Police in Council Bluffs, late Monday evening, issued a press release asking for the public’s help in locating a missing man. 23-year old Brandon Bequette, of Carter Lake, who is a mentally challenged white male, was last seen at the Lake Manawa Wal-Mart store in Council Bluffs at around 1:15-p.m., Monday. He left the store and area westbound on foot.

23-year old Brandon Bequette

His family had attempted to locate Brandon before contacting police at 4:10-p.m. Brandon may have been seen at the Council Bluffs Public Library between 4-p.m. and 5-p.m. Monday, but Police were unable to confirm that. At this time they say theyhave exhausted any possible locations for Brandon.

He was last seen wearing a gray shirt, dark blue pants and yellow “Croc style” shoes. He’s described as 5’8” tall, and weighing 310-pounds. Brandon has short brown hair and hazel eyes. (A picture of him can be found on this same story posted under the News page at kjan.com) He has family in the Council Bluffs and Carter Lake Area. If you know where he is or have seen him, call your local law enforcement agency immediately.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), Monday, awarded $924,000 in Main Street Iowa Challenge Grants to 14 communities around the state. The grants will benefit local improvement projects such as façade upgrades and restoration, upper floor rehabilitation and remodeled spaces for expanding downtown businesses. In the KJAN listening area, the City of Avoca received a $75,000 grant toward the  $280, 650 cost of restoring the Avoca Bank Building. The City will provide a $205, 650 match for the grant. The City of Manning also received a $75,000 grant toward the Manning Child Care Center project. The total project cost is $277,600. The City will put up a $202, 600 match for the grant.

Avoca Main Street grant

The grants are administered through IEDA’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center and Main Street Iowa programs. The funding will be distributed in the form of matching grants to the selected Main Street programs. The estimated total project cost of the 14 projects is over $8 million.

Main Street Iowa Coordinator  Michael Wagler said “Each project must provide at least a dollar-for-dollar cash-match. Overall, these projects will leverage eight times the state’s investment into bricks and mortar rehabilitation. These projects will have a significant economic impact within each district.”

The Challenge Grant program is funded through an appropriation from the Iowa Legislature.  Since the first appropriation in 2002 through 2014, approximately $5.9 million in state and federal funds have leveraged over $37 million of private reinvestment into 110 projects in 43 Main Street Iowa commercial districts across the state.

A Greenfield man arrested for Probation Violation early Monday morning at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, was subsequently charged with introducing intoxicants or drugs into an institution. 25-year old Spencer Jordan Leitzel was arrested at 1:30-a.m. He was later released from the Union County Jail on $500 bond.

The Red Oak Police Department responded to a 3-vehicle accident with at least one injury in Red Oak on Monday.  At 2:57pm officers responded to the accident at the intersection of Broadway and Corning Streets in Red Oak.

After investigation it was determined that a Dodge Durango driven by 46-year-old Tammy Turek of Essex failed to stop at a red light and rear ended another vehicle which then rear ended the third vehicle.  No injuries were reported from the first two vehicles but the driver of the third vehicle complained of neck pain and was taken by Red Oak Rescue to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital to be examined.

Turek’s Durango was towed from the scene and had an estimated $3,500 damage. The second vehicle received $3,000 damage and the third $500. Red Oak police were assisted by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at the scene.