Red Oak Police Chief Justin Rhamy, early this (Saturday) morning, posted a statement on the Police Department’s social media page, with regard to rumors about clowns harming people. The statement reads “The Red Oak Police Department has been receiving a massive amount of calls in regards to clowns being in and around Red Oak threatening to cause harm to people. There have been social media posts placed on swap pages in regards to a woman and her children being attacked on the square in Red Oak.”

The Chief went on to say that “As of midnight, the Red Oak Police Department HAS NOT responded to or even received any calls to service or incidents involving clowns and them attacking people. False statements have been placed on social media about arrests being made on the square in regards to clown attacks, THESE STATEMENTS ARE FALSE!”

Rhamy said also “We apologize for whoever has taken it upon themselves to post these false allegations on social media creating so much fear within our community. If you were to have any questions or concerns, please feel free to get in contact with our department.”

The Iowa Department of Public Health is reminding you to remember to protect yourself against mosquitoes if you are out taking advantage of the remaining warm fall days. Deputy State Epidemiologist Ann Garvey says one threat in particular is still looming. “Late summer and early fall through October is really the peak time when we see West Nile transmission,” Garvey says. ” I think that a lot of us are pretty cognizant and throw in the sunscreen and throw in the bug repellent in the summer months. But as we get into the fall, sometimes we forget that.”

Doctor Garvey says you should remember the key times of the day when the mosquitoes are active. “Mosquitoes here in Iowa that transmit West Nile Virus are most active from really the dusk ’til dawn hours. And so again — it’s important to wear repellent — especially during those hours,” Garvey says. Garvey says the West Nile carrying mosquitoes like stagnant water to breed in, so it is important to dump out standing water.

There’s been a lot of water in some areas due to flooding, but she says that doesn’t mean the population of West Nile mosquitoes has dramatically increased. “Generally speaking when we have flooding events we tend to see what we call flood water mosquitoes, which aren’t as good at transmitting diseases like West Nile virus,” Garvey explains. “But this time we are having kind of the peak West Nile season overlap with some of out flood events So, while a majority of those mosquitoes in flooding events will be floodwater mosquitoes, there will be some that are the likely types that can transmit West Nile Virus.”

There have already been more than one dozen cases of West Nile confirmed. She says there have been 15 human cases confirmed and they are investigating several more which leads them to believe they will have more cases than last year. There are also cases of West Nile in horses and in mosquitoes caught in monitor traps, so Garvey says they know it is out there. Mosquitoes like the warm fall nights just like you do.

“Mosquitoes do really well in the 80-degree temperatures and above. And they do okay in the 70-degrees. Once we get kind of below the 60’s, it’s pretty cold for them and they often go dormant,” Garvey says. Doctor Garvey says the best repellent contains the chemical known as DEET, and says you should read the label before applying it to children.

West Nile can be fatal in some cases, and the last time that happend in Iowa was in 2010 whent there were two deaths. For more information about West Nile virus, visit the Iowa Department of Public Health’s website.
idph.iowa.gov

(Radio Iowa)

A movement is underway to bring tourists back to small towns in Iowa and nationwide by promoting a roadway that was around long before Interstate 80. Bryan Farr is the president and founder of the Historic U-S Route 20 Association and he’s working to unite communities all along the very lengthy stretch of road. “What we’re trying to do is connect the longest highway in the country, which runs from Boston, Massachusetts to Newport, Oregon,” Farr says, “and make it a travel destination, to get people to take the original 1926 highway as it was laid out across the country.”

Coast to coast, the highway runs about 32-hundred miles, but in Iowa, the road covers 328 miles from Sioux City to Dubuque.

Hwy 20

Other towns along the way include: Waterloo, Iowa Falls, Webster City, Rockwell City and Sac City. “We are encouraging people to get off the interstates, get off the four lanes and come back into small town America, to see the small towns, mom-and-pop businesses,” Farr says, “to see what we consider to be the best of America, really, in all of these small towns.”

Farr is meeting with city leaders and chambers of commerce officials along the route, promoting historic road signs and banners with the Route 20 logo, much like what’s seen with the more-famous Route 66 in the southwestern U-S. “We understand there is a purpose for interstates and four lanes to get from A to B in a hurry,” Farr says, “but we’re finding people like to take a little bit of a slower pace and see what our relatives and ancestors took at a slower pace to get across the country.”

A national travel guide specifically for Highway 20 is due out in the spring of 2017. Learn more about the Massachusetts-based organization at: www.historicUS20.org

(Radio Iowa)

Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert said Friday, the Fire Danger Index in the County will be “High” this weekend, due to the dry harvest conditions. Seivert says that means extra precautions should be taken when planning an open burn. He says while the ground may still be damp, the vegetation is very dry, and it may ignite and burn more rapidly. The “High Fire Danger” rating will remain in-place until Monday, when the next update on conditions will be made available.

A traffic stop at around 10:05-p.m. Friday in Red Oak, resulted in an arrest. Authorities say 36-year old Joshua John Nelson, of Red Oak, faces a charge of Driving Under Suspension. Johnson was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 bond.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were injured Friday afternoon during a collision in Stanton. Officials say 97-year old Elsie V. Johnson, of Stanton, and her passenger, 71-year old John D. Johnson, also of Stanton, were transported to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

The accident happened as Elsie Johnson was traveling south in the 200 block of Eastern Avenue in a 2002 Dodge Intrepid, and accelerated instead of braking. Her car hit the rear of a legally parked 1997 Ford F-250 pickup registered to Norman Larson, of Stanton. The force of the impact caused the pickup top be shoved into a legally parked 1983 Chevy Caprice registered to Mildred Larson, of Stanton.

The accident happened at around 2:50-p.m. Damage from the collisions amounted to $6,300. Elsie Johnson was cited for Failure to Maintain Control, and No Valid Insurance. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies were assisted at the scene by Stanton and Red Oak Fire and Rescue personnel.

Police in Red Oak, Friday evening, arrested 45-year old Tiffani Jo Bredberg, of Red Oak. Bredberg was taken into custody on an active Montgomery County warrant for Violation of Probation. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $10,000 bond.

Cass County Naturalist Lora Kanning reports the Cass County Conservation Board is looking for people, groups, or organizations to sign-up for a site in the Cold Springs State Park campground, to decorate (non-Scary) with Halloween decorations in preparation for the 4th Biennial “Lighted Halloween Campground.” The event takes place from 7-to 9-p.m. Oct. 29th.

Prizes will be for the top 3 voted sites, and for some special categories. The deadline for decorating a site sign-up is October 26th. The groups involved will have Saturday Oct. 29th, from Noon-on, to decorate.

The Lighted Halloween Campground will offer a great non-scary, Family Friendly, FREE drive into the night! Your help is needed to make the event a success Call the Cass County Conservation Office to get involved @712-769-2372! The event will be cancelled if there is inclement weather.

A verbal altercation in Council Bluffs this (Friday) morning resulted in a stand-off between a man and police. Authorities say the incident ended when Ronald Sully, of Council Bluffs, turned himself-in peacefully.

Police were called to the 3000 block of 13th Avenue at around 8:10-am., in reference to a verbal disturbance between neighbors over a vehicle parked in the driveway. Upon arrival, an officer made contact with Ronald Sully, who was unhappy about a neighbor’s friend parking in his driveway and wanted it moved. The officer attempted to locate the owner of the vehicle but was unsuccessful. He then advised Sully he could have it towed. However, since it was on private property, the police would not be responsible for removing it.

Once the officer left the area, Sully called 911, advised he had a gun and threatened to harm himself, the neighbor and police when they responded. Sully remained on the phone while officers positioned themselves outside. Police Negotiators established communications with Sully and the Council Bluffs Emergency Services Team was called in. At approximately 10:34 am, Sully agreed to exit the residence and turn himself into police.

No one was injured and Sully was taken into custody without further incident. No weapons were located and the vehicle was removed from the property for safe
keeping. Sully was transported to the hospital for evaluation. Charges are pending.

The Cass County Memorial Hospital’s Board of Trustees met this (Friday) afternoon, but no decision was made on offering a contract of employment to a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Instead, the Board held a closed session to hold a CEO Employment Contract Review and Negotiations. A decision on the hiring is expected during a special meeting next week.

30 people applied for the position left vacant by the termination on June 7th of Todd Hudspeth. Former CEO Pat Markham (whom Hudspeth had succeeded following her retirement) is serving as the interim top officer for the Cass County Health System until the new CEO is in place. The field of 30 applicants was narrowed down to six finalists who went through four sets of interviews with 25 people in four individual groups representing Board Members, the Administrative Team, medical providers and Health Department directors.