The Atlantic Police Department reports an Audubon County man was arrested Wednesday on drug and other charges. 55-year old Philip Gross, of Hamlin, faces charges that include: Possession of a Controlled Substance/methamphetamine – 3rd offense; Possession of Contraband in a Correctional Facility; Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – 3rd offense, and OWI. Gross was booked into the Cass County Jail.

And, an Atlantic man was arrested Wednesday for OWI/2nd offense. 52-year old Tim Planck was also being held in the Cass County Jail.

As the Fourth of July approaches, local and national authorities are hoping to convince persons who plan on having a private fireworks display, and those who purchase fireworks outside of Iowa (which is illegal), to leave those types of displays to the professional. Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees said fireworks are illegal to possess and shoot within Atlantic city limits at all times.

He said also, “As President of the IFA [Iowa Firefighters Association], we helped lead the charge of fire and emergency response agencies in defeating another attempt to expand Iowa’s fireworks laws this past legislative session.” McNees said ” We are concerned with public safety and the vast majority of serious life altering injuries occur to children. Omaha had an incident a couple of days ago where a guy burned his hands and lost at least one finger.”

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says there’s no safe way to use consumer fireworks. According to NFPA, coordinator of the Alliance to Stop Consumer Fireworks, U.S. fire departments responded to an annual average of 18,500 fires caused by fireworks between 2009 and 2013. These fires included 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires, 16,900 outside and other fires, and killed two people per year

Last year, two NFL players made headlines by losing fingers in accidents involving fireworks. The two separate high-profile incidents raised awareness about the dangers of consumer fireworks.

Almost half (47 percent) of the fires reported on Independence Day in the U.S. during this period were started by fireworks, more than any other cause of fire. However, the vast majority of fireworks injuries occur without a fire starting. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), more than half of fireworks injuries each year are to extremities – hand or finger (36 percent), legs (14 percent), and arms (5 percent). Most of the remaining injuries were to parts of the head (38 percent), including the eye (16 percent of total).

Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of Outreach and Advocacy says “Each year, thousands of people are injured from using consumer fireworks and some of those injuries are extremely serious. Even sparklers, which are often thought of as harmless enough for children to hold, burn at 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit and can cause significant injuries.”

The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 2014 Fireworks Annual Report shows fireworks were involved in an estimated 10,500 injuries that were treated in hospital emergency departments across the United States in 2014. The report indicated that 67 percent of these incidents occurred from June 20-July 20, 2014. That year, there were also 11 non-occupational fireworks-related deaths in the U.S., several of which involved people who were not using fireworks but were trapped in house fires that were caused by them.

Thirty-five percent of people injured by fireworks were under the age of 15, with children between the ages of five and nine requiring the highest level of emergency treatment. Seventy-four percent of the victims that sustained fireworks-related injuries were males, while 26 percent were females.

So how can you celebrate the holiday safely? Attend public fireworks displays put on by trained professionals. Carli says “Knowing the harm fireworks inflict each year, particularly on young people, we urge everyone to leave fireworks to the professionals who are trained to safely put on spectacular displays. It is by far the safest way to enjoy them.”

NFPA offers a wealth of information on fireworks safety, including videos and tip sheets that demonstrate just how dangerous consumer fireworks can be. More fireworks statistics can be found in NFPA’s 2016 Fireworks Report.

Iowa Republican U.S. Senators Joni Ernst and Charles Grassley, along with Nebraska Republican Senators Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse, have introduced “Sarah’s Law,” legislation to honor Sarah Root, an Iowan who was killed earlier this year by a drunk driver in the country illegally. Sarah’s Law would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to take custody of an individual who is in the country illegally and is charged with a crime resulting in the death or serious bodily injury of another person. (A pdf of the bill can be found here: http://www.ernst.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/8846bada-c343-4e14-996d-8e5e7c2c8769/6F049B3393E40AA2A666B915E9A4A6FF.sarah-s-law.pdf )

On the night of her graduation, a vehicle driven by 21-year old Sarah Root, from Council Bluffs, was hit in Omaha by Eswin Mejia, who entered the country illegally and was driving drunk – three times over the legal limit – and drag racing. Root died from injuries she suffered in the crash. Following state criminal charges of motor vehicle homicide and outreach by local law enforcement, ICE declined to use its discretion to issue a detainer requesting that local authorities hold the individual until it could take custody. Mejia subsequently posted bond and has since disappeared. Nearly five months later, Mejia still remains at-large.

The Senators say Sarah’s Law would amend the mandatory detention provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act to require the federal government to take custody of anyone who entered the country illegally, violated the terms of their immigration status, or had their visa revoked and is thereafter charged with a crime resulting in the death or serious bodily injury of another person. The legislation also requires ICE to make reasonable efforts to identify and provide relevant information to the crime victims or their families.

Joint-Efforts by the Iowa and Nebraska Senators to Obtain Justice for Sarah Root:

· On March 25, 2016 the Iowa and Nebraska Senators demanded answers from ICE Assistant Secretary Sarah Saldana on why the agency did not detain Edwin Mejia after he killed Sarah Root in a drunk driving incident.

· On April 27, 2016 the Iowa and Nebraska Senators sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell demanding to know who was monitoring Edwin Mejia as he entered the country illegally as an unaccompanied minor.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld the state’s longstanding policy of barring felons from voting unless their rights are restored by the governor. The court ruled Thursday that felonies result in disenfranchisement under the Iowa Constitution, which bars voting by those convicted of “infamous crimes.”

The American Civil Liberties Union argued that only a small number of crimes that are an “affront to democratic governance” triggered the loss of voting rights. The ACLU had hoped to use the case to restore thousands of former offenders to election rolls and to erase Iowa’s status as one of the harshest toward felons’ voting rights.

Iowa, Florida and Kentucky are the only states with lifetime voting bans for felons unless their rights are restored by the governor.

Creston Police are investigating a couple of recent incidents of Theft. Officials say a woman residing in the 700 block of S. Poplar Street in Creston, reported Wednesday that someone had taken a wheel and tire from her vehicle, while it was parked outside of her home. The incident, which is believed to have occurred at around 7:30-a.m. Wednesday, resulted in an estimated $350 loss.

And, early this (Thursday) morning, a man residing in the 300 block of W. Montgomery Street in Creston, reported someone stole the front door from his apartment. The incident occurred sometime between 2:30-p.m. Wednesday and 2-a.m. today (Thursday). The loss was estimated at $50.

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

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The 7:06-a.m. report with KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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A committee in Montgomery County tasked with filling a vacancy on the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors in District 2, has selected Mike Olsen to succeed Joshua Wiig. Wiig resigned from his Board seat on May 31st. The committee took action on his replacement Wednesday evening.

Mike Olson will serve as District 2 Supervisor until the results of the November 8, 2016, General Election are certified. However, Iowa Code states citizens of Montgomery County District 2, may request a special election to fill the vacancy by filing a petition with the Montgomery County Auditor containing 77 signatures of eligible electors within 14 days after the appointment is made.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports two Nebraska residents were arrested Wednesday, following an investigation into a disturbance in Hamburg. Sheriff Kevin Aistrope says deputies were called to the disturbance that occurred between the 1500 and 160 block of Washington Street, after which 18-year old Kassie Neeman, of Nebraska City, NE., was arrested for Trespassing. Neeman was being held in the Fremont County Jail on $300 bond.

Brandon Leckenby

Kassie Neeman

While at the scene of the disturbance, another investigation began that resulted in the arrest of 26-year old Brandon Leckenby, of Nebraska City. He faces charges that include Possession of numerous pieces of drug paraphernalia (Meth & marijuana), carrying weapons, and on a valid arrest warrant out of Boone County. The Fremont County K9 Unit and Iowa State Patrol assisted at the scene. Leckenby was being held in the Fremont County Jail on $2,300 bond while awaiting transfer to Boone County.

Jacob Hills

And, early this (Thursday) morning, 23-year old Jacob Hills, of Hamburg, was arrested in the parking lot of the Casey’s General Store in Hamburg, after Hills was found laying next to a car in front of the store. Hills was arrested for Public Intoxication and was being held in the Fremont County Jail on $300 bond.

(Updated) — Heavy rain falling over parts of northwest and western Iowa overnight into early this (Thursday) morning, prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood warning for Woodbury County. That warning has since expired. The service said early today (Thursday), that up to 3 inches of rain already had fallen and that thunderstorms in the area were expected to drop heavy rain.

Severe thunderstorms moved through much of western Iowa Wednesday evening, spawning at least one confirmed tornado. The service says the twister touched down near Persia, in Harrison County. Another tornado was observed not far from the Tri-Center High School, in Neola. No structural damage or injuries have been reported, however, hail ranging in size from nickels to quarters, and strong, straight-line winds flattened some corn and soybean field north of Neola, where they received more than an inch of rain.

And, hail up to the size of golf balls was reported three miles southwest of Underwood.