Officials with the Atlantic Police Department today (Thursday), released the details about two, non-injury accidents that took place Wednesday. The first happened a little after Noon, on Highway 6 and 10th Street, as a vehicle driven by Nicole Anaya, of Atlantic, was at the stop sign and waiting for traffic to pass so she could pull out onto the Highway. A vehicle driven by Caitie Boes, of Atlantic, was behind Anaya’s vehicle. When Anaya started to pull away from the intersection but then stopped for more traffic, Boes proceeded forward but hit the gas instead of the brake pedal, which resulted in the collision. No citations were issued. Damage from the mishap amounted to $2,500.

And, a little after 1-p.m., Wednesday, a vehicle driven by Robert Straka, of Atlantic, was westbound on 7th Street, while a vehicle driven by Phyllis Fett, of Adair was southbound on Linn Street. A third vehicle, driven by Corinna Morehouse, of Prescott, was eastbound on 7th Street. Fett’s vehicle entered the intersection from a stop sign and hit the vehicle driven by Straka. Morehouse swerved to miss the accident but hit the east curb on Linn Street. No one required medical attention. Damage from the accident amounted to $9, 500. Phyllis Fett was cited for Failure to Obey a Stop sign.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office is reporting six arrests took place over the past few days. Among those arrested today (Thursday), was: 29-year old Greg Vernon Armstrong, of Glenwood, who was taken into custody on a warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault; 38-year old Robert Lee Watts, of Tabor, was arrested for OWI/2nd offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and 47-year old Christopher Lee Schendt, of Papillion, NE., was arrested today (Thursday), for Public Intoxication.

On Wednesday, 36-year old Jacob Thomas Kinser, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in Mills County for Driving Under Suspension, being a Fugitive from Justice, and Failure to show proof of insurance. This past Tuesday, Mills County Deputies arrested 41-year old Renae Sue Gaver and 26-year old Andrew Michael David Nilsson, both of Glenwood. Gaver and Nilsson were wanted on warrants for Failure to Appear in Court.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has named Republican attorney Adam Gregg as her administration’s No. 2 leader while seeking to avoid a lawsuit over whether she has the power to name a new lieutenant governor.

Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller advised this month that the Iowa Constitution would not give Reynolds the power to name a new lieutenant governor after she succeeded Gov. Terry Branstad. Miller’s opinion angered Reynolds, who had indicated she might appoint a new lieutenant even if it risked a legal challenge.

Reynolds said Thursday that Gregg would be the “acting lieutenant governor.” Gregg will collect the lieutenant governor’s salary of $103,000 but not be in the line of succession. That means Senate President Jack Whitver would become governor if Reynolds leaves office before January 2019.

A Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputy on assignment serving a civil paper, arrested a man Wednesday evening on warrants related to the Iowa Sex Offender Registry. The Deputy was in the 700 block of Mynster Street in Council Bluffs, when he saw 21-year old Adrian Cory Lee Rollins, of Council Bluffs, walk past him. The Deputy knew Rollins had active warrants for his arrest, which was confirmed through dispatch. Rollins was taken into custody at around 5:30-p.m. on felony warrants for Sex Offender Registry Violation/2nd offense, and Sex Offender Area/Activity Violation-2nd offense.

And, a Nebraska man currently held in the Pottawattamie County Jail, was served with a warrant out of Nebraska, for being a Fugitive from Justice. 47-year old Gary Walker, of Omaha, was served with the warrant and then returned to the custody of jail staff.

Officials with the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System senior leadership report a Veterans’ Town Hall meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., May 31st at the American Legion, South Omaha Melting Pot Post 331, 4830 South 31st Street, Omaha, Neb. The town hall is to gain open and honest feedback from veterans, their family members and other community members.

Senior leadership and other subject-matter experts from the local VA health system will be present to improve communication with and hear directly from veterans and their families. VA also welcomes input from congressional stakeholders, veteran service organizations, non-governmental organizations and other community partners at the meeting.

Following the town hall, representatives from various VA programs will be available to provide assistance to veterans who may not be enrolled in the health care system. B. Don Burman, director, VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, says “Caring for Veterans is a calling, and our first commitment is to provide veterans and their families the timely, quality care and benefits they have earned and deserve through their service to our nation.”

For more information, contact Will Ackerman at 402-995-4719.

A recent report in U-S-A Today warns of the dangers of a new type of pest called the “seed tick,” but Iowa State University entomologist Donald Lewis says technically, the story is wrong. “It is not a different species of tick,” Lewis says. “It’s certainly not something new, I’ve used the phrase seed tick for the last 40 years. It’s not a new phrase, it’s not a new pest. It just gets used by the general public to mean something teeny tiny that I think was a tick.”

Lewis says there’s no need to be particularly concerned about this insect. “All species of ticks can have the term ‘seed tick’ applied to their larval stage,” he says. “It simply means the beginning stage of any kind of tick.”

Lewis says when the so-called seed ticks mature, they can carry many types of illnesses including Lyme disease. He is not predicting a particularly bad tick season. He admits they do grow well in humid and wet conditions with a good food source like small mammals. If a mature tick of any kind does become attached, the recommended way to remove it is with tweezers.

(Radio Iowa w/Thanks to Pat Blank, Iowa Public Radio)

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Donald Trump has scheduled a visit to Iowa – his first as president of the United States. His campaign website says a rally is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. June 1 at the Cedar Rapids Convention Complex. People are invited to register for up to two tickets each.

Trump’s last visit to Iowa occurred in Des Moines during his “Thank You” tour as president-elect in December. Trump won Iowa’s six electoral votes in November.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) – A former Iowa fire academy administrator has been given two years’ probation for falsifying test scores that were used to improperly certify thousands of firefighters.

Former Fire Services Training Bureau certification manager John McPhee also was sentenced Wednesday in Story County District Court to a suspended prison sentence of five years. He was fined $750 and ordered to serve 100 hours of community service. He had pleaded guilty to felony misconduct in office after making a deal with prosecutors.

McPhee was arrested in January, when the Iowa Department of Public Safety announced that 1,706 firefighters and emergency personnel had been awarded nationally recognized certifications despite failing written exams. The total found eventually reached 2,445. Authorities say McPhee assigned passing scores to exams without checking or correcting them for years.