Police in Creston report the arrest at around 12:25-a.m. Thursday, of 42-year old Cassandra Marlena Davis, from Creston.  Davis was taken into custody for Failure to serve ordered jail time. She was initially transported to the Union County Jail and then to the Clarke County Jail.

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

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The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:05-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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A rear-end collision west of Boone, Thursday evening, caused both vehicles to roll over and resulted in three injured. The Iowa State Patrol reports the accident happened on Highway 30 at Noble Hills Lane, at around 7-p.m.  Authorities report a 2006 Jeep Wrangler driven by 31-year old Lochland James Issac Monahan, of Ames, was traveling west on Highway 30, when his SUV rear-ended a 2004 Pontiac Montana, driven by 68-year old Jackquline Marie Holmquist, of Ogden.

Following the collision, both vehicles entered the median and rolled over before ending up facing east, in the eastbound lanes of Highway 30. Monahan – who was not wearing a seat belt – was taken by Lifeflight to Methodist Hospital. Holmquist and her passenger, 47-year old Bille Jo Page, of Ogden, both of whom wore seat belts, were transported by Boone Rescue to the Boone County Hospital. The accident remains under investigation.

Pursuit that began early Thursday in Council Bluffs and repeatedly crossed state lines, ended with an arrest in Nebraska. According to the Nebraska State Patrol, 34-year-old Christopher Holsten, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested for flight to avoid an arrest, willful reckless driving, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and theft by stolen property over $5,000. Holsten was also charged with obstructing a peace officer, driving under suspension and traffic violations.

Stolen truck pursuit 11/26/20 (Neb. State Patrol photo)

The Nebraska State Patrol NSP was notified at around 2:10-a.m. Thursday, that a vehicle had fled a traffic stop with the Council Bluffs Police Department and was traveling toward Nebraska on Interstate 480. A trooper observed the vehicle, a Chevrolet Silverado, traveling at 81 miles per hour in a 50 miles per hour zone on I-480 as it entered Nebraska.

The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle accelerated to speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour and fled southbound on I-480. The vehicle then entered Interstate 80, traveling eastbound toward Iowa. The trooper discontinued the pursuit at the Iowa border. CBPD officers took over the pursuit and were able to successfully deploy spike strips to slow the vehicle, but it traveled back into Nebraska on I-80.

NSP troopers again pursued the vehicle as it turned northbound onto I-480 before exiting and beginning to drive on surface streets near the Martha Street exit. Near 28th and Harney a trooper was able to successfully perform a tactical vehicle intervention to bring the Silverado to a stop. The driver – later identified at Holsten – then fled on foot, climbed over a fence, and fled back toward I-480 on foot. Troopers were able to locate the man at the Farnam Bridge over I-480 and took him into custody without further incident.

Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, earlier this week, announced the winner of this year’s “Scrooge” contest. Once all the point were totaled, the winner was determined to be Brian Ruge, Manager at Brown’s Shoe Fit. The “Scrooge” contest is an annual fund-raiser for the Atlantic Food Pantry. Ruge, along with Jon Martens, Tami Shellberg, and the team of Jeff and Heather Lundquist, had competed in this year’s Scrooge Contest, collecting cash and non-perishable food donations for the honor of being named Scrooge, and presiding over the annual Lighted Christmas parade down Chestnut Street.

Points were awarded for cash and non-perishable food items. On Tuesday, it was announced Ruge amassed 56,659 points. Team Lundquist came in second with 23,716 points. Martens had a total of 21,580 points and Shellberg had a total of 17,200 points.

A record amount of cash, $23,348.10 was donated this year and 2,415 food items were collected. A good chunk of the funds, officials said, came from Duke Rentals and Deter Motor Company. Hy-Vee donated 25 turkeys, along with five pounds of potatoes, two canned vegetables and a pie with each turkey to the Atlantic Food Pantry, and 25 turkeys and the fixings to the Mobile Food Pantry.

(Radio Iowa) – Even with the pandemic, some Iowans camped out overnight so they could be the first to enjoy today’s Black Friday deals, but the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration in Iowa hopes the buying fervor will extend into tomorrow — for Small Business Saturday. Jayne Armstrong, director of the SBA’s Iowa District Office, says local merchants have endured a very challenging year and the holiday shopping season is key to their success. “The last few months of the shopping could really make a huge difference in their bottom line,” Armstrong says. “We’re really encouraging people to get out and support your local small businesses. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is, especially as we’re waiting for this next round of stimulus.”

COVID-19 has forced many people to avoid shopping in person in stores and Armstrong says you can equally show support for local businesses by seeking out their websites. “A lot of people are shifting to online this year,” Armstrong says. “One of the smart things that a lot of our Iowa small businesses have done this year during the pandemic is to pivot to more of an online presence.” One economic forecast predicts in-store sales will be down three-percent this holiday season while online sales will be up 30-percent. For those who physically shop in stores, Armstrong says to look for her and other small business backers who will be fanned out in Iowa’s downtowns and shopping districts.

“We’ll be out there with our signs saying, ‘Honk If You (heart) Small Business,’ and ‘Shop Mom and Pop,’ and ‘Be Loyal, Buy Local,’ those types of things,” Armstrong says. “We really try to lift up the spirits of the small business community because these owners have gone through a lot this year.” While some small businesses were forced to close during 2020, she says it’s been a pleasant surprise to see so many new small business start-ups in Iowa succeed. Armstrong says 97-percent of the businesses in Iowa are small businesses.

(Radio Iowa) – The August derecho did millions of dollars in damage to farms, homes, and property — with a majority of the damage covered by insurance. Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen says the derecho damage itself should not impact insurance rates. “Even though this even was really substantial — part of the way insurance companies operate — they should be including that risk in their premiums. So, I don’t see any substantial change,” Ommen says. He says insurance rates could be impacted by the larger impact of events nationwide. “If you look across the country, we are seeing more claims generally in property and casualty. Whether you look at some of the wind storms that we are seeing down along the gulf coast and of course some of the fire events that we are seeing out in the mountains and in California,” according to Ommen. “Overall it is showing an increase in claims — which long-term is going to have some impact on premiums.”

Ommen says the crucial thing for everyone is to be sure you have the coverage you need for your situation. “Take the time to look at those insurance policies, to talk to a licensed insurance producer to have a good understanding of what kind of coverage they have,” Ommen says. While federal disaster funds have helped with some of the damages that weren’t covered by insurance in the derecho, Ommen says that is not available with every storm. He says the first line of defense should be your personal insurance coverage.

“So often what we see is, when an event comes through then consumers are frustrated because they don’t have coverage that they thought they had. At the same time, they haven’t really evaluated their coverage — that’s how you end up with losses that are not insured,” Ommen says. ” And again this storm impacted a large part of our state — but frankly, anywhere in Iowa could be impacted by this storm, or the other types of storms that hit our state.”

Ommen says you should go over your insurance coverage each time it comes up for renewal and discuss any changes in the policy, or changes in your situation that need to be covered.

Iowa’s Coronavirus dashboard today (Friday), showed 37 more people have died from complications of COVID-19 for a total of 2,349. There are nine new deaths in the KJAN listening area, including: one each in Audubon, Harrison, Montgomery and Shelby Counties; two more in Pottawattamie County. The number of deaths attributed to a pre-existing condition statewide are at 1,333, while deaths at Long-Term Care facilities amount to 1,055, 17 more than on Thursday. Health officials report one less long-term care facility COVID-19 outbreak, for a total of 151. Those care facilities report 4,628 positive cases and 1,907 recovered. Cass County’s three LTC facilities have a total of 208 confirmed positive cases and 129 recovered.

Officials say there have been 1,266 new confirmed, Positive cases of the virus reported since yesterday, for a total since the pandemic began, of 223,544. New cases were reported in Adair, Audubon, Guthrie, Harrison, Madison, Mills, Pottawattamie, Shelby and Union Counties.

Hospitalizations have fallen again, from 1,269 Thursday, to 1,226 today. There are: 256 patients in intensive care (down from 271 Thursday.); 183 patients have been admitted since 10-a.m. Thursday, and there are 141 people on a ventilator. In western/southwestern Iowa: there are 57 COVID patients in the hospital (down three from Thursday); 18 are in an ICU; seven people were admitted to a hospital, and seven people are on a ventilator.

The state’s data shows that 1,196,998 Iowans have been tested for coronavirus. Test results received yesterday amounted to 5,495, with 4,270 coming back Negative and 1,185 Positive. Iowa’s statewide 14-day positivity rate is 18.7%. The Individual Positivity rate is also at 18.7%. Cass County’s Positivity rate is down slightly, to 19.4%.

The IDPH says 127,353 Iowans have recovered from the virus. In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases in each county, along with the 24-hour change in case numbers {+#}; the number of persons recovered, and the total number of [deaths] (if any), since the pandemic began,

• Cass, 797 cases; 503 recovered; 21 deaths
• Adair, 429 {+4}; 222; 8
• Adams, 164; 84; 2
• Audubon, 294 {+1}; 187; 2
• Guthrie, 738 {+6); 426; 15
• Harrison County, 1,062 {+2}; 710; 29
• Madison County, 673; 385; 4
• Mills County, 1,021 {+4}; 454; 7
• Montgomery, 449; 206; 11
• Pottawattamie County, 6,127 {+18]; 3,520; 69
• Shelby County, 751 {+3}; 440; 10
• Union County,  754 {+4}; 296; 6

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa added 41 COVID-19 deaths Thursday as three more long-term care facilities reported virus outbreaks. KCCI reports that the Iowa Department of Public Health reported 3,331 new positive COVID-19 cases as of 10 a.m. to bring the total to 222,278. Long-term care facilities have been particularly hard hit, with cases in them accounting for 1,038 of the state’s 2,312 deaths. The three new facilities reporting outbreaks brings the total that have been hit to 152.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The historically close race for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District seat has gotten even closer. Democrat Rita Hart has cut Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ lead to eight votes out of more than 394,400 cast, with recount boards in all but one of the district’s 24 counties reporting the results of their recounts. On Wednesday, Hart netted 26 votes in Scott County and another vote in Jasper County after their recount boards adjourned. Clinton County’s recount board will meet on Saturday to finish reviewing about 5,000 absentee ballots.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska is creating the nation’s largest tribal national park on a forested bluff overlooking the Missouri River and a historic site of its people. The tribe says the 444-acre park will allow it to tell the story of the Ioway people and provide a rustic getaway where people can hike, camp and bird-watch. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the Ioway Tribal National Park will overlook a historic trading village once used by the Ioway people to barter for buffalo hides and pipestones with other tribes. That site includes three burial mounds that date back 3,000 years.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A University of Iowa fraternity has been suspended for hazing, with a report citing verbal abuse and and an incident where new members were required to drink dangerously high amounts of alcohol. The university says the violations were by the Acacia Fraternity. The Cedar Rapids Gazette obtained an investigative report through a public records request. The suspension lasts through 2024. One allegation said that in the spring semester, new members were ordered to stay in the fraternity house attic until they consumed alcohol that included 60 to 90 cans of beer, along with vodka and a gallon of a drink called Jungle Juice. Several new members got sick.