An elderly man died from injuries he suffered during a fire Saturday afternoon, in Harlan. Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen told KJAN News late Saturday night, 89-year old Bernard Wolfe, a long-time Harlan resident, was found trapped in the basement of his home at 1013 Durant Street, shortly after the fire was reported at around 4:15-p.m., Saturday. Bissen said rescue crews administered CPR on Wolfe, who was transported the Myrtue Medical Center, where he later died. Bissen said the fire started in the basement of the home, when a torch Wolfe was using apparently malfunctioned. Damage to the home was minimal, according to Bissen, and appeared to have been limited to the wiring. Firefighters from Harlan were assisted at the scene by crews from the Westphalia Fire Department, Medivac Ambulance, the Harlan Police Department and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

One person was reportedly trapped inside a residence in Harlan Saturday afternoon, while the basement of the home was on fire. According to dispatch reports, the fire at 1013 Durant Street was called in at around 4:15-p.m. Firefighters from Harlan were assisted at the scene by crews from Westphalia, Avoca and Defiance. Harlan Police, deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Medivac Ambulance were also on the scene. Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen was unavailable for comment late Saturday evening. The Sheriff’s office said crews were still on the scene as of 7:45-p.m.

Additional details are currently not available.

A Vietnam War Veteran today (Saturday) received numerous medals he had earned but never received following his tour of duty.

Congressman Steve King Presents Medals to Vietnam Veteran Robert Rohlfsen

Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King, from Kiron, presented the medals to Robert Rohlfsen, of Early. Rohlfsen served in the Army as a pilot and Warrant Officer.

In a statement, King said “Today I was reminded of the strength and courage that our veterans exemplify. Robert Rohlfsen said he received these medals in honor of ‘those who were not as lucky as he was’.” King said Rohlfsen “Is an example of the selfless character our veterans exhibit each day, and is a great reminder of why they deserve our utmost respect and gratitude.”

Among the nine medals Rohlfsen received, was the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medal with Numeral 58, Vietnam Service Medal with Bronze Stars, and the National Defense Service medal.

1258 PM CDT SAT JUN 15 2013…FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS  EVENING…
 
THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR:  MADISON…RINGGOLD…UNION…
ADAIR…ADAMS…CASS…TAYLOR…AUDUBON…CARROLL…CRAWFORD…GREENE…GUTHRIE AND SAC COUNTIES IN THE KJAN LISTENING AREA.
 
 * UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING
 
 * RECENT RAINFALL HAS PRODUCED SEVERAL INCHES OF RAINFALL ACROSS
   MUCH OF THE AREA…AS MUCH AS FOUR TO SIX INCHES IN A FEW
   LOCATIONS. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED
   ACROSS THE WATCH AREA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. AMPLE MOISTURE WILL
   BE AVAILABLE AND THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY
   RAINFALL. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE TO THREE INCHES WILL BE
   POSSIBLE. GIVEN THE SATURATED CONDITIONS…EXCESSIVE RUNOFF MAY
   BECOME A PROBLEM VERY QUICKLY LEADING TO FLASH FLOODING.
 
 * SIGNIFICANT AND LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE.
   PERSONS LIVING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE
   ACTION. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS! AS LITTLE AS
   6 INCHES OF RUNNING WATER CAN SWEEP A VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. IN
   ADDITION…SIGNIFICANT RIVER FLOODING IS POSSIBLE AFTER THIS
   EVENT.
 
 PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
 
 A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
 TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
 
 YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
 SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports the arrest Friday evening of 37-year old Jason William McCollum. McCollum, who’s from Clarinda, was taken into custody on a charge of  Possession of a drug paraphernalia device, believed to be used for smoking marijuana. McCollum was arrested at his residence, located in the 300 block of north 20^th St.

Officers were originally summoned to the residence after McCollum called the Clarinda 911 center to report a disturbance at his home, involving some intoxicated guests who McCollum wanted to leave. McCollum was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Page County Jail, where he was being held on a $300 cash bond, pending an initial appearance before the Page County Magistrate

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The Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors, Thursday, approved a $3.1-million bid for improvements to the Lincoln Highway, from Council Bluffs to the HarrisonCounty line. According to the Omaha World-Herald, the road work comes just as the highway celebrates its centennial this summer. Work on the project is expected to begin in a couple of weeks, and will likely take most of the summer to complete. It includes patching, widening in some areas, and overlaying the entire stretch of road. 

The project has been in the works since the Missouri River flooded in 2011, causing damage to the Lincoln Highway and other roads in the area. The federal government is paying 80-percent of the cost for repairs and improvements. 

Officials say because travel on the road will be difficult and congested once construction begins, motorists may want to use alternate routes such as Interstate 29. The Lincoln Highway is the nation’s first transcontinental highway. Officials with the Lincoln Highway Association say as much as 85-percent of the road is still drivable in Iowa, though some of it is gravel.

The National Weather Service says low pressure over eastern Nebraska will lift northeast as a trailing cold front moves through the state this (Saturday) afternoon and tonight. Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected ahead of the cold front this afternoon and evening. Heavy rainfall is again possible with these storms and could lead to flash flooding. Drier weather will move in for Sunday, however there is a chance for rain again later Sunday night and Monday.

Storms that passed through western Iowa Friday and Friday night dumped more than 5-inches of rain in some areas, in less than a couple of hours. Those same storms also brought straight-line winds in excess of 65-miles per hour, and some pea-to ping-pong ball-sized hail.

Law enforcement and trained storm spotters reported to the National Weather Service hail the size of quarters fell in Carroll and Guthrie Counties, near the communities of Carroll, Bayard and Coon Rapids. Ping-pong ball-sized hail  (1.5″ diameter) was reported by Emergency Management officials 12-miles south of Stanton, in Page County, at around 7-p.m., Friday.

Winds gusted up to 60-miles per hour near Crescent, in Pottawattamie County, and Little Sioux, in Harrison County. One gust of up to 67-miles per hour was reported at the Carroll Airport at around 9:35-p.m., Friday, and a garage roof was blown-off and 2-to 6-inch diameter tree limbs were reported broken in the Carroll County town of Halbur, at around 9:40-p.m. Thunderstorm wind damage was also reported just west/northwest of Stuart, where 6-to 8-inch diameter tree limbs were broken.

Flash flooding was reported late Friday night in Bayard and near Coon Rapids, with anywhere from 6-to-8-inches of water flowing over the roads in Bayard at around 10:15-p.m., as well as on Highway 25 in that same area. The Weather Service says 5.2-inches of rain fell just west of Coon Rapids.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest early this (Saturday) morning, of a Red Oak man. 29-year old Zachariah Michael Holland was taken into custody at around 3:30-a.m., on charges of Theft in the 5th degree, unlawful possession of a prescription drug, and a drug tax stamp violation. His arrest took place following a report of a suspected shoplifter at the Cubby’s convenience store on the north side of Red Oak. Holland was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 bond.

And, late Friday night, authorities in Montgomery County arrested 38-year old Jonathan Russell Terry, of Shenandoah, on a warrant out of Page County, for driving while suspended. Terry was arrested following a traffic stop a little after 10-p.m., in Red Oak. Terry was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and then released to the Page County Sheriff’s Office.

Officers with the Red Oak Police Department assisted the sheriff’s department in handling both arrests.