(Glenwood) – The State Fire Marshal’s Office has determined spontaneous combustion of oily rags in the shop area, was the cause of a blaze early Thursday morning at Best Finish Auto Sales and Service, in Glenwood.

The fire that broke out at around 3-a.m. Thursday, caused damage to the structure, about a half-dozen vehicles inside the shop, as well as shop equipment, such as tire changing machines.

A dollar amount of the damage was not immediately available. Glenwood Fire received mutual aid from the Council Bluffs, Red Oak, Silver City, Oak Township and Malvern Fire Departments in fighting the flames.

(Cedar Rapids/ISP District 11) – A driver on Interstate 80 near West Branch was pulled over after passing an officer at more than 100 mph with a child, not wearing a seatbelt, in the backseat. The Iowa State Patrol shared an image on Facebook on Thursday, calling the incident “shocking and concerning.” The patrol trooper was driving down I-80 near West Branch in a fully marked patrol car when the driver passed him going 102 mph, according to the post.

“What makes this situation truly alarming?!? The presence of a small child in the backseat, completely UNBELTED! It’s hard to fathom the gravity of this situation,” the post says.

The Iowa State Patrol said the driver was stopped safely and no one was injured.

February 16, 2024 (DES MOINES, IA) – The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board has approved awards for two companies, which will assist in the creation of 76 jobs and result in nearly $200 million in new capital investment for the state. The projects are located in Fort Dodge and Shell Rock.

Pet food producer to expand Fort Dodge facility 
Nestle Purina PetCare Company is a subsidiary of Nestle S.A. and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Purina manufactures pet care products, including pet food, snacks and cat litter products. The company plans to construct an 80,000-square-foot expansion to their facility in Fort Dodge with the purchase of machinery and equipment to install a new product line. The project represents a $175 million capital investment and is expected to create 50 incented jobs at a qualifying wage of $21.74 per hour. The board, Friday (today) awarded the company tax benefits through the High Quality Jobs (HQJ) program.

Feldmeier Equipment to construct new Shell Rock facility
Feldmeier Equipment manufactures stainless steel tanks and pressure vessels and provides custom fabrication services. The company plans to build a new 130,000-square-foot facility to bring additional manufacturing capabilities, which will move product lines from the New York location to Shell Rock. The project represents a capital investment of nearly $23 million and was awarded tax benefits through the HQJ program. It is expected to create and retain 26 jobs, of which 25 are incented at a qualifying wage of $26.64 per hour.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill creating standards for arming school employees has made it past a legislative deadline this week. The bill would establish a state permit for school staff who volunteer to carry weapons in school buildings. They would have to pass an annual background check and go through training. Representative Phil Thompson, a Republican from Boone, is chairman of the House Public Safety Committee. Thompson says the bill is a response to events like the deadly school shooting in Perry last month.

“Response time in a desperate situation like this really is everything,” Thompson says, “and so we need to give districts and staff the tools they need to protect our children and protect themselves.” The bill grants qualified immunity to school districts that allow staff to carry guns. That’s a response to insurance companies that threatened to drop coverage for districts that tried to do it in the past. Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, a Democrat from Ames, says having guns in schools is a risk.

“Putting more children in the line of fire is frightening,” Wessel-Kroeschell said. The bill originally said the state’s 11 largest school districts had to have at least one school resource officer or private security guard in every high school, but the committee changed the bill to let school boards to opt-out of that requirement.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) — A west central Iowa woman was given a deferred judgment in Pottawattamie County District Court, Thursday, following her plea of guilty in an embezzlement case. According to the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office, 55-year-old Staci Lee Ploen, of Dexter, agreed to plead guilty to charges of 1st degree theft – a Class C Felony – and tampering with records – an aggravated misdemeanor. Charges of Ongoing Criminal Conduct, Money Laundering, Fraudulent Practices and Forgery, were dismissed by the Court, in December. Ploen was facing up to 10-years in prison. Instead, she was placed on formal supervised probation for a period of two-years, and 30-days in jail on the tampering charge. Ploen must also pay $100,000 at sentencing.

Ploen – a former Pott. County resident and bookkeeper at Avoca Repair and Towing, was charged in connection with an investigation that began in August, 2021, when the owners of the business discovered information leading to a suspicion that Ploen embezzled from their business.

An investigation determined the activity spanned several years, and resulted in the loss of several hundred thousand dollars. Authorities then obtained a warrant to seize financial records and funds, pending the outcome of the case. A review of information gathered and an interview led to Ploen’s arrest.

More than $200,000 in seized funds were turned over to the victimized business.

(Creston, Iowa) –  Officials with the Creston Police Department report two people were arrested on separate charges, Thursday. Just before 7-a.m., Thursday, 38-year-old Manuel Luke Richardson, of Creston, was arrested for: Public Intoxication; Burglary 1st Degree; Domestic Abuse Assault 3rd or Subsequent Offense; Going Armed with Intent; Obstruction of Emergency Communications, and Harassment 1st Degree. Richardson was being held in the Union County Jail on a $37,000 cash or approved surety bond.

And, at around 9:15-p.m., Thursday, 46-year-old William Peter Fargo, of Creston, was arrested at his home, for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st Offense. Fargo was taken to Union County Jail and held without bond until seen by a Judge.