A 20-year old male transient was arrested Friday in Council Bluffs for Intimidation with a dangerous weapon and Going Armed with Intent. Bluffs Police say Javon Jennings was taken into custody Friday evening, after officers responded to a call about a person with a hatchet, at Mohm’s Place/Joshua House, a meal site that feeds homeless and near homeless families and individuals, at N. 15th Street and Avenue N.

While officers were responding they were informed that the male was swinging the hatchet at persons in the area. As officers arrived in the area, they were informed that the man, later identified as Jennings, had fled the area on a bicycle. Officers located Jennings on his bicycle in the area of No 20th and Avenue L.  The man was detained  while officers made contact with witnesses at the Joshua House.

Officers were able to locate a witness who had video recorded the incident on their cell phone. They then reviewed the video and positively identified Jennings as the person who was swinging the hatchet at numerous persons in the dining room of the shelter. Jennings was also noted to be yelling at each of them that he was going to kill them. The victims were identified and interviewed by officers on scene.

The hatchet was located inside the shelter and placed into police property along with the mentioned video. Jennings was placed under arrest and transported to Pottawattamie County Corrections.

An employee of the McDonald’s restaurant in Red Oak was arrested Friday afternoon after allegedly taking more than $1,000 from the store, meant for deposit into a bank. Red Oak Police say 22-year old Chantal Kaye Sperling, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 1:10-p.m. Friday, following an investigation into the incident, which took place during the late evening hours of July 14th or early morning hours of July 15th.

Sperling faces a felony charge of Theft in the 2nd Degree. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 cash bond.

Authorities in Montgomery County report the arrest Thursday evening of a man and woman on child endangerment charges. 23-year old Joslin Nicole Davies and 27-year old Kristopher Edward Wayne Davies, both of Red Oak, were taken into custody at around 5-p.m. by Red Oak Police and Sheriff’s Deputies, following a call earlier that afternoon for a welfare check.

When officers arrived, they found two children, ages one and two, suffering from injuries. The children were taken to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital and soon thereafter transferred to Children’s Hospital in Omaha, for treatment of serious injuries.

The Davies’ were charged with two counts each of Felony Child Endangerment Resulting in Serious Injuries. They were being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $10,000 cash bond, each.

Additional charges are possible in connection with the  case.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A Des Moines private university is offering potential students other options if they don’t want to submit their SAT or ACT test results with their application packet.  Drake University announced on Wednesday that it’ll adopt a test-flexible admissions policy starting with applicants for the fall 2016 semester who have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher and meet other criteria.

Those prospective students can keep their results to themselves and opt instead for an interview in which they can speak about their experiences inside and outside of the classroom.  The Des Moines Register reports that the move by the university is unusual in the Midwest but gaining popularity across the country. School officials say they still find the test valuable predictors of an applicant’s academic performance.

Police in Glenwood received several reports Wednesday of thefts from motor vehicles. Four people told authorities their vehicles had been entered in Glenwood, and property stolen from inside the vehicles. No arrests have been made.

And, authorities say a Glenwood man, 21-year old Lucas Bird, was arrested this (Friday) morning, on a charge of Public Intoxication. His bond was set at $300.

A report released Thursday by the American Wind Energy Association predicts Iowa could produce 40-percent of its energy needs from wind power within five years.Mike Prior, with the Iowa Wind Energy Association, says the projection is based on the current rate of development.  “If development continued at the pace that is was, uninhibited, we would be able to meet those percentages by that time. Certainly there are challenges, PTC being one of them. There may be some transmission challenges,” Prior said.

PTC refers to production tax credits. The federal incentive program for wind farms expired at the end of last year. Industry analysts have also suggested Iowa could eventually sell its wind-generated electricity to other states. Beth Conley, with Houston-based Clean Line Energy Partners, is working to make that concept a reality.

“Right now, we are engaged in the regulatory process in Iowa, so working through our siting and working through our engineering,” Conley said. “We are in conversations with both customers in the east that would be interested in purchasing the power and customers in the west that are interested in developing this wind power to move east.”

The report issued Thursday is based on data from the U.S. Department of Energy. Iowa was the top state in country in 2014, generating 28 percent of its electricity by wind. Nationally, that figure is just 4.5 percent.

(Radio Iowa)

A park in northwest Iowa plans to hold a two-day camp later this month designed specifically for kids and their grandparents. Karess Knudtson, with the Dickinson County Nature Center in Okoboji, is organizing what’s being called “Grandpa, Grandma, & Me!” She says the idea is to bridge generations and let both age groups grow together and create memories.

“The older generation as well as the younger generation can serve as both a learner as well as a teacher,” Knudtson says. “That becomes a very wonderful experience for them.” Knudtson says the camp has no theme, which allows for more hands-on activities like cooking, hiking and kayaking. It’s often difficult for kids and grandparents to coordinate schedules, so Knudtson says this an opportunity for both generations to spend some quality time together.

“We might get into some cooking, we might cook a snack one of the days, maybe making some Chapstik from our beeswax that we have from our bees here.” The camp is scheduled for July 30th and 31st and targets children between the ages of 5 and 13. The cost is $75 per child.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A man who had spent years a volunteer youth sports coach in West Des Moines has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for having more than 100 images of child pornography. Des Moines television station KCCI reports that Frank Burns, of Urbandale, was sentenced Thursday in Federal Court in downtown Des Moines.

The judge called Burns’ crimes serious because in about half of the 121 pornographic images, Burns had edited his face onto the pictures. Burns also admitted to authorities that he had sexually abused a teenage girl. Besides coaching youth sports, Burns had worked on committees for Special Olympics Iowa and Reach Out and Read Iowa.

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

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Downtown Atlantic will find more shoppers than usual filling its sidewalks and doorways this Saturday, July 18th. Participating Atlantic businesses will once again offer crazy, summer deals during the annual Crazy Daze retail sales event.

Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Director Ouida Wymer says “Crazy Daze is a long time tradition in Atlantic. We hope to bring people from out of town to experience crazy sales, have a great time and come back to shop Atlantic.”

Shoppers can also enjoy a free, Thanks with Franks hotdog lunch on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  at 5th and Chestnut. The hot dogs and chips meal is sponsored by Hockenberry Family Care and Hy-Vee.  Beverages will be provided by the Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company.

In addition to crazy sales at Atlantic retailers, there will be live street entertainment by BJ Hart and Caleb Kelly, as well as Sheltered Reality. Sheltered reality is a nonprofit musical organization whose performing membership spans all ages from 4 years old to 76. Performances include performance of percussion set to music, as well as high energy choreography, to engage and motivate audiences.

Crazy Daze activities are brought to you by McDermott & Son Roofing, Renew Ag Supply and Salute Gymnastics. For more information on Crazy Daze and other Chamber events visit atlanticiowa.com or contact the Chamber office at 712.243.3017.