running.

A State Patrol aircraft saw the man crawling on his hands and knees. He was finally apprehended near a tree along the fence line south of I-80, at around 8:17-a.m. Dispatch reports indicated the suspect, who was transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail in Council Bluffs, will initially be charged with felony eluding, and driving under the influence. Hell also be cited for traffic offenses. A records search indicated the vehicle was not registered to the suspect, and appeared to have been stolen. Several items inside the car were set to be inventoried and checked to see if they were reported stolen, as well.

Thunderstorms rumbled across southern and central Iowa Tuesday, dumping heavy rain and causing damage in some parts of the state. Anywhere from 2.5 to as much as 5.5-inches of rain fell across a wide swath of the State. Flash flooding was reported in Adams County late Tuesday night, where 5.5-inches of rain fell in Corning.

Water was reported to have flowed over roads at around 11:30-p.m. in Corning and Prescott, as well as several gravel roads south of Highway 34. Many rural roads remained closed at mid-day, today (Wednesday). In Taylor County, a small pond in Bedford was filled to overflowing just before 11-p.m. The Weather Service says 4.26-inches of rain fell in Bedford overnight Tuesday into early this morning. A storm spotter in Clarinda reported 2.93-inches of rain fell in that area.  3.02-inches was reported in the Union County community of Lorimor.

Further north rain amounted to 5.3-inches near Panora, while a National Weather Service spotter in Guthrie Center reported 4.15 inches had fallen Tuesday. In both cases, a majority of the heavy rain fell Tuesday evening, in less than two-hours.

Elsewhere across the State, thunderstorm winds gusting up to 65-mph toppled a telephone pole in Ottumwa, along with numerous tree limbs, some of which fell on homes. Winds up to 65mph were also reported in Centerville, causing large tree limbs to snap. In Dallas County, a gravel road was washed out southwest of Granger. Penny-sized hail (3/4” diameter) was reported near Grimes, also.

A lightning strike southeast of Urbandale sparked a fire on a telephone pole.

Police in Creston, Tuesday morning, arrested a man wanted on a Union County warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense. Officials say 34-year old Walter Hodgkins, of Creston, was being held in the Union County Jail on $1,000 bond.