Police in Council Bluffs say a Carter Lake man died Sunday evening, when he lost control of the All-Terrain Vehicle he was driving and hit a power pole. 24-year old Phillip Bigham was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash near the intersection of East Manawa Drive and Navajo Street. A second, unidentified person on the machine was injured, and transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The crash happened at around 5:20-p.m.

An investigation revealed Bigham was operating a 4-wheel ATV on Navajo Street and approaching East Manawa Drive when the machine went out of control. The accident remains under investigation.

Today (Monday) marks the beginning of a statewide effort to crack down on motorists who are not wearing their seatbelts. The Iowa Department of Public Safety reports Iowa is part of the national “Click it or Ticket” campaign, where law enforcement agencies across the state and country will not only be on the lookout for unbuckled motorists, but those who have defective or missing equipment on their vehicles, and other moving violations.

The campaign runs through June 5th, and will be held day and night. If an officer finds you on the road without your seatbelt on, you can expect a $127 ticket – NOT a warning! There will be no exceptions, and no excuses allowed.

“Click it or Ticket” efforts have resulted in a nearly 25-percent increase in seatbelt usage over the past 13-years. In 1997, only 75-percent of motorists in the state used their seatbelts during the daytime. By 2010, that number had risen to 93-percent.

Statistics from the Iowa DOT “Life Toll” program indicate 6,458 lives have been saved since the state’s seat belt law took effect, in July, 1986.

A Public hearing is scheduled to take place this evening in Audubon. The hearing, which will be held during the Audubon City Council meeting, is with regard to approval of a 2010-2011 budget amendment, and will be followed by a resolution to that effect. The meeting begins at 7-p.m.

In other business, the Audubon City Council will hear from a representative with Mid American Energy, with regard to franchise renewals….Audubon County Economic Development, about housing incentives, and the City Attorney, with regard to a Third Avenue Right-of-Way.

They’ll also review applications for a custodian, and act on a resolution hiring a custodian, along with a resolution pertaining to the hiring of part-time Summer help.

Vernon McEndree

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports a Corning man was arrested Thursday on nine counts of sexual abuse in the 3^rd Degree. Officials said Sunday (today) 71-year old Vernon McEndree was taken into custody just after 9-p.m. Thursday.

McEndree was being held in the Adams County Jail, with additional charges possible. No other details were available Sunday on the circumstances surrounding the charges, or the amount of his bond.

Severe weather this weekend brought large hail, strong winds and even a few tornados to the Midwest. Western Iowa was hit by the storms Saturday evening into late Saturday night, while the eastern half of the state was hit Sunday afternoon.

In southwest Iowa’s Fremont County, quarter-sized hail was reported near Randolph Saturday, at around 6:55-p.m. About an hour an a-half later, golfball-sized hail was reported near Logan, in Harrison County, and penny- to quarter-sized hail fell near Harlan, and Defiance, in Shelby County.

After the first round of storms passed through the area, another round of hail, ranging in size from quarters to half-dollars pummeled Pottawattamie and Guthrie Counties at around 8:40-p.m. Thunderstorm wind damage was reported about three-miles west of Schleswig, in Crawford County, just after nine-p.m. Saturday, and a severe thunderstorm watch that was to have expired at around that time, was extended to midnight.

Large hail was also reported Saturday evening in eastern Nebraska and in northwest Iowa.

There were no reports of injuries.

A central Iowa couple was injured this (Sunday) afternoon during an accident on Interstate 80 near Underwood. According to the Iowa State Patrol, 68-year old Wayne Maschmeier and his 64-year old passenger Patricia Maschmeier, both of Pleasant Hill, were injured, when the 2005 Buick LeSabre they were in left the road, drove into a ditch and off an embankment, before ending up in a creek.

The accident happened at around 12:40-p.m., on eastbound I-80, at about mile marker 20.

Officials say Patricia Maschmeier was flown by helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, while Wayne Maschmeier was transported by Underwood Rescue to Mercy Hospital. A report on their conditions was not immediately available.

The accident remains under investigation.

Several Denison High School seniors will graduate on Sunday as planned, despite being ticketed Tuesday night for allegedly consuming alcohol at a farm in rural Crawford County. The Sheriff’s Department said Friday deputies cited 33 people on suspicion of being Minors in Possession of Alcohol. In all, about 40 people, including some adults attended the party, following the last day of classes for the graduating Seniors. Sheriff James Steinkuehler says his office received an anonymous call late Tuesday night, about an underage party at a farm northwest of Denison.

Denison Community Schools Superintendent Mike Pardun said a number of those ticketed were graduating seniors, but would not say how many. Not all those who were ticketed were seniors. Pardun said since the party “Has nothing to do with their diplomas,” the seniors will be allowed to graduate, but those students who are still in school and participating in extracurricular activities could face sanctions, the punishment for which would vary, depending on what activities a student is involved in and if they have been cited before.

For those not involved in extracurricular activities, Pardun said, it was mostly an issue between the student and the legal system. Sheriff Steinkuehler said authorities are still looking at, among other things, which adults may have facilitated the party.

Graduation in Denison is scheduled for Sunday, at the high school gymnasium.

Dawn Allen - Missing since May 4th, 2011

Carroll Police Chief Jeff Caylor said today (Friday), while there are no new leads in the disappearance of Carroll resident Dawn Allen, individuals from seven counties, representing law enforcement, county conservation, fire departments, as well as representatives of the Iowa Department of Transportation and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation continue to work together to try and find the woman.

Caylor says a briefing was held this (Friday) morning to discuss various search strategies in locating Allen, who has been missing since May 4th. The last person known to have had any communication with her, 54-year old James Snovelle, committed suicide May 9th in Kansas, as authorities closed in on him. Snovelle was not a suspect in her disappearance, but he was wanted for questioning. His death left authorities with more questions than answers.

In addition to the efforts of some specific agencies, Caylor says assistance will also be sought from fire departments, first responders and other volunteers within their jurisdictions.  The Carroll Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is also requesting the continued cooperation and assistance from the general public throughout the western half of the state, but especially within the following jurisdictions:

Carroll County
Sac County
Greene County
Guthrie County
Calhoun County
Pocahontas County
Palo Alto County

Law enforcement is requesting that individuals check out buildings, ditches, waterways, wooded areas and any other areas on their property and/or any other public access areas where someone may have hidden or disposed of evidence involving this missing person case.

Anyone finding such evidence or who may have other information about this case should contact their local law enforcement agency, or may also contact the Carroll Police Department 712-792-3536.

A complaint about noise from a residence in Red Oak early this (Friday) morning, led to the arrest on nine people on drug charges. Red Oak Police report when officers went to speak with the owner of the residence where the noise allegedly came from, a strong smell of marijuana wafted through the air when the front door was opened.
The smell gave authorities probable cause to search the home, and when a search warrant was executed, 40-grams of what a substance suspected to be methamphetamine, as well as a small amount of marijuana, were confiscated as evidence.
Taken into custody on charges of Gathering where a Controlled Substance is used, possessed and/or sponsored, were the following individuals: 31-year-old Peggy Sue Gurney, 26-year-old Natosha Myree Cralley, 23-year-old Amber Rose Pearson, 22-year-old James Dean Inman, and 28-year-old Bradley Edward Williams, all of Red Oak.
Red Oak Police also arrested 20-year-old Michelle Lynn Kaska of Lyman, 41-year-old Dennis Lee Binns of Imogene, and 28-year-old George Allen Westbrook of Villisca.
32-year-old Jonathon Wayne Ray, of Red Oak, was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, 2nd offense, as well as G-C-S, a drug tax stamp violation, and possession with intent to deliver over five grams.

All 9 suspects were brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where, with the exception of Ray, were being held on $5,000 bond each. Authorities say Ray was being held on $100,000 bond.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department reports two people were arrested today (Friday), on separate charges. 26-year old Aaron Lucas Allen, of Stanton, was arrested at around 11:45-a.m., on a charge of Domestic Assault, following an incident which allegedly occurred this (Friday) morning. Allen was being held in the Montgomery County Jail, on bond.

And, 25-year old Christina Denise Hayes, of Council Bluffs, was arrested just before Noon, on a warrant for 5^th Degree Theft. Hayes was also being held in the Montgomery County Jail on bond.