(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – A man from Nebraska was arrested Saturday in Omaha, following a pursuit that began in Council Bluffs, with a stolen ambulance. 29-year-old Austin Patrick Risor, of Lincoln, NE, faces a charge of Theft in the First-Degree out of Iowa. He was also wanted on numerous charges in Omaha, as well as outstanding warrants.

Council Bluffs Police report a City of Council Bluffs  ambulance was stolen at around 7:28-a.m. Saturday from the Emergency Room Unloading Zone at Mercy Hospital (800 Mercy Dr, Council Bluffs, IA).  There were no patients in the ambulance at the time of the theft. Firefighters ran on foot after the ambulance unable to catch it as Risor was driving off.

Austin Risor

Council Bluffs Police pursued the ambulance into Omaha.  Omaha police took over the pursuit for a short time until ABLE 1 (Omaha Police Helicopter) picked it up and tracked the ambulance from the air.   A CBPD Crisis Negotiator utilizing the fire radio channel attempting to negotiate with Risor to get him to stop and give up.  Omaha Police were able to get the ambulance stopped in the area of 138th and Military Ave. in Omaha.

Risor was taken into custody at approximately 9:35 a.m.

(Plymouth County, Iowa) – A boy on a dirt bike died Saturday morning in northwest Iowa, when the motorcycle collided with an International truck that was pulling a grain trailer. The Iowa State Patrol says the unidentified 11-year-old was traveling southbound on a private driveway in the 22,000 block of C-38 near Merrill, when the cycle entered the traveled portion of the road and struck the left side of the grain trailer being pulled by the eastbound truck. The crash happened at around 10:40-a.m.

The boy died from his injuries at the scene. The 45-year-old truck driver was not hurt.

(Griswold, Iowa) – A firefighter from Griswold was injured Friday afternoon, when debris fell on him during a partial building collapse in Griswold.

According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, an emergency vehicle was responding to a house fire with a person trapped inside, when the vehicle struck an open side storage panel door on the Griswold Fire and Rescue Building, that the driver did not see. The door broke free, causing a collapse of the furthest east bay of the building.

Griswold Fire & Rescue bldg. prior to bay door damage (Photo from Sept. 2020 Griswold F&R Facebook page)

Another responding fireman was knocked to the ground by the debris, which also apparently struck the bumper of a vehicle parked next to the building.

The unidentified, injured fireman was taken to Cass County Memorial Hospital.

OGDEN, Iowa (KCCI) — A school administrator in Ogden resigned over his reaction to a homecoming prank. Activities Director and Secondary Assistant principal Eric Hjelle was caught on video threatening to shoot high school students from his front porch as they were walking home from tossing toilet paper (TP-ing) on his property.

The school district said in a statement that Hjelle has been reinstated, but agreed to part ways after this school year. The school board accepted his resignation Friday.

“Mr. Hjelle is remorseful for the comments he made last week and any disruptions to teaching and learning that may have resulted from them,” school officials said in a statement.

(DES MOINES, Iowa via KCCI)—A convicted Iowa murderer is now out of prison. KCCI reports online records show Burt Smith has been transferred to a Des Moines facility to serve work release. He had been incarcerated at the Rockwell City prison but was granted parole last month.

Smith, his brother Derek, and two other men were convicted in the murder of Rebecca Hauser in Marshall County in 1994. They were all teenagers at the time.

Three of the four were originally sentenced to life in prison without the chance for parole, but they have since been resentenced to have a chance for parole. That came after the state supreme court ruled life sentences without parole for minors were unconstitutional.

(Creston, Iowa) – No injuries were reported following a collision Friday night in Union County, between an SUV and a deer. According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, a 2022 Chevy Trax driven by 53-year-old Quentin Lee Hingeley, of Diagonal, was traveling west on Highway 34 at around 7:45-p.m., when a deer came out of the north ditch.

Hingeley was unable to avoid hitting the deer, which struck the passenger side of the vehicle, causing damage to the hood and fender. The damage was estimated at $3,000.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A Public Hearing on a proposed FY23-24 Budget Amendment in Montgomery County will take place at 8:45-a.m. Tuesday (Oct. 10th), as part of a regular meeting of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, that begins at 8:30-a.m. The hearing will be followed by action on approving an Appropriations Resolution for the FY 23-24 Budget Amendment.

In other business, the Montgomery County BOS will act on:

• Approving an agreement with the Iowa DOT for a DOT-initiated Detour of Primary Highways onto Local Roads.
• Approving claims payable for Wed., Oct. 11, 2023.
• Approving the Recorders and Sheriff’s reports on fees for the month of September.
• Approving the Montgomery County Treasurer’s semi-annual report for the month of Sept. ending fund balance ($19,272,982.10).
• Approval of the Sept. Rural Services tax ($424, 128.26) and Sept. General Basic tax ($32,264.74) transfers in the month of October.
• Approving an agreement for assignment of a Montgomery County Tax Sale Certificate for two parcels, to the City of Elliott.

*Please note, this is a public meeting; however, it may be conducted via ZOOM

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86185141628

Meeting ID: 861 8514 1628

Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 If you are calling in, Press *9 to raise your hand if you wish to speak.31

(Anita, Iowa) – A Public Hearing will be held Monday evening (Oct. 9) with regard to an extension of bus route times in the CAM Community School District. The hearing takes place during the CAM School Board’s regular meeting which begins at 6:30-p.m.

The Board’s regular agenda includes discussion and/or action on the following:

• An extension of the Bus Route Times
• Approval of SBRC Modified Supplemental Amount application and Supplemental Aid, for the 2023-24 Special Education Program deficit.
• Board Policies
• Green Hills AEA Director District 3 Election (discussion)
• (Discussion) Iowa Assoc. of School Board (IASB) Convention Nov. 15-17, 2023
• Discussion & a review of the proposed 2024 Legislative Platform
• Discussion with regard to the Facility Project process.
• Board Report

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Fire Department is hosting a free-will donation breakfast at the fire station (1203 SW 7th St .) this Sunday morning. The event from 7-a.m. until Noon, kick’s-off donations for the department’s annual Fire Prevention Week. Atlantic Firefighter Jake Vetter says the week culminates next Saturday (Oct. 14th), with the Annual Fireman’s Parade, the preparation for which began several months ago.

Sunday’s breakfast will be served by the firefighters.

Fire Prevention week will see firefighters and some of their equipment appearing at local schools to share information about fire safety.

He says the hope is that the kids will take what they’ve learned back home to their parents, and make sure the adults have fresh batteries in their smoke detectors, which are the first line of defense to fighting and escaping the flames. It’s recommended you test your alarms at least once a month to ensure they are working properly, and replace the batteries in your smoke alarm every six months. The detector itself should be replaced at least every ten years.

The theme of this year’s Fire Prevention Week is “Cooking Safety Starts with You.”

Vetter says a person’s life was recently saved when they used a fire extinguisher in the kitchen to put out a cooking flare-up. There have also been fires associated with outside grills placed on decks. The October 14th Fireman’s Parade in Atlantic begins with participants lining-up at 4-p.m. at 3rd and Olive Streets, and the parade getting underway at 6-p.m. It features a precision drill team, clowns, local marching bands, candy for the kids, and more.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson has been back in her eastern Iowa District on the recess following the ouster of the House Speaker.

The Republican from Marion says she supports Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise as the next speaker.

IA (R) Congresswoman Ashley Hinson

Ohio Representative Jim Jordan is getting some support, and Hinson says she would be okay with that.

Hinson can’t say if there will be any consensus among House Republicans when the meet to select the new speaker.

Hinson says Republicans saw what can happen when eight members join with all the Democrats to oust a Republican Speaker. She says that is “abhorrent and shouldn’t be allowed to happen going forward.”