Red Oak Police report two people were arrested Saturday evening, on Theft charges. 30-year old Alana Marie Johnson, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 5:30-p.m. in the 300 block of West Coolbaugh Street, for Theft in the 5th Degree. And, 36-year old Edward Eugene Jones, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 6:15-p.m. as an Accessory to Theft in the 5th Degree. Both were brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 cash bond, each.

Two separate accidents in the eastern half of Iowa claimed two lives, Saturday. The first happened at around 1-p.m. in northeast Iowa’s Allamakee County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 65-year old Dale Ebel, of Duluth, MN, was traveling south on Highway 26, when his 2002 Boss motorcycle went out of control and entered the west ditch south of New Albin. Ebel was ejected from the cycle and came to rest in the ditch. He was transported to  Gundersen Hospital in LaCrosse, WI., where he was pronounced dead.

The second accident happened at around 10:20-p.m. in Central Iowa’s Marshall County, as a 1996 Ford Mustang driven by 30-year old James G. Boucher, of Grundy Center, was transitioning a curve on Highway 330 from Albion. The car yawed left and struck a tree, impacting the passenger side of the vehicle. Boucher, who was not wearing a seat belt, died at the scene.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 7:40 p.m. CDT

MOUNT VERNON, Iowa (AP) — The Linn County Sheriff’s Office has identified a man who drowned in the Cedar River in eastern Iowa. The office says in a news release that several law enforcement and rescue departments were called to the river near Mount Vernon on Friday afternoon for a report of a man falling into the river. First responders found 68-year-old Jeffery Fordyce, of Dike, unresponsive, and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. Fordyce was pronounced dead at the scene.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police have identified two men killed in an early morning shooting on the city’s east side. Police say officers were called just after 3 a.m. Saturday to Easton Boulevard to investigate a shooting and found two men with gunshot wounds. Police say 26-year-old Darnell Lee, of Des Moines, died at the scene, and 30-year-old Jason Smith, also of Des Moines, died at a hospital. No arrests had been made by midday Saturday.

ADEL, Iowa (AP) — The adoptive brother of 16-year-old Sabrina Ray, who died of malnutrition in her family home, has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges in connection to her death. The Des Moines Register reports that 21-year-old Justin Dale Ray pleaded not guilty Friday to two counts of child endangerment and two counts of willful injury. Police say he “drop-kicked” her down stairs sometime between April 15 and May 1, leaving her unable to walk, talk, eat or drink normally.

WILTON, Iowa (AP) — A nearly $1 million restoration project of buildings in an eastern Iowa city aims to restore some of the charm to the downtown area in hopes of attracting business owners, residents and visitors. The Muscatine Journal reports the city of Wilton is soliciting bids for the restoration project this month, with plans to start the project this summer. Many of the buildings slated for restoration were built in the mid- to late-19th century.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Residents in parts of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa are cleaning up after severe thunderstorms — some producing hurricane-force winds — shattered homes, tore down trees and left thousands without power.

The National Weather Service in Valley, just west of Omaha, says storms blasted Omaha and surrounding areas with heavy rain, hail and winds reaching nearly 90 mph. The service has not confirmed any tornadoes, but has sent teams to northeastern Nebraska and Bellevue, just south of Omaha, where the most damage has been reported. No injuries have been reported.

Some homes in Bellevue were torn apart, and Offutt Air Force Base just south of the city has requested that only essential personnel report to the base Saturday as crews work to clean up damaged homes and downed trees.

ADEL, Iowa (AP) — The adoptive brother of 16-year-old girl who died of malnutrition in her family home has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges in connection to her death. The Des Moines Register reports, 21-year-old Justin Dale Ray pleaded not guilty Friday to two counts of child endangerment, and two counts of willful injury.

Police say he “drop-kicked” Sabrina Ray down basement stairs sometime between April 15 and May 1, leaving her unable to walk, talk, eat or drink normally. He remains jailed on $100,000 bond.

The girl’s body was found May 12 in the Perry home she shared with her adoptive parents, who have also been charged. The girl weighed just 56 pounds. A cousin and grandmother of the teen also face charges in her death.

w/ Chris Parks

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Friday night’s storms resulted in widespread damage across southwest Iowa, and in Atlantic, a condominium was struck by lighting. Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees said a woman had just returned home at around 9-p.m., when lightning struck.

The bolt traveled along the gutters at the house and exiting at two corners at 1513 E. 18h Street, but not before rupturing water lines and corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) leading to the furnace. The homeowner was able to shut off the water to the broken pipe. Atlantic Fire shut off the gas. A neighboring town home was also filling with gas. Her neighbors to the east lost electronic equipment in their homes.

McNees said CSS tubing is used in many new construction and even when properly grounded has caused many fires throughout the U-S.  Atlantic Fire and Alliant Energy both responded to the scene Friday night. The AFD was on scene for about two-hours.

Lightning exits the gutters at a condo in Atlantic Friday night (Photo courtesy Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees)

Severe storms rumbled across Western Iowa for the second straight night on Friday and strong winds were responsible for damage and utility outages across the area this time around.

Structure damage has been reported at numerous locations including the Glenwood area in Mills County as well as near Shelby.  Downed trees and tree limbs were a common occurrence throughout the storm path as well.

Menard’s Distribution Center near Shelby. Photo courtesy Michele McConnell Andersen.

Mid American Energy was still reporting at 7:00am on Saturday that approximately 2,100 customers were without power in the Council Bluffs and Southwest Iowa region.  Alliant Energy reported just around 150 customers without services at 7:00am as well.

The Red Oak Police Department responded to a two-vehicle accident at about 10:39pm on Friday night. No one was injured in the accident that occurred at the intersection of North Broadway Avenue and West Walnut Street in Red Oak.

It was determined that a 2001 Buick LeSabre driven by 19-year-old Megan Ann McCall of Villisca did not yield long enough at a stop sign and pulled out in front of a 2008 Chevy Impala driven by 34-year-old Michelle Lee Szymarek of Red Oak.  The Impala struck the front right side of the LeSabre after being stopped at a stop sign in a parking lot headed west towards West Walnut Street.  The LeSabre had to be towed from the scene and sustained an estimated $5,000 damage. The Impala was able to be driven to a nearby residence and also sustained an estimated $5,000 damage.

Some photos of damage taken along I-29 near the Highway 34 intersection (west of Glenwood). Photos courtesy Quinn Hall, from Red Oak.