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!”

(Radio Iowa) – An emergency cleaning and restoration company based in Iowa has experienced a drastic increase in its disinfection services since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Michele Presley with SERVPRO says the company, which serves the entire state, has doubled its workforce since February to help keep up with the demand.  “It was never something that was really on our radar,” she says. “Well now it is our number one service that we’re providing. We’re still doing water, fire and those responses to daily emergencies for people. But this has by far taken over as the number one service.”

She says worked with the Environmental Protection Agency and the C-D-C as the outbreak happened in March to ensure they could properly respond. “We talk about first responders, firemen, policemen, nurses and health care and all of that. But, when businesses need something disinfected, it’s not the firemen who come in and disinfect their building. It’s us,” she says. “And so, we are not only disinfecting police cars, fire trucks and things like that. But we’re disinfecting businesses so that their employees have a safe place to work.”

Presley says SERVPRO has doubled its staff since February and it continues to hire. “We’ve hired additional employees. We’ve hired part-time employees and trained them on how to do it. So yes, we’ve been able to keep up, but we also had to grow our fleet of technicians,” she says. Presley suggests that businesses and customers come up with a contingency plan by thinking ahead of time about what happens if an infected person was at in your building and how much square footage needs to be treated. She says this will help them to know how much the service will cost.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports a Polk County man, 38-year old Harvey Joshua Hunemuller, of Des Moines, was arrested at around 10:45-a.m. Sunday. Hunemuller was taken into custody near Highway 169 on charges of Assault with injury, and Harassment in the 1st degree. He was being held in the Union County Jail on $3,000 bond.

(Update 3/5/20: Jury trial continued until 9-a.m. April 16, 2021) The Cass County Attorney’s Office Monday (Today), filed a motion to revoke bond established for Rex Dean McDermott, on the grounds of his propensity to  commit crimes of a dangerous and/or violent nature and for the general welfare of the citizens of the State of Iowa.

Cass County Attorney Vanessa Strazdus said “At that hearing, Rex’s attorney argued that no conditions had been placed on Rex that would justify revoking his bond. I argued that revoking or modifying bond was justifiable considering the ongoing nature of Rex’s criminal activity and that he’s legitimately at risk of killing someone if he’s not in jail. The judge increased the bond amount on three indictable cases.

On Dec. 12th, a lawyer for the 53-year-old McDermott entered a written plea of Not Guilty to felony charges of Willful Injury causing bodily injury, and Going Armed with Intent. Earlier this month, the court set the date for his pretrial conference as 9:30-a.m. Feb. 5th at 9:30-a.m.  His jury trial will take place March 9th, also at 9:30-a.m.

A criminal complaint against McDermott alleges that at around 11-p.m. on Oct. 30th, he pulled a woman out of a pickup truck near Fontanelle, punched her and then struck her with an unknown wooden object. The victim suffered a laceration above her right eye, bruising and swelling of the face and other areas of pain.

Strazdus told KJAN News, McDermott is currently being held in the Crawford County Jail on charges of OWI/3rd Offense, and Driving While Barred.

Strazdas said if McDermott is freed on bond sometime in the near future, the Judge required him tol be monitored at all times by a special, SCRAM (Scram Continuous Alcohol Monitoring) transdermal bracelet.

A SCRAM bracelet (scramsystems.com)

Strazdas said she hopes McDermott is able to get the help he needs to overcome his issues.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a man wanted on a warrant for leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, turned himself-in to authorities early Sunday morning. 18-year old Aidan Matthew Morgan was met by Deputies in the parking lot of the Pott. County Jail, and taken into custody on two warrants, including for Improper Use of Lanes. He was turned over to Corrections staff without incident.

A Deputy on Patrol at around 2:20-a.m. Monday (Today), arrested a woman for being a Fugitive from Justice. 35-year old Kristina Leigh Garcia, of Bellevue, NE., was seen walking westbound in the 22,000 block of River Road North. After speaking with the woman, she was taken into custody and transported to the Pott. County Jail. And, a pursuit at around 3:25-a.m. Monday (Today), resulted in the arrest of 39-year old Jeremy Lee Hoellein was charged with OWI/1st Offense and Willful Failure to Stop for Law Enforcement. The Pott. County Communications Center had put out a broadcast about a vehicle traveling east in the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 in Council Bluffs.

The vehicle was located by Council Bluffs Police and had continued traveling the wrong direction during the pursuit, before the chase ended and Hoellin was taken into custody. He was being held on a $2,000 bond. A traffic stop early Saturday morning, resulted the arrest of 47-year old Christopher James Larsen, for OWI/1st offense. He was arrested after being pulled over for having no license plates, and an investigation was conducted.

And, the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office reports 34-year old Luke Martin Perez, of Omaha, was served with a warrant out of Nebraska while at the Pott. County Jail, for being a Fugitive from Justice. His bond was set at $5,300.