Des Moines Water Works CEO and General Manager Bill Stowe died Sunday from an aggressive form of cancer. KCCI reports last month, the 60-year old Stowe informed the utility’s board and staff in a letter that he had a particularly aggressive form of cancer that provided few options for treatment. Stowe had served as the CEO and GM at the Des Moines Water Works since 2012. Prior to joining the utility, Stowe served for 13 years as assistant manager of public works for Des Moines, where he had a cult-like following for his long, silver hair, and uncanny resemblance to actor Russell Crowe.

Bill Stowe

KCCI says there are tentative plans for a service Wednesday at 1 p.m. at St. Anthony’s Church in Des Moines followed by a reception and celebration of life at Water Works from 4 to 7 p.m.

A woman who failed to yield to oncoming traffic was transported to the Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston, Saturday afternoon. Authorities say 91-year old Eloise Marie White, of Creston, stopped at the intersection of Prairie and N. Cherry Street in Creston, before proceeding east into the intersection. Her 1999 Oldsmobile 88 was then struck on the passenger side by a southbound 2006 Chevy Silverado pickup driven by 49-year old Eric Robert Eklund, of Afton. Eklund was not injured. The accident happened at around 1:23-p.m., Saturday.

White complained of chest pain before being transported to the hospital. She was cited for Failure to Obey a sign and yield the right-of-way. Damage from the collision amounted to $3,000.

Last week, the Audubon School Board held a Special Meeting with regard to the FY 2019-20 Budget. On Monday (April 15th), the Board will meet in a regular session in the High School Board Room, beginning at 7-p.m. On their agenda is:

• Approval of the Senior Graduation list.
• Acceptance and Approval of the FY 2018 Audit report.
• The excusing of Seniors from Make-up Days (according to Board Policy 601.1)
• An AEA Purchasing Agreement for FY 2020
• Renewal of a Sharing Agreement with regard to an Elementary Counselor
• Approval of the Audubon County HMP (Hazard Mitigation Plan), and Salary increases for staff not represented by a Collective Bargaining Unit.
• And, Personnel matters.

The Board will also discuss the Emergency Management Plan, and receive regular reports from Superintendent Brett Gibbs, along with other scheduled reports.

Authorities in Marshalltown report that at around 3:50-a.m. today (Sunday, April 14), public safety personnel responded to the 400 block of Melody Lane after a shooting was reported at that location. Three adults with gunshot wounds were taken to Unity Point Hospital in Marshalltown. Two of these victims have since been transported to medical facilities in Des Moines. An investigation into the incident is ongoing. No suspects have been identified or detained.

Anyone with information concerning the incident should contact the Marshalltown Police Department at 641.754.5725. Additionally, anonymous tips may be submitted to Marshall County Crime Stoppers by calling 641.753.1234, via text by texting the word “marshall” followed by the tip to CRIMES (274637), or online at www.marshallcountycs.com. Information leading to an arrest could earn a reward of up to $1,000.

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are assisting the Marshalltown Police Department with this investigation.

Cass County Extension is hosting an informational meeting this week for local residents who want to learn more about the invasive Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) pest. In mid-February, the presence of EAB was confirmed for the first time in Cass County, on a private property site in rural Massena. Since the first Iowa detection in 2010, the invasive, tree-killing pest has spread to 66 Iowa counties. EAB is a small, metallic green beetle native to Asia that attacks ash species. In its larval stage, the insect feeds just beneath the bark disrupting the movement of water and nutrients within the tree. Infested trees usually die within two to four years.

The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 18th, from 6:30 to 8 PM at the Cass County Community Center, 805 West 10th St., in Atlantic. There is no cost to attend the meeting, and no pre-registration is required. The meeting is for any interested home/land owner and other concerned citizens. The meeting will focus on identifying susceptible ash trees, the EAB insect and signs of infestation. Tree safety, treatment options, methods of spread for EAB and options to replace ash trees will also be covered.

Presenters for the event are Dr. Donald Lewis, ISU Professor and Extension Entomologist; Mike Kintner, IDALS Entomologist and EAB Coordinator; and Lindsey Barney, District Forester with the Iowa DNR. Time for will also be allowed for questions and discussion. For more information about the workshop, visit www.extension.iastate.edu/cass, stop by the Cass County Extension Office, or call (712) 243-1132.

Officials with the National Weather Service remind area listeners, that the weather radio transmitter site at Hancock remains off-air due to ice and snow this past winter, and it’s not known how long the repairs will take, but the transmitter will be repaired as quickly as possible.

If you have a weather radio you will not be able to receive warnings for storms in Cass and Audubon Counties. You should have other forms of staying alert to changing weather situations, by cell phone, radio or tv. Subscribe to your county’s Emergency Alert Notices through your Emergency Management Agency for immediate weather and civil emergency bulletings.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 5:33 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police in Des Moines say two people have been arrested and charged with attempted murder after a man with a gunshot wound to his neck was thrown from a car into a parking lot. The Des Moines Register reports that 19-year-old Tyron Cratty and 20 years-old Madalynn Perez, both of Des Moines, were arrested shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday. Besides attempted murder charges, each faces charges of robbery and going armed with intent. The victim’s name has not been released.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indianapolis-based company has issued a recall for fruit products sold in 16 states after being linked to a salmonella outbreak. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday the recall includes cut watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe produced by Caito Foods LLC. The fruit has been sold under various brands or labels at Kroger, Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Target and Whole Foods. Authorities say 93 people have been sickened, 23 of whom were hospitalized.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — The western Iowa city of Council Bluffs has received a Tree City USA Award _ one of 80 Iowa communities to qualify for the status. The award was presented by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources on April 3. To qualify, communities must meet several established standards, including a tree ordinance, a board running the municipal tree program and a minimum of $2 per capita spent on trees annually.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack says he won’t seek re-election when his current term ends. The seven-term Democrat announced Friday he would retire at the end of his term after being elected seven times to represent southeast Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. Loebsack was first elected in 2006, when he beat 15-term Republican Jim Leach in a race still recalled for its civility. Before being elected to Congress, he was a political science professor at Cornell College in Mount Vernon.

A small, crossover SUV was leaving a private residence near Danville, late Saturday morning, when it was struck by a train. The Iowa State Patrol says the accident in Des Moines County happened at around 11:30-a.m. southeast of Danville. The SUV, a 2017 Chevy Trax driven by 29-year old Amber L. Curry was leaving the residence drive onto old Highway 34 when Curry failed to yield to an eastbound train at a private driveway crossing. Her vehicle was struck broadside by the train and rolled over before coming to rest in the north ditch.

Curry, and her passengers, 27-year old Laura J. Burch, and 26-year old Anna N. Smith, all from Burlington, IA, died at the scene. Smith was the only vehicle occupant wearing a seat belt. The Patrol said there were no controls present at the private railroad crossing. The accident remains under investigation.

When a car struck a pickup truck Saturday morning in Pottawattamie County, the car veered into the median and caught fire. The Iowa State Patrol reports the car, a 2012 Chevy Sonic, was driven by 50-year old Virgil F. Crisman, of Omaha. Crisman’s car, and  a 2011 Ford F-250 pickup driven by 18-year old Michael Small, of Nicholasville, KY, were both traveling southbound on Interstate 29 at around 6:25-a.m., Saturday, when the Chevy rear-ended the pickup near mile marker 46. Crisman suffered non-life threatening injuries, and was transported by Council Bluffs Fire and Rescue to the UNMC in Omaha. The accident remains under investigation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Congressman Dave Loebsack says he won’t seek re-election when his current term ends. The seven-term Democrat announced Friday he would retire at the end of his term after being elected seven times to represent southeast Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. Loebsack was first elected in 2006, when he beat 15-term Republican Jim Leach in a race still recalled for its civility.

Before being elected to Congress, he was a political science professor at Cornell College in Mount Vernon. Loebsack says he intended to serve no more than 12 years but decided to see re-election after Donald Trump was elected president.