A Red Oak man was arrested Wednesday afternoon for allegedly taking chopped wood that didn’t belong to him. Officials say 60-year old James Donald Uhlmann, Sr., was taken into custody at around 4:25-p.m. after he allegedly walked onto property owned by Gail Ann Rohner and took chopped wood valued at $200 that had been prepared by Rohner. Uhlmann had been previously warned not to commit the crime but ignored the warning. He was charged with 5th Degree Theft and brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held on $300 bond.

And, at around 2:30-p.m. Wednesday, Matthew Wayne Echternach, of Essex, was arrested for Driving While Suspended, after the vehicle he was operating was pulled over on east Nuckols Street, in Red Oak. Echternach was also charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and later posted a $300 bond before being released.

SAC CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man has pleaded not guilty to providing alcohol to a teenager before a fatal car crash in August. Twenty-one-year-old Matthias Stork, of Breda, entered his written plea Wednesday in Sac County District Court on two counts of selling, giving or supplying alcohol to a minor resulting in death. The Sioux City Journal reports his trial is scheduled to begin in March.

Stork is accused of supplying beer to a 17-year-old in August who later drove a vehicle. The teen’s car crashed into a vehicle driven by 16-year-old Bailey Jacobsen. She and her passenger, 16-year-old Lindsey Quirk, both of Wall Lake, were killed.

The teen driver has pleaded not guilty to vehicular homicide. Authorities say his blood alcohol level was above the legal limit for driving.

The Glenwood Police Department reports the arrest on Thursday (today) of 32-year Matthew West,  of Council Bluffs. West was arrested on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation. His bond was
set at $5000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad and lawmakers say they want to work on roads funding during the 2015 legislative session, but no one is committing to a specific plan. Branstad and legislative leaders spoke Wednesday during an Associated Press Legislative Forum. Branstad said he hopes to find consensus soon on a way to increase funding for state bridges and roads, many of which are considered deteriorating or deficient.

Branstad is not saying how he wants to do this. One option is raising the state fuel tax, currently 22 cents per gallon of gasoline, including fees. Branstad said other state or local taxes and fees are also options. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal and Republican House Speaker Kraig Paulsen expressed interest in finding common ground early in the session, which starts Monday.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports a vehicle reported stolen Sunday in Afton, was recovered Tuesday night in Colorado. Authorities were notified by Wheat Ridge, CO, Police that the 1998 Chevy Blazer was found in their area of jurisdiction. No other details were provided.

And, the Union County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following a collision Tuesday afternoon. Authorities say a 1994 Dodge pickup driven by 74-year old James Coady, and a 2000 Ford pickup driven by 39-year old Justin Staver, both of Afton, collided at around 2:35-p.m. at the intersection of Dutcher Street and U-S Highway 169, in Afton.

Officials say Coady was traveling south on Highway 169, while Staver was traveling east on 245th (or, Dutcher St.). Staver stoped at the posted sign and waited for a non-contact vehicle to pass by before pulling out onto the Highway. In doing so, he failed to see Coady’s pickup approaching. The resulting collision caused a total of $4,000 damage. Staver was cited for Failure to Yield the Right of Way.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday) approved the appointment of Todd Argotsinger as Assistant County Attorney, and Jamie Arnold as a temporary Administrative Assistant in the Cass County Attorney’s Office, until Arnold he is licensed as an attorney in Iowa, at which time he will be appointed Assistant County Attorney. The recommendations came from Cass County Attorney Dave Wiederstein. Arnold will be paid through the end of the Fiscal Year a base wage of $20,000, or $40,000 annually.” Argotsinger, who is the Assistant County Attorney in Shelby County, will be serving on-call, as needed.

In other business, the Board approved 29 members to the Condemnation in Eminent Domain Board, and they heard a quarterly update from Cass County Conservation Director Micah Lee, who said gates had been installed at the south driveway at Cold Springs State Park near Lewis. In addition, there was some trim work completed on the office siding, the campground was winterized and closed for the season. He said they also started the first leg of 50-amp electrical hook-up upgrades at the Cold Springs State Park campground.

Lee says that will better serve those campers whose RV’s and trailers have air conditioning and other electrical devices that have a higher draw. General maintenance has been performed at other parks in the County, including the Nodaway Recreation Area, Pellett Memorial Woods, West Nodaway Area, T-Bone Trail, the Outdoor Classroom and Hitchock Recreation Area.

He said illegal dumping of furniture and other items continues to be a problem at Nodaway, but they try to keep up with taking care of the trash. He added the County Road crews are also keeping an eye out for trash dumped near the recreation areas. And finally, Micah reported Cass County Naturalist Lora Kanning presented 108 Environment Education programs to 2,132 people during the last quarter.

With Ric Hanson.

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(Updated 9:38-a.m).

A Red Oak man faces multiple felony Forgery charges following a recent investigation. Officials with the Red Oak Police Department say 39-year old Richard Henry Rapp, Jr., had faced 12 Class-D felony charges of forgery, but a friend of Rapp came forward Tuesday and told authorities she had checks that were forged by him as well. As a result of an investigation, Rapp now faces six additional charges of Class-D Forgery.

The investigation into his alleged activities began after information from a store implicated Rapp, Jr. in the crime. A search of Rapp’s residence resulted in evidence of several items allegedly obtained through the act of forgery.

Rapp had allegedly forged checks at several businesses in Red Oak. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 bond. Red Oak Police were assisted in their investigation by deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

The 7:07-a.m. Newscast with KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Hundreds of Nebraska and Iowa schools and some businesses have been closed or will open late because of the below-zero temperatures and bracing winds. A National Weather Service wind chill warning for northeast Nebraska and nearly all of Iowa says dangerously low wind chills could reach minus 35 on Wednesday morning.

In Mason City, Iowa, the air temperature of minus 6 combined with 30 mph winds to make it feel like 34 below zero. In Des Moines, the wind chill was minus 24. In South Sioux City, Nebraska, the temperature of minus 2 and the winds above 20 mph combined for a wind chill of minus 26.