PAWNEE, Okla. (AP) – Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has declared a state of emergency in Pawnee County after a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck northwest of Pawnee.
The earthquake struck at 7:02 a.m. Saturday and was felt throughout the Midwestern United States, including here in Atlantic. No severe damage or serious injuries were reported. The quake ties a 2011 earthquake for the strongest earthquake in recorded state history.

Fallin’s order allows state agencies to make emergency purchases for disaster relief and is the first step toward asking for federal assistance, if necessary. Fallin said in a statement that information is still being gathered and will be reviewed by her coordinating council on seismic activity.

The state of emergency lasts for 30 days and additional counties may be added.

Police in Red Oak, Saturday evening, arrested a woman who has a long history of arrests. 46-year old Shelby JoAnn Olivares, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 8:30-p.m., on a charge of Domestic Abuse/Simple Assault. She was arrested in the 200 block of 2nd Street, in Red Oak, and brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where Olivares was being held without bond.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a traffic stop early this (Sunday) morning just north of Villisca, resulted in a drug-related arrest. 27-year old Zachary Allan Colebank, of Hopkins, MO., was pulled over at around 1:05-a.m. and subsequently charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana. Colebank was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond. The Montgomery County K9 Unit assisted in conducting the arrest.

And, at around 12:30-p.m. Saturday, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 41-year old Justin Woods, of Stanton, on a valid Montgomery County warrant for Probation Violation. Woods was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 cash bond.

Two people, a man and a woman, died in separate accidents Saturday, in eastern Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol reports just after 10-p.m., 22-year old Johnathon Cooper, of Sperry, died in Des Moines County, when the 2006 Yamaha motorcycle he was riding southbound crossed the centerline in the 1200 block of Madison Avenue, and was struck by a northbound 2003 Chevy Trailblazer, driven by 50-year old Raeburn Schuyler, of Dearborn, MI. Cooper died at the scene. The accident remained under investigation.

And, at around 12:30-a.m. Saturday, 22-year old Elizabeth Lenton, of Kalona died, when the ATV she was a passenger on, went out of control for reasons unknown, and rolled over. Lenton, and the driver of the machine, 28-year old Alex Merritt, of Iowa City, were ejected during the accident. Merritt was transported to the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, by Washington County Ambulance. The crash remains under investigation, and charges are pending.

A traffic stop Saturday in Fremont County resulted in a 25-mile long pursuit that ended with the arrest of a man and woman from Nebraska. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports a Fremont County K9 unit attempted to stop a sedan driven by Jerry Coleman, of Omaha, near the Iowa/Missouri border on Interstate 29.

Coleman proceeded to elude the deputy at speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Troopers with the Iowa State Patrol and Deputies with the Mills County Sheriff’s Office joined in the chase. Authorities were able to lay down “stop sticks” near the Bartlett exit of I-29 (mile-marker 24), and disable the vehicle. Coleman, and his passenger, Tiffany Roddy, also of Omaha, were placed under arrest.

Jerry Coleman

Coleman faces charges that include felony Eluding and drug possession, along with numerous traffic offenses. Roddy was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Both were transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center and held on bond.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said also, that at around 11:45-p.m., Saturday, a deputy stopped a St. Joseph, Missouri man. Upon further investigation, Jospeh Tong Dut was placed under arrest for felony OWI/6th offense, and Driving While Revoked for OWI. He was brought to the jail and held on a $6,000 cash bond.

Joseph Dut

A traffic stop in Red Oak Saturday afternoon resulted in the arrest of 28-year old Erik Gomez Gonzalez, of Red Oak. Red Oak Police say Gonzales’ SUV  was pulled over for an equipment violation. A records check indicated he had a revoked Nebraska driver’s license. Gonzalez was taken into custody at around 2:30-p.m. for Driving While Revoked, and was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A new trial has been set for a former western Iowa youth softball coach previously found guilty of sex abuse. The Daily Nonpareil reports  49-year-old John Osborn again faces trial on Nov. 15 on counts accusing him of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl.

Osborn was convicted of four counts in the spring of 2015 and faced up to 40 years in prison. But the judge ordered a new trial when new evidence surfaced before Osborn could be sentenced. The new trial has been delayed as prosecutors appealed. On Tuesday, the Iowa Court of Appeals upheld the judge’s order granting a new trial.

Council Bluffs police say Osborn and the girl engaged in sex acts when the girl stayed at Osborn’s house for a sleepover with his daughter.

A Pawnee, OK., business owner says the 5.6 magnitude earthquake shook his house “like a rubber band” and knocked items off cabinets and broke glass. Furniture store owner Lee Wills told The Associated Press he was awake when the quake struck at 7:02 a.m. Saturday and first thought it was a thunderstorm. But then his home, which is about 2½ miles outside of town, started shaking. Wills said buildings in the downtown area are cracked and sandstone facing on some buildings fell and described the scene as “a mess.” The quake was felt as far away as Nebraska and Iowa.

The Pawnee County emergency management director says no injuries have been reported and no buildings have collapsed following a magnitude 5.6 earthquake that ties a 2011 temblor for the strongest in Oklahoma history. Mark Randell said the Saturday morning quake did cause cracks and damages to city buildings, some of which date to the early 1900s.

The U.S. Geological Survey reports the quake struck at 7:02 a.m. about nine miles northwest of Pawnee, a town of about 2,200 about 70 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. The U.S.G.S. also reports a 3.6 magnitude aftershock in the same area at 7:58 a.m.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The area’s top news at 7:05-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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