Two Council Bluffs residents were injured when the motorcycle they were riding collided with a car Wednesday night in Council Bluffs. A passenger on the cycle, 26-year old Kristine Freeman, suffered life-threatening injuries. She, along with the driver of the 2006 Suzuki, 39-year old Jeramy McCollum, were transported to the Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, by Council Bluffs Fire and Rescue. McCollum’s injuries were not considered to be life-threatening. Officials say neither of the riders were wearing a helmet.

According to Council Bluffs Police, the accident happened just after 9:45-p.m., when a 2000 Dodge Intrepid driven by 23-year old Joshua Ourada, of Omaha, attempted to turn left onto MidAmerican Drive from northbound South 24th Street. Investigators say when he turned in front of the southbound motorcycle, the vehicles collided. Ourada was not injured.

McCollum and Freeman were ejected from the cycle. Speed and alcohol were NOT believed to be factors in the crash. Citations were being withheld, pending completion of the accident investigation.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A new study suggests cougars are again spreading across the Midwest a century after the generally reclusive predators were hunted to near extinction in much of the region. The findings by a University of Minnesota doctoral student, a Southern Illinois University wildlife ecologist and the Cougar Network are detailed in the latest Journal of Wildlife Management. The study showed 178 cougar confirmations in the Midwest and as far south of Texas between 1990 and 2008. Confirmed sightings of Midwest cougars were sporadic before 1990, when there were only a couple of big cats spotted. The study shows that number spiked to more than 30 by 2008. Sixty-seven confirmations were in Nebraska, 31 in North Dakota, 12 each in Oklahoma and Texas, 11 in South Dakota and 10 in Missouri. Other states had single-digit tallies.

Students in at least three Iowa swimming pools will be taking part in today’s (Thursday’s) attempt to set a new record for the world’s largest swimming lesson. Pools in Algona, Altoona and Harlan are among those in 46 states and 24 countries on five continents taking part in the world’s record attempt. They’ll be holding simultaneous lessons at 10 A-M. Debbi Cooper, an environmental specialist at the state health department, says the half-hour lesson will cover the basics. “For beginners, all the way down to blowing bubbles to how to stay safe in the water, never swim alone,” Cooper says. “They’ll be doing front floats, back floats and maybe even get into the crawl and back stroke and things like that.” The goal, she says, is to convince parents learning to swim is important.

Cooper says, “Drowning is the leading cause of death for children between the ages of one and five and it’s shown that if a child does not participate in swimming lessons by third grade, chances are, they never will learn to swim.”  A study from the Archive of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine showed participation in formal swimming lessons was associated with an 88-percent reduction in the risk of drowning in children between one and four. Learn more at: www.worldslargestswimminglesson.org

(Radio Iowa)

Only minor injuries were reported following a rollover accident Wednesday afternoon on Interstate 80, in Adair County. The Iowa State Patrol says 61-year old Timothy Turk, of Adair, was driving a 2003 Pontiac Sunfire eastbound on the interstate, when he reportedly blacked-out for a moment. His car entered the median and crossed into the westbound lanes of travel before Turk over-corrected. The action caused his vehicle re-enter the median and cross both eastbound lanes of traffic before it rolled over and slid into the south ditch. The accident happened at around 3:55-p.m.

Businesses and individuals from Atlantic to Red Oak have banded together to offer a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the theft of a three-piece concrete garden bench that sat next to the grave of a woman who died in a rollover accident in August, 2011. Patty Amos suffered the loss of her 21-year old daughter Kayleen in the crash. She said the bench located at the Whipple Cemetery northwest of Griswold, was a gift to her family from a cousin. She says the family visits the cemetery frequently, and uses the bench when they visit Kayleen’s grave. Patty says her second daughter discovered the bench was missing when she went there to put roses on the grave, on the date of the Griswold Junior Prom on April 28th.

She says they’ve narrowed down the dates of the theft from April 23rd to the 28th. Patty says she has no idea why anyone would steal the nearly 100-pound three-piece garden bench, or how they would know it was there, because of the remote location. The bench has three separate concrete legs and a curved seat which sits on top of them. Patty says her brother-in-law put a protective coating on the bench to seal it from the elements. There’s also an inscription engraved into the bench. The verse was similar to an Eskimo proverb that says “The stars in the sky are like openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon to let us know they are happy.”

If you have any information which may lead to the return of the stolen bench, please call the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office at 712-328-2200. Patty says letters have been written to many areas news papers and other media have been contacted, but so far there’s been no luck in getting the graveside bench returned to the family, so they hope by spreading the word even further, someone will step forward with information that leads to its return.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday), approved the 1^st reading of an Ordinance designed to penalize those to illegally dump refuse in County ditches and elsewhere. The action followed a public hearing, during which a man who works for a local trash hauling company said he was fully in favor of the Ordinance. 

The ordinance which was presented to the Board during their meeting by Cass County Attorney Dan Feistner, was tweaked for minor wording changes, but other than that was left intact. Its purpose is to prohibit illegal dumping in public places and on private property within the unincorporated areas of the County. Supervisor Frank Waters said it’s really meant to get people to use the County Landfill, and discourage the throwing of appliances, tv’s, building and other, potentially hazardous materials or trash, into the ditches. 

The ordinance, which is expected to be adopted following the next and final public hearing and second reading next Wednesday, says the penalties for persons who knowingly dump trash in the unincorporated areas of Cass County, will face fines ranging from $100-to $1,000, depending on the combined weight of the trash that was dumped, and the number of times the offense has been committed. The person or persons will also be responsible for the complete abatement, cleanup, removal and disposal of the items dumped.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports a 9-1-1 call for help early this (Wednesday) morning resulted in the arrest of 33-year old Matthew Ronald Corey, of Clarinda. Corey who has a long history of run-in’s with the law, now faces a misdemeanor Assault charge, after officers responded to the Parkview Apartments on East Main Street, at around 1:45-a.m. According to Brothers, the 9-1-1 call was with regard to a woman who could be heard screaming for help. When officers spoke with the woman, she  alleged that she had been assaulted by Matthew Corey, who resides in the apartment with the woman. Corey was taken into custody and brought to the Page County Jail, where he was held without bond pending an initial appearance before the Page County Magistrate Court. Brothers said the female did not sustain any injuries that required medical attention.