Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports six arrests occurred between November 14^th and December 17^th.  Most recently, on Dec. 17th. 35-year old Payton Thomas Watzke, of Audubon, was arrested for Theft 5^th Degree. Watzke appeared before a magistrate and pled guilty.

• On Dec. 9th: 65-year old Rickie Don Bohlmann, of Audubon, was arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order. Bohlmann later posted bond and was released.
• On Dec. 8th 55-year old Tauna Jean Bohlmann, of Audubon, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Bohlmann posted bond and was released.
• On Dec. 7th, 35-year old Shawn Leroy Schmidt, of Audubon, was arrested by Audubon Police for Driving Under Suspension. Schmidt was released on a promise to appear.
• On Nov. 18th, 47-year old Christopher Michael Green, of Audubon, was arrested for Driving While Barred. Green was transported to the Audubon County Jail to appear before a magistrate.
• And, on Nov. 14th, 28-year old Lacey Lynn Kron, of Audubon, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. She was released on a promise to appear.

Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to an accident in Griswold, last week. A collision between a 2007 Jeep Patriot and a 2004 Chevy Monte Carlo happened at around 1:48-p.m. December 14th, at the intersection of Adair and Main Streets in Griswold.

Officials says the Jeep, owned and driven by 37-year old Megan Christine Bates, of Griswold, was westbound on Main Street, when it was struck by the northbound Monte Carlo, driven by 17-year old Adam Geoffrey Houser, of Henderson.

No injuries were reported. Houser was cited for Failure to Obey Stop Sign and Yield Right of Way. Damage to the Jeep was estimated at $4,500; damage to the Chevy is estimated at $2,500.

(Radio Iowa) – Forecasters predict the skies over Iowa will be mostly free of clouds tonight (Monday) and we should have a clear view of what’s known as a planetary conjunction. From Earth’s vantage point, Jupiter will pass very close to Saturn and may form what will appear to be a single shining star. Sundown is at 4:48 this afternoon and astronomer Sebastian Zamfir says the show will start not long afterward in the southwest. “If we are patient, we’ll see that in about maybe 20 minutes, half an hour, it gets dark enough for the two planets to become visible,” Zamfir says. “They will stand out because they are very bright.”

The Earth is some 550 million miles from Jupiter, while Saturn is another 450 million miles beyond Jupiter, so Saturn will be much fainter as the planets approach conjunction. Some are referring to this as the reappearance of the “Christmas Star” and Zamfir says astronomers have tracked these events back millennia. “Some of the good candidates, as natural phenomena that would be related to The Star of Bethlehem were this kind of conjunctions, planetary conjunctions,” she says. The last time this particular conjunction happened this brightly at night was over 800 years ago, though Jupiter and Saturn cross paths — from the Earthly point of view — about every 20 years.

Zamfir says conjunctions like this are thought to be the source of the Biblical story of the Star of Bethlehem connected with the birth of Jesus.  “An even more spectacular one in terms of brightness happened in 2 BC,” Zamfir says, “and that one was between Jupiter and Venus.” With a good set of binoculars or a telescope, it’s possible you’ll be able to see some of Jupiter’s moons or even Saturn’s rings. Of course, neither Jupiter nor Saturn are generating light, as a star does. What we’re seeing is light from the sun reflecting off those planets.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Four Midwestern universities have formed a space-oriented academic and research alliance aimed at luring the U.S. Space Command headquarters to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. The Omaha World-Herald reports that University of Nebraska President Ted Carter says the partnership with the University of North Dakota, Kansas State University and Purdue would develop new degree programs and research initiatives. Offutt is among the six finalists to become the headquarters.

Other finalists are Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, Redstone Army Airfield in Alabama and the former Kelly Air Force Base in Texas.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three recent arrests. On Sunday, 44-year old Raymond Peter Jepsen, Jr., of Glenwood, was arrested for Theft in the 3rd Degree, and Interference with Official Acts. High bond was set at $2,300. And, 25-year old Haley Christine Bressman, of Glenwood, was arrested at the Mills County Jail, on a warrant for Failure to Appear on a Possession of Drug paraphernalia, charge. Her bond was set at $300.

Last Thursday morning, 40-year old Jacey Carvel Higgins, of Omaha, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $2,300.

A head-on crash Sunday evening in Mills County claimed the life of a man from Missouri. The Iowa State Patrol reports 76-year old Johny Joe Ford, of Maryville, MO., died at the scene of the crash on Highway 34 near mile marker 15. The accident happened at around 5:25-p.m.  The Patrol says Ford was traveling eastbound in a 2018 Toyota Prius, when for reasons unknown, the vehicle crossed into the westbound lane and collided with a 2008 Infinity Q45 driven by 48-year old Michael Anthony Vasquez, of Malvern.

Vasquez was critically injured and transported by LifeNet to the UNMC in Omaha.

A single-vehicle accident just before 8-a.m. Sunday in Pottawattamie County has claimed the life of a man from Shelby. According to the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office, the victim was identified as 26-year old Andrew Redinbaugh. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash off I-80 westbound, near mile marker 23.

Authorities say the Chevy Silverado Redinbaugh was driving left the roadway and struck the 298th Street overpass.The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

Atlantic Community School District Superintendent Steve Barber, Monday (today), issued a statement with regard to COVID-19. Barber says “To say that the first half of the 2020-21 school year has been normal would be a huge understatement.  When our District Leadership Team met for the first time in late May, the thought of going to school everyday over the first semester was not a strong belief as we planned to meet the safety and educational needs of our students and families.  Yet here we are today finishing up our first semester after experiencing many accomplishments over the first half of the year.

“Over this time frame” he says, “we have become more knowledgeable about the disease and with the new release of COVID vaccines, there is hope that we may see more progress of slowing the spread or defeating the virus. The data from the school tells the same story it has since August.  We still have experienced positive cases and are required to quarantine both students and staff based on the CDC and IDPH guidelines.

“Having said that,” Barber adds “we have not experienced an outbreak in any of our buildings.  Everyone has helped us accomplish this, so I am very grateful for the effort put in to ensure that students and staff are safe and being in person for instruction, which we all know is the most effective for our students.  I see the joy students have being in school and I feel it benefits on multiple levels; academic, physical, and social/emotional.”

“The year 2020,” he said, “has been an extremely difficult year and for some, very painful as lives have been lost.  My wish for everyone is a healthy and prosperous 2021.” He concluded by wishing everyone “Happy Holidays!”