Two workers installing non-charged electrical lines for a wind turbine project in Audubon County, were trapped for a time Wednesday morning in the basket of a 100-foot boom, which was mounted on a truck. The men became temporarily trapped after the truck caught fire. According to reports, the incident happened near Pheasant Avenue, just south of 200^th Street, at around 8:50-a.m. Audubon Fire responded to scene. Atlantic and Panora Fire were also requested for their ladder trucks, but it turns out their service was not needed.

Photo courtesy Brett Holtz (Camblin Plumbing & Htg.) – click on the image to enlarge

The same company handling the work on the electrical lines responded quickly by bringing another bucket truck located nearby, to secure the men’s tag lines, in case of a hydraulic failure on the main machine. They also used numerous fire extinguishers in an attempt to contain the flames until firefighters arrived. Fire crews extinguished the remaining flames, and the trapped crew members were lowered to the ground about 20 minutes later.  The cab of truck the sustained significant damage.

(Radio Iowa) — A program is again underway that takes unwanted deer hides from hunters across the state and uses them to help veterans. Spokesperson Lisa Widick says the hides can be turned in at Elks Lodges across the state for use by the Veterans Leather Program. “The hides are salted and stored here in different places in Iowa, and then they are shipped to a tannery, I believe in the Kansas City area,” Widick says. “And then they are tanned and they are turned into leather pieces.”

Widick says the leather is then used to make kits that are taken to the veterans homes in the state where the veterans turn the leather into usable items. “They make moccasins, they do purses, they do coin purses, they do anything you can make out of leather, the veterans do those things,” Widick explains. “And then they are also…there’s also a company that does manufacturing of wheelchair gloves — so that the veterans who are in wheelchairs use those gloves to keep their hands from getting calluses. And those are really beneficial to our veterans.”

Widick says many of the items the veterans make are sold to raise money. “To go back to help fund different things that the veterans need. So, it’s a wonderful big circle project. The hide comes in, it goes out to make a product that is not going to waste,” Widick says.  Hunters donated some 33-hundred hides to the program last year, and she encourages hunters to donate hides again this year.

“You can go to Elks-dot-org (Elks.org) and there’s a lodge locator. Type in your zip code and it will give you the one nearest you,” Widick says. “You can all that lodge and see if they take hides. If they do — most lodges will arrange pick up from you as well.” Widick says the deer hides are often left behind as most hunters don’t keep them. “There are few that do, but rarely do you see that. They just lay out there where the deer has been skinned and that’s where it stays. And we’d much rather have it come to us so that we can do something good with it,” she says.

Hunters in Iowa take around 100-thousand deer during each hunting season.

The male suspect wanted in connection to the vehicle theft has been detained and being held in the Audubon County Jail. The Sheriff’s Department expresses its thanks to all residents who called with information leading to his arrest. Also, thank you to all of the area Law Enforcement Agency’s who assisted with searching for him.

More information will be released at a later time. (Original Press Release follows):

“Law Enforcement Officers are in the Ross area searching for a male wanted in connection to a stolen vehicle that was located within Audubon County this morning. The male suspect is approximately 6′ tall and was last seen wearing a brown hooded coat with a stocking cap. He was last seen at approximately 10:45am today on the 1800 block of 170th St. If you have seen him or do see him please do not approach him and contact The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office at 712-563-2631.”

Law Enforcement Officers are in the Ross area searching for a male wanted in connection to a stolen vehicle that was located within Audubon County this morning. The male suspect is approximately 6′ tall and was last seen wearing a brown hooded coat with a stocking cap. He was last seen at approximately 10:45am today on the 1800 block of 170th St. If you have seen him or do see him please do not approach him and contact The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office at 712-563-2631.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa again ranks among the best states in the country for motorists, according to a report from a personal finance website. Adrian Garcia, a data analyst for Bankrate-dot-com, says they compared things like annual insurance premiums, road conditions and commute times in all 50 states. “Bankrate looked at seven different measures related to cost as well as driving quality and safety,” Garcia says. “We used the most recent data we could find from government sources, research organizations and industry groups.” The reports are done every two years. In this latest report, Iowa placed 2nd in the national rankings, up from 3rd in 2016.

“Despite all the investment in public transportation as well as services like Uber and Lyft, a lot of us are still getting behind the wheel to drive,” Garcia says. “That’s the most popular way people are still commuting throughout the country. It really makes a difference if you are driving in an Iowa or Nebraska versus a California, Florida or New York.”  The average Iowa driver pays about a thousand dollars a year for car insurance, while the average California driver pays 17-hundred. Likewise, commute times in Iowa average 19 minutes versus 29 minutes in California, which ranked 50th on the list. “Living in Nebraska or Iowa, the states that rank near the top of the list, you can feel good about your commute,” Garcia says. “Although you may sometimes be frustrated, generally, it’s better than living in California or New Jersey when it comes to being on the roads.”

The report finds 11-percent of Iowa’s roads are of poor quality, compared to last-place California where 44-percent of the roads are in poor shape. The best state for drivers, according to the report, is North Dakota, followed by Iowa, Ohio, Minnesota and Nebraska. The worst state is California, followed by Hawaii, Connecticut, New Jersey and Washington.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The city of Des Moines is paying $800,000 to settle an excessive force lawsuit filed by a northeast Iowa man against two police officers and the city. The City Council approved the payment Monday to settle the civil lawsuit but the amount was undisclosed. The Associated Press confirmed it Wednesday with City Manager Scott Sanders. It will be paid by Des Moines taxpayers out of the city’s general fund.

A federal jury last month found officer Michael Fong and Sgt. Greg Wessels used excessive force and committed battery when they attacked Dustin Burnikel in downtown Des Moines in 2013. The jury awarded Burnikel $200,000 for damages, including physical and mental pain and medical expenses, and was to consider liability of the city for failure to properly train and supervise the officers when the city offered to settle the case.

Sanders says the settlement covers damages, attorney fees and costs and avoids further potential damages and additional legal fees. The officers remain with the police department.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports one person was hurt during a collision Tuesday afternoon. Janet Scuturio, of Corning, a passenger in her vehicle driven by 16-year old Ronnie Collins, also of Corning, was transported by Stanton Rescue to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The accident happened at around 3:25-p.m. Authorities say a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix owned by Shelly Graham, of Stanton, and driven by 16-year old Slade Graham, also of Stanton, was stopped at the northbound stop sign at O Avenue and Highway 34. As the teen proceeded northbound, he noticed a 2002 Ford Taurus driven by Ronnie Collins, traveling east on Highway 34.

When the Grand Prix’ brakes failed, the car rolled into the path of the Taurus, and was struck broadside. Damage from the collision amounted to $7,000. Montgomery County Deputies were assisted at the scene by Stanton and Red Oak Fire, Stanton Rescue, and the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency. No citations were issued.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A Waterloo brother and sister have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to arrange a sham marriage so he wouldn’t have to leave the United States. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Selmir Salkanovic and his sister, Salena Dedic pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. Their sentencings have not been scheduled. Court records say Salkanovic is a Bosnian who overstayed his tourist visa. He’d promised to leave the country in June last year but instead, with his sister’s help, married a U.S. citizen after making a $5,000 deal with her.

Federal law lets immigrants who marry U.S. citizens receive conditional residency status, which can lead to citizenship. The records say Salkanovic and the woman never consummated the marriage and never lived together. It’s unclear whether the woman’s been charged.

(Radio Iowa) — Negotiations are starting between unions representing state employees and representatives of Governor Kim Reynolds’ Administration. The current labor contracts for state workers expire July 1st. AFSCME Council 61 represents nearly 20-thousand state employees. The union is scheduled to present its contract proposal on Thursday. The union that represents about 600 people who work in state law enforcement agencies is asking for three-percent pay hikes in each of the next two years. Negotiators for the State Police Officers Council say with low unemployment in the state, it’s difficult to keep and attract employees who’ll work in such a high-stress profession. Iowa United Professionals represents about 24-hundred state employees who work in social services and scientific occupations. That union says after two years of zero wage growth for its members, their request is for a four-and-a-half percent pay hike in each of the next two years.

Negotiators representing the Reynolds Administration will make a counter-offer in two weeks.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department reports a woman wanted on a warrant for Violation of Parole, turned herself-in to the Sheriff’s Office, Tuesday afternoon. Once the warrant for 56-year old Dawn Michelle Rickabaugh, of Mitchellville, was confirmed, the woman was taken into custody and turned over to Jail staff without incident. Rickabaugh was being held without bond in the Pott. County Jail.