MOORHEAD, Iowa (AP) – Rural communities in Siouxland are struggling to find new Emergency Medical Services personnel as teams shrink due to the lack of new workers or volunteers. The Sioux City Journal reports that fire stations in Moorhead and other communities in Monora County cite the drain of youth from rural communities as the primary factor for the lack of new recruits.

Monona County Sheriff Jeff Pratt says the shortage has slowed response time since fewer people can stop what they’re doing to come to the aid of someone who’s sick or injured outside of town. Moorhead has a population of about 230 people. It’s nearly a half hour drive to the nearest hospital in Onawa. Pratt says the issue will be discussed at a public meeting Wednesday in hopes of working toward a solution.

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports six arrests have taken place over the past few weeks. Most recently, on Sunday, 22 year old Daylan Gene Kleen, of Audubon, was arrested for Driving While Barred and a Failure to Appear Warrant from Pottawattamie County. Kleen was transported to the Audubon County Jail and held. That same day, Audubon Police arrested 57 year old Karla Jo Anderson, of Audubon, for a Probation Violation Warrant out of Woodbury County. Anderson was transported to the Audubon County Jail and held.

On Saturday, Audubon Police arrested 35 year old Angela Marie Cerda, of Audubon for Theft 5th degree. Cerda was also arrested Feb. 22nd for an alleged incident of shoplifting. In both cases she was cited and released on promise to appear later, in court. On March 7th, officers in Audubon arrested  22 year old Kaz Ryan Cozad, of Lamoni, on a warrant for Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs. Cozad turned himself in and was released on promise to appear later, in court.

On Feb. 27th, 29 year old Spencer Gordon Heuton, of Audubon, was arrested for Driving with a Suspended License and Failure to have a valid Motorcycle License. Heuton was released on promise to appear later, in court.

A total of five people were hurt in two separate ATV accidents over the weekend, in Pottawattamie and Union Counties. Lt. Rob Ambrose, with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, told KJAN News a child’s ATV driven by 24-year old MacKenzie Belnap, of Council Bluffs, and his passenger, 31-year old Jessica Grogan, of Audubon, veered off the road at around 11-p.m. Sunday and went into a ditch before hitting or sideswiping a barbed-wire fence. Belnap and Grogran rode the machine back to Walnut before calling for help. They were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic for treatment. A report on their conditions was not available.

Belnap was cited for Operating an ATV with more persons than it was designed to carry, operating an ATV on a Highway, and Failure to Maintain Control. The accident happened near 500th and Western Avenue, on the northwest side of Walnut.

The other accident happened at around 2:45-p.m. Saturday, in Union County. The Sheriff’s Office says a Polaris Razor ATV/UTV driven by 17-year old Quinton Scadden, of Creston, was traveling across a bridge on 245th Street, when the vehicle went out of control. The UTV rolled over and came to rest on its wheels facing east, on the north side of the road. Scadden, who was wearing a shoulder & lap belt, suffered minor injuries. He was transported to the Greater  Regional Medical Center in Creston, by ambulance. 21-year old Kaytlynn Scadden, of Creston, was riding in the unenclosed passenger/cargo area, and ejected from the UTV when it rolled. She was flown by helicopter to the Creston Hospital/ A third passenger, 14-year old Jack Frey, of Creston, who was belted into a passenger seat, suffered minor injuries and was transported by ambulance to the hospital.

ST. ANSGAR, Iowa (AP) – A new deer crossing warning sign in northern Iowa is attracting attention and mixed reactions. “Suicidal deer” says the sign just outside of St. Ansgar, with another sign underneath that says, ‘Next 2 mi.” The signs along Iowa Highway 105 sit near Sally Hertel’s land. She says she found the deer sign a little insensitive. But Becky Dodson, who also lives near the sign, says she thought it was funny. Mitchell County officials got the idea after seeing postings about a similar sign in central Illinois.

Mitchell County Supervisor Stan Walk in Iowa says the county didn’t intend to offend anyone in its effort to prevent accidents caused by the numerous deer in the area. He says officials wanted the sign to be an attention-getter, and it has been.