Police in Creston say two people were arrested on drug charges, Saturday. 35-year old Mika Luddington, and 38-year old Erik Witt, both of Creston, were arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana. Both were later released on $1,000 bond, each.

On Friday, 30-year old Matt Maxfield, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, for Theft in the 5th Degree. He was released on a Promise to Appear later, in court. On Saturday, 28-year old William Baker, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County LEC, for Theft in the 5th Degree. He was also released on a Promise to Appear. On Sunday, 28-year old Shaeina Allison and 33-year old Joseph Baze-Gaiser, both of Creston, were arrested at the Creston Wal-Mart, for Theft in the 4th Degree. They were later released on $1,000 bond each.

28-year old Jake Davis, and 35-year old Heather Scarberry, both of Creston, were arrested Sunday for Public Intoxication. Both were later released on $300 bond each. Also arrested Sunday, was 28-year old Christopher Fannon, and 24-year old Tyler McKay, both of Creston, who were taken into custody for Disorderly Conduct. Both were being held in the Union County Jail while awaiting bond.

And, 26-year old Heather Brammer, of Murray, was arrested Saturday for OWI/1st offense. She was later released on $1,000 bond.

Police in Council Bluffs say no injuries were reported following an accident early this (Monday) morning. Authorities say 37-year old Shawn Elliff, of Council Bluffs, was cited for Disobedience to a sign/signal, Failure to Provide proof of Insurance and Operating a vehicle without Registration, following a crash that happened at around 2:30-a.m. at the intersection of N. 17th Street and Avenue L.

Elliff was traveling south on N. 17th when he failed to stop at the intersection.

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His vehicle collided with the front passenger side of another vehicle which was traveling west on Avenue L. After the impact, the other vehicle traveled through a fence of residence located at the southwest corner of the intersection, and came to rest just short of hitting the house.

Elliff’s vehicle also continued southwest and traveled through the same fence before colliding with and coming to rest on, the north side of the residence. The home sustained only minor damage, though. Both vehicles sustained extensive damage,

A handful of area school district Boards of Education are set to hold their separate, regularly scheduled meetings this evening. The Griswold School Board meeting begins at 5:30-p.m. and includes a decision on a recommendation from the District’s Facilities Committee with regard to options for their buildings. Superintendent Dave Henrichs reports the Committee feels they are at a “Crossroad” following their recent meetings, and it’s his opinion the entire Committee believes “Option A,” consolidating all operations into one central campus to be located in Griswold, is the best option. Henrichs said recently “There is some concern however,” that consolidation of operations (combined with 2016-17 and future cuts), “Will create enough general fund savings to allow the district to remain viable.” His concern lies with the possibility the district may pass a multi-million dollar bond, yet still have to consolidate with another district, or dissolve, which would leave the taxpayers with a debt, and no school of their own.

The CAM School Board will meet this evening at 6:30. They’ll consider approval of a building addition plan from Snyder and Associates for the Preschool Building in Massena, and act on adopting a Board Policy with regard to “Parent and Family Engagement.”

The Audubon School Board meets at 7-p.m., and will act on a 3-year Building and Grounds Plan, as well as receive an update on a 21st Century Community Grant.

And, the Exira-EHK School Board meeting gets underway at 7-p.m. Among their discussion items, is the refinancing of a Sales Tax Bond.

Farmers across Iowa are busy trying to get their crops out of the field before winter, but many still find time to help their neighbors do so as well. In southeast Iowa’s Lee County, this harvest season would have been extremely difficult for Joann Knisley, of rural Donnellson. Her husband, Bill, died this summer from injuries he sustained in a farm accident. “Bill was a very wonderful husband. Everybody loved him,” Knisley said. “He would help anybody.” A lot of people loved Bill back and helped the Knisley family harvest more than 150 acres of corn and soybeans.

“I knew we had lots of friends when he passed away because we had 831 people show up at the funeral home and people went home because the line was so long. I mean, you know you have friends, but you don’t know how many friends you really have until something like this happens,” Knisley said. Joann was hoping her family could take care of the entire harvest, but they ran into equipment troubles. That’s when Joann’s brother, Gary Schiller, stepped in.

“I told my sister, don’t worry about the crop, we will put something together to take it out,” Schiller said. He began spreading the word and last Tuesday, more than 30 people showed up to help – including neighbors and FFA students from Central Lee High School. The harvesting crew cleared Joann and Bill Knisley’s fields in about six hours. Joann says her husband had a deep passion for farming.

“In fact, the day before my husband got hurt, I picked him up at another farm we rent and he said, ‘just look at the silks on this corn, it’s beautiful. And all the ears on the corn.’ So we have a record crop and he is not here to see it,” Knisley said. The land Bill maintained will continue to be farmed in the future. Joann plans to lease or rent it in time for planting season next spring.

(Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s Deputies in Montgomery County arrested a man on an OWI charge Sunday night, following a traffic stop at S. 2nd and E. Ohio Streets, in Red Oak. 59-year old Randall Edward Gibson, of Red Oak, faces a charge of OWI/1st offense. Gibson was arrested at around 10:50-p.m. and brought to the Montgomery County Jail, and held on $1,000 bond.

The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Department Board is set to consider a request from Deb Smith, for an area to be designated as a new park. The request, more information and the Board’s consideration, will come during their meeting this (Monday) evening, at City Hall.

During their 5:15-p.m. session, the Parks and Rec Board will also receive updates on or from: The Sunnyside Pool improvement Steering Committee; the Schildberg Trail #2 Shore Stabilization Project; the Trevor Frederickson Field Renovation; an Enhance Iowa application update (pertaining to the Schildberg Rec Area), and a request to Atlantic Municipal Utilities with regard to the Schildberg Campground project.

The Board will also discuss Matt Iekel’s landscape renovation plans and the Harvest Festival set for Nov. 21st.

Much of the election-year attention in Iowa is focused on the presidential race, but the balance of power in the state legislature is at stake in this year’s balloting, too. After failing in each of the past three election cycles, Republicans are aiming to seize control of the Iowa Senate from Democrats. Iowa G-O-P chairman Jeff Kaufmann has been expressing confidence.

“Legislative races are kind of a different beast,” Kaufmann says. “…People that have had a chance of meeting the senate candidates in those six to eight key races have to agree this is an outstanding crop.” According to Kaufmann, the G-O-P candidates in those competitive senate races have knocked on more than one-hundred thousand doors by the end of September. Kaufmann promises his party will spend a “record amount” of money to support key candidates.

Senator Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs is the top Democrat in the legislature. He is up for reelection this year. “Everybody is tired of the spectacle at the national level,” Gronstal says. “But people are actually paying a little more attention down ballot.” And, according to Gronstal, voters are paying attention to state issues, like education spending. There are currently 25 Democrats and 23 Republicans in the Iowa Senate.

The other senator switched this summer from Republican to “no party” to protest Donald Trump. In the past, individual senate races have been decided by fewer than a handful of votes, so party control MAY not be decided on Election Night if recounts are necessary. In addition, one seat won’t be filled until late December. A special election will be held in Davenport to fill the seat that had been held by Senator Joe Seng, who died last month.

Republicans have held a 57-to-43 seat edge in the Iowa House for the past two years. Back in 2012, when President Obama carried the state, Democrats gained seven seats in the Iowa House. A similar result in 2016 would plunge the Iowa House in a 50-50 tie.

(O.Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

CEDAR RAPIDS — A 49-year old former Cedar County Sheriff’s Office jail administrator was charged Saturday, with first degree Theft, for allegedly misappropriating over $36,000 in funds from the Sheriff’s Office, which is located in Tipton. Daron Lance Wilkinson served as the Jail Administrator for the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office from May 2013 until December 2015. A state audit released last week reviewed jail records and Wilkinson’s personal accounts. It concluded he skimmed off about 23-thousand dollars in fees for room and board at the jail, plus another 36-hundred dollars from the commissary and other funds.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man and a woman and two dogs were all found dead in a Waterloo home. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that autopsies are planned for the two unidentified people found in the home Sunday morning. Authorities say they do not suspect foul play. Police and paramedics were called to the house shortly after 10 a.m. after an acquaintance arrived and found one of the two people unresponsive.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Some eastern Iowa law enforcement agencies are considering whether to provide their officers with a drug that reverses the effects of opioids, potentially saving the lives of addicts who have overdosed. The Quad-City Times reports that police have to take into account how many overdose calls they go to each year and training for officers, as well as cost and storage of the drug.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Despite a spate of heavy rains and flooding in recent years, Iowa officials have little idea how much it would cost to protect homes, schools, factories and infrastructure, let alone how to pay for it. The Des Moines Register reports that Iowa cities and towns have compiled $1.4 billion in plans to protect themselves from flooding. The plans call for buying homes and businesses near rivers, building levees and flood walls, and better protecting utilities.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Mystery and crime fiction writer Edward Gorman has died. Gorman’s publicist says he died Friday after a long battle with cancer. He was 74. Gorman, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is the author of dozens of mystery novels, including the Sam McCain, Jack Dwyer and Dev Conrad series

An incident of alleged kidnapping resulted in the arrest Sunday, of a man who was charged with False Report to a Law Enforcement Entity. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says deputies arrested 21-year old Chase P. Palmer, of rural Red Oak, at around 6:43-a.m., Sunday, for causing false information to be reported, knowing that information was false. Palmer was initially reported to be the victim of the incident, but authorities located the man and determined he had in fact NOT been kidnapped. Palmer was found at a friends’ residence after losing his keys and being locked out.

Authorities say he was initially not cooperative, and they determined the man was not in any danger. Palmer was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Despite a spate of heavy rains and flooding in recent years, Iowa officials have little idea how much it would cost to protect homes, schools factories and other infrastructure, let alone how to pay for it.

The Des Moines Register reports that Iowa cities and towns have compiled $1.4 billion in plans to protect themselves from flooding. The plans call for buying homes and businesses near rivers, building levees and flood walls and better protecting utilities. But the state hasn’t aggressively pushed for wetlands, detention ponds and other upstream structures that can significantly reduce flooding risks.

Iowa state Sen. Rob Hogg, a Cedar Rapids Democrat, says some lawmakers have discussed the need, but the message got lost amid intense budget fights.