COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – One of the three men suspected in the death of a Council Bluffs man has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. The Daily Nonpareil reports that 18-year-old Caine Petersen‘s attorney submitted a written plea on Friday.

Petersen and 23-year-old Christopher King, of Lincoln, Nebraska; and 22-year-old Sarael Duncan, of Omaha, Nebraska, are accused of robbing Jacob Combs of marijuana. Authorities say the 20-year-old Combs died in a hospital Aug. 15th, after being found in a Council Bluffs street.

Officers say Combs jumped onto Petersen’s vehicle as the three men fled the scene but then fell or was thrown, suffering head injuries when he was struck.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports an Essex woman was arrested last Thursday on a warrant out of Pottawattamie County, for Harassment in the 2nd degree. 29-year old Colbie Jo Sue Fike was taken into custody at the Shenandoah Memorial Hospital.  Fike was transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail where she was held without bond, pending an appearance in front of a magistrate.

Authorities in Page County are investigating a single-vehicle accident that happened Monday afternoon. Sheriff Lyle Palmer says deputies were notified at around 3:50-p.m., about a vehicle in the ditch at the intersection of Hersey Street and Highway 71, in Shambaugh.  When they arrived, the driver of the vehicle, Karen Gay Spicer, was being attended to by Clarinda Ambulance Service and being removed from the driver’s seat of the 2007 Ford Taurus that she had been operating.

An initial investigation showed that Spicer was driving north on Highway 71, and as she turned onto Hersey, took the turn too wide. Her car entered the ditch, where it became hung up due to the grade of the ditch. Spicer was transported to the Clarinda Regional Health Center by the Clarinda Ambulance Service for treatment of unknown injuries. No charges were filed pending completion of test results from the Iowa DCI (Division of Criminal Investigation) Laboratory.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say a rural Red Oak man was arrested Monday afternoon on a felony charge of Child Endangerment causing injury. Matthew A. Davis was taken into custody at around 3:30-p.m. following an investigation into a reported case of child abuse that allegedly occurred Oct. 10th. Authorities say Davis was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 bond. An investigation into the incident, continues.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors are expected to pass a Resolution during their meeting Wednesday morning, in Atlantic, with regard to a 28-E agreement between Cass and Audubon Counties. The agreement pertains to shared responsibilities for a bridge replacement project on Akron Road (the county line road), on the North Line of section 2, in Grant Township. Similar agreements have taken place in the recent past, for other such projects, in Montgomery and Adams Counties.

In other business, the Supervisors will act on an appointment to fill a vacancy term on the Cass County Civil Service Commission. They’ll also receive a Collective Bargaining proposal from the Union (Public, Professional and Maintenance Employees) representing the Secondary Roads Department. And, the Board will receive a quarterly report from Cass County Conservation Director Micah Lee, along with other, regular reports from the County Engineer, Attorney and Mental Health/General Assistance Directors, as available.

The Cass County Supervisor’s meeting gets underway at 8:30-a.m., Wednesday.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.0MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Police in Council Bluffs are investigating a robbery that occurred early this (Tuesday) morning. Authorities say at around 2:45-a.m., officers responded to an incident at Sapp Brothers Truck Stop (2608. S. 24th Street). Employees at the business reported a man was detained outside the truck stop after allegedly shoplifting items from inside the store. After being confronted about the theft, the suspect returned the items but refused to go back into the store. He then allegedly pulled a knife on the employee, before getting into a vehicle and leaving the scene.

No injuries were reported. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.

Police in Council Bluffs are asking for the public’s help in solving an incident of arson/criminal mischief that took place late Monday night. Officials say Bluffs Police and Fire Department personnel were called to 1010 3rd Avenue at around 10:25-p.m., with regard to a dumpster on fire. The fire department was able to extinguish the flames quickly, resulting in minimal damage to the dumpster.

During the investigation, an unidentified suspect began throwing rocks at police and fire department vehicles and personnel working the scene. Despite an extensive search of the area by authorities, they were unable to locate or identify the suspect. No injuries were reported, but one civilian vehicle, one police vehicle and two fire department vehicles, sustained minor damage.

Anyone with information about the incident, should call Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.

Iowa egg and poultry producers are preparing for a possible return of avian influenza this fall as migrating wild waterfowl are again flying over. The bird flu wiped out 34-million chickens and turkeys on 77 Iowa farms this spring. Randy Olson, executive director of the Iowa Poultry and Egg Association, says experts’ predictions about the fall migration are varied. “Some scientists would argue that birds that travel north in the spring might linger more as they move north, and in the fall, birds really just want to get moving south,” Olson says. “We’re optimistic that will be helpful.”

The U-S-D-A is preparing to handle an outbreak on more than 500 farms this fall, which is twice the scale of the spring outbreak.  “The USDA is taking this seriously,” Olson says. “Clearly, as they’ve modeled out this, it’s important for them to plan resources to react to what they’re calling a ‘worst case’ scenario. It could also be the case that we’ll have very few, if any, infections this fall. The disease is very unpredictable.”

Last month, Ames-based Harris Vaccines received conditional federal approval for its avian influenza vaccine, which is reported to be up to 95-percent effective. The U-S-D-A has hired around 200 of a planned 350 additional veterinarians, animal health technicians and other workers should a bird flu emergency occur. Olson says those are very positive moves.

“While there hasn’t been a decision to utilize vaccine, those types of planning steps need to happen in advance of that need,” he says. “The USDA is trying to be proactive, coupled with the good work of our farmers, we’re in the best position possible, but, make no mistake about it, our industry is on pins and needles.” If there’s another avian influenza outbreak this fall on the scale of last spring, Olson says it would be devastating to the industry.

(Radio Iowa)