A western Iowa teenager died, while another teen escaped injury, during a crash Wednesday evening, in Guthrie County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 17-year old Zachary Meacham, of Guthrie Center died at the scene of the crash that happened at around 7:10-p.m. , north of Guthrie Center. The teen was not wearing a seat belt.

The Patrol says Meacham was traveling north on Oak Avenue in a 1997 Chevy pickup truck, when for reasons unknown, he crashed the vehicle through a barricade set up in 2014 because a bridge over Brushy Creek had been removed.

The pickup plunged over the edge of the missing bridge and crashed nose first into the creek below before coming to rest on its top, submerged in the water. A passenger in the pickup was able to escape and run for help. When the pickup was turned over, Meacham’s body was found inside.

Guthrie County Sheriff Marty Arganbright says the bridge was removed last year after it collapsed when a tractor traveled over it. The crash remains under investigation.

More area News from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Cass County Health System Foundation recently awarded three Louie and Elsie Hansen Scholarships. The recipients are Emma Mathisen, Samantha Freund, and Courtney Jensen.

Emma Mathisen is a student at Mercy College of Health Sciences in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. Samantha Freund will begin her studies at Mercy, while Courtney Jensen will begin at Iowa Western Community College, both with the goal of obtaining a BSN. All are graduates of Atlantic High School and each received a $5,000 award for the 2015-16 academic year.

Kent Gade, CCHS Foundation President, said “This is the second year the board has awarded three scholarships.” The awards are based on the applications received each year.

The Louie and Elsie Hansen Scholarship was established through the generosity and careful planning of the two life-long Cass County residents. The Hansens believed in higher education, so much so that over 70% of their estate was bequeathed for that purpose, including a gift to the CCHS Foundation.  Under the supervision and guidance of the CCHS Foundation, scholarship opportunities are provided yearly.

Scholarship candidates must have graduated from a Cass County high school and be enrolled in and accepted to an accredited nursing or medical school pursuing a degree as an LPN, RN or MD.

Police in Creston report four people were arrested Wednesday, and one burglary was under investigation. Authorities say 31-year old Thomas Dollen (for whom no address is available), was arrested Wednesday morning at 207 N. Oak Street, on a Union County warrant for Failure to Appear on two-counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd or subsequent offense. Dollen was being held in the Union County Jail on $5,000 bond.

17-year old Jacob Blackburn, 13-year old Chaz Miller, and 12-year old Christopher Selvy, all of Creston, were arrested Wednesday morning, on a 5th Degree Theft charge. The boys were referred to Juvenile authorities and then released to the custody of their parents.

And, Wednesday afternoon, a Creston resident reported to police someone had stolen two children’s tablets, five porcelain dolls, an Apple IPad, laptop computer and jewelry from her home. The theft occurred sometime between 10:30-a.m. and 1-p.m., Wednesday. The loss was estimated at $1,350.

Grant Petty, representing the Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund, recently donated several baseball and softball items to Rolly Parrott ,with the Atlantic Trojan Sports Locker.

Trevor, who lived to play the game of baseball would be so impressed that something like this is available so that all kids have the chance to play sports. Melanie Petty, with the Frederickson Foundation, asks you to bring your good, used shoes and equipment to Rolly, and he will make sure it finds a new home.

The 7:07-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Four employees at the state-run Mental Health Institutes in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant testified before the Iowa Senate Oversight Committee Wednesday, disputing the governor’s assertion that their facilities are antiquated. Sue Rehwaldt-Hays is an occupational therapist who has worked at the Clarinda M-H-I since 1984. She says, just like the Iowa statehouse, the facility in Clarinda has been updated with recent renovations like new windows, new furniture and a fire alarm system that’s still being installed.

“You can do a lot of treatment and you can care for a lot of people in an old building and you can make a lot of decisions in an old building,” Rehwaldt-Hays said. Anna Short worked as a drug abuse counselor at the Mount Pleasant M-H-I until last week. Many of her former patients who’ve made a success of their lives after treatment there called after learning the place was closing.

“None of those success stories when they all called to tell me how well they were doing mentioned anything about an old building that they had to reside in during their stay,” Short said. “They seemed to be more concerned about the care that they received while they were there.” Short says the facility was actually built in the 1960s and, in the past year, it got brand new, specially-made furniture that was bolted to the floor in the psych ward; a new, million dollar elevator and a new security system.

“If I didn’t know better, you’d think it was prepping for the new owner,” Short quipped. Cindy Fedler, a nurse clinician, worked her last day at Mount Pleasant on April 6th. Fedler and the others argued the services of the mental health institutes are a crucial last resort for patients suffering from an acute mental illness who have failed in other settings. “I think we’re all very well aware that…really, we have a mental health crisis in Iowa right now,” Fedler said.

A woman from Shenandoah who gave her name as Christina spoke briefly as well, telling legislators her outpatient treatment elsewhere hadn’t worked and it was “vital” to be admitted for a month at Clarinda. “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for that place,” she said. “…My illness was that bad that I needed that long stay.” She is now working full-time.

The Branstad Administration’s plan is to close the two mental health institutes in southern Iowa, but keep the M-H-I’s in Cherokee and Independence open. A spokesman for the agency in charge says there will be 30 MORE beds available after July 1st for in-patient treatment of acutely mentally ill patients in the two facilities than had been available when all four Mental Health Institutes were operating at full capacity.

(Radio Iowa)

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The grieving family of an officer has bought his police dog from the Sioux City Police Department. The Sioux City Journal reports that Sgt. Jay Fleckenstein died Friday of natural causes at his home. He was 39.

The department bought the dog, a Belgian Malinois named “Eik,” from Fleckenstein in 2009. The officer had raised and trained Eik since he was a puppy. A police news release says the purchase agreement included an option that Fleckenstein’s family would be able to buy back Eik if Fleckenstein were to leave the department for any reason.

Eik had nearly six years on duty with Fleckenstein. The dog would have been required to be recertified before returning to service with another officer.

A man police identified as a transient was arrested early this (Thursday) morning, in Council Bluffs, during an investigation into the theft of a vehicle. Bluffs Police spokesman Benjamin Roth says at around 2-a.m., officers were dispatched to the Bucky’s store at 2713 South 24th Street, in reference to a stolen vehicle that had just occurred. The vehicle had been left running while its occupants entered the business.

While in the store, someone entered the vehicle and stole it from the parking lot. Within minutes of the initial dispatched call, a deputy for the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department located the vehicle belonging to 26-year old Leslie Ventura, of Sioux Falls, SD. Police stopped the car in the 3500 block of 4th Avenue.

The driver, identified as 33-year old Ryan Scott Beers, was taken into custody without incident, and charged with theft 2nd. The Council Bluffs Police Department reminds you not to leave their vehicles running while entering businesses, as it makes an easy target for thefts such as this one.

Police in Council Bluffs reported late Wednesday night that two people were seriously injured during a crash earlier that evening on the South Expressway. Bluffs Police Sgt. Darren Budd says just before 7-p.m., a 1998 Ford Mustang driven by MacKenzie Jones, of Council Bluffs, was traveling southbound and was preparing to turn left onto 35th Avenue. A 2007 Chevy Tahoe driven by 33-year old Lynsi Perkins, of Council Bluffs, was traveling northbound on the South Expressway.

Several witnesses and Perkins said both drivers had a green light. There is a protected left turn arrow for southbound traffic, but the arrow was not active according to witnesses. The SUV hit the passenger side of the Mustang with such force, that two passengers in the vehicle, 16-year old Ellen Campbell and 13-year old Jane Campbell, both of Treynor, suffered serious injuries, with Ellen Campbell’s injuries deemed to be critical.

Both teens required extrication by the Council Bluffs Fire Department. They were transported to the UNMC for treatment. Mackenzie Jones was uninjured. Lynsi Perkins suffered minor injuries during the crash, and her minor passengers were not believed to be injured.

Officials say there appears to have been NO indications speed or impairment contributed to the crash. Jones, however, was cited for Improper Turning Movements. The Council Bluffs Police Traffic Unit will be conducting a follow up investigation into the crash.