(Red Oak, Iowa) – An adult male and a juvenile were arrested Tuesday in Red Oak, following an investigating into a reported drug overdose. Red Oak Police report officers were called to a residence in the 200 block of N. 4th Street following a report about a drug-related overdose. Upon arrival, officers found two patients were being treated by Red Oak Rescue. Police also located a 9-year-old female in the home, under the supervision of the adult and a 14-year-old. Both patients were transported to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital.

Following an investigation, the 14-year-old juvenile was arrested for Child Endangerment (an Aggravated Misdemeanor). The juvenile was not identified because of their age. Officers also arrested 21-year-old Seth Michael Houser, of Red Oak. He was charged with two-counts of Child Endangerment, and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. Houser was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond. The juvenile was transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs.

Red Oak Police were assisted at the scene by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, along with Red Oak Fire and Rescue.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A collision Tuesday in Red Oak resulted in a citation, but no injuries. Red Oak Police report the accident occurred at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Broadway Street. Authorities say a 2008 Ford Escape (SUV) driven by Gail Imogene Golden, of Red Oak, was stopped behind traffic at the intersection stop sign on Washington Avenue, heading westbound. For reasons unknown, the SUV began backing-up. The vehicle struck a 2017 Honda Odssey (van) driven by Lizzete Nolting,of Red Oak, causing an estimated $3,500 damage altogether.

Police cited Golden for Unsafe Backing.

(Radio Iowa) – State officials are offering advice about the finances of a small northwest Iowa city where five officials were accused of bilking Armstrong out of thousands of dollars and destroying financial records. State Auditor Rob Sand has issued a report citing 22 accounting issues in the City of Armstrong during its last budgeting year.

“When you’re coming from a situation where you have had a number of people commit crimes while active in city government and leave city government, you’re going to have quite a period of clean up,” Sand says. “We’re here identifying the issues that are presently there for new leadership and hopefully they will take of these issues in the process of cleaning up city government.”

In 2017, a special investigation of Armstrong city accounts found at least 100-thousand dollars worth of deposits and payments had been mishandled. The town’s former mayor, three former city clerks and its former police chief were all accused of wrongdoing and have pleaded guilty to misconduct, but none were sent to prison. The state auditor says C-P-As in his office have raised concerns about how checks written to the City of Armstrong AND checks written on city accounts are handled.

“Two of the three people who can sign the checks aren’t elected officials. They are not city employees,” Sand says. “You’ve got to ensure you have direct accountability for those people so you know the checks going out are people who are involved in doing that business.” One of the city’s debit cards was opened in the name of a city employee, using that employee’s Social Security number.  “It’s important that you have prior approval for purchases, which in this case Armstrong wasn’t doing,” Sand says. “You want to make sure that before you go out and use it that it’s OK to buy that.”

The state auditor’s office reviewed three sets of minutes from Armstrong City Council meetings that did not list city receipts or bills the city owed. “What we need to have are minutes that reflect the reality of finances as well as the reality of the proceedings of what’s going on in town,” Sand says, “so that people who aren’t at a meeting can still review what’s going on and have a good understanding of it.”

Last month, a former mayor of Armstrong was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to tampering with records and misconduct in office. His son-in-law, the former Armstrong police chief, got a deferred judgement and the case against him will be dismissed once he completes probation. A former city clerk also received a deferred judgement and two former city clerks pleaded guilty to misconduct and agreed to testify against the others.

(Radio Iowa) – Roadways and airports have been crowded during the holiday periods all through this year and it looks like that is not going to ease up next week for Thanksgiving. Triple-A Iowa spokesman, Brian Ortner: “Triple-A’s Thanksgiving holiday travel forecast is showing that we’re gonna, you know, again, set all time highs for travel nationally and within our region. You know that we’re a part of here in Iowa, the west north-central region,” he says. That region includes Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, and South Dakota, along with Iowa. Ortner says travel will surpass what we saw prior to the pandemic.

“If we go back and look at 2019, for our region, we had about six-point-three (6.3) million total travelers back in 2019 so we’re six-point-four now,”Ortner says. “Across our region and nationally, we had just over 77 million back in 2019 and over 79 million this year. And that’s an increase over that time and as in 2023 as well.” While the roadways will be busy, traveling will cost a little less.

“The good thing we can say is people are seeing lower pump prices than we saw last year. You know, in our region, with five-point eight million folks hitting the roads, that’s going to be a welcome addition to the travel plans,” he says. across the state. Iowa has a statewide average of two-dollars-73 cents for a gallon of fuel, which is less than the national average, which is at three-oh-six.

Ortner has one word to describe what it will be like for those who are flying for Thanksgiving. “Busy. Let’s just say that. Again, with the record numbers that are going to be taken to the air in our region, 296-thousand folks going to be taken to the airways. And I know people don’t like to hear it to say to plan accordingly, leave early, get to the airports early if you can. Be there two to three hours before your flight,” he says. He says the flight delays that have been a problem, appear to be getting better.

“You know, compared to what we were seeing like two years ago, I know there was a lot of issues then, that decreased last year,” Ortner says, “and haven’t heard anything in relation to that this year. But again, plan for the unexpected, because you never know whether you’re flying or you’re driving.” Ortner says make sure you know your options for a change of flight before you leave and have your information with you for your travel agent. If you booked yourself, have the app, the customer service line available to be able to make those changes if they would need to happen.