Officials with the Harlan Police Department, Friday afternoon, released a report on their most recent arrests and incidents. Authorities said on Wed. (Jan 21st), 35-year old Nicholas Gaer, of Harlan, was arrested on two active Shelby County warrants for Failure to Appear. Taken into custody Tuesday (Jan. 20th), was 22-year old Jeremiah Bowers, of Harlan, who was charged with Driving While Suspended.

On Sunday (Jan. 18th), Harlan Police cited two individuals following a traffic stop. 19-year old Elijah Williams, of Harlan, was cited for being a Minor In Possession of alcohol, as a passenger. The driver, 20-year old Ethan Williams, of Harlan, was cited for Speeding. Both were cited and released.

On Jan. 16th, officers in Harlan arrested 42-year old Bradley Fink, of Harlan, following an investigation into a report of a large amount of copper stolen from the Nishnabotna Valley REC (Rural Electric Cooperative). Fink was charged with Theft in the 3rd Degree, given a court date, and then released. On Jan. 14th, assault charges were filed against 29-year old Charlene Brown, of Harlan, and 29-year old Eric Wilds, of Shelby, after a complaint was filed by Tina Heller of Westphalia. The complaint alleges the pair threw chewing tobacco at, and kicked, Heller’s car.

On Jan. 13th, 27-year old Jackie Thielen, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Crawford County warrant and taken to the Shelby County Jail before being transported to Crawford County. That same day, 35-year old Eric Allan Sorensen, of Walnut, was arrested after officers were called to an unknown person knocking on a door. Sorenson was found in a running car at the rear of the residence. He was taken to the Shelby County Jail and charged with OWI and arrested on an active warrant for Theft in the 5th degree.

In an update to our earlier report, Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer, Friday afternoon, provided a few more details on a tragic event that took place Thursday evening. The Sheriff said 7-year old Malaki Mildward, of College Springs, had been mauled by his family’s two six-month old dogs. The incident happened at around 4:50-p.m., Thursday, at 709 Glen Avenue, in College Springs. The breed of dogs involved in the attack were not disclosed.

When Deputies arrived EMS from Clarinda and College Springs were administering CPR to the child, who was then rushed to the Clarinda Regional Health Center. He boy was pronounced dead at 5:50 PM.

Legislative forums are set to take place Saturday in Mt. Pleasant, Shenandoah and Clarinda, with regard to the proposed closing of the Mt. Pleasant and Clarinda Mental Health Institutions (MHI). In southwest Iowa, one of the forums will be held at 8-a.m. in Shenandoah at the Safety Center. The second takes place at 10-a.m. in Clarinda, at the Lied Public Library. The announcement of the additional meetings in Shenandoah and Clarinda were only made public Friday morning on the “Save Iowa’s Mental Health Institute’s” Facebook page.

Last week, in an announcement that startled leaders of both legislative parties, Governor Terry Branstad  proposed closing two of the state’s four institutes for people with mental illnesses. The idea of closing at least one of the institutes has been debated off and on for decades, as their populations dwindled and costs soared.

At least report, there were just 24 residents at the Clarinda facility and 47 at the Mount Pleasant facility. A consultant hired by the state in 2009 recommended closing the institutes in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant. A separate state task force disagreed, saying that none of the institutions should be closed until suitable alternatives in the community were set up and running.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Former Iowa State receiver P.J. Harris has been arrested and charged with strangling his girlfriend. Harris was booked on an aggravated domestic assault/strangulation charge. He was being held in a Story County jail without bond.

Ames Police spokesman Jason Tuttle says Harris’ girlfriend told officers Harris pushed her against a wall, threw her on a bed and began to strangle her Thursday. Tuttle says officers observed scratches on the woman. Harris caught nine passes for 55 yards last season. Iowa State spokesman Mike Green says Harris was kicked off the team on Jan. 13 for violating team rules.

Sheriff’s officials in Union County report an Indianola man, 39-year old Christopher John Eckrich, was arrested Thursday evening at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. Eckrich was taken into custody on a Union County Warrant for 1st degree harassment. He was being held Friday in the Union County Jail, while awaiting an appearance before the Magistrate.

Deere is laying off about 910 workers indefinitely from factories mostly in Iowa and will sideline another 500 employees in Illinois until late summer, as the agricultural equipment maker adjusts to demand for its products.  The Moline, Illinois, company also says it is adding 220 jobs at construction and forestry factories in Iowa. It plans to fill nearly all those positions with workers were laid off at agricultural equipment factories last year. The latest indefinite layoffs will be at sites that build agricultural equipment.

Employees laid off until summer work at the company’s seeding and cylinder factory in Moline. That location is going on an extended inventory adjustment shutdown. Deere & Co. is the world’s biggest farm equipment supplier. It employs about 29,000 in the United States and Canada.

More area, and State news with Ric Hanson.

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Three people were arrested Thursday, in Creston. The Creston P-D reports 36-year old Marie Johnson, of Afton, was arrested Thursday morning at the Union County Courthouse, on a Union County warrant for Failure to Comply with the terms of her Pre-trial release on Possession of Pseudoephedrine and Possession of Methamphetamine, charges. Johnson was being held in without bond in the Union County Jail.

At around 4:30-p.m. Thursday, Creston Police arrested 15-year old Chance Brown, of Creston, on a Possession of Prescription Drug or Device charge. The teen was referred to Juvenile Authorities and then released to the custody of his parents.

And a little after 5-p.m. Thursday, 36-year old Dustin James Seley, of Creston, was arrested on a Union County warrant for Violating the terms of a Protective Order. Seley was being held in the Union County Jail while awaiting a bond hearing.

In other news, a Creston resident reported to police that someone stole a purse out of her vehicle. The theft happened sometime between 10 and 11-pm, on Jan. 21st.  The incident happened while the vehicle was parked in the 200 block of west Adams Street, in Creston. The loss was estimated at $80.

the 7:06-a.m. Newscast w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Police in Council Bluffs are investigating a robbery that reportedly took place Thursday night. Officials say 20-year old Jimmy Jackson, of Council Bluffs was driving around the area of 9th Avenue and Ash Street at around 10-p.m., Thursday, when two black male teens in the vehicle with him, allegedly robbed Jackson of his wallet and cell phone.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Council Bluffs Police Criminal Investigations Division at (712)-328-4728.