CHEROKEE, Iowa (AP) – Leaders in the northwest Iowa town of Cherokee would love to see another company make use of the former Tyson Foods plant just outside town, but they say the food company is making it hard to find a new tenant. The Des Moines Register reports Tyson continues paying $130,000 rent on the building and refuses to allow anyone it considers a competitor to use the building.

Tyson spokeswoman Caroline Ahn says the company has been in talks with three food companies about the plant. She says those deals fell apart, but it was not because of competitive concerns. Cherokee City Councilman Chad Brown says it feels like Tyson is holding the town hostage because it won’t release the plant.

Officers with the Iowa DNR are looking for the operator of a Personal Water Craft (PWC) following a personal injury accident that occurred at Lake Manawa Saturday evening. Brian Smith, with the DNR says an Omaha, Neb. woman was injured after being thrown off a PWC on Lake Manawa, and law enforcement officers are seeking assistance from the public in locating the operator of the vessel who left the scene.

29-year old Laura Goodburn was the passenger on a personal watercraft when she was thrown off at approximately 6:30-p.m., Saturday in the middle of the lake toward the south end. She complained of a neck injury and was taken to Alegent Health Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs. Both Goodburn and a friend she was with, Justin Smith of Omaha, Neb., told law enforcement officers they did not know the identity of the personal watercraft operator.

The operator of the personal watercraft is described as a white, middle-aged male, approximately 6-feet tall, average weight and with short red, blonde or gray hair. At the time of the incident, he was wearing an O’Neill life jacket. The personal watercraft was described as being orange, black and gold. Law enforcement officers searched the lake and boat ramps but were unable to find a vessel fitting that description.

Conservation officers and park rangers from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources are continuing to investigate the incident. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information on the identity of the personal watercraft operator is asked to call DNR Law Enforcement Supervisor Brian Smith at 712-254-0550.

The Iowa State Patrol early Sunday morning released information about a fatal car-versus-motorcycle accident that took place Saturday evening, in Shelby County. Officials say 46-year old Cole Jon Andersen, of Irwin, died, after the 2004 Yamaha motorcycle he was riding, was struck from behind as he was traveling south on Shelby County Road M-47, just south of 1700th Street. The accident happened just after 7-p.m.

The Patrol says the car, a 2017 Hyundai Elantra, which was also traveling south on M-47, was driven by 41-year old David Michael Hirsh, of Irwin. The accident remains under investigation.

Sheriff’s Deputies from Shelby and Audubon County responded to the scene, along with Harlan Police, Defiance Fire and Medivac Ambulance.

Firefighters from Anita and Wiota were dispatched to a motor home on fire this evening, off Interstate 80 westbound, at exit 70. The call went out just before 7-p.m. When the first crews arrived on the scene, the rear of the motor home, which was parked on the exit ramp, was fully engulfed in flames. No injuries have been reported.

According to an Iowa State Patrol Trooper, the RV, occupied by two adult and three juvenile males pulled over when they detected smoke. It was after they exited the vehicle that fire was seen coming out the rear of the RV. The vehicle was a total loss. An electrical issue is believed to have been the cause of the blaze. Anita fire remained on the scene until about 8:45-p.m.

(Here is an update posted separately at 1:06-a.m. Sunday…)

Authorities in Shelby County are on the scene of a fatality accident involving a car versus motorcycle. The crash was reported at around 7-p.m., south of 1700th Street and M-47. At least one other person was injured in the collision. No other details are available at this time.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Part of Iowa State University’s history will be auctioned off next week. Des Moines television station KCCI reports that the contents of the Hotel Memorial Union, which closed earlier this month, will be sold a public garage sale on Thursday. The 29-room hotel was closed to make room for more student housing. The top three floors of the Union will become student housing.

Among things for sale will be king and queen bed sets purchased last year, bed frames, night stands, twin roll-away beds, dressers, desks, tables and lamps. Also going will be coffee makers, irons, hair dryers, ice buckets, foldable luggage stands, clock radios, bed pillows, bath towels and bedding.

Buyers must pay by cash or check; credit cards will not be accepted.

Police in Glenwood made a traffic stop early Saturday morning and ended-up arresting two people on drug charges. Officers pulled over a pickup truck driven by John Leroy Adams, of Glenwood, at around 12:50-a.m. A check of Adams’ license revealed he was barred from driving. The man was arrested on the aggravated misdemeanor charge.

Following his arrest, an active Methamphetamine lab was found inside the vehicle. Adams was then charged with Manufacturing Methamphetamines, a class B Felony. His bond was set at $27,000. A passenger in the pickup, Danielle Rene Evans, of Glenwood, was also arrested and charged with Manufacturing Methamphetamines and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Evans’ bond was set at $25,300.

Glenwood Police Department were assisted at the scene by deputies with the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, and officers with the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Taskforce.

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

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Local, state and federal agencies are hosting an amnesty program in Omaha-Council Bluffs today (Saturday) during which people can turn over various types of guns and explosives without fear of prosecution. The bi-state event is being overseen by Sergeant Matt Manhart, director of the Omaha Police Department’s Bomb Squad. Manhart says, “If you have an unused consumer fireworks, illegal fireworks, any firearms or ammunition, it can be taken to any one of the three locations where our amnesty is being held.”

Those locations include the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s office in Council Bluffs, Omaha Fire Station number-43 and Seymour Smith Park in Omaha. Manhart says the whole point of the event is to make our streets and homes a little safer from dangerous explosives and lethal weapons. He stresses, no questions will be asked. “Especially something illegal, there’s not going to be any issues, just bring it in,” Manhart says. “I’d rather have the stuff get off the streets are realize nobody’s going to get hurt by those items.”

These amnesty days are held in the metro area at least once a year and organizers say, they work.  “We average 800 to 900 pounds of fireworks, anywhere from 500 to probably 700 or 800 pounds of ammunition is brought in every single time,” Manhart says. “They’ve always been very successful.”

The amnesty runs from 9 A-M to 3 P-M. The drop-offs involve all local law enforcement agencies in the Omaha and Council Bluffs area, the Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

(Radio Iowa)

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

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