Authorities say a traffic stop late Thursday night at 12th and Stuart Streets in Clarinda, resulted in the arrest of 31-year old Adam James Randolph, of Clarinda. Randolph was taken into custody at around 10-p.m., for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, 1^st offense. Randolph was released on a personal recognizance bail and will appear before the Page County Magistrate Court at a later date.

There is still no confirmation from authorities, but it is believed that a body found Tuesday afternoon in west central Iowa’s Crawford County is that of 44-year old Jonathan Elwell. The Shillington, Pennsylvania man went missing on April 17 and his rented car was found abandoned in rural Westside, Iowa three days later. The body, which was badly decomposed, was found by railroad workers about a mile from where the car was located. Crawford County Sheriff Jim Steinkuehler says his office is working with Elwell’s family to obtain his dental records. The records would allow the state medical examiner’s office to confirm if the body is that of Elwell. Steinkuehler says the Elwell family was uncertain if they’d be able to locate his records because they didn’t know his dentist. If the records can’t be found, it could take weeks for the family to learn more. “They’ll do DNA testing…that could take up to four to six weeks,” Steinkuehler said. The medical examiner’s office is also working to determine the cause of death. Elwell’s family said it was “out of character” for him to disappear without telling anyone. Elwell’s brother is a magistrate judge in Pennsylvania.

The Elwell family says they’ve been informed by the Crawford County Sheriff that they are “99% sure” the remains are Jonathan’s, which is why he allowed the family to release the final statement KJAN and other media. The family of Jonathan Elwell said “although we still – and probably always will – have unanswered questions about how he came to this place and this end, we are grateful that we will be able to bring him home to rest.”  They went on to thank members of law enforcement, U-S Representative Charles W. Dent and Iowa Congressman Steve King, along with the many volunteers, who assisted in the search efforts. The family closed by saying “Although this is not the outcome we had hoped for, it is, at any rate, an ending, and we will strive for a new beginning.”

(Radio Iowa/Elwell family statement)

For the price of a latte, you can save a town. That’s the message being touted in Hamburg. The southwest Iowa town is launching a major fundraiser to keep the levee built last year just outside of the city at its current height. Hamburg-area residents are preparing to record a “Flash Mob”-type dance which they’ll post on the internet to raise awareness of their need for funding. Hamburg Mayor Cathy Crain says the current levee did the job.

Hamburg Levee (IA State Patrol photo)

Mayor Crain says, “We had an 11-foot levee to protect us from the west ditch and the Corps (of Engineers) and our people added eight feet to that levee, so combined, the levee is 19 feet and has held as much as 17 feet of water for 120 days.” But now, she says, there’s a problem that puts the levee at risk.  “After the Missouri River levees are completed this September, Hamburg will be forced by federal regulations to either remove that eight feet of dirt for $1.3-million or raise $5.6-million to make (the levee) permanent,” she says.

Crain says the levee project requires money the town simply doesn’t have. “We’ve aggressively sought funding and the state of Iowa has contributed $1-million and we need $4.6-million more,” she says. “Our city and the businesses have already exhausted their funds fighting the flood.” She says they’ve tried to get grants for eight months and there’s just not a lot of money out there for secondary levees. “There’s money out there for the Missouri levees,” she says, “and we want them to get those levees fixed, but we haven’t found any money for us.” After a series of rehearsals today and through the weekend, Hamburg’s Main Street will be closed Monday morning at 11:30 for shooting the video. She says the dance steps and movements will be very simple but they’ll make people take notice.

Hamburg Levee (IA Dept. of Public Safety photo)

“The words are very clever and it will be very charming,” she says. “We’re going to have people of all ages doing this and the volunteers involved in this are really good at what they do. It’s gonna put a smile on your face and you’re going to walk away and say, ‘They’re a small town but they sure are resourceful and they have a lot of talent.'” Crain says the video will be posted to Youtube, Google+, Facebook and another video site. They’re also requesting that everyone forward it on whenever they can. A Paypal link to donate will be listed with the video or a check can be made to the City of Hamburg Iowa Flood Recovery. “Our business strategy is to use email addresses from businesses, citizens and friends and get the message out,” the mayor says. “We need 1.5-million people to donate $3.00 each.”

(Radio Iowa)