Emergency Management Officials in Mills and Pottawattamie Counties have lifted their bans on open burning which were set in place a little more than a week ago. The Burn Ban in Mills County ended at 8-a.m. today (Friday). The Burn Ban in Pottawattamie County will no longer be in effect as of 6-p.m today (Friday).

Forecasted temperatures and precipitation chances have prompted Fire Chiefs tin both counties to lift the open burning ban that was issued on February 1st. Fire officials want to remind citizens to always have safety measures in place when burning, even when environmental conditions appear safe.

The lifting of the open burning ban does not apply within the corporate city limits of Council Bluffs and other communities within Pottawattamie County where city ordinances restrict open burning year-round. Please check with your local City Hall for more information regarding open burning within city limits.

The Lenox Police Department reports two people were arrested on drug charges, Thursday, following an investigation into a suspicious vehicle parked at the Lenox High School. Officials say 21-year old Victor Daniel Govea and 20-year old Maria Alvarez, both of Lenox, were taken into custody at around 2:15-a.m.

Alvarez was charged with possession of meth, possession of alcohol under the legal age and possession of an open container of alcohol in a vehicle. Govea was charged with possession of meth, OWI-1st offense, open container of alcohol, failure to have a driver’s license, identity theft, a class D felony, and forgery, a class D felony. Both are being held in the Ringgold County Jail. .

The pair was arrested after Lenox Police stopped the vehicle they were in as it was leaving the Lenox High School parking lot. The vehicle was stopped for an equipment violation. When the officer approached the vehicle he could see several open bottles of beer. The driver (later identified as Govea) provided a Virginia drivers license identifying him as 32-year old Jeiel Hernandez. The man said he lived in Lenox. Alverez was a passenger in the car.

During a search of the vehicle, the officer located methamphetamine. While the search was underway, the owner of the vehicle, Alfredo Zapata-Gonzalez, arrived on the scene. Zapata-Gonzalez was issued a citation for allowing an unlicensed driver to operate a vehicle and the car was released to him.During the investigation it was discovered Hernandez’s real name was actually Victor Daniel Lopez Govea.  The Lenox Police Department obtained a search warrant for Govea’s residence, and at around 1:30-p.m., Thursday, officers with the Lenox Police Department, Taylor County Sheriff’s office, the Ringgold County K-9 unit and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Office served the warrant at the home, which resulted in the recovery of additional evidence. The investigation continues, with additional charges possible.