(Radio Iowa) – Vice President Mike Pence says Thursday’s (today’s) report on economic growth in the third quarter shows the country is roaring back after the pandemic’s hit.

Vice President Mike Pence (AP File Photo/Steve Cannon)

Pence spoke at a rally at the Des Moines Airport this (Thursday) afternoon, highlighting the report showing the Gross Domestic Product grew 33 percent in July, August and September.

Pence spent the midsection of his speech on economic issues. He blasted the 2009 bail outs for the financial and auto industries during the Obama-Biden Administration and Biden’s approach to the pandemic.

Pence, who heads the White House Coronavirus Task Force, promised a vaccine will be defeat the virus and ensure America’s economic recovery. Pence, a frequent visitor to Iowa over the past four years, acknowledged the state’s outsized role in deciding the 2020 election.

Pence mentioned he and his wife, as well as the president and first lady, have already voted and took time during his remarks to refer to Iowa’s early voting rules and reciting the address for the Polk County Election Office where ballots can be cast Friday, Saturday AND Monday.

Democrats criticized Pence for holding a large public gathering in the midst of a pandemic. Biden’s communications director says Iowans have been pushed to the brink because the Trump-Pence Administration has completely given up on trying to control the virus. Biden will campaign in Iowa tomorrow (Friday), speaking at a drive-in rally where the crowd will sit in their vehicles and honk their car horns to applaud Biden’s remarks.

(Radio Iowa) – A Kossuth County man has been convicted on a lesser count in a murder case from 2018. Chad Dietrick had been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing death of 38-year-old Krista Hesebeck in the early morning hours of March 3rd, 2018. Dietrick claimed self-defense and said he was attacked by Hesebeck inside the home they shared in the northern Kossuth County town of Lakota.

Toxicology reports presented at the trial showed the victim had high amounts of methamphetamine in her system on the night in question, something the defense used to bolster their self-defense claim. A representative from the State Medical Examiner’s office testified that the victim suffered 64 different sharp-force injuries from the incident, while Dietrick had a single cut on his left forearm.

The second-degree murder conviction means Dietrick will avoid the mandatory sentence of life with no parole and instead now faces a maximum of 50 years behind bars. Sentencing has been scheduled for December.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office, Thursday (today), said a Creston woman reported on Oct. 20th, that sometime in the last few weeks, someone entered her storage unit and took several items, including: an antique coffee table; antique lamp; plant stand; silverplate flatware service for 8; a storage cart, tools and clothing. The items have a combined estimated value of $1,220.

Authorities said also, 25-year old Adam Lee Stichter, of Lorimor, was arrested Tuesday evening at Highway 169 and 140th Street. Stichter was taken into custody for possession of a controlled substance. He was later released from the Union County Jail on $2,000 bond.

Council Bluffs Police have issued a notice to residents of the community, that Cox Communications has scheduled a network upgrade overnight tonight from midnight to 5 a.m. The CBPD’s internal/external phone lines to the police department will be down for approximately 1-hour during the 5-hour maintenance window.

During this time, if you have an emergency and need police assistance, you will still be able to call 911 and officers will be dispatched through the Pottawattamie County Communications Center.

If an attempt to call the department for a non-emergency reason is unsuccessful, please call the Communications Center’s non-emergency number at (712) 328-5737 and they will relay your message to Bluffs Police.

If the phone lines are down for any period of time longer than the 5-hour maintenance window, officials will notify the media and post updates on their social media pages with further information. Thank you for your patience.

This (Thursday) afternoon, businesswoman and U.S. Senate candidate Theresa Greenfield will hold events in Cass County and Madison County as part of her “Jobs That Need to Get Done” GOTV Tour across Iowa. Additionally, the Greenfield campaign is announcing that Theresa is set to attend Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign rally in Des Moines on Friday. Her schedule today is as follows:

Cass County Farm Tour:  59624 Chicago Road, Atlantic at 3:30 PM
Madison County Drive-In Grassroots Event: Madison County Historical Society, 815 South 2nd Ave, Winterset, at 6:00 PM

In the coming days, Theresa Greenfield will hold campaign events in every corner of Iowa to meet with voters, share her plans to put Iowa first, answer questions, and encourage all Iowans to vote in the November 3rd election.

(12-p.m. News) – Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to four accidents from Oct. 23rd to the 26th. Two of the accidents took place on the 26th (Monday). Authorities say at around 6:32-a.m., Deputies responded to a report of a train hitting a car, on White Pole Road. A 2009 Pontiac G6 owned and driven by 66-year old Mary Margaret Fisher, of Anita, was eastbound on White Pole Road when it went out of control and entered the south ditch, coming to rest on the railroad tracks. A short time later, an Iowa Interstate Locomotive struck the vehicle. No injuries were reported. Damage to the Pontiac is estimated at $5,000; damage to the locomotive is estimated at $3,000. Fisher was cited with Failure to Maintain Control.

About an hour later, Cass County Deputies were called to the scene of a two-vehicle accident on White Pole Road. Officials say A 2013 Chevy Equinox owned and driven by 31-year old Holly Ann Esbeck, of Atlantic, was westbound on White Pole Road when the vehicle went out of control on a bridge and entered the eastbound lane, striking the south bridge rail and an eastbound 2004 Ford F150 owned and driven by 60-year old Tamara Annette Shellberg, of Oakland. No injuries were reported. Damage to Esbeck’s vehicle is estimated at $10,000; damage to Shellberg’s vehicle is estimated at $8,000. Esbeck was cited with Failure to Maintain Control.

On October 24th at around 4:05 a.m., the Cass County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a one-vehicle accident on I-80. A 2020 Dodge Ram towing a camper driven by 31-year old Jasmine J. Applewhite, of Chicago, was westbound on I-80 when the vehicle was passed by a semi, blowing the vehicle into the north side ditch. The pickup flipped onto its top and the camper was on its side. No injuries were reported. Damage to the truck is estimated at $40,000; no estimation of damage is available for the camper.

On October 23rd at 12:36 p.m.., the Cass County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a two-vehicle accident on Highway 71 at Richland Road. A 2010 Ford F150 owned and driven by 59-year old Phillip Duane Allen,  of Griswold, and a 2003 Mazda B40 owned and driven by 20-year old Marie Edna Amos, of Atlantic, were southbound on Highway 71. Allen slowed to come to a stop when his vehicle was struck in the rear by Amos’ vehicle. No injuries were reported. Damage to Allen’s vehicle is estimated at $12,000; damage to Amos’ vehicle is estimated at $3,000. Amos was cited for Failure to Stop in Assured Clear Distance.

(12-p.m. News) The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three recent arrests.  On October 24th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 53-year old Rex Dean McDermott, of Atlantic, on charges of Public Intoxication and Harassment 3rd Degree, both simple misdemeanors. McDermott was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $1,200 bond. Then, on October 29th, Deputies arrested McDermott on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Operating a Motor Vehicle Without Owner’s Consent. At that time, McDermott was also arrested on charges of OWI 3rd/Subsequent Offense (a Class-D Felony); Driving While Barred; and Interference with Official Acts. McDermott was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $7,000 bond.

On October 24th also, and upon an investigation, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 55-year old Mark Elmer Steil, of Bridgewater, on Felony charges of Theft 2nd Degree, Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree, and Burglary 3rd Degree. Steil was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on his own recognizance.

And, on Oct. 28th, 20-year old Devin Joel Hilliard, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Felony Theft in the 1st Degree. Hilliard was being held in the Cass County Jail on a $10,000 bond.