Two people were arrested after a search warrant was executed in Red Oak on Friday.  The Red Oak Police Department along with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit executed a search warrant in the 200 block of East Corning Street in Red Oak.

As a result of the search officers arrested 28-year-old Nefertity Sandoval of Red Oak on charges of Possession of Ammunition by a Felon (Class D Felony), Possession of a Schedule II Narcotic (Class C Felony), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Simple Misdemeanor.  Officers also arrested 38-year-old Nicole Kaye Anthony of Red Oak for Possession with Intent to Deliver Amphetamine (Class B Felony) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Simple Misdemeanor).

Both suspects are being held at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center. Sandoval is held on $50,000 cash bond and Anthony is being held on $100,000 cash bond.  Further charges are pending the finalization of the investigation.

A bicyclist escaped serious injuries after she was struck by a car Thursday afternoon, in Creston. Authorities said Friday Jayden Sexton, of Creston, was riding a bike westbound across West Adams Street, when she was struck by a 2003 Ford Taurus, driven by 43-year old Scott Little, of Creston, as Little was traveling south on Elm Street. Sexton and Little had both stopped at the intersection, but when Little pulled out, he failed to see the approaching bicycle. The accident happened at around 12:25-p.m., Thursday. Sexton suffered possible/minor injuries and was transported to the Greater Regional Medical Center by one of her parents. No citations were issued.

Fire claimed the life of a resident of a home located in the 200 block of West 1^st Street, in Casey. Another person was said to have been injured. Firefighters from Casey, Adair, Menlo, as well as rescue crews from Stuart and Casey, responded to the blaze that was reported a little before 3:30-p.m. The names of the victims had not been released as of late Friday evening. The State Fire Marshal’s Office was called in to investigate. Additional information is currently not available.

Firefighters in Griswold were called to the scene of a garage fire Friday evening. The call went out at 7:17-p.m. for the blaze behind 906 Main Street. Griswold Assistant Fire Chief Jim Wyman lives nearby. He said he could see lots of smoke before crews arrived on the scene. He said when they got there just minutes later, the structure was fully engulfed in flames. Many construction tools were stored inside the garage, including air compressors, and propane tanks.

A power line (on the left near the tree) burns moments before showering sparks. (Ric Hanson/photos)

Power lines nearby fell to the ground and produced some fireworks when as they burned and popped numerous times, showering sparks for several feet each time. Wyman said they have no idea what started the blaze, the flames of which scorched nearby, vacant homes and other structures.

He said the building was fully engulfed long before firefighters arrived, and he was surprised no one called it in before hand, especially since it was so close to the Griswold Casey’s Store. A VW Bug from the 1970’s parked near the structure was also damaged by the flames. No injuries were reported. Crews were on the scene for over an hour.

Firefighters in Griswold were called to the scene of a garage fire Friday evening. The call went out at 7:17-p.m. for the blaze at 906 Main Street. The structure was fully engulfed in flames at 7:27-p.m., and power lines were said to be down behind the garage, in the alley.

Additional information is currently unavailable.

Police in Council Bluffs are investigating the robbery early this (Friday) morning of a convenience store at 1839 Madison Avenue. Authorities say at around 12:35-a.m., two black men entered the Bucky’s Express on Madison Avenue. One of the suspects pointed a black semi- automatic pistol at the clerk and demanded the money from the register. The suspect was handed an undetermined amount of cash. As the suspects exited the store the suspect fired one shot toward the clerk.The suspects then ran from the store.

The first suspect was described as being a black male about 5-feet 6-inches tall, wearing a tan canvas jacket with a black scarf wrapped around his face and armed with a semi-automatic pistol. The second suspect was thin black male, about 6-feet tall. He wore a blue hooded sweatshirt with a black scarf wrapped around his face.

Surveillance photo of suspects

If you have any information regarding the incident, contact Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office today (Friday), said a man from Exira was arrested Thursday, following an investigation into an incident that occurred earlier, in the 500 block of Hill Haven, in Exira. 56-year-old Roger Thomas Waters, Jr. was arrested at around 8-p.m. on two counts of Domestic Abuse Assault and two counts of Child Endangerment. Waters was brought to the Audubon County Jail and later released after appearing before the Magistrate.

FARRAGUT, Iowa (AP) – The Farragut Community School District has involuntarily dissolved. The Daily Nonpareil reports that the district’s dissolution went into effect Friday after being placed into the Green Hills Area Education Agency’ receivership. The Iowa State Board of Education voted to revoke the district’s accreditation in November 2015, primarily because of years of spending more than what was allowed by the state.

The district’s superintendent, Tom Hinrichs, resigned a month after the district was put on the path to dissolution. Students have gone to the Shenandoah, Sidney, Hamburg and Fremont-Mills community school districts. Green Hills chief administrator Lane Plugge says the district’s buildings are now the property of the Shenandoah school district. Shenandoah now owns about 65 percent of the property.

An escapee from the Ft. Madison Correctional Facility was captured Thursday afternoon, in Stuart, and a woman from Stuart was arrested as an accessory in harboring him. Stuart Police said a Stuart Police Officer was investigating the reported sighting of an escaped fugitive, 31-year old Joseph Leclair, Jr., at around noon Thursday, in the 300 block of N. Main Street.  Lora Sue Baudler, of Stuart, answered the door when the officer knocked but refused to cooperate with the officer.

Baudler then left the property and allegedly made a false 911 call reporting LeClair to be at a different location. The officer called in assistance from Guthrie and Adair County Sheriff’s Offices and the State Patrol to surround the house, while he prepared a search warrant. At approximately 3:30-pm officers entered the house with a search warrant and found LeClair hiding inside.

LeClaire was arrested and transported to the Guthrie County Jail. Baudler was arrested on charges that include False Reports to, or Communications with, Public Safety entities, and Accessory after the Fact.

You may recall LeClaire was involved in a similar incident last year when he escaped from work release for over a two month period from May-July. He was subsequently arrested in Polk County following that incident.

Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources say more than 700 vessels containing more than 2,200 boaters were contacted as part of Operation Dry Water during the weekend of June 25th-26th. The effort to focus on enforcement of Iowa’s boating while intoxicated law is intended to draw public attention to the hazards of boating under the influence going into the Fourth of July holiday weekend, traditionally one of the busiest times for vessels on Iowa waters.

In all, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources along with partner agencies issued 227 citations or warnings during the Operation Dry Water campaign. While most of the violations and warnings involved having the proper safety equipment on-board, a total of 10 boating while intoxicated arrests were made during the effort.

The waters targeted for this year’s effort were Coralville Reservoir, the Mississippi River, Brushy Creek Lake, Lake Manawa, Okoboji, Saylorville Reservoir and the Missouri River. The DNR received assistance in the effort from the Illinois, Wisconsin, and Nebraska DNR, Iowa State Patrol, local sheriffs and police departments and county conservation boards.

The Operation Dry Water effort resulted in 381 boaters being contact and 161 citations or warning being issued a year ago. Susan Stocker, boating law administrator and education coordinator for the Iowa DNR, said Operation Dry Water is an important mission to heighten boating safety awareness prior to the busy Fourth of July holiday. “One-third of all boating fatalities nationally involved alcohol and many of those victims were innocent bystanders,” Stocker said.

Iowa fares even worse than the national average with approximately half of the boating-related fatalities involving alcohol. “The effects of alcohol can be intensified when combined with wind and wave action and an extended time spent in the sun. Operators may not think they are under the influence, but their judgment, reaction time, balance and vision indicate that they are,” Stocker said.

There are slightly less than 220,000 registered boats in Iowa.