(Radio Iowa) – Fire officials have confirmed a body was found inside a burning Milford home this (Thursday) morning. Milford Fire Chief Jim Carpenter says a neighbor reported smoke coming from a home, just a few blocks from Highway 71 on the west side of town, shortly before 7:30.

Once on scene, firefighters found flames in the living room area of the two story structure, the same area where the unidentified deceased female was found.

The Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office has taken the lead on the investigation in hopes of finding the cause of that blaze.

(Radio Iowa) – Three teenagers have been charged in connection with an alleged stabbing incident in Storm Lake. According to the Storm Lake Police Department, officers were called to the site of a fight at around 8:40 Tuesday night and they found a 15-year-old male was suffering from a stab wound. He was initially transported to the hospital in Storm Lake, but was subsequently airlifted to another hospital.

Police say several of the suspects involved had fled the scene before officers arrived. A 15-year-old male has been arrested on three felony charges. Another 15-year-old male and a 17-year-old male each face one felony charge. All three teenagers are from Storm Lake. The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are anticipated.

Storm Lake’s Assistant Police Chief estimates that between ten and 15 people were involved in the fight.

(Radio Iowa) – A former Ottumwa teacher has pleaded guilty to a sexual abuse case from five years ago. According to court records filed last week, 40-year-old Zachary Barr entered a guilty plea to the charges of enticing a child under 16, sexual exploitation by a school employee, and dissemination of obscene material to a minor. According to his attorney, Barr will be seeking probation.

The outlined sentencing details include 11 years of probation and a suspended prison sentence. Additionally, Barr must register as a sex offender. Prosecutors reportedly will not resist the potential sentence. Barr was a sixth-grade teacher at Evans Middle School in Ottumwa in 2018 when authorities say the mother of a 13-year-old girl, who was a former student of Barr’s, said her daughter received inappropriate messages sent by Barr via social media.

As part of the investigation, officers took control of the girl’s social media accounts. Their conversations with Barr became overtly sexual, prompting his arrest.

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – Customers of Marne-Elk Horn Telephone Company (METC) are being offered a chance to recycle residential electronics next week, at locations in Exira, Walnut and Minden. Businesses should contact your METC office for your recycling needs.

The locations, dates and time frames are as follows:

• Exira – Exira Ball Fields on South Florence Street on Tuesday, July 18 2-6pm.
• Walnut – Marne Elk Horn Shed (1501 Antique City Drive) on Wednesday, July 19th 2-6pm.
• Minden – Lot across from City Hall onThursday, July 20th 2-6pm.

Accepted Items Include:

Personal Computers; Monitors; Keyboards & Mice; Printers; Copiers & Scanners; Networking Hardware; Disk Drives; Servers & Mainframes; Audio/Visual Equipment; Computer Manuals; Software; Telephones; Televisions; VCRs; Fax Machines; Circuit Boards; Cable & Satellite Equipment; Computer Cables & Wires including Christmas Tree Lights; Misc. Electronic Equipment.

Not Accepted – Appliances, Microwaves, Lighting Fixtures, Projection TVs, Laser Printers, etc. $15 fee for Old ‘Tube-Like’, Plasma & LCD TVs and Cracked Screens.

All Other Items Recycled FREE! Again, this service is for customers of Marne-Elk Horn Telephone Company, only.

CRESTON, Iowa – July 13, 2023 – If you are driving on U.S. 59 one mile south of Avoca in the coming weeks you need to be aware of a lane closure that may slow down your trip.

Crews will begin replacing the bridge on U.S. 59 one half at a time beginning on Monday, July 24, weather permitting. The roadway will be reduced to one lane with a lane width of 9-feet-6-inches. Trucks with wide loads traveling north of the work zone will be directed to use Iowa 83 and trucks with wide loads traveling south of the work zone will be directed to use U.S. 6. You will be directed across the bridge with temporary signal lights.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A severe thunderstorm moved through the area early yesterday (Wednesday) morning. Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon says although there were no reported injuries, widespread damages were evident. Winds in excess of 70 mph knocked down trees, large limbs and created some property damages with power outages. Strong winds also laid down field corn in areas.

While performing Damage Assessments, Kennon noticed that some damages were more severe, very concentrated and seemed to run in a line. A drone was deployed and found that his suspicions were correct. There is a clear path of damage that runs along 4th Street in Marne to a cattle feeding operation at 580th and Eastland Road and ends southeast of the intersection of Eastland Road and 590th. This line is nearly 3 miles long. Similar damage was also noticed in the City of Cumberland and in a couple of other rural locations in Cass County.

Drone picture taken by Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy, Ben Bartholomew.

Mike Kennon was interested in what the National Weather Service thought of this, so he submitted pictures and the drone video footage for their evaluation. Rod Donovan of the NWS-Des Moines said, “ It certainly appears there may have been some spin up circulations along the leading edge of the storm. Likely the radar beam started overshooting these features, so they were quite shallow features.”

The National Weather Service does not currently plan to perform a preliminary storm survey at this time.

(Harlan, Iowa) – Officials with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office today (Thursday), issued a report on arrests that occurred from July 1st through the 11th. Three people were arrested on separate charges this past Tuesday:

• 40-year-old Amy Joy Carman, of Avoca, was arrested following a traffic stop on Main St., in Elk Horn. She was taken into custody on an active Shelby County Warrant for Violation of Probation. Carman was also charged with Driving Under Suspension, Operate Non-Registered Vehicle, and Fraudulent use of Registration.
• 45-year-old Anthony Joseph Miller, of Kimballton, was arrested following a traffic stop on Main St in Elk Horn. Miller was transported to the Shelby County Jail on an active Shelby County Warrant for Violation of Probation. Miller was also charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Open Container (passenger). And,
• 35-year-old Jeremy Steven Mannion, of Omaha, NE, was arrested Tuesday on an active Shelby County Warrant for Violation of Probation. Mannion was transported to the Shelby County Jail.

Two people were arrested Monday, in Shelby County. 42-year-old Grabiel Garcia, of Omaha, NE, was arrested in the 400 block of Station St., in Shelby. Garcia was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Possession of Controlled Substance and Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance. Garcia also had an active Shelby County Warrant that he was arrested on for Driving under Suspension. And, 38-year-old Tosha Dawn Johnson, of Storm Lake, was arrested on an active Shelby County Warrant for Violation of Probation.

Two people were arrested also, on Sunday, in Shelby County. Authorities say 25-year-old Brandon Gerald Ratashak, of Shelby, was arrested after a traffic stop on East St In Shelby. Ratashak was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Possession of Controlled Substance, Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability, and Speeding. And, 26-year-old Victoria Anne Griffen, of Shelby, was arrested after a traffic stop on Center St in Shelby. Griffen was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving while Barred, Possession of Controlled Substance, and Fail to Display Registration plate.

Last Saturday, Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 70-year-old Larry Steven Meurer, of Harlan, following a call for service on Hawkeye Avenue. Meurer was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with OWI 1st.  On July 6th, 37-year-old Lydell Jay Smith, of Omaha, NE was arrested on an active Shelby County Warrant and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault, Theft 2nd. On the 5th, 25-year-old Charlie B. Hadfield, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County Warrant for Violation of Probation. And, 29-year-old Victoria Anh Vanscoy, of Peru, IA was arrested after a traffic stop in the 700 Block of Hwy 59. Vanscoy was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, Possession of Controlled Substance, Dark Window or Windshield, and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability.

On Independence Day, Shelby County Deputies arrested 19-year-old Gabriela Jisel Agapito, of Underwood, following a call for service in Kirkman. Agapito was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Child Endangerment, Assault on Persons in Certain Occupations, Interference with Official Acts, Disorderly Conduct, and Public Intoxication.

There were two arrests on July 3rd: 40-year-old Brent Michael Swisher, of Harlan, was arrested after a call for service in the 1600 Block of Chatburn Ave. Swisher was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Criminal Mischief 5th, Trespass 1st, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; and, 38-year-old Amber Lea Nelson, of Denison, was arrested after a traffic stop on Garfield Ave. Nelson was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving under Suspension, Operating a Non-Registered Vehicle and Failure to Provide Financial Liability.

And finally, on July 1st, 33-year-old Rudy Thomas Holguin, of Denison, was arrested after a traffic stop on Hwy 191 and Elmwood Road. Holguin was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Insufficient Number of Head Lamp, Fraudulent use of Registration, Operate a Non-Registered Vehicle, and Failure Provide Proof of Financial Liability.

Note: Criminal charges are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

[Council Bluffs, Iowa] – Emergency Management officials in Pottawattamie County are requesting the public report damages incurred to residential and business properties, as a result of the Wednesday, July 12th severe storms. The storms produced significant winds throughout the county, causing scattered structural damage, downed trees and power lines.

Pott. County Emergency Management Coordinator Doug Reed says “Although it doesn’t currently appear that a request for a disaster declaration is likely, we want to make sure we have as much data as possible before making that final decision. Other local or state-level assistance programs may be available to qualifying property owners depending on the amount or concentration of damage reports received.”

Pott. County EMA

Property owners can report their damage at pcema-ia.org. The system will ask for location and damage information as well as photos of the damage. Damage reports will be accepted through the end of the business day on Friday, July 13th.

(Radio Iowa) – Forecasters are calling for temperatures to climb back in the upper 80s and low 90s for the next several days, and Iowans who will be out enjoying the summer weather need to remember to take precautions with their picnics. Kristi Zweifel, a dietician at Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City, says it’s wise to keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold. “Normally, perishable foods can be left out for about two hours before they need to be chilled or discarded,” Zweifel says. “That keeps your food out of that danger zone too long. That’s where germs can grow and cause foodborne illness.” Zweifel says to take particular care with foods like chicken salad, potato salad and desserts, especially when it’s getting steamy.

“In the summertime, it’s hot and it’s humid outside, so then that the time amount changes,” she says. “We really don’t want you to leave your food out longer than an hour if the temperatures are above 90 degrees.” Larger entres might be safe for a while in a casserole container with built-in freezer packs, but most everything else needs to go in a cooler.

Picnic food safety (US FDA photo)

“When you’re serving food outside, extra cold sources to keep that food cool,” Zweifel says. “Packing your coolers with bags of ice, gel packs, or even freeze some bottles of water to keep it cold so that food stays cold and safe for as long as possible.” The F-D-A says cold, perishable food should be kept in the cooler at 40-degrees or colder, while hot food needs to be kept hot, at or above 140-degrees.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks is among House Republicans questioning co-authors of an academic paper on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper was published in March of 2020, just as government shutdowns were being ordered. The scientists concluded it was unlikely that the strain of the coronavirus had been created in a lab, but had spread from wild animals to humans. “It’s not as conclusive as you’d like us to believe that it emerged through nature,” Miller-Meeks says.

Miller-Meeks says understanding the origins of COVID helps officials prepare for the next pandemic. “The international community and scientists in particular have a vested interest in understanding what type of laboratory research is done and what type of laboratory safety, ” Miller-Meeks said. “Critically important.”

Miller-Meeks made her comments during a House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. Republicans on the panel have accused the scientists of covering up the origins of the virus. Democrats on the panel accuse Republicans of pushing a partisan narrative and attacking public health officials.