CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa state agency says the longest dock in a northern Iowa city may need to be shortened, raising concerns that a shortage of dock space will hurt tourism. The Globe Gazette reports that the Department of Natural Resources says the dock at Sunset Bay Marina in Clear Lake could be cut down from its current length of almost 500 feet to less than 300 feet in order to comply with a 2008 state regulation on private docks.

The dock’s late owner, Dale Entner, had a contract waiver with the department that allowed the dock to remain at the longer length. The department says Entner’s contract can’t continue once dock ownership transfers to a new owner. Shortening the dock could displace up to 70 boats.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The trucker found shot to death inside his semi at a rest stop early Wednesday has been identified as 60-year-old Ernest D. Kummer of Monroe, Iowa. Authorities say Kummer was shot and killed by 43-year-old Mariana Lesnic at the westbound Interstate 80 rest area near Victor.

Kummer was an employee of Fridley, Minnesota-based Copeland Trucking, where he had worked since 2010. A company official said it wouldn’t comment on the “horrific event” at the request of Kummer’s family.

Iowa County Sheriff Rob Rotter said Thursday his office and the Division of Criminal Investigation are continuing to search for answers in the case, including a possible motive. Lesnic has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held at the Iowa County jail in Marengo on a $1 million cash-only bond.

In today’s (Thursday’s) Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s report, authorities noted 18-year old Dustin Joshua Pursell, of Council Bluffs, turned himself-in to the Sheriff’s Office. A records check confirmed Pursell was wanted on a Pott. County warrant for Sexual Abuse in the 2nd Degree/Forcible rape. He was taken into custody and transported from the Sheriff’s Office to the Pott. County Jail.

An Oakland man was arrested Wednesday night, after he allegedly took $260 in cash from another Oakland man. 31-year old Corey Andrew Stephens, of Oakland, faces a charge of Theft in the 4th Degree.

And, a call to Pott. County dispatch Wednesday night about a vehicle parked off Interstate 29 with a possibly intoxicated driver inside. A deputy responded and upon further investigation, arrested the driver, 20-year old Tanner Robin Reed, of Plattesmouth, NE, for OWI/2nd offense.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports a Hamburg man was arrested on a drug charge following a traffic stop at around 4:30-p.m., Wednesday. 23-year old Joseph William Michael Haughton, was taken into custody after he was found to be in possession of a controlled substance believed to be marijuana.

He was initially pulled over for failure to wear a seat belt while operating a motor vehicle. Haughton was arrested without incident and transferred to the custody of the Page County Jail where he was held on $1,000 bond.

Investigative reports have been forwarded to the Page County Attorney for review and consideration of the filing of formal charges.

A search warrant executed Wednesday evening at a residence in Shambaugh, resulted in the arrest of 28-year old Joseph Cody Foster, of Shambaugh. Sheriff Lyle Palmer says the Page County warrant was for Probation violation and Theft in the 2nd degree.

Joseph Cody Foster

During the arrest, Foster was found to be in Possession of Methamphetamine.  He was transported to the Page County Jail where he was unable to post the $7,000 bond.  Foster was being held in the Page County Jail pending further court proceedings.

Another mountain lion has been spotted in northwest Iowa — and this time it was captured on camera. A motion-sensor camera was set up by Aaron Anderson near the town of Linn Grove. He was hoping to film the movement of deer, but instead he caught a mountain lion in the images. He posted pictures on Facebook, leading to several posts from others who’d heard about the big cats and a couple of reported sightings, including one around the Linn Grove cemetery.

Vince Evelsizer, a D-N-R furbearer biologist based in Clear Lake, says he’s also seen the comments from people who want to shoot and kill the animal, but he hopes they won’t. “They’re not protected in Iowa however, so people can do what they want with them,” Evelsizer says. “Our recommendation is just to leave them be. They’re a wild animal that’s not causing any problems.” Some residents in Buena Vista and Clay counties expressed fears on social media about sending small kids out in rural areas to wait for the school bus.

Evelsizer says the children will be fine as cougars generally don’t want anything to do with people. “There’s times when they can be a threat to human safety or livestock but most of the time, mountain lions are not a threat to humans or livestock,” Evelsizer says. “They’re usually really secretive animals that feed on deer and other animals. They’re not something that goes around seeking people usually.”

In late June, a D-N-R officer killed a female mountain lion that had climbed into a tree on a farm near Galva. The D-N-R said it was the first confirmed female mountain lion in Iowa in more than a century. The animal was suspected of killing some cattle about 30 miles from where it was found and the agency reported it was only the fourth time a mountain lion had been killed in Iowa.

“It’s good to know that we have a mountain lion or two around and we will continue to monitor them,” Evelsizer says. “I would also say that people don’t really need to feel like they should change their habits. They should continue to enjoy the outdoors. It’s safe to spend time outdoors.”

Mountain lions that wander into Iowa generally come from South Dakota and Nebraska, which have natural populations.

(Radio Iowa)

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

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Police in Creston are reporting two recent arrests. Early today (Thursday) 28-year old Jacob Loew, of Creston, was arrested on a Madison County warrant for Probation Violation. He remained in the Union County Jail this morning, while awaiting transport to Madison County by their Deputy.

And, at around 12:40-p.m. Wednesday, Creston Police arrested 30-year old Nicholas Crenshaw, of Orient, for Theft in the 4th Degree. He was taken into custody at the Union County Law Enforcement Center and held on a $1,000 bond.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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CORALVILLE, Iowa (AP) – The University of Iowa and state prison officials are testing a certificate program that includes sessions at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that the series is the first official academic cooperation between the Iowa City-based university and the prison facility. It builds on the institutional relationship developed by music professor Mary Cohen, who leads a choir composed of community members and inmates.

The center’s programs coordinator, Kat Litchfield, says the long-term goal remains to develop a program through which inmates could earn college credit for courses taken in the prison. She says she’d like the university eventually offer something similar to the Liberal Arts in Prison Program already in place at Grinnell College.