The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a man operating an ultralight aircraft suffered suspected/unknown injuries, after the aircraft crashed into a ditch Sunday evening. Authorities say 39-year old Jason Weirauch, of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, was operating a Top Dog ultralight at 52731 350th Street, when the aircraft exited the property onto 350th Street and slammed into a road ditch. Weirauch was transported by Malvern EMS to the Nebraska Medical Center. Sheriff’s officials say alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol.

The Sheriff’s Office reports also, 59-year old Jay Abercrombie, of Malvern, was driving a 1997 Dodge southbound on Interstate 29, Sunday morning, when he fell asleep at the wheel while driving home from work. The vehicle left the road toward the center median and collided with the cable barrier. Abercrombie was not hurt, but his vehicle sustained heavy damage.

Police in Council Bluffs are investigating the alleged abduction of a teenager. Officers received a call at the 8:30-a.m. about a possible attempted abduction that had occurred in the area of Valley View and Mall Drive, in Council Bluffs. Police received information that a 15 year old female was running on Mall Drive when an unknown white male approached her and grabbed her by the arm. The female said that she struck the male and was able to run off. The suspect was described as being a white male, about 45-50 years old, who was wearing a black coat, blue jeans, grey shoes and a green stocking cap. Several officers checked the area but were unable to locate any suspects. The incident remains under investigation.

Area where the alleged abduction attempt took place (Click on the image to enlarge)

If anyone was in the area of the alleged incident this (Monday) morning between 8-and 8:30-a.m., and happened to see a male matching the description given, please contact the Council Bluffs Police Department at 712-328-4765.The CBPD would like to remind runners and bikers to be aware of their surroundings and whenever possible, travel in groups of 2 or more. Any suspicious people or activity should be reported to 9-1-1 immediately.

A woman who was fatally injured when she was struck by a pickup truck at around 9:30-p.m., Friday while crossing a street, was identified today (Monday). The Iowa State Patrol reports 19-year old Boyankhighig Gansukh,  a native of Minnesota. The woman was crossing Hubble Avenue at Tallgrass Parkway in Altoona, when she was struck by a 2002 Chevy pickup driven by 31-year old Andrew W. Reed, of Altoona. Authorities say Reed had a green light at the intersection.  Gansukh died at a nearby hospital.

(Radio Iowa) — Republican U.S. Senator Joni Ernst is warning changes Democrats in the U.S. House want in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement may doom the deal. “If one country makes a change, it has to go back through the entire process in Canada and Mexico,” Ernst said. “Do you think Canada and Mexico are going to go back and readdress all of this after they are in the process of ratifying? Probably not.”

On Friday, a group of House Democrats reported making “substantial progress” in negotiations with top Trump Administration trade officials. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said changes must be made to address labor and environmental issues. Ernst dismisses those concerns. “This is the first time in US trade history that we actually have environmental considerations as well as labor considerations written into the base text,” Ernst said.

If the U-S-M-C-A doesn’t get approved by September, Ernst predicts the update to the North American Trade Agreement is likely to be derailed by election-year politics. “They will not want to give Donald Trump a win on this. They will not,” Ernst said. “They won’t want to give any of us a win on this and again it’s just the politics of politics. I hate it.” Ernst says the three Democrats from Iowa serving in the U.S. House should start pressuring Pelosi publicly to ratify the U-S-M-C-A. “If she has more members approaching her and saying: ‘We need to get this done,’ maybe we’ll see some movement on it,” Ernst said.

Ernst made her comments Friday afternoon in Jefferson.

(Radio Iowa) — More than four months after floodwaters devastated parts of southwest Iowa, the U-S Army Corps of Engineers has completed the first four breach closures on levee systems on Iowa’s side of the Missouri River, with at least 40 more breaches to fix. Fremont County Emergency Manager Mike Crecelius says depending on how much snowfall comes next winter, he’s worried the promised protection won’t be enough to prevent more flooding. “At 25-year protection, anything like what we had this year or in 2011 or last year will overtop that 25-year protection level,” Crecelius says.

He adds, he’s been told getting levee systems to pre-flood conditions could take two to three years. Mills County spokeswoman Sheri Bowen says the continued flooding has had people digging deep into their pockets — and savings accounts — to pay the mortgage on their damaged homes and to also rent temporary places. “At this point, as folks are getting settlements from FEMA on their properties, they’re finding that ongoing rent support is just no longer an option for many households,” Bowen says. “So financially it is a huge, huge strain for people.”

Bowen says some people are living in campers, which won’t work in the fall and winter when cold weather arrives. FEMA has provided Mills County with eight mobile home units so far.

(Thanks to Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report several arrests were made over the past few days. At around 11:40-p.m. Sunday, 35-year old Brandie Lynn Davis, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on felony charges of Child Endangerment/abandonment resulting in bodily injury and Child Endangerment/abandonment resulting in Serious Injury. Additional details were not disclosed. Sunday afternoon, 18-year old Kevin Javier Casul Roman was arrested following a traffic stop for speeding, in Treynor. Casul Roman was placed under arrest for Possession of a controlled substance – marijuana/1st offense, and Operating While Intoxicated/1st offense. And, at around 12:30-a.m. Sunday, 74-year old James Stanley Kwiatkowski was arrested near Griswold for OWI/1st offense, following a single-vehicle accident near 500th and Cottonwood Road.

Late Saturday night, 56-year old Kevin Brian Adams was arrested by a Pott. County Sheriff’s Deputy, following a traffic stop near 420th and Highway 92. Adams was arrested at around 11:50-p.m. for Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree. At around 10:45-p.m. Saturday, 38-year old Timothy Lynn Albertus was arrested for Public Intoxication. His arrest followed a report that man at a Harrah’s Casino concert had been escorted from the premises due to his allegedly disruptive and harassing behavior. While at the front gate to the property, Albertus allegedly became verbally uncooperative with Deputy Mark Freeman and Avoca Police Officer Mike Porter.

61-year old Daniel Bruce Liston was arrested at around 8:20-p.m., Saturday, following a traffic stop in Council Bluffs. Liston was charged with Driving While License Suspended or Revoked. Saturday morning, a Pott. County Deputy arrested 30-year old Anthony Russell Schierbrock, for OWI/2nd offense, following a traffic stop in Avoca for having no license plates. Authorities said also, a 16-year old male was arrested in Carson for Burglary in the 3rd Degree and Criminal mischief in the 5th Degree. And, a traffic stop near Treynor Saturday morning, resulted in the arrest of 32-year old Belinda Marie Baer, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

At around 2:20-a.m. Saturday, 48-year old Laffette Tarae Battle was arrested for OWI/1st offense, following an investigation into a property damage accident in the 28,000 block of Old Lincoln Highway near Honey Creek. Friday afternoon, 25-year old Miriam Carolina Herrera was arrested at the Menards Distribution Center in Shelby. She was taken into custody for Assault with intent to inflict serious injury (with regard to a 30-year old female), and Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree. Friday evening, 25-year old Sheyenne Linn Eilers was arrested in Council Bluffs, following an alleged shoplifting incident at a grocery store. Eilers was charged with Theft in the 5th Degree/Shoplifting.

And, early Friday afternoon, 30-year old Chad Alan Johnson, of Sioux City, was arrested on a warrant for Theft in the 4th Degree. His bond was set at $1,000.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A Dubuque woman accused of stealing from her elderly mother has pleaded guilty. The Telegraph Herald reports that 55-year-old Susan Shea pleaded guilty to felony abuse of a dependent adult. Her sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 16.

Court documents say Susan Shea had been the caretaker for her mother when authorities began investigating reports of elder abuse. One document says investigators estimate that around $140,000 or more had been taken from Shea’s mother from December 2016 through January 2018.