(Radio Iowa) – The head of the Food Bank of Iowa says donations from grocery stores and other retailers have decreased and, in the first nine months of the year, her organization’s budget for BUYING food soared 650 percent. Michelle Book is president and C-E-O of the Food Bank of Iowa. “As we go out to procure food, we’re seeing increased prices, a lack of what we need in the marketplace, but then also we have to contract for people to get it to us,” Book says, “so freight costs have also risen extraordinarily.”

The Food Bank of Iowa is BUYING more food because the major food retailers and food processors that typically donate food are donating less because their inventory is down. “People have gotten more comfortable with shelves being cleaned off at the end of the day, there’s just less food to rescue to get back into our food pantry network.” A retired Arizona businessman who volunteered at a soup kitchen came up with the food bank concept after a homeless woman told him she found edible food in the garbage behind a grocery store, but had nowhere to store it. Book says the concept is called food rescue.

“Keeping food out of landfills, working with food retailers to take that food that’s not sellable, but edible and putting it back into the system and so we so that via our smaller, frontline partners — our food pantries,” Book says. The Food Bank of Iowa supplies food pantries in 55 Iowa counties. Book made her comments during a recent appearance on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.

(Bloomfield, Iowa) – Davis County Attorney Rick L. Lynch, Tuesday, issued a statement concerning an officer involved shooting that occurred near Blakesburg on December 7, 2022.  35-year-old Charles Hall led officers on a high-speed chase through several counties on Dec. 7. Officers finally stopped Hall near Blakesburg. They say he got out of his car with a weapon and was shot by Iowa State Patrol Trooper Jeremy Cole. Hall was released from a Des Moines hospital, Tuesday, and charged with Attempted Murder.

Attorney Lynch says his investigation determined that “The use of force by Trooper Cole in shooting Charles Hall, was “Objectively reasonable under the circumstances in order to protect his own life, and therefore, legally justified under Iowa law. Consequently, no charges against Trooper Cole are warranted by the evidence, and none will be filed.”

(Stuart, Iowa) – A collision in Stuart Tuesday evening resulted in one person injured and the roadway blocked for at least a couple of hours.

The Iowa State Patrol reports a 1992 Dodge pickup driven by 74-year-old Jimmie Lee Easley, of Earlham, was traveling east on Front Street in Stuart at around 7:30-p.m. A 2004 Chrysler Sebring was disabled on the south shoulder of Front Street, facing east, just west of Adair Street, and a 2019 Chevy Equinox was parked on the south shoulder of Front Street, facing west, assisting with the disabled vehicle.

The Patrol says 44-year-old Shane Martin Wells, of Stuart, was between the Sebring and Equinox, when Easley’s pickup struck the rear of the Chrysler, when then hit the front of the SUV. Wells suffered serious injuries and was transported by LifeFlight helicopter to Mercy Hospital, in Des Moines.

Stuart Police assisted at the scene.

(Sidney, Iowa) – Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports that on Dec. 8th, the Tabor Police Department received a report of a stolen vehicle from a residence in Tabor. Deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and Mills County Sheriff’s Office made contact with the suspect, 40-year-old Jeffrey Dale Hankins, of Malvern, at a residence in Mills County. Authorities allege Hankins, who was on probation, fled from deputies on foot, resulting in two Fremont County deputies suffering from minor injuries. A warrant was issued in that case.

On Dec. 14th, Hankins allegedly made a false report to 911, resulting in additional warrants being issued.

Ronnie Hankins

Jeffrey Dale Hankins

At around 9:10-p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20, deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office made a traffic stop near the intersection of Elm Street and Main Street in Tabor. Jeffrey Hankins s fled from the vehicle and after a short foot pursuit was apprehended by deputies.

The driver of the vehicle, 66-year-old Ronnie Hankins, of Tabor, was arrested for: Accessory After the Fact, an Aggravated Misdemeanor, and Possession of Methamphetamine, a Serious Misdemeanor. His cash or surety bond was set at $3,000.

Jeffrey Dale Hankins was being held in the Fremont County Jail on charges that include: Interference with Official Acts, a Simple Misdemeanor; False Reporting, a Serious Misdemeanor; Harassment 3^rd Degree, a Simple Misdemeanor; Theft 2^nd Degree, a Class D Felony, and Violation of Probation. Additional charges are pending. Bond was set at $11,300.