(Radio Iowa) – It took extra effort to trigger the emergency sirens that warned residents in three northern Iowa towns when a storm system rolled through that produced a tornado that hit nearby Kanawha, earlier this month. Testing in March revealed the sirens in Britt, Crystal Lake and Garner couldn’t be started remotely — and replacement parts hadn’t arrived. Garner Fire Chief Jim Thiele says it meant in the midst of gusty winds and incoming hail and rain and lightning, fire fighters had to get to the boxes on three poles in Garner to turn on the sirens.

“We just assigned fire fighters to do that, groups of two,” he says, “because it took a step ladder to get to them.” The warning sirens — and the ferocity of the storm — prompted about 20 people to take shelter in the Garner City Hall. John Swenson, the chief of the fire department in Britt, faced the same issue with storm sirens that had to be manually triggered.

“We had two different groups of people that went two different ways and opened up the compartments and pushed the buttons,” Swenson says. Swenson’s team didn’t use a ladder, though. The fire chief backed his truck up to the siren pole — so it could be used as the platform to get to the trigger box.

The new remote starters for the sirens in Britt, Garner and Crystal Lake arrived after the storm and have been installed for the next time there’s reason to sound the alarm that a storm is approaching. According to the National Weather Service, the tornado that hit Kanawha on April 12th was on the ground for a mile.

(Sidney, Iowa) – The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is reporting the possible scam that may affect Great Western Bank accounts. On April 28, 2022, the sheriff’s office received a call that someone was using a fake Great Western Bank Account Notice, that has a “Click Here” link that leads you to a screen to gather your information.

If you receive any messages call your local branch directly if you have any concerns that your account has been compromised.

(Creston, Iowa) – A single-vehicle, rollover accident occurred in Union County, Wednesday morning. The Sheriff’s Office reports 20-year-old Jazmine Kimberly Louise Stoe, of Creston, was driving a 2007 Ford Escape SUV eastbound on 140th Street at around 9:10-a.m. She admitted to authorities that she was driving too fast. The SUV went out of control as it was rounding a curve, and struck a guardrail for the bridge that crosses the Green Valley Lake Spillway.

The SUV rolled over and dropped 20-feet into the bottom of the spillway. Stoe complained of ankle pain and was transported by private vehicle to the hospital in Creston. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $10,000, and the Union County Secondary Roads Dept. Guardrail sustained $2,000 damage. The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Creston Fire Dept., Union County Emergency Management, Iowa DNR, and two wrecker services.

(Creston, Iowa) – The driver of a 2009 Dodge RAM pickup was transported to the hospital in Creston, following a single-vehicle accident Tuesday afternoon. The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports 19-year-old Leviticus Charles Exline, of Afton, was traveling on REA Road at around 1:30-p.m. Tuesday, when he pickup he was driving failed to negotiate a curve in the road. The vehicle went straight off the road and airborne, before crashing into an embankment. The pickup traveling about 225-feet before coming to rest in a field.

Exline suffered from an injury to his nose. He was not wearing a seat belt. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $7,000.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest at around 1-a.m. today (Thursday), of 69-year-old Timothy Lee Pomerenke, from Randolph (IA). He was arrested at 195th/Hanna Ave. for OWI/3rd offense. Pomerenke was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $5,000 bond. And, on Tuesday, at around 2:20-p.m., 26-year-old Jayme Ilene Rowe (No address) was arrested on a warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree, and charges that include: Burglary in the 3rd Degree; Burglary in the 1st Degree, and Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree. Bond was set at $12,000.

Sheriff’s officials said also, 21-year-old Tylar Brammer, of Malvern, was injured during a collision that occurred at around 8:25-p.m. Wednesday, on the I-29 on-ramp northbound to Highway 34. Brammer was transported by Pacific Junction Rescue to Jenny Edmundson Hospital, in Council Bluffs. She was injured when her 2018 Jeep struck a 2006 Mercury, driven by 67-year-old Rhonda Boen, of Phoenix, AZ.

The collision happened as the Mercury was traveling northbound on the off-ramp from I-29 at the 35 mile marker at the intersection f I-29 and Highway 34. Brammer was traveling eastbound in the left lane of Highway 34, when Boen pulled out in front of her. Boen told authorities she was attempting to cross the highway to turn left to go to the gas station, and didn’t see the oncoming Jeep. She said she heard a horn honking just before her vehicle was hit.

Brammer said when Boen pulled out in front of her, she tried to avoid the collision and honked her horn.

Two men from Council Bluffs were arrested on separate warrants, Wednesday. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports 29-year-old Lucas Aaron Sales turned-himself in to the Sheriff’s Office. He was wanted on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Sales was transported to the Pott. County Jail, and posted a $5,000 cash bail. And, 28-year-old Damion James Sadler was arrested on a Pottawattamie as well as Page County warrants. Sadler was being held without bond in the Pott. County Jail.