The Harlan Police Department today (Tuesday), released a report on recent arrests. Officials say on Jan. 25th, 25-year old’s Jennifer Andersen and Garrett Hampton, both of Harlan, were charged with Child Endangerment after officers were called to Myrtue Medical Center for a report of a 14-month old male who was admitted and found to have marijuana in his system. The couple were given citations and an order to appear later, in court. The incident was also reported to the Dept. of Human Services.

On Jan. 23rd, 27-year old Zane Szeliga, of Harlan, was arrested after police were notified by a concerned citizen, that they had observed someone kick-in the door of a residence in the 1800 block of 16th Street. Officers found Szeliga in the home and arrested him for Burglary in the 3rd degree, Possession of Marijuana and Methamphetamine, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. That same day, 20-year old Matthew Strong, of Harlan, was arrested in drug charges, following a traffic stop. Strong was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Prohibited Acts, and Driving While Suspended. A passenger in the vehicle, 31-year old Orlando Rodriguez, of Harlan, was cited for Open Container, and released.

On Jan. 28th, 18-year old Brett Keane was arrested after officers were called to the Harlan Community High School, following a report of a student suspected to be in possession of marijuana. Keane was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance.

Officials say on Sunday, 25-year old Brooke Scheffler, of Harlan, was arrested on charges that include Obstructing Emergency Communications, Tampering with a witness, and assault. The woman was taken into custody after officers were called to investigate the reported assault of Karen Scheffler.

Last Friday, Harlan Police arrested 25-year old Ross Buboltz, of Shelby, following a traffic stop. Buboltz was charged with OWI and Careless Driving. On Jan. 28th, 50-year old Curt Anstey, was cited by police for Violating a No Contact Order, after he allegedly had contact with Kristine Schmitz, of Harlan.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports four recent arrests. On Monday, 36-year old Joshua Robert Saunders, of Omaha, was arrested just before 1-a.m. in Pacific Junction, for Failure to Appear on a Driving While Barred/Habitual Offender charge. His bond was set at $3,000.

On Saturday, deputies in Mills County arrested 18-year old Madison Leigh Bendt, of Glenwood, for Interference with Official Acts. Bond was set at $300; 33-year old Douglas Charles Heitman, of Silver City was arrested for Leaving the Scene of an Accident and Failure to Maintain Control. His bond was also set at $300. And, 28-year old Seth Allen Osler, of Malvern, was arrested Saturday morning for OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.

It would be illegal to use a hand-held cellphone while driving if a bill proposed by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau becomes law. Texting while driving would also become a primary offense, meaning an officer would be able to pull someone over if they suspect the driver is texting. Patrick Hoye, the former head of the Iowa State Patrol, is now chief of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau.
“We just think it is life-saving legislation,” Hoye says.

Hoye met with members of the Senate Transportation Committee to discuss the bill. He says cell phone use while driving — to either talk or text — is just as bad as drunk driving because not only does it take one hand off the wheel, it takes the driver’s attention away from the road. “For my family, does it matter if they’re drunk and they cross the center line and they take out my family or they cross the center line because they were texting and take out my family,” Hoye says. “You’re not only putting yourself in danger, but you’re putting everybody on the road in danger.”

The distraction of smart phones has become an “epidemic” on Iowa’s roads, according to Hoye. He cites 2013 stats showing 63 percent of the fatality crashes on Iowa roads involved a vehicle that had left its lane. “I think you can make a pretty strong correlation,” Hoye says. “…Something is causing our citizens to leave the road and we just believe that obviously distracted driving and, in particular texting, is one of those strong reasons.”

Fourteen other states have laws which forbid drivers to use their hands to text or hold their phone to talk. The Iowa law that’s been proposed by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau would impose a 30-dollar fine for texting or talking on a cell phone while driving and it is similar to the law that’s been in effect in Illinois for over a year. Sergeant John Thompson of the Illinois State Police told members of the Iowa Senate’s Transportation Committee that public opinion in Illinois was overwhelmingly in favor of banning cell phone use while driving.

“It’s scary out there to see what people are doing in vehicles,” Thompson says. “…You see people who are just all over the road…They’re doing everything in a vehicle but driving.” Thompson says traffic fatalities declined in Illinois last year — the first year the cell phone ban while driving was in effect. Last year, a bill banning texting while driving passed the Senate, but it was not considered in the Iowa House.

(Radio Iowa)

JOHNSTOWN, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa Army National Guard medical unit won’t be joining the fight against Ebola in West Africa. A National Guard news release says the 294th Area Support Medical Company’s estimated six-month deployment was canceled “due to completion of Ebola Treatment Unity construction and other major training in West Africa.” Because that work has been completed, more than 800 U.S. military personnel have been sent home, with more to follow.

Originally, 80 Iowans were scheduled for the West Africa mission, but that number was reduced to 40. The National Guard says the Iowa solders would have provided care only for Defense Department personnel and others sent to help, but they wouldn’t have been treating West Africans.

The Iowa Department of Transportation reports Highway 6, which had been closed since Sunday due to snowdrifts and vehicles stuck on the road, has officially re-opened to traffic (as of 9-a.m., Tuesday). Officials say the roadway is still slick, so motorists should travel with caution.

More area news w/Ric Hanson.

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Police in Creston report a local man was arrested Monday at the Union County Jail, on a warrant for Burglary in the 2nd Degree. 50-year old Rodney Wayne Davis, of Creston, was being held in the jail on $10,000 bond.

The 7:07-a.m. Newscast w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Better Business Bureau is warning businesses not to click on an email that claims to be a “BBB SBQ” (standard business questionnaire). The email was sent out Friday morning to what is believed to be tens of thousands of businesses across the country. The email has a ZIP file attachment that links to a site that can download malware on the user’s computer. Spoofing well-known and trusted brands is a common scam tactic. Other organizations such as the IRS, the FBI and Fortune 500 companies have been spoofed in similar phishing campaigns that victimized consumers and businesses.

BBB officials say as soon as they became aware of the scam, they immediately notified their security vendors and are in the process of taking down the website.  The emails are coming from the domain “BBBL.org,” which is not a BBB domain name, although it is clearly designed to look as if it is. The domain name was created last October and is registered to an individual in Antwerp, Belgium. It’s not immediately clear if the domain owner is directly involved in the phishing scam, but BBB will be turning over its information to the FBI and Interpol for further investigation.

BBB offers this advice to anyone who receives this or other unsolicited emails with links or attachments:
. Do not click on links or open attachments in unsolicited email.
. If your email program allows it, tag the email as spam.
. Report the email to your Internet Service Provider.
. If you are unsure if an email is legitimate, call the sender using a phone number that you know to be correct (not from the email).
. Check out BBB Scam Stopper (bbb.org/scam) for additional information on scams.

The Iowa Dept. of Transportation’s website (511ia.org), indicates that Highway 6, from one-mile west of the Lewis turn-off, westward to Council Bluffs, is still impassible, with drifting on the roadway. Vehicles stuck on the road from Sunday’s snowstorm were preventing snow plows from making progress on clearing the route.

511ia.org IA DOT road conditions map (as of 5:58-a.m. Tue., 2/3/15)

The major arterial’s (Interstate 80, 680 and 29) are in normal driving condition this morning, while the secondary roads around western Iowa are partially covered with a mixture of ice/snow/slush.