Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert today (Thursday) advised the Fire Danger Index in his County is currently rated as “High.” Seivert says he expects winds to be strong this afternoon, and if there are any active fires, they will monitor the weather components very closely, and advise the local Incident Commander of dangerous conditions. Seivert says there should be NO OPEN BURNING in Shelby County today. The next local Fire Danger notice will be on Monday, Oct. 15th, unless unexpected changes in conditions occur.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced today (Thursday), that four Louisiana men face 76 counts and nearly $86,000 in fines and civil damages for allegedly killing five deer illegally in southwest Iowa last November. The DNR says 41-year old James Keith Moore,  of Hammond, La., and 45-year old Michael D. Fralick,  of Ponchatoula, La., were charged with 32 counts each of deer related violations in four different counties in southwest Iowa. Moore and Fralick were each fined $6,123.90. The state is also seeking $25,000 in civil damages from each man for the deer they allegedly killed illegally. In addition, 46-year old Stanley B. Russell, of Roseland, La., and 39-year old William H. Chambliss,  of Kentwood, La., were charged with six counts each of deer related violations in Montgomery County. Russell and Chambliss were each fined $1,823.40.  The state is seeking $10,000 in civil damages from each man for their role in the alleged poaching activity. The state has also requested forfeiture of four rifles the individuals used to shoot the deer.

The investigation began in late November when the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Department received a TIP call from a concerned citizen about the activities of these men. The information led authorities to possible illegal activity in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources received a TIP call about illegal deer activity around the same time that linked the two cases together. Deb Howe, state conservation officer for the Iowa DNR, said “These men came to Iowa specifically to road hunt trophy bucks during the rut. They did not have any licenses or tags to hunt in Iowa during the time they were here.”

A 10 month investigation by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Bureau, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Louisiana Department of Game & Fish, and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks culminated in the 76 wildlife-related counts being filed against four Louisiana men.  Fralick, Russell and Chambliss face similar charges in Kansas. An initial court date will be scheduled for November.

Information received through the TIP hotline in both Iowa and Kansas was critical in this investigation.  If you have information on wildlife crimes please call TIP of Iowa at 1-800-532-2020 you can remain anonymous.

In a follow-up to our earlier report, officials say a Villisca teen who was arrested Tuesday morning, faces a felony charge of Making Terrorist Threats. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 13-year old Cordell Straw was taken into custody at around 9-a.m., Tuesday. Formal charges were filed Wednesday. Authorities told the Omaha World-Herald the teen had allegedly threatened to burn down the home of a teacher. The threat was made in school, on October 2nd.

School officials say with other legal action in progress, the boy will not face disciplinary action at the school.  Straw is being held at the Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs.

The Atlantic Police Department reports a collision between a pickup and a car Wednesday evening in the 200 block of West 7th Street resulted in an Atlantic woman being sent to the hospital. Officials say vehicles driven by Dennis Phillips and Marjorie Bell, both of Atlantic, were traveling west on 7th Street at around 5:10-p.m., when Bell slowed to turn right into an alley between Locust and Poplar Streets. As she slowed down, her car was hit from behind by Phillips’ pickup. The collision caused the car to travel west of the alley and into a tree. Bell, who was reportedly trapped in the vehicle for a short time after the crash, was transported to the Cass County Hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries. No citations were issued. Damage to Bell’s vehicle amounted to $10,000, while Phillips’ truck sustained $1,500 damage.

Authorities in Red Oak report the arrest of a local man on drug charges. According to the Red Oak Police, 22-year old Shane Michael Murley, of Red Oak, faces a Drug Possession charge. Murley was taken into custody early this (Thursday) morning. He was being held in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on $5,000 bond.

w/ Ric Hanson

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A woman was reportedly trapped in her car following a two-vehicle collision Wednesday evening in Atlantic. According to dispatches from the Cass County Communications Center, the accident happened in the 200 block of West 7th Street, at around 5:10-p.m.,  and involved a pickup and a car. The car came to rest against a tree. One person was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital by Medivac Ambulance. Additional details concerning the crash are expected later this morning.

One person was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Red Oak, following an investigation into a reported incident of domestic abuse. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 42-year old Amy L. Schmadeke was charged with Domestic Abuse/Simple Assault. She was taken to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

And, Red Oak Police report the arrest Wednesday of 35-year old Erik Allan Appley, of Red Oak. Appley was picked-up on a Red Oak P-D warrant for Failure to Appear on a Drug Paraphernalia Possession charge. Appley was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.

A powerful and potentially-dangerous storm front is developing which forecasters say could bring tornadoes and other severe weather to Iowa this weekend. Meteorologist Kevin Deitsch, at the National Weather Service, says our long dry spell is about to end, but not quietly. “A pretty strong system moving out of the southwest will eject from out of the Four Corners region northeast, up towards Iowa,” Deitsch says. “A pretty strong system will pull up quite a bit of moisture with it. We will see quite a bit of rain and with that, comes the potential for thunderstorms, some hail, wind and even tornadoes are possible with these storms.”

Deitsch says the storms will likely get their act together somewhere near the Missouri River on Saturday. He says the storms will likely develop over eastern Nebraska and western Iowa and push east across Iowa during the afternoon and evening. The storm system should be out of Iowa by late Saturday night, Deitsch says. The National Weather Service will monitor weather conditions for the Iowa State-Kansas State football game on Saturday, with an 11 A-M kickoff. Back in November of 2005, a tornado was reported directly west of I-S-U’s packed Jack Trice Stadium moments before the Iowa State-Colorado game, though the twister caused no damage.

(Radio Iowa)