Police in Creston are investigating two incidents of theft and an incident of vandalism. Officials say the Creston Wal-Mart store reported Tuesday afternoon that two male subjects had left the store without paying for items. A dollar amount of the loss has yet to be determined.

A resident of Thayer reported to Creston Police that he left his wallet at the Casey’s store sometime between 9:30-a.m. and 10-a.m., Monday. When he returned, money and two cards were missing. The loss was estimated at $180.

And, Rev. Kenneth Halbur reported to Creston Police an office window had been shot out with a BB gun sometime over the weekend at the Holy Spirit Parish at 406 W. Clark Street, in Creston. The damage was estimated at $100.

The Creston Police Department reports five persons have been arrested on separate charges.

Tuesday night, 17-year old Kane Allen-Michael Farlow, of Creston, was referred to juvenile authorities at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp. Tuesday afternoon, 20-year old James Arthur Frank, of Afton, was arrested on a Union County warrant for Theft in the 4th Degree. And Tuesday morning, Creston Police arrested: 22-year old Trevor James Perrigo, of Clive, on a Union County warrant charging him with Failure to Appear on a Public Intoxication matter; 18-year old Alexandra Catherine Herbert, of King City, Mo., was arrested for Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree, and 51-year old Timothy Charles Fechter, of Creston, was arrested on a Union County warrant for Burglary in the 2nd Degree.

Fechter was being held in the Union County Jail on $10,000 bond. Perrigo was released on his own recognizance, and Herbert was released from the jail after posting a $2,000 bond.

The 7:06-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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(updated to include more release locations) 

The Iowa DNR says its staff will release several trumpeter swans next week at four separate locations in southwest Iowa. Four trumpeter swans will be released on May 6th at Lake Icaria in Adams County. The large birds will take flight from the east boat ramp on the north side of the lake, located three miles east of Highway 148 on 160th Street, which is a gravel road. The release will take place at 9:30 a.m., May 6th.

Four more swans will be released at 1-p.m. on May 6th, from the boat ramp on Summitt Lake one-mile west of Creston (in Union County), off Highway 25. And, four trumpeter Swans will take off from Lake Anita State Park on May 7th, beginning at 2:30 p.m. (rain or shine). The park is located one-mile south of Anita off Highway 148. The swans will be released with the assistance of Cass County Conservation Board.

Two trumpeter swans will also be released near the restaurant and beach at Viking Lake State Park at 10 a.m. May 7. Viking Lake State Park is two miles east of Stanton on Highway 34, then right on Q Avenue for ½ mile, then left on 230th Street for one mile.

The public is invited and encouraged to attend any of the events, each of which include a 20-minute swan/wetland presentations, a unique opportunity to touch and view the swans up close, and a historic photo opportunity with the kids. As the largest North American waterfowl, the magnificent all-white birds can weigh up to 32 pounds with an 8-foot wingspan.

Trumpeter swans were once common in Iowa, but were gone from the state by the late 1880’s. By the early 1930’s, only 69 Trumpeter Swans remained in the lower 48 states. The trumpeter swans being released are part of the DNR’s statewide trumpeter swan restoration effort, with hopes that they will help restore a wild free flying population to Iowa. Public support is key to achieving this objective.

Iowans are warned to be cautious as they donate any dollars to relief efforts following last weekend’s devastating earthquake in Nepal. Bill Brauch, director of the Consumer Protection Division at the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, says he hasn’t heard of any scams in the state -yet- that involve Nepal relief, but it’s likely some will crop up in the coming days. “Don’t respond to phone calls asking for donations or pop-ups on the computer or emails that come out of the blue or text messages,” Brauch says.

“Do a little research on your own. We recommend folks go to Charity Navigator. It’s a website that evaluates charities and they have some very solid recommendations.” Millions of people were impacted by the seven-point-eight magnitude earthquake, including tens of thousands left homeless, six-thousand injured and at least five-thousand dead. One report estimates the death toll may reach ten-thousand.

After cataclysmic events like this, Brauch says Iowans want to help and they’ll often stick with agencies they know, which is fine. “Certainly, the Red Cross is one of the best places to go,” Brauch says. “There’s a group called United States Fund for UNICEF. There’s another called World Help. Direct Relief is another entity that will be helping under these circumstances.”

In addition to avoiding unsolicited pop-ups, phone calls, emails and texts, Brauch says to be very wary of anyone who claims to be collecting clothing to send to Nepal. “The ability to get anything to the victims is extremely limited right now and you really want to focus on giving dollars to trusted organizations,” Brauch says. “They’ll get more bang for the buck. They’ll be able to go out and buy more food and drinking water and other supplies that folks are going to need.”

When making a donation, make sure the charity has a secure website so your personal banking information isn’t compromised. Also, be sure you’re on the real charity’s website, not a fake site that uses the non-profit’s logo but with a name that’s slightly different.

(Radio Iowa)

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The mother of a 10-year-old eastern Iowa girl whose abduction prompted an Amber Alert last month has pleaded guilty to felony and misdemeanor child endangerment charges. Forty-four-year-old Shelly Johns entered a guilty plea April 21. Criminal complaints allege Johns burned her daughter in the face with a cigarette, smacked and kicked her and pulled her hair. Police also claim she kept drugs inside the house where she lived with the girl and used them in her presence. Her husband, 48-year-old Kenneth Johns, is accused of abducting the girl from a Solon home in early March.

CHEROKEE, Iowa (AP) — A former Cherokee teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a student has been arrested following a two-year investigation. Police arrested 32-year-old Chad Osler, of Manchester, on Monday and charged him with two counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee and one count of lascivious conduct with a minor. Kristen Rickey, superintendent of West Delaware Community School District where Osler is currently employed, says Osler has been placed on paid administrative leave. Cherokee Community School District Superintendent John Chalstrom says Osler resigned in 2013. He was previously the district’s physical education teacher.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — Two men have been rescued after their rubber raft became stuck on a river dam in Mason City. Police, firefighters and medics were dispatched to the Winnebago River dam around 3:30 p.m. Monday. Authorities say 26-year-old Rusty Thorngren and 45-year-old Marc Ciska were cited for public intoxication

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Staffers in the Iowa Legislature are starting some of the tasks associated with adjourning the session, even though lawmakers are not close to concluding the budget process. Friday will mark the last day for lawmakers to receive daily expense payments, as well as the final day of work for many clerks and pages in the part-time Legislature. But lawmakers in the Democratic-majority Senate and Republican-controlled House have not reached a compromise deal on the state budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say more than $40,000 in equipment has been stolen from a Waterloo welding supply company. A Superior Welding employee discovered $40,000 to $50,000 worth of equipment missing. Items stolen include cutting tools, helmets, copper and more. No arrests have been made in the case, which remains under investigation.

A former Marine unit has returned to Ho Chi Minh City for a ceremony tonight (Wednesday) honoring the last two Americans, including an Iowan, to die in the Vietnam War.

Darwin Judge

Darwin Judge, from Marshalltown, and fellow Marine Charles McMahon were killed by enemy fire 40 years ago today. A bronze and granite memorial will be dedicated on the grounds of the old U.S. Embassy. Douglas Potratz, who was part of the Embassy Guard unit with Judge and McMahon, is leading the delegation.

“If we memorialize the last two to die, put it in a plaque and put it in that compound where they worked at one time, I think it’s a fitting tribute for them and all the other servicemen who served in that country and died in that country,” Potratz said. Potratz is with the Fall of Saigon Marines Association. He calls Darwin Judge his “hero,” as Judge made sure Potratz’s wife and then-three-year-old daughter were safely boarded on a plane that shipped them out of Saigon.

(Radio Iowa)

Officials with Hy-Vee, Incorporated, issued a recall Tuesday for Hy-Vee Summer Fresh Pasta Salad, which is sold in its stores’ kitchen department cold cases and salad bars. The Omaha World-Herald reports the recall was issued due to potential contamination with listeria monocytogenes. It came after Hy-Vee was notified that the frozen vegetables used to make the ready-to-eat pasta were potentially contaminated. Inventure Foods of Jefferson, Georgia, produced the frozen vegetables.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The Summer Fresh Pasta Salad is packaged upon customer request from the kitchen cold case and would have been packaged in 16-ounce (1-pound) or 32-ounce (2-pound) clear plastic containers. A light tan scale-produced label with the product name, weight and price would have been affixed to the container.

The recalled product was available between April 9th and Monday, April 27th. Hy-Vee has since pulled the ready-to-eat Summer Fresh Pasta Salad from its distribution channels and the stores in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota to which it was distributed. All stores that received the product have been instructed to dispose of it.

To date, Hy-Vee has not received any complaints associated with the salad. Customers who purchased the recalled pasta salad from the Hy-Vee kitchen department cold case or salad bar between April 9th and April 27th should dispose of the product or return it to the store for a refund. For questions, call Hy-Vee Customer Care at 1-800-772-4098.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources late Tuesday evening updated our earlier report about a possible fertilizer spill near Red Oak. Authorities said they were investigating two reports of pollutant releases. Nachurs Alpine Solutions (Nachurs) reported a release of an unknown amount of fertilizer Tuesday afternoon. City officials closed a floodgate to prevent fertilizer from reaching the Nishnabotna River.

It is unknown whether the fertilizer reached the river. DNR staff is working with the facility and the Montgomery County Emergency Response. To be safe, Red Oak residents should keep children and pets away from the waterway behind the Nachurs
building.

The second report involves ammonia found near a culvert in Red Oak. The source of
the ammonia is unknown and still being investigated. The DNR will continue to monitor the river and clean up, as needed.

Photos courtesy Montgomery County EMA