Montgomery County Emergency Management Coordinator Brian Hamman reports one person was killed during a collision late Saturday night between a train and a vehicle, in Villisca. Authorities received a call from Burlington Northern – Sante Fe train dispatch at around 11:24-p.m., that a train vs. vehicle accident had occurred in the area of the train crossing on 7th Ave in Villisca.

Villisca Fire & Rescue and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene and found a single vehicle had been struck by a train accident east of the 7th Ave train crossing in Villisca.  The driver of the vehicle, 26-year old Bradley Lee Dumler, of Villisca, was dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported.

An investigation determined the vehicle was stopped in the middle of the crossing between the rail arms prior to being hit by the eastbound train. All railway markers, lights and stop arms were in working order and inspected after the accident and continued to show in working order.

Villisca Fire & Rescue, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery County Emergency Management and Burlington Northern Santa Fe assisted at the scene.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The sashes have been steamed, the hair teased and the routines polished. Now, it’s up to the 52 contestants in the Miss America pageant to win the crown tonight (Sunday night) in Atlantic City and become Miss America 2017.

The nationally televised finale will be held in Boardwalk Hall (beginning at 8-p.m. Central Time on ABC). It includes contestants from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. One of them will have their lives changed forever, and receive a $50,000 scholarship.

Miss Iowa, Kelly Koch

Representing Iowa for a chance at the crown and title, is 20-year old Kelly Koch (last name sounds like “Cook”), from Waukee. Koch is a junior at ISU, majoring in child, adult and family services. In June, she was crowned “Miss Iowa.” No contestant from Iowa has ever won the national Miss American title, although two Miss Iowa’s have been named First Runner-up’s.

A motorcycle accident Saturday morning in Polk County has claimed the life of a Clarke County man. The Iowa State Patrol reports 20-year old Vyacheslav Zinchenko, of Osceola, died at scene of the crash that took place at around 7:30-a.m. Officials say the 2016 Harley Davidson motorcycle he was riding southbound on Highway 65 near Altoona, went from the right lane across the traveled portion of the road and struck a guard rail. Zinchenko was ejected from the cycle and landed in the median.

The cycle bounced off the guardrail and traveled across the road to the west and came to rest near the west bridge wall.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The pilot killed in a south-central Iowa plane crash has been identified as the owner of a West Des Moines construction company. Des Moines television station KCCI reports that 42-year-old Scott Wolfswinkel died when the small plane he was piloting went down in northwestern Lucas County as he returned from a business meeting in Kansas City, Missouri. Wolfswinkel, who owned Wolf Construction and was the father of four, was alone in the plane.

The Lucas County Sheriff’s Office said the wreckage was found around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday after air traffic controllers reported losing radar contact with it. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

Hamilton’s Funeral Home says a memorial service will be held Tuesday at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines.

SIBLEY, Iowa (AP) — Officials say all the hogs packed into a trailer were killed in a rollover crash north of Sibley on Iowa Highway 9. The Osceola County Sheriff tells the Sioux City Journal that the crash happened Tuesday when the semi’s 26-year-old driver swerved to try to avoid a cow in the road. The semi tipped, landing partially in a ditch. The driver was taken to a local hospital with injuries.

Officials say all the pigs were killed — a loss estimated at $30,000. The semi and trailer, estimated at $145,000, were destroyed. Deputies say the cow, owned by a Sibley farmer, also was killed.

A public hearing is set to take place this Tuesday evening (Sept. 13th) in Atlantic, with regard to proposed changes to the City’s current Zoning Ordinance. The Planning and Zoning Commission meeting and public hearing begins at 5:30-p.m. in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. Following the hearing, the Commission is expected to act on approving the Ordinance changes.

City Administrator John Lund says the last major update to the Zoning Ordinance happened 21-years ago, on June 7th, 1995. In the updated Ordinance, four new chapters have been added: Wireless Communication Facilities, Solar Energy Systems, Wind Energy Systems and Landscaping and Screening Standards. Lund says those four chapters represent the biggest developments in zoning issues since the Ordinance was last updated.

Definitions were also greatly expanded he says, to provide a solid footing in which to execute and enforce our regulations with transparency. Where ambiguity exists, there are openings for selective administrative application. Four new sections were also added: Compliance with State and Federal Regulations; Severability Provision; Consistency with the Comprehensive Plan; and Publication. A time limit on the effectiveness of building permits was placed in the Ordinance, “To prevent semi-completed construction projects for existing in perpetuity,” according to Lund.

Among the changes, in Article 1 “General Provisions,” a time limit was placed on the effectiveness of building permits to prevent semi-completed construction projects for existing in perpetuity.

In Article 4, “R-1 Residential/Agriculture/Open Space,” the two biggest changes to the agricultural zone was the expansion on regulations for commercial feedlots and an elimination of setbacks and lot size. Another minor change was the removal of the words “non-commercial” regarding allowed stables as an accessory use. Single family homes are now a specified permitted use. Single family homes are now a specified permitted use.

In Article 6, the “R-3 High Density Single Family Residential District,” ordinance proposes setbacks for the district be variable, pending a conditional use permit by the Board of Adjustment. Also, the street side yard was reduced from 25 feet to 14 feet for corner lots.

A portion of Article 18 pertaining to “Non-conforming Uses” was stricken and replaced, because Lund says he recently found two instances where the existing ordinance prevents interested buyers in a property from securing a mortgage or insurance. In the final draft of this document, that section has been removed. It was replaced by a section saying “Residential properties in industrial zones shall not be considered nonconforming uses and may be completely rebuilt if destroyed.”

Article 21, which pertains to Signs has been changed to remove section limiting the time in which political signs can be posted had been stuck. Lund says in 1994, the Supreme Court ruled such ordinances were unconstitutional. In reviewing other cases and precedent, Lund “Outside of outright pornography, it appears cities have very little power to control the actual content of signage.”

In Article 23 of the proposed ordinance, (Exceptions and Modifications) the only change was to expand exceptions for  R-3 district to make them more flexible for existing homes. The Article now says “In the R-3 zone, expansion may be allowed on buildings and structures not in conformance to the yard requirements and setbacks, provided a written and signed document is provided by the building permit applicant from the affected abutting property owner.”

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A PDF of Lund’s Executive Summary of the changes can be downloaded here:

Executive Summary of Changes to the Zoning Ordinance

You can download a copy of the final Zoning Ordinance Draft (PDF form) here :

FINAL ZONING ORDINANCE DRAFT 09-08-2016

w/ Chris Parks

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The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office arrested two individuals following a vehicle pursuit late Friday night.

At 10:22pm the Montgomery County Communications Center received a call from Adams County advising they had two deputies in pursuit of a 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix westbound on Highway 34.  Once at Highway 34 and Highway 71 a Montgomery County Deputy placed stop-sticks in the roadway in which the vehicle struck.  That caused the left front tire to go down but the driver continued on reaching speeds of 90mph while driving on the rim.  The vehicle attempted to run a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office vehicle off the roadway and was taking other motorists head on in the wrong lane.  Montgomery County Deputies then performed a pit manuever at Highway 34 and 200th Street causing the vehicle to finally come to rest in the north ditch.  All occupants of the vehicle were detained at that time.

As a result of the incident deputies arrested 20-year-old Abel Vasquez of Lenox for Eluding, OWI Drugged 1st Offense, Driving While Suspended, Speeding, as well as warrants out of Taylor County for two counts of 3rd Degree Burglary, 2nd Degree Theft, and Possession of Marijuana.  Also arrested was 21-year-old Kami Lynn Hilton of Creston for Possession of Marijuana.

No damage was done to the patrol vehicle used in the pit manuever or the defendant’s vehicle.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Montgomery County K-9 unit, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Red Oak Police Department, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the Iowa State Patrol.

The Council Bluffs Police Department reports an armed robbery took place late Friday night. Officers were called to the Speedy Gas and Shop at 430 S. 35th Street at around 11:42-p.m., for a robbery that had just occurred. When they arrived in the area, officers met with the store clerk, who said a man entered the business, displayed a handgun and demanded money. The man then took off on foot.

The male suspect was described as being African American, 5-feet 6-inches tall, weighing about 250-pounds. The incident has been turned over to the Council Bluffs Criminal Investigations Division.

If you have any information regarding the incident you’re asked to contact the Council Bluffs Police Department at (712)328-7867.

U-S Senate candidate Patty Judge met with a small group of women Friday, to discuss ideas for improving “economic security” for women. “We’ve come a ways, but we still do have a long way to go,” Judge said. “Our economy is better, but it’s still not wonderful and so there’s things we need to attend to.”

The seven other women around the table expressed support for things like a federal law that would require companies to provide paid family and medical leave. In addition, the group discussed the costs of child care and college debt.  “This is probably the single issue that I’ve heard the most on the campaign this year, for the last 8-10 months, is the student loan debt and how that’s impacting the lives of young professionals as they try to get their feet under them,” Judge said.

Judge says, as a senator, she would vote to allow college graduates to restructure their loans and “go shopping” for better interest rates. Judge also promised the group she’d vote for the Paycheck Fairness Act. Judge says progress has been made for her gender since the time years ago that she was told “only her husband” could sign documents for federal crop subsidies. “I can remember just like it was yesterday how angry I was because they had had no problem whatsoever in having me sign the mortgages. I was absolutely obligated for that debt,” Judge said. “…I think we’ve gotten over that, but we still have a ways to go because we know today women are still earning, in Iowa, about 77 cents on the dollar.”

That would be comparing the average earnings of Iowa women and men in the state. Judge, a Democrat, did not mention Senator Chuck Grassley, her Republican opponent during the hour-long discussion. Judge’s campaign sent out a news release later, criticizing Grassley for voting against the Paycheck Fairness Act five times and for twice voting against the Fair Pay Act that is now law. In 2014, Grassley said he voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act because “the bill will do nothing to address our anemic economic growth” and would wind up being “a boon to trial lawyers.”

Grassley’s 2016 campaign manager issued a written statement Friday afternoon, calling Judge’s comments “election year rhetoric.” Bob Haus said Judge could have addressed pay equity issues in the IOWA Department of Agriculture when she was the state’s ag secretary, but “she didn’t.”

(Radio Iowa)