The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports 27-year old Caleb Benjamin Frederickson, of Lorimor, was arrested Tuesday evening at his home. Frederickson was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for a Controlled Substance Violation. He was being held at the jail in Creston, on $50,000 bond.

A man and a woman from Creston were arrested on drug charges, Tuesday. Creston Police report 22-year old Jami Michael and 26-year old Benjamin Rafter were taken into custody just before 9-p.m. Tuesday, on charges that include Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Michael was being held in the Ringgold County Jail, while Rafter was held in the Union County Jail. Their bonds were set at $1,000 each.

And, early this (Wednesday) morning, 57-year old Martin D. Kelly was arrested at 302 N. Pine Street in Creston, for Possession of Meth with the Intent to sell or manufacture under 5 grams. His bond was set at $50,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court has decided to let an attorney who took more than $99,000 from a client resume practicing law. The Des Moines Register reports the justices ruled unanimously to reinstate Michael Reilly’s law license. The court ruling released Friday said Reilly had worked hard to overcome a gambling addiction that led to the theft. Several western Iowa lawyers had written letters vouching for his character.

Reilly lost his license in 2006, after authorities learned that Reilly had taken settlement money given a family he’d represented in a lawsuit over an injury to a young boy. Before he can practice law again, Reilly will have to finish 30 hours of continuing legal education and pass an ethics exam.

A teenager was injured during a single-vehicle accident Tuesday morning, in Cass County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 14-year old Destiny Elizabeth Bryne, of Lewis, was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital by private vehicle following the accident that happened at around 8:45-a.m. on Park Road, about one-half mile west of the Lewis Road.

Officials say a 2002 Pontiac driven by Byrne, was westbound on Park Road when she lost control of the car, which rolled into the north ditch. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $5,000. The accident remains under investigation.

(9-a.m. News)

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

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As we come upon the 15-year anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on our nation, the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency and others  recognize September as National Preparedness Month. Disasters can and will happen, it’s a matter of when and where they strike next. Being prepared not only lessens the risk for severe injuries or loss of property, but makes you a better Iowan for acknowledging those risks and being prepared for any type of emergency.

Montgomery County Emergency Management Director Brian Hamman says there are several simple steps that can ensure that you, your family and your place of business are prepared. Those steps include making an emergency plan, building an emergency kit and being aware of the hazards in your area that could impact you.

For more preparedness tips, visit www.beready.iowa.gov  Preparedness information will also be posted throughout the month on the Montgomery County EMA Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/MontgomeryEMA

For more information on Preparedness Month sponsors, visit:
Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, www.homelandsecurity.iowa.gov
Iowa Emergency Management Association, www.iowaema.com
Safeguard Iowa Partnership, www.safeguardiowa.org
National Weather Service Des Moines, www.weather.gov/dmx

Governor Terry Branstad leaves today (Wednesday) for a two-day trip to Atlanta. It’s another business prospecting venture for the governor. “The companies we call on, on these trips, are confidential,” Branstad says. Branstad is revealing “most” of the Atlanta-based companies he’ll visit already have operations in Iowa, so he’ll be talking with “decision-makers” about expanding in Iowa.

“I think these calls are important,” Branstad says, “and I’ve done this throughout my tenure as governor and they’ve led to some good things happening.” About five million people live in the Atlanta metro. The typical commute for the average Atlanta worker is 13 miles — the longest in the country. A recent Texas A-and-M study found Atlanta drivers spend 52 HOURS every year, stuck in rush hour traffic.

“One of the benefits we do have in Iowa is a very short commute time and we don’t have the congestion and the cost of living that are true in a lot of other places in the country,” Branstad says. According to the U.S. Census Burea, the longest commute times in Iowa are in rural areas.

The average Guthrie County worker spends 27 minutes on the drive to work. Workers in Iowa’s largest county — Polk County — have an average commute time of 19 minutes. Forty-seven of Iowa’s 99 counties have a longer commute time than Polk County.

(Radio Iowa)

The dream of buying a home in rural Iowa is getting cheaper. Home mortgage rates from the U-S-D-A’s Rural Development Agency have dropped to just below 2.875%. Krista Mettscher, a rural housing specialist with the agency, says there are income and other limits with the low rate, but even those with credit issues could qualify.

“Generally speaking, if you have a credit score of about 640, you can get in with some reduced documentation,” Metscher says. “We can do some loans with credit scores under the 640, it just may take a little additional documentation.” Mettscher says some people could find even lower rates. “You can qualify for a subsidized interest rate based on your household size and income,” she says. “You might even qualify for anything from the 2.875 down to a 1% interest rate on a 33-year loan.”

The program is available in most rural communities across the region. http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov

(Radio Iowa)

Red Oak Police, Tuesday, arrested 43-year old Robert Allen Childs, of Red Oak, on a Page County warrant for Interference with Official Acts. Childs was taken into custody at around 5:50-p.m. and brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held on $300 bond.