A traffic stop early Tuesday morning in Fremont County resulted in the arrest of a Nebraska woman on numerous drug charges. Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports his K9 Unit stopped a vehicle driven by 28-year old Jaimi Buchholz, of Cook, NE. During the course of a routine investigation, deputies found Buchholz to be in possession of methamphetamine, butane hash oil, marijuana and marijuana edibles, and drug paraphernalia. She was also found to be unlawfully in possession of prescription medication. Buchholz was transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center, where she was awaiting her initial court appearance.

Jaimi Buchholz

The Iowa State Patrol says a truck and trailer hauling soft drink products crashed Tuesday morning in Greene County about five-miles southwest of Jefferson, injuring a man from Carroll County. 34-year old Bradley Edward Ruhnke, of Carroll, was driving a 2002 International tractor trailer westbound on E-57 at around 9:30-a.m., when the semi went out of control, crossed the center line of the road and hit the corner of a bridge before rolling over and coming to rest mostly hanging over the bridge, with the trailer in Greenbriar Creek. The truck was owned by the Pepsi-Cola Company, out of Carroll.

Ruhnke was transported by ambulance to the Greene County Medical Center in Jefferson and later flown to a hospital in Des Moines. A report on his condition was not available. Officials with the Iowa DNR say the crash caused an estimated 200 gallons of diesel fuel and other fluids to be released into the creek. Emergency responders placed absorbent booms into the creek to catch and absorb the petroleum products.

The spill was contained. The DNR was monitoring clean-up activities as the trucking company and contractors worked to remove the diesel fuel. The DNR says it will consider appropriate enforcement action.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A man shot by police during a standoff in Sioux City earlier this year has been sentenced to 10 days in jail after pleading guilty to two counts. The Sioux City Journal reports that 44-year-old Lee Fischer pleaded guilty Tuesday to intimidation with a dangerous weapon and domestic abuse assault. In exchange, prosecutors dropped a charge of assaulting a police officer.

Fischer also received a suspended five-year prison sentence, three years’ probation and an order to continue substance abuse treatment. Police were called March 5 about a man firing a gun inside his home while his ex-wife was there. Fischer emerged from the home hours later with a gun and was shot by an officer when he refused to drop it. The woman was not injured.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says two people were arrested on burglary and other charges, last week. 25-year old Alan Wayne Shomaker, and 45-year old James LaFayette Belback II, both of Council Bluffs, were taken into custody Thanksgiving Day at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office. Both face charges that include: Ongoing Criminal Conduct; two counts each of Burglary in the 3rd degree; Theft in the 2nd Degree; Possession of Burglar’s tools and two counts each of Trespassing. Their bonds were set at $44,000 each.

Early Thanksgiving morning, 22-year old Samuel Raymond Lee, of Omaha, was arrested at a location off I-29, for Possession of Controlled Substance, and OWI 1^st  offense. His bond was set at $2,000.

And today (Tuesday), 34-year old Tammy Jean Hammers, of Malvern, was arrested for Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs and Driving Under Suspension. She was also arrested on a Fremont County warrant for Probation Violation. Hammers’ total bond was set at $6,300.  20-year old Dakota Lane Liddell, of Pacific Junction, was arrested today (Tuesday) as well, on a warrant for Probation Violation. Liddell was arrested at the Omaha Corrections Center. His bond was set at $10,000.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports one person was injured during two separate accidents that took place last week. 23-year old Taylor Cambridge, of Glenwood, was transported by Glenwood Rescue to Jennie Edmundson Nov. 22nd, after the 1997 Jeep she was driving went out of control on 221st Street, due to the surface conditions. The SUV hit a guard rail and rolled into the east ditch. The accident happened at around 12:55-p.m.

The other accident happened at around 3:15-p.m. on Nov. 23rd. Sheriff’s officials say 66-year old Michael Baxter, of Council Bluffs, was  driving a 1995 Jeep southbound on Interstate 29 about four-miles north of the Glenwood exit, when his vehicle entered the west ditch. No injuries were reported.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad says he’s open to discussing changes in public employee pension plans, sparking a discussion about whether a switch to a defined contribution plan, similar to a 401(k), would meet worker needs and better protect taxpayers.

Democratic State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald tells The Des Moines Register public employees in the state should be concerned about the potential to do away with the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System, also known as IPERS. The system has 350,000 members. Fitzgerald says the problem with defined contribution plans proposed by some lawmakers and organizations is that they place the financial risk on employees who are stuck with high fees for investments.

The Iowa Chapter of Americans for Prosperity, Iowans for Tax Relief and the Public Interest Institute in Mount Pleasant have endorsed shifting IPERS to a defined contribution plan.

The manager of the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System had expected the “silver tsunami” to hit a few years ago. But Donna Mueller — the system’s C-E-O — says many “Baby Boomers” in government jobs put off retirement because of the recessions that hit in 2001 and 2008. “So we’re having a little bit of an increase,” she says.

About six-thousand people who’ve worked in Iowa cities, counties, public schools or state government retired last year. That’s about a thousand more than retired five years ago. “Our workforce is aging,” Mueller says. “And many individuals did delay retirement.”

114,000 people are getting a pension today from the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System — often called IPERS. While pension systems in places like Detroit and Illinois have major problems, IPERS is “very stable,” according to the system’s C-E-O, and there’s “absolutely no problem” in paying benefits.

“It’s over 83 percent fully-funded,” Mueller says. “Anyone who’s currently receiving a pension and current members who are looking forward to receiving a pension should rest assured they’ll receive their retirement benefits.” More than half of the public workers who are in the system and still working are employed in schools. State employees account for 15 percent of IPERS “active” members. Sixteen percent of the future pensioners are employed by counties and another 14 percent work for one of Iowa’s cities.

Mueller met with Governor Branstad this (Tuesday) morning to discuss her agency’s budget and Branstad expressed confidence in the fund’s solvency. Branstad also made clear there are NO plans to offer early retirement incentives to public workers or he’s not advancing a proposal to change the benefit structure.

(Radio Iowa)

A bill sponsored by an Iowa congressman to address the plea of an Iowa veteran was signed into law last night (Monday) by President Obama. Congressman David Young of Van Meter sponsored the “No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act.” Young calls it “critical mental health legislation for our veterans and service members.” In a written statement. Young thanked members of congress and the president for getting the bill “across the finish line.”

The law requires the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department to ensure calls made to its suicide hotline are returned in a timely manner. Young drafted the legislation after a veteran who had tried to call the hotline, but couldn’t get through, contacted a member of his congressional staff for help. Young says soldiers “who have sacrificed in defense of our freedoms deserve the best quality mental health care possible.”

(Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s Deputies investigating the distribution of methamphetamine in the Percival area, were involved in a pursuit early this (Tuesday) morning. Sheriff Kevin Aistrope says the County’s K9 unit was investigating at around 5-a.m., when deputies came across Michael Frakes, of Nebraska City, NE. Aistrope said Frakes was already under investigation for distribution of narcotics.

Michael Frakes

When deputies tried to make contact with the man, Frakes took off, heading south through Percival. A high-speed pursuit ensued, during which Frakes lost control of the vehicle he was driving. The vehicle skidded across Highway 2 at the intersection with 195th Avenue, and entered the south ditch.

Deputies tried to apprehend Frakes, but he continued to try and elude them in his vehicle, which rammed the K9 Unit before heading west on Highway 2 toward Nebraska City.

Deputies followed Frakes into Nebraska City, where Officers with the Nebraska City Police Department were waiting to assist. Officers and Deputies with the two law enforcement agencies pursued Frakes through Nebraska City until he ditched the car in the 700 block of 5th Avenue, and took off on foot.

Nebraska City Police saw Frakes running into a nearby residence and were able to arrest him there. No injuries were reported during the incident.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office today (Tuesday), reports an infant has died following an apparent accidental drowning in a bathtub at a condominium located at Lake Panorama. Authorities say 21-month old Sawyer Madsen, of Lincoln, NE, was found floating in a tub in a rented Clover Ridge Resort condo at Lake Panorama, on Nov. 23rd.

Sawyer, and her four-year old sibling, were placed in the bathtub with running water, and left unattended for a period of time. The older sibling was not injured. Sawyer Madsen was flown by helicopter to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, where she died Thanksgiving Day.

Her parents were identified as Elena and Joshua Madsen, of Lincoln, NE. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says the parents and extended family from other states chose to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday at Lake Panorama, because it was a central location for members of the family. None present were from the immediate area.

An autopsy was performed on the girl. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation continue to investigate the circumstances of the death.