An Atlantic man who was the victim of a stabbing early Sunday morning outside of a local bar, was arrested Monday on a Cass County warrant. The Atlantic Police Department says 26-year old Christopher Anthony Jason Castillo was taken into custody on a warrant issued in December, for Failure to Appear for his arraignment on an original charge of Domestic Abuse Assault causing bodily injury. Castillo was being held in the Cass County Jail on $5,000 bond.

Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker today (Tuesday), released more information about a wild pursuit we first told you about Sunday morning, on KJAN. The incident began at around 3:30-a.m., after a Pott. County Sheriff’s Deputy pulled over a white Toyota pickup on Highway 59 in Avoca, for an equipment violation.

Danker says the 27-year old female driver of the pickup was being questioned by the deputy, when a passenger, identified as 20-year old Kolten Kenneth Kobold, of Harlan, slid into the driver’s seat and the pickup sped-off. As the chase went down interstate 80, the deputy noticed items including cash, a white powdery substance and a baggie were being tossed out of the truck, but Danker said later that authorities were not able to find evidence of the substance along the interstate. The pursuit entered the Shelby area on gravel roads before turning into a corn field. The truck with the deputy in chase, eventually wound-up back on I-80.

Danker says the pickup was traveling in the wrong direction for a short time before switching back across the median and going in the other direction. The truck then left the interstate again. The pursuit continued north through Shelby and ended at around 450^th Street and County Road M-16, where another deputy performed a PIT Maneuver. His action caused the pickup to spin into a ditch.

Kobold was taken into custody at around 4-a.m. He faces numerous charges, including being a Fugitive from Justice, Eluding, Reckless Driving and several traffic offenses. Kobold was later released from custody posting a $7,000 bond. The female driver did not have a driver’s license, but no charges were filed against her.

Sheriff’s officials in Audubon County say a Guthrie County man was arrested Monday night on a charge of 2nd degree theft, associated with the theft on January 1st of two spools of wire from rural Audubon County. 44-year old Ryan Vernon Doty, of Coon Rapids, was taken into custody at around 9-p.m with the assistance of deputies from Carroll County, who also assisted in the investigation.

Officials say Doty allegedly stole the wire from the 1500 block of Swift Avenue. The spools were valued at more than $2,500. Doty was brought to the Audubon County Jail and later released, after posting a $5,000 bond. He’s scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Don’t be alarmed if you see numerous law enforcement vehicles parked near the fire station in Atlantic over the next couple of days. Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy Ben Bartholomew told KJAN News about 20 officers are being taught  Advanced Roadside Impairment Detection Enforcement, or ARIDE (A-Ride). The program was developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with input from the International Association of Chiefs of Police and other agencies.

The two-day course is designed to train multiple officers from around the area, the latest techniques in the proper conducting of Field Sobriety Tests for driver impairment. That includes the more advanced techniques on how to observe and test not only for alcohol impairment, but for narcotics as well. Bartholomew says when officers graduate from the Law Enforcement Academy, they have already been trained in standard Field Sobriety testing.

The advanced course provides them with any legal updates, and practical experience that allows them to become more proficient at conducting the tests. The whole purpose is to get impaired drivers off the road. The deputy says there will be 10 volunteers between the ages of 21 and 55, who meet specific weight criteria, who will be arriving at the fire station during the day. The volunteers will have consumed alcohol, and will be the subjects of Field Sobriety testing by the officers involved in the advanced course. Bartholomew says the officers will be evaluated on their performance and how well their case would stand-up in court based on that performance.

The volunteers will consume alcohol and be transported to the station and back home under strictly controlled conditions. They will also be provided with snacks during the process, and a meal afterward, for their efforts. Bartholomew says the officers who successfully complete the course receive national certification, and as such, will be included in their record that can follow them to any state and not require them to take any additional certification courses.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities are investigating the death of a Nebraska man whose body was found at a casino parking garage in Council Bluffs.   The Daily Nonpareil reports the body of the 54-year-old Omaha man was found a little after 9:30 p.m. Sunday on the ground level of the parking garage of Harrah’s Casino & Hotel. Police Sgt. David Dawson says the man is believed to have jumped from the fifth floor of the garage around 6:30 p.m.

Dawson says a note was found in the man’s vehicle and that “it doesn’t appear that anything is suspicious” about the man’s death.

Officials with the Cass County Extension Service and other state/local partners, invite area farmers and the public to attend an informational presentation this Friday, Jan. 25th, from the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), on Laws and Regulations that affect your farming operation. Janelle Kracht, District Field Manager for Iowa Corn, says  “The laws and regulations change all the time. It is important to share up to date information and this is directly from the DOT, so farmers can ask questions.”

The free presentation takes place 2-PM Friday, at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic (805 W. 10th Street). A question and answer period will follow the presentation for any farmers who have questions related to specific rules and regulations. Presenting partners for the event include the Iowa Corn Growers Association, the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, the Iowa Soybean Association, Cass County ISU Extension, and the local Cass County Corn and Soybean Association.

There is no cost to attend, no preregistration required and the meeting is open to the public. Questions in advance of the event should be directed to Janelle Kracht at 515-229-9980.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

Volunteers were combing fire-prone neighborhoods in Council Bluffs Monday, checking door-to-door on how prepared residents may be for a fire. Jill Orton , with the Loess Hills chapter of the American Red Cross, said yesterday, the agency’s volunteers were canvassing several areas of town that are considered high-risk.  “We’re going to hand out fire safety information and talk to the residents about whether or not they have a working smoke detector,” Orton says. “If they need assistance with that, we’ll radio back and our partners within the fire department are going to go out and either install (a smoke detector) or give them batteries. It’s a fabulous event!”

In the past ten years, more than 230 fires occurred in the city’s high-risk neighborhoods, claiming three lives and sending 11 people to hospitals.

“Single-family fires are the number-one disaster that the Red Cross responds to on a daily basis,” Orton says. “Within our region, we respond to approximately one fire a day.” Fire is the biggest threat to families, not floods, hurricanes or tornadoes, she says, and home fires are one disaster that may be prevented when people understand how to protect their families. If residents weren’t home during Monday’s sweep, door hangers were left. The hangers, printed in both English and Spanish, provide cooking and heating tips, and highlight the importance of smoke alarms and the need to create and practice a fire escape plan.

(Radio Iowa)