Police in Council Bluff reported late Thursday night, that a boy who went missing earlier that afternoon, was found in Council Bluffs.

Ricky Lee Komor, Jr.

11-year old Ricky Lee Komor, Jr.,  was taken into custody and brought to a local hospital for a welfare check, only. He was not injured.

Authorities says the boy left his home around 4 p.m. Thursday and made a comment about possibly harming himself. Police said Komor had also told his friends about trying to walk to Carter Lake to find his father.

Gas prices in Iowa have increased around 20-cents a gallon in the last 24 hours. Gail Weinholzer, spokesperson for Triple-A (AAA) Iowa, said Thursday that unleaded regular fuel is averaging $3.76 a gallon statewide. “That is 16-cents more than the national average and 23-cents higher than this day last year,” Weinholzer says. Iowa normally has gas prices well below the national average. The sudden rise in gasoline prices across the Upper Midwest is blamed on the closing of two refineries for major repairs.

Weinholzer says the two closed refineries are located near Chicago and are among the biggest in the U.S. One is owned by BP and the other by Exxon Mobile. The refineries are not expected to restart operations until after Memorial Day. “We probably won’t see price relief until the middle of June at the earliest and perhaps as late as the Fourth of July,” Weinholzer says. “Once a refinery restarts, it takes a while for them to ramp up production.” It’s not unusual for a refinery to schedule maintenance during the spring or fall switch to new blends of gas, according to Weinholzer.

“What is irregular is that two refineries would close for such an extended period of time,” Weinholzer says. “However, you have to keep in mind that they are owned by two different companies so they don’t sit down, put their calendars side by side, and decide when their respective refineries need to have their maintenance work done.” Because the refineries are both located in the Chicago area, the price spike in limited to Iowa and surrounding states.

“In fact, of the top 10 states in the country for average price, six to seven of them are in the Upper Midwest and Upper Great Lakes region,” Weinholzer says. She expects gas prices in Iowa will climb even higher by today (Friday). But, Weinholzer believes prices will remain below $4 a gallon.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

PLEASANT HILL, Iowa (AP) — A high school senior in central Iowa has been accused of lighting a smoke bomb in a school bathroom. Jason Boothroyd was arrested yesterday after firefighters were dispatched to Southeast Polk High School in Pleasant Hill, outside of Des Moines. The entire school was evacuated.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials are investigating what may have caused 45 students at a Sioux City elementary school to get sick with a gastrointestinal illness. A Sioux City school district spokeswoman says the students from Bryant Elementary either called in sick yesterday or were sent home early. Three staff members also called in sick. Siouxland District Health is investigating what may have caused the illness.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa lawmakers have reached a spending compromise for Iowa’s public universities and other education programs. The state House and Senate approved the $897 million higher education budget yesterday evening. It’s a compromise including enough money to freeze in-state tuition at the state universities. The legislation now goes to Governor Terry Branstad.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An effort to maintain a tax break for ethanol blended fuel has won state Senate approval. The Iowa Senate yesterday backed a bill that would extend a tax break for fuel that includes ethanol and gasoline for another year. Currently, ethanol blends are taxed at 20 cents a gallon and pure petroleum is taxed at 22 cents a gallon. Those numbers include a 1 cent environmental fee.