COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (Sept. 20, 2018) —As the American Red Cross responds to Hurricane Florence, providing food, shelter and comfort to those affected, individuals outside the affected areas are urged to help by giving blood or platelets to care for patients in the storm’s path and across the country. People can also help by making a financial donation to support relief efforts. Hurricane Florence’s wrath left catastrophic damage behind and also took a toll on blood and platelet donations. Nearly 200 Red Cross blood drives in the Southeast were forced to cancel, resulting in more than 5,200 uncollected blood and platelet donations. “Natural disasters like hurricanes can disrupt blood drives and prevent donors from giving, but hospital patients still depend on lifesaving transfusions,” said Cliff Numark, senior vice president, Red Cross Blood Services. “There is an especially critical need for platelets to help cancer patients and type O blood donations for ongoing patient care and emergencies. Every donation can be a lifeline for patients.”

Donors of all blood types are urged to help restore hope to patients across the country by making an appointment today to give blood or platelets. Appointments can be made by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Financial donations are also needed and allow the Red Cross to provide disaster relief immediately. Help people affected by Hurricane Florence by visiting RedCross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word FLORENCE to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities include:

• American Red Cross Blood Donation Center/ Loess Hills Blood Donation Center (705 N. 16th St.), Council Bluffs.
• Manning, 10/12/2018: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., IKM Manning High School, 209 10th Street
• Anita, 10/9/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Community Center, 805 Main Street
• Denison, 10/2/2018: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., United Methodist Church, 113 South 14th Street
• Logan, 9/27/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Community Center, 108 West 4th Street
• Red Oak: 9/24/2018: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1101 East Summit; 10/2/2018: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Montgomery County Hospital, 2301 Eastern Ave
• Clarinda, 9/20/2018: 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Regional Health Center, 220 Essie Davison Drive.
• Shenandoah: 10/6/2018: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Earl May Nursery & Garden Center, 301 S Fremont St; 10/10/2018: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Shenandoah High School, 1000 Mustang Drive
• Council Bluffs: 9/23/2018: 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Broadway United Methodist, 11 South 1st Street; 10/1/2018: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Harrah’s Casino, 1 Harrahs Blvd; 10/2/2018: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Iowa Western Community College, 2700 College Road; 10/12/2018: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Abraham Lincoln High School, 1205 Bonham
• Treynor, 9/20/2018: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Community Center, 11 West Main.
• Defiance, 10/2/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., St. Peter’s Hall, 402 5th Street
• Harlan, 9/25/2018: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Veteran’s Memorial Building, 1104 Morningview
• Westphalia, 9/20/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., St. Boniface Parish Center, 305 Duren St.
• Lenox, 10/9/2018: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Lenox High School, 600 S. Locust St.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — City officials in central Iowa have designated about 60 structures as unsafe following a July tornado that damaged about 2,000 buildings. The Times-Republican reports that the properties in Marshalltown now have small red posters that say “Dangerous building — do not occupy.” Michelle Sponheimer is the city housing and community development director. She says the posters are a warning, not an eviction notice. Owners can decide if they want to rebuild or demolish the structure. Sponheimer says the nonprofit Mid-Iowa Community Action is helping displaced residents find alternate housing.

Sponheimer says the city may eventually need to demolish unsafe properties that are abandoned because they pose a risk to public safety. She says the city may seek demolition funding assistance from entities such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds failed to document the appointment of a district court judge by a mandated deadline in June and some attorneys are saying it’s a slipup that has cast doubt on the judge’s authority to make rulings. Under the Iowa Constitution, Reynolds had until June 21 to pick a judge for the eastern Iowa 6th Judicial District from two names submitted by a judicial nominating commission.
She says she told her chief of staff she’d chosen attorney Jason Besler that day but there is no proof and Besler wasn’t called until four days later. Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady says he takes her word that she made the verbal appointment.

Guy Cook, an attorney who served on a state judicial nominating commission, says Besler’s appointment could create problems if someone who appears before him challenges his authority. Gary Dickey, an Iowa lawyer who served as former Gov. Tom Vilsack’s chief attorney, says he plans to ask Cady to ratify the appointment to avoid such a challenge.

LELAND, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say an 88-year-old woman died after her car collided in northern Iowa with a pickup truck driven by one of her grandchildren. The Iowa State Patrol says Shirley Schutter’s car was struck Monday afternoon at an intersection in Leland after she’d halted for a stop sign. A patrol report says she pulled into the path of the pickup driven by 27-year-old Ethan Schutter, of Lake Mills. The patrol says Shirley Schutter died at the scene. She lived in Forest City.

Patrol Sgt. Nathan Ludwig confirmed today (Thursday) that Ethan Schutter is one of Shirley Schutter’s grandchildren. Ludwig also says Ethan Schutter wasn’t injured enough to require hospital treatment.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Thursday), said that at around 10:10-p.m. on Sept. 10th, Deputies with the Mills County K-9 unit and Sheriff’s Office, along with Glenwood Police, executed a narcotics search warrant at 702 Mills Avenue, in Pacific Junction. During the search, multiple controlled substances and drug paraphernalia were located. 57-year old Richard James Gardner, and 42-year old Regina Jolene Meyers, both of Pacific Junction, were arrested on numerous narcotic charges. Bond for Gardner was set at $50,300. Meyers’ bond was set at $8,300.

And, in an update to our earlier reports, deputies with the Mills County K-9 Unit conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on Deacon Road at around 9:25-p.m. Tuesday, for a moving violation. Upon investigation and searching the vehicle, meth, marijuana and drug paraphernalia was located. The driver, 51-year old Shad Lee McCurley, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on two-counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under suspension, and OWI/1st offense. His passenger, 40-year old Carrie Ann Quinlan, also of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of drug paraphernalia. Both individuals were transported without incident, to the Mills County Jail., where McCurley’s bond was set at $4,600, and Quinlan was being held on $1,300 bond.

(Radio Iowa) — Out of nearly 400 metro areas nationwide, only one Iowa community ranks in the top 40 for most stolen vehicles per capita. The National Insurance Crime Bureau ranks Omaha-Council Bluffs as the 39th worst place in the country for rip-offs, with just over four-thousand vehicles stolen there last year. The bureau’s Kristen Sleeth says older cars top the “Hot Wheels” list in Iowa and nationwide. “In 2017, a vehicle was stolen once every 40 seconds in the United States,” Sleeth says. “Similar to previous years, the most stolen cars were the Honda Civics and Accords made in the late 1990s, before anti-theft technology came into play.”

Last year’s top ten list of most-stolen 2017-model vehicles includes six cars, three pickup trucks and a van. “The Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry came in first and second,” Sleeth says. “Pickups from GMC, Ford and Dodge Ram were popular targets along with the GMC Savana.” Vehicle theft victims are often their own worst enemies, as in most cases, vehicles were left unlocked and in many instances, the keys were still inside. Anti-theft technology has advanced significantly in recent years and Sleeth says it clearly slows down potential thieves. “For every one 2017 Nissan Altima stolen there were six 1998 Honda Civics taken,” Sleeth says. “The new Hondas, with the anti-theft technology, they don’t even make the Top 10 List.”

There were 381 metro areas ranked in the report. The most cars were stolen per capita in Albuquerque, New Mexico, while the fewest were taken in State College, Pennsylvania. In Iowa, the Quad Cities area ranks 96th nationally, with more than one-thousand vehicles stolen last year, while the Des Moines metro placed 120th. Sioux City ranks 164th, Cedar Rapids is 166th, Waterloo-Cedar Falls places 284th, Iowa City is at 301, Ames ranks 335th and Dubuque places 351st. The Hot Wheels report examines vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center and determines the vehicle make, model and model year most reported stolen in 2017. See the full state-by-state report: https://www.nicb.org/media/566/download

Creston Police report the arrest at around 3:20-a.m. today (Thursday), of 25-year old Bradley Nauman, of Creston. Nauman was taken into custody near the intersection of Pine and Howard Streets, on a charge of OWI/1st offense. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond. And, at around 10:37-p.m. Tuesday, 28-year old Alex Cunningham, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, for Violating a Protective Order, and on four counts of Harassment in the 1st Degree. Cunningham was being held in the Union County Jail on a $17,600 bond.

(7-a.m. News)