Two people died this (Friday) morning, after a vehicle crashed into Lake Manawa in Council Bluffs. KETV in Omaha reports the accident happened at around 6:15-a.m. Emergency crews were on the scene at 6:30, between Pelican Drive and Shoreline Drive. The vehicle was reported to be out of the water as of 7:30-a.m. Evidence markers at the scene indicate that the vehicle veered off the road and into the lake. Additional information is currently not available.

Officials with the Creston Police Department report a woman was arrested early this (Friday) morning, on drug charges. 33-year old Maxine Marie Burton, of Creston, was arrested at around 2:30-p.m. on charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance Methamphetamine(3rd or subsequent offense), Possession of a Controlled Substance Marijuana (3rd or subsequent offense), and Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drug. She was taken into custody at her residence and transported to the Ringgold County Jail, where her bond was set at $11,000.

And, a Creston woman reported to Police Thursday night, that sometime between October 25th and 26th someone stole a Hewlett-Packard Computer from her home in the 400 block of N. Oak Street. The loss was estimated at $300.

A new federal grant will help spread awareness about prescription opioid abuse across Iowa. The grant will fund a statewide media campaign to educate teens and young adults about the dangers of misusing prescription drugs. Janet Nelson, at the Iowa Department of Public Health, says young people often think that if a drug is prescribed by a doctor, it can’t be harmful.  “There are a lot of gaps still to fill,” Nelson says, “and that’s what we’re doing with this prevention grant is to continue to spread the word.”

The grant will also help three counties — Polk, Jasper and Scott — to develop additional strategies to reduce problems stemming from prescription opioid abuse. Nelson says those counties were chosen based on rates of opioid-related deaths, treatment admissions, and youth survey results on misuse of prescription drugs. “We’re targeting community members and hospitals and health care providers — especially prescribers — to help reduce the amount of opioids that are getting prescribed, so it’s a community effort.”

The public health department will work with pharmacists and care providers to stop young people from receiving more pain pills than they need.

(Radio Iowa, w/Thanks to Katarina Sostaric, Iowa Public Radio)

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 18-year old Colby John Nicholas Rasmussen, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 7-p.m. Thursday. Rasmussen was taken into custody for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – 3rd offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $2,000 cash bond.