Police in Council Bluffs are investigating the armed robbery of a woman that took place Monday night, near a grocery store. Officers meeting with 47-year old Kelly Cornell, of Council Bluffs, at around 9:20-p.m., at 1902 6th Avenue, were told by Cornell that she was walking from the No Frills Grocery Store to a friend’s house when she observed a man following her near the area of 5th and 19th street.

Cornell told police the man then pointed a handgun at her demanding all of her money. She complied, giving the suspect an undetermined amount of cash and a pocket folding knife. The suspect then physically attempted to take Cornell’s purse. When she tried to turn away from the suspect, the woman was struck on the left side of her face with the man’s fist or the handgun he was holding.

The suspect was last seen running north and east from 5th Ave. He was described as being a medium build black male, 18-to 30-years of age, 5-feet 7-inches tall, weighing  170-pounds. He wore a black hoodie, jeans, red scarf covering his face and possessed an unknown type of handgun.  Anyone with any information about the crime is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.

Sheriff’s officials in Union County say a woman from Afton reported last Friday evening that numerous items had been taken from her home in the 2600 block of 170th Street. The victim said someone had entered her home during the day, Friday, and took: Jewelry; a Craftsman drill; a DeWalt drill; a purse and billfold; a DVD player and movies; coats; meat from the freezer; jeans; an I-Pad; a Remington 1100 12 gauge; an I-pod 5; a spotting scope; a jar of change; dance shoes; and a Toshiba laptop computer. The loss was estimated at $6,600.

Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested an Anita Man on Oct. 17th. Authorities said Monday (today), 46-year old Bradley Leo Ranney, of Anita, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear. Ranney was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $2,000 bond.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office, today (Monday), released an arrest and accident report. Officials say 34-year old Collen Lynn Salmons, of Malvern, was arrested Sunday night for Contributing Alcohol to a Minor. Her bond was set at $1,000.

And, one person was injured during an accident Saturday morning at 221st Street and Kane Avenue, in Mills County. Authorities say Samantha Wilson, of Glenwood, was driving a 1995 Oldsmobile northbound on 221st Street at around 9:30-a.m., and approaching the railroad over pass bridge. Wilson told authorities When she swerved to miss a deer in the roadway, her vehicle crossed the center line into the southbound lane of traffic before hitting the west side of a bridge. The car then crossed back over into the northbound lane of traffic and struck the east side of the bridge before coming to rest. Wilson was transported by Pacific Junction Rescue to Mercy Hospital.

The other accident happened Friday afternoon, as Larry Diamond, of Council Bluffs, was driving a 2012 Ford eastbound coming into Iowa, on the Bellevue Bridge. Diamond’s vehicle made contact with a vehicle driven by Kyle Kruse, with both vehicles’ side view mirrors impacting each other. Both drivers stopped on opposite sides of the bridge waiting for each other to come back to their side of the bridge.

Diamond suffered a laceration to his hand during the accident and left the scene for about 20-minutes to seek medical attention. The Sheriff’s Office says both drivers were on the yellow center line, and were equally at fault.

Police in Council Bluffs, Monday (today), identified the driver of a vehicle involved in a fiery crash Friday night. Authorities say 34-year old Habib A. Ibrahim, of Omaha, remains in critical condition at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha.

The accident happened at around 8:10-p.m. Friday on Interstate 29 southbound near the 53.5 mile marker. When officers arrived on the scene, they found flames coming from the vehicle and Ibrahim was still inside.

Council Bluffs Fire personnel were able to extinguish the flames and remove the man from the vehicle. He was the only person involved in the crash. Officials have not yet determined the cause of the accident. Anyone who may have witnessed the accident is asked to contact the Council Bluffs Police Department’s Traffic Unit at (712)328-4948.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Terry Branstad is creating a special division in Iowa’s public defender’s office that will focus on wrongful convictions. Branstad and State Public Defender Adam Gregg announced the new division today (Monday). The division will initially review cases that used flawed hair analysis testimony.

Earlier this year, the Justice Department and FBI announced that nearly every examiner in the FBI Laboratory’s microscopic hair comparison unit gave flawed testimony in almost all trials in which they offered evidence against criminal defendants for more than 20 years before 2000.

Gregg says that announcement was a motivation for creating the division. The state has hired Audrey McGinn, who previously worked for the California Innocence Project, to head the division. She will work with the Iowa Innocence Project and the Midwest Innocence Project.

Montgomery County Auditor Stephanie Burke says Montgomery County will be hosting a Red Oak Chamber Coffee at the Courthouse, 105 E Coolbaugh, Red Oak on Wednesday, October 28th, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Burke says there is a possibility that there will be a quorum, but no official county business will be acted upon during that time.

Police in Glenwood report a local man was arrested on an assault charge, Sunday. 41-year old Michael Robbins, of Glenwood, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail, pending an appearance before a magistrate.