(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston report a woman was arrested at her home Wednesday morning. 51-year-old Crystal Alaine Conley, of Creston, was charged with Attempted Burglary in the 3rd Degree. She was taken to Union County Jail and posted bond.

Wednesday night, 18-year-old Rowan Davis Pope, of Creston, was arrested at a residence in the 900 block of N. Division Street. He was charged with Violation of Probation.  Pope was being held without bond in the Union County Jail, until seen by a Judge.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans heard dire warnings last month about the possibility of rainbow fentanyl showing up in kids’ trick-or-treat bags, but Emily Murray, spokeswoman for the regional U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency office in Omaha, says they had no reports of the drug appearing anywhere in the five-state area. “DEA agents have yet to see or seize rainbow fentanyl, I think that’s important to know,” Murray says. “We’re not naive enough to think that it’s not out there but DEA agents have not seized it. State and locals were reaching out, working with them to kind of see what they’re seeing, but Halloween has come and gone and we have not seen the rainbow fentanyl.”

Murray says the rainbow fentanyl comes in a wide array of colors and is the same, dangerous drug as regular fentanyl. “The fake pills that you’re seeing that are blue and made to look like oxycodone or Xanax or Adderall, any of those prescription medications, now it’s just that they’re coming across in rainbow colors,” Murray says. “They might be targeting a younger audience with that, but it’s also a marketing ploy, too, when you’ve got something that looks a little bit different. It’s new. It’s exciting because it’s a bright color.” Iowans need to know, Murray says, that while fentanyl can be a killer, so can many other pharmaceuticals.

“The only prescription medication that they should be taking is the one that’s prescribed specifically for them,” she says. “We don’t want anyone to take a legitimate prescription medication that’s not coming from their doctor and filled at a pharmacy. Always be cautious. It’s the same messaging that we tell students or tell kids you know, don’t take something when you don’t know where it’s coming from.” A state report says 258 Iowans died of opioid overdoses last year. Murray says meth is still the number-one illegal drug being seized in the region.

(Radio Iowa) – Sioux City officials are breaking ground on what will be a new flight school serving as Morningside University’s training center for pilots and other aviation professionals. Assistant City Manager Mike Collett sees the program as a major opportunity for economic growth in the community.

“One of the first questions asked of our economic development department when they have a lead is, ‘Do you have an airport?’ and a lot of these businesses have to be supported with air facilities that we offer,” Collett says. “The fact that we’re now able to train pilots and mechanics, both combined, is a big deal.” Morningside is partnering with Omaha-based Oracle Aviation to launch the flight school. The new department will include a professional flight program for aspiring pilots and aviation management for those interested in airline operations.

Morningside University President Albert Mosley says these curriculums will help students find jobs in a growing industry.  “Nationally, the need for pilots and aviation management professionals is at a historic high,” Mosley says. “That is also true here in Siouxland, we all know that firsthand.” The school is projected to begin accepting students as early as next fall. Morningside officials hope it can help curb pilot shortages felt in Sioux City and around the nation.

Earlier this year, Sioux City Gateway Airport’s commercial carrier pared down its flight schedule due to a pilot shortage. City and community partners estimate the new facility’s construction will require a ten-point-seven million dollar investment.

(reporting by Kendall Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)