A vehicle stopped on the traveled portion of the road in Audubon County resulted in a personal injury accident Saturday morning. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office says a 2005 Dodge operated by 20-year Cole Richard Burns, of Crescent, was parked facing westbound on 220th Street near the intersection of Falcon Avenue, when the vehicle was hit from behind.

The other vehicle, a 1999 Pontiac was driven by 42-year old Cherry Michelle Budd, of Avoca. Budd was traveling west on 220th after she topped the hill at the intersection, saw Burns’ vehicle, but was unable to stop or avoid the vehicle in her lane of travel. Following the collision, Budd reported she was suffering from minor injuries. She was transported by Audubon Fire and Rescue to the Audubon County Hospital.

Burns was not injured in the crash, that happened at around 11-a.m., Saturday. He was cited for Stopping on the Traveled portion of the Roadway. Damage from the crash amounted to $6,000.

The Harlan Police Department today (Monday) released a report on recent arrests and incidents. On Dec, 10th, 56-year old Roger Elam, of Omaha, was arrested on a Trespassing charge, after officers responded to assist Medivac Ambulance crews. Elam told officers he was living in the 1400 block of 7th Street, but following an investigation, it was determined he was living there without permission of the property owners.

And on Dec. 7th, officers with the Harlan P-D received reports numerous, separate residential theft reports. Among the items taken was an X-Box and Playstation, numerous pieces of conduit and an exhaust system, and cigarettes. Officials urge residents to lock their houses and cars, and most importantly, if you see or hear anything suspicious, call the Harlan Police Dept. at 755-5151.

Plans are being unveiled for a national veterans cemetery to be built just south of Omaha that would offer plots to veterans in both Nebraska and Iowa. Will Ackerman, a spokesman for the Department of Veterans Affairs, says the cemetery would be large enough to initially accommodate more than 55-hundred graves.

Ackerman says, “This is good news for veterans because the VA is very interested in providing not only health care and other benefits when they’re alive but also honoring them through the national cemetery when they have passed away.” There is already an Iowa Veterans Cemetery located just south of Interstate 80 in Dallas County which opened in 2008. Ackerman says that facility near Van Meter is state-owned while the new facility near Omaha would be federally-owned and operated.

“The site is a 230-acre parcel in Sarpy County,” Ackerman says. “The only other national VA cemetery is at Fort McPherson here in Nebraska. This is different from the state cemeteries. These are national VA cemeteries by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.” A meeting is planned to discuss the new cemetery tomorrow (Tuesday) at 1 P-M at the Homewood Suites in downtown Omaha.

(Radio Iowa)

Montgomery County Emergency Manager Brian Hamman says members of the Midwest Regional Dive Team were called to assist Poweshiek County authorities at Lake Ponderosa for a recovery of a man that fell through the ice Saturday evening. The dive team left this (Monday) morning.

The unidentified man was riding an all-terrain vehicle on Lake Ponderosa when ice broke and he fell into the lake.  Divers and searchers have unsuccessfully tried to locate the man since he went into the icy water on the northeast side of the lake located near Montezuma around 6 p.m. Saturday. A search went on until about 2 a.m. Sunday when it was called off because equipment kept freezing. The search continued Sunday afternoon but ended just after 6 p.m.

Efforts to find the man were suspended indefinitely because it became too dangerous for divers.   Montezuma Fire Chief Chris Widmer says divers, plunging into 37-degree water, were unable to find the man whose name is expected to be released later today (Monday).