Sheriff’s officials in northeast Iowa’s Jones County say four people were arrested on 1st Degree Robbery and other charges, following a bank robber Monday afternoon. Authorities say at around 12:15-p.m, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the Exchange State Bank in Martelle. The bank reported they were robbed at gunpoint by two suspects who entered the bank carrying long guns. The two suspects made off with an undisclosed amount of money. The two suspects were seen getting into a white Buick Lesabre, with no plates, and headed northbound on Hwy 1.

At 12:35 PM, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office received a citizen’s report of a white car abandoned on 230th Avenue, North of 35th St., that appeared to be smoking. Officers with the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa DOT Enforcement, and Jones County Sheriff’s Office responded and located the car. The car had been on fire and Lisbon Fire Department, who also responded, put out the fire. The vehicle was soon confirmed as the vehicle seen leaving the bank.

Based on information collected at the two scenes, two separate traffic stops led to four people being questioned and eventually arrested in connection with the Martelle bank robbery. The suspects include: 24-year old Andrew Palmer, of Mechanicsville; 22-year old Shiloh Palmer, of Mt. Vernon; 41-year old Peter Olinger, and 25-year old Elibabeth Olinger, both of Mechanicsville.

Shiloh Palmer

Elizabeth Olinger

Peter Olinger

Andrew Palmer

Brothers Andrew Palmer and Shiloh Palmer, were charged with Robbery in the 1st Degree. Peter and Elizabeth Olinger, who are husband and wife, face charges of Aiding & Abetting to Robbery in the 1st Degree. Peter Olinger is accused of driving Andrew and Shiloh Palmer to the Exchange Bank in Martelle, Iowa. Peter Olinger stayed in the vehicle while Andrew and Shiloh Palmer entered the bank, with long guns, and took an undisclosed amount of money. Elizabeth Olinger is accused of meeting the other three defendants on 230th Avenue, where they abandoned the white “get away” car and switched into another vehicle.

The investigation and collection of evidence will continue over the next several days.

A Creston man was transported to the hospital following a collision Monday afternoon, east of Afton. The Union County Sheriff’s Office says 20-year old Jesse Christensen, who was wearing his seat belt, complained of pain and possible injuries. He was extricated from his vehicle, and was transported to the Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston by ambulance following the crash, that happened at around 4:20-p.m..

Authorities say Christensen was traveling east on Highway 34 at the same time a 1999 Dodge pickup driven by 22-year old Eric Downey, of Afton, was traveling south on Redwood Avenue. Downey stopped at the intersection, but then proceeded south into the intersection, where his pickup struck Christensen’s 2000 Pontiac Grand Am. Following the collision, the Pontiac came to rest in the south ditch.

Damage from the crash amounted to $9,000. Officials cited Downey for Failure To Yield Upon entering a through highway.

Two construction workers are credited with saving two children from a burning duplex near Waterloo on Monday afternoon. Travis Moen and Ryan Siems were pouring concrete on a driveway in Evansdale when the fire broke out across the street. Wendi Smith ran from the two-story duplex screaming that her bedroom was on fire and her children were inside. Evansdale Police Sergeant Jeff Jensen says Moen and Siems wasted no time and rushed into the home through thick smoke, disregarding personal safety.

“They both went up there and got that child out of the back bedroom and brought him out,” Jensen says. “The mom had handed off one of her other children, a small girl, to one of the men and they brought them out. They got everybody out of the apartment by the time I arrived on scene, which was a godsend because I don’t know what would have happened had they hesitated a moment.”

The two rescuers found the three-year-old boy upstairs and the five-year-old girl on the ground floor. “There was a mattress that was on fire and I arrived seconds later,” Jensen says. “When I got here, there were flames coming out of the window of the bedroom and the windows were popping.” Jensen says he was patrolling nearby and arrived at the scene just seconds after receiving the call. In that short of time, the fire had already grown very intense.

“I got the call and I was here probably 30 seconds later and the smoke was rolling out of that window bad and flames had blown out the window already and were taking over and were lapping at the roof.” Fire crews from Evansdale, Waterloo and two other nearby communities — Gilbertville and Raymond — were called to the scene.

Jensen says the apartment where the fire started was heavily damaged, while the adjoining unit sustained mainly smoke damage. Investigators believe the fire was started by the three-year-old playing with a lighter. No injuries were reported, but Jensen says six people were displaced by the fire. The Hawkeye Chapter of the American Red Cross was called to assist both families with emergency shelter.

(Radio Iowa)

A northwest Iowa restaurant owner gained national attention last year after the Internal Revenue Service seized more than 30-thousand dollars from her account, forcing the eatery to close — but the I-R-S later dropped its case. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says there are many similar situations popping up lately that involve the U-S Justice Department or the I-R-S wielding far too much power. “There can be good reason to seize property in a criminal investigation, but the law ought to be about protecting innocent people,” Grassley says. “Too often, we’ve seen just the opposite with civil asset forfeiture laws. It’s become a big business for the federal government.”

The Justice Department is taking steps to put more restrictions on how assets can be seized, but Grassley, a Republican, says there are still too many loopholes and opportunities for abuse.  “I’m working on bipartisan legislation that will protect innocent people from being caught up in any sort of a dragnet,” Grassley says. “The bill I’m working on would enhance procedural protections for individuals if property is seized.”

According to Grassley, the bill would also reduce incentives for law enforcement to seize civil assets in these cases. Carol Hinders had run Mrs. Lady’s Mexican Food in Spirit Lake for 38 years, accepting only cash. Her frequent cash deposits caught the eye of the I-R-S and the whole ordeal began. While she did eventually get back the 33-thousand dollars the I-R-S had seized, she sold the restaurant and retired.

(Radio Iowa)

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman from Red Oak was arrested twice in two days. 23-year old Desiree Pauline Willis, was arrested Sunday evening along Highway 59, on a warrant charging her with Forgery, the bond for which is $5,000. The next day, Willis was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office and held without bond, for being a Fugitive from Justice.

A woman from Adair County escaped injury during a single-vehicle rollover accident Monday afternoon. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says 22-year old Laura Jo Marnin, of Greenfield, was traveling south on 540th Street at around 1:15-p.m., when she lost control of the 2005 Ford Taurus she was driving. The car entered the west ditch about two-miles south of Griswold, and rolled onto its top. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $4,500. No citations were issued.