A 32-year-old woman and a 14-year-old have been arrested on arson charges in Sioux City. Daisy Castillo and Alejandro Lapointe are suspected of setting five house fires over 2 1/2 weeks in August and September, police said. Castillo faces 2nd degree arson and 3rd degree burgalry charges. Lapointe was charged with 1st degree arson. No injuries have been reported.

Castillo remained in custody on Thursday, according to Woodbury County Jail records. More arrests were expected in the case, according to Sioux City fire marshal Mark Aesoph.

Dozens of citizens angry over the firing of the Mapleton Police Chief and the hiring of his replacement voiced their opinions on the matter during a meeting of the city council, Wednesday night. Sioux City television station KTIV reports the controversy about the firing of former chief John Holton in June has continued to upset the community. The citizens say it was unfair to remove him from the position he’s held since 1996. Mayor Krohn said he wished he could comment on the issue, but can’t, because he and the council have a legal obligation to not discuss the police staffing matter outside of meetings.

Conversations during the meeting sometimes escalated to screams as community members claimed there wasn’t enough coverage of the school zone on Highway 141. Citizens also said interim police chief Kirk Kinnaman and part time officer Jared Clausen were driving too quickly, andChief Kinnaman isn’t involved enough because he lives out of town.

The council voted to put an advertisement out for the police chief position, but some folks say they’re prepared to take action, should Holton not be reinstated. The council will start to accept applications for the new police chief position immediately, and hope to have a decision made by their October meeting.

Authorities in Adams County are on the scene of a fatal accident this morning. There are no details currently available. More information will be released later this morning or during the day, today.

With Ric Hanson.

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A Creston man was arrested this week on a warrant out of Madison County. The Creston Police Dept. reports 31-year old Joseph Baze-Gaiser was taken into custody at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on a warrant for Burglary in the 3rd degree. Baze-Gaiser was subsequently transported to the Madison County Jail.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Sioux City man has been charged with attempted murder, accused of shooting his uncle as the man lay in bed. The charges of burglary and attempted murder were read to 40-year old Eric Riley on Wednesday, in a Woodbury County courtroom. Riley remained in custody today (Thursday), according to Woodbury County Jail records.

Authorities said Riley shot his uncle, 66-year old Ben Steffe, twice in the chest in Steffe’s home on Tuesday. Steffe’s wife, who lay next to Steffe, wasn’t injured. Steffe was taken to Mercy Medical Center.

Sioux City police Lt. Mark Kirkpatrick said Riley returned to Steffe’s home while officers were at the scene and was taken in for questioning. He was arrested late Tuesday afternoon.

The latest area news with KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Mills County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, released details concerning a single-vehicle, personal injury  accident that took place on Aug. 30th. Officials say Dustin Swagel, of Red Oak, was driving a 1995 Honda motorcycle on Jamison Road at around 5:30-p.m., and had attempted to pass another motorcycle.

Swagel told authorities his cycle began to drift across the road and he was unable to correct its course. The cycle went into a ditch on the south side of the road and came to rest in a pool of water. Swagel’s wife and passenger on the cycle, Tanya Swagel, was injured and transported to the Montgomery County Hospital in Red Oak, by Red Oak Ambulance.

An investigation into drug activity in the Hamburg and Farragut areas of Fremont County has resulted in the arrest of four persons, along with the seizing of marijuana and cash. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Department reports a deputy observed two persons near the 1000 block of Park Street, in Hamburg. When he attempted to speak with the individuals, they fled on foot. 19-year old Bradley Perry, of Hamburg was subsequently taken into custody. Perry was arrested on two counts of Delivery of Controlled Substances, Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Deliver, and Interference with Official Acts. He was being held in the Fremont County Jail on $15,300 cash bond, only.

As part of a continuing investigation, two simultaneous search warrants were executed at residences in Farragut. As a result, $3,000 in cash and about 80 grams of marijuana were taken into evidence. Officials say 17-year old’s Kaleb Hudson and Jacob Boeser, both of Farragut, were arrested and charged with Conspiracy to Deliver. The teens were later released to their parents. 19-year old Judson Kreim, of Sidney, was arrested on an Accessory After the Fact, charge. Kreim was being held in the Fremont County Jail on $2,000 bond.

Sheriff Kevin Aistrope says additional charges are pending.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) – A Greenfield artist known for painting patriotic scenes on large boulders has agreed to create another freedom rock in Cedar Falls. Ray “Bubba” Sorensen the Second has completed 20 such rocks and hopes to paint freedom rocks in all of Iowa’s 99 counties, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported. He said he has accepted a proposal from the Cedar Falls American Legion Post 237 to paint one in Black Hawk County.

Sid Morris and Tom Hagarty, both veterans and members of the organization, said they will try to raise about $5,000 to cover the artist’s expenses. They said a committee will be formed to propose themes or ideas for the rock’s design to Sorensen. Morris said the rocks offer an opportunity for veterans to be recognized in each Iowa county.

Sorensen has already painted 21 Freedom Rocks, beginning with the first location about a mile south of Interstate 80 off Highway 25 in Adair County. Other rocks are available for viewing locally, in: Earling; Corning; Sac City; Kimballton; Manning, Guthrie Center and Clarinda. Rocks have been commissioned to be painted in other areas counties, including Cass, Harrison, Pottawattamie, Mills, Montgomery, Fremont, Page and Taylor.