A woman from Texas was transported by Medic 1 Ambulance to the Greater Regional Hospital’s E-R room in Creston, following a collision that occurred at around 3:34-p.m., Wednesday. The extent of her injuries was not disclosed.

Creston Police report a 2012 KIA Sportage driven by 20-year-old Laura L. Ramirez, of Alamo, TX., was traveling north on Maple Street, and a 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo driven by 27-year-old Joshua R. Wills, of Creston, was traveling west on Clark Street. The KIA had the right-of-way.

Police said Wills told them he didn’t see the car, due to a truck parked on the west side of Maple Street, close to the intersection. Ramirez her vision of the intersection was obstructed by the parked truck. The Monte Carlo struck the KIA in the middle of the intersection. No citations were issued. Damage to both vehicles was estimated at $1,000, each.

Police in Creston arrested a man Wednesday night, on an out-of-county warrant. Authorities say 38-year-old Joseph John Leatherby, of Creston, was arrested at a residence in the 300 block of N. Pine Street at around 8:26-p.m.  He was wanted on a Dallas County warrant for Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree. Leatherby was held in the Union County Jail, until being picked up by West Des Moines Police, and transported back to Dallas County.

(Updated 3/24/22) – Police in Red Oak, Wednesday evening (March 23rd), arrested a man for OWI/1st offense, following an investigation into a property damage accident. Authorities said the incident occurred at around 7:45-p.m. in the 400 block of East Reed Street, at Fountain Square Park. The driver of the suspect vehicle, identified as 67-year-old Randal Joe Barr, of Red Oak, was located at the intersection of 2nd and Prospect Street, along with a 2003 Ford Ranger pickup.

The pickup sustained an estimated $6,000 damage. Barr was checked for injuries by Red Oak Rescue personnel, but was not to have been injured. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, and held on $1,000 bond.

The City of Red Oak sustained an estimated $5,000 in damages to multiple city-owned objects at Fountain Square Park, and, a Chevy Malibu, registered to Russell Skellenger, of Red Oak, was broad-sided, sustaining about $1,000 in damage during the incident. The car was parked in the 700 block of N. 2nd Street, when it was struck.

(Marne, Iowa) – Rescue crews from the Marne Fire Department and Cass EMS in Atlantic were dispatched to a two-vehicle, personal injury accident this (Thursday) morning. The incident, which occurred on I-80 eastbound near the 52.5 mile marker, was reported at around 6:27-a.m.  An injured elderly female was said to be in one of vehicles, that was in a ditch. Additional details are currently not available.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa S-E-I-U 199 union representing healthcare workers has merged with a similar union in Minnesota to form a new 50-thousand member organization called S-E-I-U Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa. Iowa union member Dawn Shannahan is a teacher at the University of Iowa Hospitals and says both unions face many of the same battles. “Having a larger voice, joining with Minnesota, is going to help us so much,” she says. Shannahan says they can now share resources.

“That means that we can collaborate even more and it allows us to have even more power. And more power is going to allow us to fight and win — not only for our workers here at the hospital — but workers across the state of Iowa,” Shannahan says. Barbera Stanerson was the president of the Iowa union and now becomes of vice president of the newly merged organization. “What I feel is the most important thing we were going to get out of this merger is that it is reassuring workers in Iowa that we are not alone in this fight,” according to Stannerson.

Barbera Stanerson w/SEIU

Stannerson says she also believes the merger will go beyond current members to help others. “Who also have been struggling with Iowa’s anti-labor laws,” Stannerson says. “Our goal is to build a strong union so our members’ safety and economic security are no longer ignored. The playing field will become more level — because when we do better — everybody does better.”

Mayo, HealthPartners, and Mercy One have facilities in both Minnesota and Iowa. Iowa S-E-I-U 199 had five-thousand members before merging with Minnesota S-E-I-U — which has 45-thousand members.