The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office today (Friday), said man from Nebraska was arrested following a pursuit Thursday night. At around 11:40-p.m., Pott. County dispatch advised deputies Omaha Police were in pursuit of a 2001 Honda Accord just crossing into Iowa on Interstate 80. Omaha Police advised the driver of the car had active felony warrants in Nebraska. The vehicle entered Iowa and proceeded to travel east on 6th Avenue in Council Bluffs. The car went out of control and crashed at 2749 6th Avenue. The driver, 35-year old Shannon Michael Greenwood, of Omaha, fled on foot and was taken into custody by Pottawattamie County Deputies and Troopers with the Iowa State Patrol. Greenwood showed signs of being under the influence of methamphetamine and was charged with OWI 1st. Authorities say Greenwood also introduced 2.8-grams of cocaine into the jail, and was further charged with introducing contraband in a correctional facility. Greenwood has an active warrant in Pottawattamie County for Criminal Mischief 4th, and was being held also, for being a fugitive from justice for his active warrants in Nebraska.

The Sheriff’s Office says also, a man being held in the jail on drug charges, was served Thursday with a warrant charging him with a felony Controlled Substance Violation. 37-year old Jason Nicholas Feller, of Council Bluffs, was read the warrant and returned to his cell, where he was being held without bond. And, a traffic stop Thursday night in Council Bluffs, resulted in an arrest. A deputy initiated the traffic stop on a vehicle driven by 23-year old Deo Manirakiza, of Council Bluffs, for having a dealer paper plate. Manirakiza was subsequently found to have a barred driver’s license status. He was taken into custody at around 11:05-p.m. and transported to the Pott. County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) — During the late stages of the 2018 campaign, Republican Governor Kim Reynolds proposed letting Iowa women buy “the pill” without a prescription. She plans to press the 2019 legislature to pass a bill that would make birth control pills available in Iowa without a doctor’s prescription. “This is another opportunity for us to have bipartisan support in something that makes sense,” Reynolds says.  In 2016, Democrats in the Iowa Senate passed a bill to make this the policy in Iowa, but Republicans in the House tabled the proposal. Republican House Speaker Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake says not all birth control pills are alike and legislators will have to seek input from the medical community. “There are reasons that a physician would prescribe one over another,” Upmeyer says. “If someone has a predisposition to breast cancer, you want to make sure you’re paying attention to your estrogen levels.

Upmeyer said also, “Maybe there is one that is incredibly safe that people could agree to put on the shelf. I don’t think we’re opposed to that, but I do think we want to make sure it’s safe for Iowans to have that access.” Democrats strongly criticized Reynolds for signing a bill last May to ban nearly all abortions and Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen of Des Moines says they are skeptical of this proposal, too. “Iowa is in a really sad state as far as women’s health care goes,” Petersen says. “It’s getting harder and harder for women to find places and providers to get family planning services.”

Petersen says many women want more effective long-term contraceptives rather than birth control pills and the Republican effort to “defund” Planned Parenthood clinics has reduced access to those long-term options, especially in rural areas. The outline Governor Reynolds sketched during the campaign called for keeping birth control pills behind the pharmacy counter, but letting women buy them without a prescription. Her proposal did NOT cover other birth control options.

A traffic stop this (Friday) morning in Creston, resulted in the arrest of a woman on drug and other charges. Creston Police say 38-year old Shea Lynn Woollums, of Creston, was arrested for Possession of a a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, and for Driving under Suspension. Her bond was set at $1,300.

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

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CLINTON, Iowa (AP) — An eastern Iowa man has been accused of sexually abusing a woman and children and using his cellphone to record the acts. The charges against Clinton resident Timothy Geerts include seven felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, 40 felony counts of sexual abuse and dozens of misdemeanor counts of invasion of privacy.

Clinton County court records say a woman who knows Geerts reported last week that she found the photos and videos on his cellphone. The court records say Geerts later acknowledged taking the photos and videos and his participation in many of the sexual acts shown. He also acknowledged recording people using a bathroom in his home. His next court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 11.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The Griswold Class of 2020 is collecting 100 bags with 25 pairs each, of gently worn used and new shoes. The shoes will be used to create micro-enterprises in developing countries like Haiti, Ghana, and others. The Class of 2020 will also receive $1000 to fund Jr. Class Prom in the process. You can help by collecting a bag with 25 pairs of shoes and returning them to any of the drop off locations by tomorrow (Saturday, Jan 5, 2019). Drop off locations include: The Griswold Community Middle School/High School, Houghton State Bank-Griswold, Rolling Hills Bank-Griswold & United Group Insurance-Griswold.

A man who attempted to hand his kids some food while driving, caused a collision Thursday morning, in Creston. Police in Creston say 34-year old Joseph Beaman, of Creston, was traveling south on Lincoln Street at around 7:40-a.m. Thursday, when his 2005 Buick van struck a legally parked 2004 Toyota Camry. Damage from the accident amounted to $11,000. There were no injuries, and no citations issued.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has hired former Iowa Department of Transportation director Paul Trombino III as her chief operations officer to provide leadership of state government agencies.
Trombino was Iowa DOT director for Reynolds’ predecessor Terry Branstad from 2011 to 2016 and briefly considered serving as President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Federal Highway Administration in 2017 before withdrawing his name two months after he was nominated citing family reasons.

Reynolds said Thursday that Pat Garrett is her new communications director after serving a similar role in the campaign and former campaign field director Nick Boeyink is the governor’s director of boards and commissions. Nate Ristow, a former staffer for former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, is Reynolds’ policy adviser on public safety issues. Katherine Shaheen is executive assistant to Reynolds. Reynolds earlier named campaign consultant Sara Craig Gongol her new chief of staff. Kassidy Krause will serve as Gongol’s assistant.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say six people were treated for injuries after a fire at their apartment building in Fort Dodge. Firefighters dispatched just before 7 a.m. Thursday saw flames coming from  sixth-floor windows on the north and east sides of the Biltwell Apartments building. Fire officials say the blaze was caused by an unattended candle in a bedroom. Five occupants were treated at the scene, and a woman who lived in the apartment where the fire occurred was taken to a hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. Her name hasn’t been released.