(Council Bluffs, IA) – Officials with the Council Bluffs Police Department report a man from Nebraska was arrested on Attempted Murder and other charges, following an investigation into a possible home invasion Tuesday, in Council Bluffs. Officers were called to a residence at 3317 2nd Avenue at around 5:43-p.m., Tuesday, and found the victim, 42-year-old Chad Opel on top of the suspect, 41-year-old Antonio Marquez North, of Omaha, attempting to restrain him until officers arrived.

Authorities say their initial investigation showed that the victim, Chad Opel owns 3317 2nd Ave., but it is currently vacant while he is fixing it up. As Opel was exiting his own residence of 3315 2nd Ave., he noticed that someone was inside 3317 2nd Ave. residence.

North, Antonio M.

Opel then entered the residence and confronted the suspect (Antonio North). During the confrontation Opel was stabbed several times by North. Opel was transported to UNMC for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. North was transported to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs for treatment to a minor cut on the back of his head. Police charged North with Attempted Murder, Assault Causing Bodily Injury and Trespassing. He is currently being held at the Pottawattamie County Jail. Bond was set at $27,000.

The public is reminded that all criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a criminal trial.

(IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH)- Animal-welfare advocates say that while one of Iowa’s biggest puppy-mill operators is no longer licensed, he is still selling dogs and has ramped up the illegal practice of puppy laundering. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals claims in a court filing that one of Iowa’s most prolific violators of the Animal Welfare Act, Steve Kruse of West Point, hasn’t ceased operations with the loss of his license, but has actually expanded the “illegal activities” intended to facilitate the sale of puppies and dogs. In September 2024, the ASPCA filed a seven-count civil complaint against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the federal agency that polices animal breeders and brokers at the national level.

The ASPCA alleged the USDA has knowingly allowed illegal activity to occur through its issuance of licenses to Kruse and two of his associates, Brian Lichirie and Wuanita Swedlund, and by failing to revoke any of their licenses. The case centers on the USDA’s alleged failure to act in response to its own written findings that Kruse has used Lichirie and Swedlund to engage in puppy laundering – the practice of routing dogs to retailers through intermediary breeders, allowing Kruse’s dogs to be sold even in states that restrict the sale of animals originating from kennels owned by repeat violators. Aside from a USDA motion to dismiss the lawsuit, there was very little activity in the case until Oct. 8, 2025, when U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb noted that so much time had passed that Kruse’s three-year USDA license had expired. The judge asked the USDA and the ASPCA to each submit briefs as to whether the expiration of Kruse’s license rendered any part of the case moot.

In its filing, the USDA recently suggested the five claims concerning enforcement against Lichirie and Swedlund remained live, while the two counts specific to Kruse were moot and should be dismissed. Without a license, the USDA argued, there is no issue of enforcement the court can address. Last week, the ASPCA filed its own brief, contending all seven counts should proceed, arguing the USDA “did not offer any indication that they had conducted an inquiry or investigation as to whether Mr. Kruse continues to participate in the venture even without his license, still owns the land on which the kennels operate, or otherwise maintains involvement in the ongoing enterprise.” The ASPCA alleges that while Kruse is no longer licensed, its investigation suggests he “remains actively involved in regulated activity under the Animal Welfare Act, despite the cancellation of his license.”

The APCA notes that days after Kruse’s license was canceled in August 2025, the USDA approved Christine A. Snakenberg for a license to do business at the same West Point address where Kruse has for years operated a large-scale kennel. The USDA’s pre-license inspection report for Snakenberg indicates there were 142 adult dogs on the property when the inspector visited and the federal agency agreed to grant her a license. Kruse still owns that property, the ASPCA says, and Snakenberg, who is not a co-owner, owns a single family, owner-occupied home 19 miles away in Danville. In addition, the ASPCA says, an Illinois Bureau of Animal Welfare inspection report dated Nov. 26, 2025, shows that Kruse himself “continues to supply dogs” to Ray Duckmanton, an Illinois-licensed breeder doing business as Racore Inc.

In its brief to the court, the ASPCA alleges that the USDA has historically failed to act even when its own inspectors have confirmed that a previously licensed individual is still engaged in breeding or brokering. The organization adds that the USDA, in its brief to the court, has not argued that the alleged illegal activity has halted and has instated stated only that Kruse is no longer licensed. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks a court order that would force the USDA to void all current licenses issued to Kruse and his associates.

(Radio Iowa) – It’s the time of year when many Iowans like to pack the family into the minivan at dusk, switch the radio to Christmas music, and drive around town taking in the colorful holiday light displays. Triple-A-Iowa spokesman Brian Ortner says if you’ll be making the rounds, remember to follow the rules of the road — and don’t stop dead on the street to take selfies. “You want to remain focused on driving. A carload of family is definitely fun, and you want to enjoy the lights, but make sure you’re not stopping in traffic to take pictures,” Ortner says. “Some of those displays are pretty amazing, and while driving slow is great and the lights are beautiful, they can also be a distraction, so pull over to a safe place and take your photo.”

Some spectacular holiday displays across Iowa may rival the fictional Clark Griswold’s house, but while the lights are stunning to look at, they can also be a dangerous distraction. “Make sure everybody in the car is buckled up. You’re still on the road, things can happen,” Ortner says “As the driver, stay focused on the road. Just like we talked about at Halloween, there’s going to be extra people walking the streets, driving the streets, young children who may be playing in the snow. Make sure if you are taking photos, that you’re one, you’re not driving — make sure the driver is not the person taking the photos.” Many Iowa communities have professionally-lit, drive-through light displays, but those shows demand drivers stay vigilant so the jolly mood isn’t wrecked by a fender bender.

“There’s parks, golf courses, neighborhoods, some are walk-through, but if you’re driving, stay vigilant on avoiding those distractions,” Ortner says. “Make sure you’re taking the time, and if you are the driver, take time for yourself. Pull over. Get out. Enjoy the lights, just like your passengers are.” Ortner says it’s important for drivers to keep their mind and their eyes on the road. “When you leave those drive-through parks, turn your lights back on. A lot of times, they tell you to turn those off as you drive through to see the holiday lights a little better,” Ortner says. “Make sure you wear the appropriate winter gear in the car in case of an emergency, and keep your roadside emergency kit handy: blankets, water, snacks, flashlights, the things that if you do have to stop for a while and the temperatures drop, you can stay warm, hydrated and fed.”

For more tips, visit www.aaa.com.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State University Extension is going to hold its home gardening webinar series again in January. Alicia Herzog leads the Master Gardener Program and the webinar series. “I really want it to be open to anyone who is interested in gardening, so I try my best to make it that way. Try to make it very accessible. I allow people to join on zoom or on Facebook live,” she says. Herzog says there are 10 different topics and she normally likes themes. ” This year was a little bit harder because I do look at past participant data about what topics people are wanting to see in the upcoming year and they didn’t fit as nicely into little theme boxes as I would normally like them to,” she says. Herzog says she likes the variety they will present.

“So they’re going to be a few sessions where we talk about gardening for wildlife, using native plants, pollinator gardens kind of in that realm, more of that conservation and gardening, meeting that realm. Then we’ll also have some that are very specific about vegetables and edibles,” Herzog says. She says one will focus on recommended vegetable cultivars for Iowa, specifically about growing garlic. She says they also will cover issues of what you plant in and where. “Soil health monitoring and testing, growing specialty cut flowers. And then we always do a few that are about design and kind of helping people be creative with how they design their spaces,” she says. Herzog says you can pick and chose topics.

“People don’t have to sign up for all of them, if there are only certain ones that are of interest to them, that’s fine,” she says. “If they’re interested in all of them, that’s fine as well. We would love to have people join us for all ten sessions, but it’s not required,” Herzog says. The Home Gardening Webinars will be Thursday evenings from 6–7 p-m central time from January 8th through March 12 th. Go to the Iowa State University Extension website to register.

Here’s the full webinar schedule:

• January 8: Gardening for Wildlife
• January 15: Recommended Vegetable Cultivars for Iowa
• January 22: Growing Great Garlic
• January 29: Right Perennial, Right Place
• February 5: Green Roofs for Home Gardeners
• February 12: Do-it-Yourself Soil Health Monitoring for Your Garden
• February 19: Why Choose Native Trees and Shrubs?
• February 26: Growing Specialty Cut Flowers in Iowa
• March 5: From Sight to Scent – Selecting Species for Sensory Spaces
• March 12: A Place for Pollinators

(Red Oak, IA) – A woman from Griswold was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Montgomery County. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, 54-year-old Lisa M. Metheny was arrested at around 2:30-p.m. in the 2500 block of Highway 48, following a brief investigation. Metheny was charged with Child Endangerment -an Aggravated Misdemeanor-  and held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 cash-only bond.

(Council Bluffs) — A committee tasked with filling a vacancy seat on the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday afternoon, elected to appoint Keith Jones to fill the seat remaining on the Board, following the removal on December 4th of former Supervisor Scott Belt. The committee included the county auditor, county treasurer, and county recorder.  Once formally accepted by the Board, Jones will receive the Oath of Office at the next Pott. County Board of Supervisor’s meeting, and begin serving immediately thereafter.

Assuming there is no petition for a special election, Jones will serve the remainder of Belt’s unexpired term, which runs through December 31st, 2026.

Earlier this month, a district judge ruled that Belt could not return to his seat on the board after a legal petition was filed by County Attorney Matt Wilber against Belt in November. Wilber cited Belt’s actions at a town hall meeting in Carson on November 5th and other incidents of alleged drunken conduct.

POLK COUNTY, Iowa (IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH) – The Iowa Utilities Commission will have to decide whether Summit Carbon Solutions can change the ending destination for its carbon sequestration pipeline before a case against the company’s permit can proceed, an Iowa court ruled. The Iowa District Court for Polk County ruled in favor of Summit’s motion to pause the case that landowners, counties and the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter filed in 2024.

Opponents of the proposed carbon capture pipeline sued over the IUC decision to issue a conditional permit to Summit in June 2024. The permit allowed the company to use eminent domain to build a pipeline that would connect to biorefineries across the state and transport carbon dioxide to North Dakota for underground storage. Per the IUC permit decision, Summit was required to obtain permission for its pipeline in North Dakota and South Dakota before it could begin construction in Iowa.

Since the permit was issued, however, South Dakota enacted a law prohibiting the use of eminent domain for CO2 pipelines, which complicated Summit’s plans to transport the captured CO2 to an underground storage site in North Dakota. Eminent domain forces unwilling property owners to accept easements on their land for projects considered in the public interest, for payment determined by a county commission.

In light of these developments along with ongoing legal battles in North Dakota, Summit filed for an amendment to its permit with the IUC in September 2025 to remove the requirement that the company receive approval from the Dakotas. Instead of specifying a state, Summit asked for the permit to prohibit construction until the company has “secured access to one or more sequestration sites and permits or agreements to allow it to reach such storage.”

Summit also requested the court stop proceedings on the lawsuit pertaining to the original permit until the IUC rules on the newly filed amendment. Polk County District Court Judge Scott Beattie sided with the company and remanded the case back to the IUC. In the decision Beattie, wrote that the South Dakota ban is “influential” to the decision.

During oral arguments, opponents said Summit’s requested permit amendment did not change the basis of their argument that Summit did not meet the definition of a common carrier and should not be granted eminent domain capabilities. The groups also argued, as described in Beattie’s decision, that it was unfair to pause judicial review based on “the mere possibility that a permit might be amended.”

Beattie wrote, however, that a pause in judicial proceedings while the permit amendment is evaluated is “warranted” as the court would otherwise be evaluating “outdated” facts. Emma Schmit, an organizing director with the pipeline fighter group Bold Alliance, said in a statement the ruling did “not come as a surprise.” “After years of working to protect property rights from hazardous carbon pipelines, we know not every judge, regulator, or legislator will stand by us the first time around,” Schmit said in the statement. “But, we know the people of Iowa stand with us. So, we’ll continue to explore property rights protections through every possible avenue, including through the courts, the Iowa Utilities Commission, and the legislature.”

Summit Carbon Solutions did not respond to a request for comment on the decision.

(Radio Iowa) – Work is underway to remove an Iowa River dam on the western edge of Steamboat Rock just upriver from the popular Hardin County Pine Ridge park. D-N-R River Programs Coordinator Nate Hoogeveen says they’re coordinating with the county and the U-S Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the structure. “One of the reasons for that is flathead catfish don’t really go upstream of the dam, and we’re going to open up about 24 miles of the Iowa River to that species,” he says.

Hoogeveen says the one-point-three million dollar project has other benefits. “It’ll improve fishing, mussel issues, and then very importantly, we’ll take the campground at Pine Ridge Park, which is now in the two-year floodplain and it’ll actually be in the five-year floodplain,” he says. Hoogeveen says the project includes bank restoration and other features that should make it easier for people to float down the river.

“I think we’ll see people starting upstream at the park more frequently and floating through some of the structures that we’re building in the water. I think because there’s an easy way to walk up and down you’ll see like local kids with inner tubes going through this area,” he says. “There’s no big rapids, but there will be some kind of ripply stuff that will be, you know, some low key fun.” The improved access should draw more anglers.

“I think we’ll see more fishing in the area too, up and down the river because we’re intentionally creating some deep-water habitat, as well as more accessible banks to get down and fish by the river,” Hoogeveen says. He says that should help out the Steamboat Rock economy. Hoogeveen says the work is underway, but it could take two years because of the silt and sand built up behind the dam.

“So we’re trying to move that out gradually instead of it all going at once. So, we’re taking about a quarter of the dam out at a time. We’re trying to make sure that’s a controlled release of the sediments, so that they don’t harm any aquatic life in the river downstream,” Hoogeveen says. He says the speed of the process depends on the flow levels of the water in the river. Hooveveen says the dam had at one time been used as some sort of mill, but was eventually covered over in cement.

(Radio Iowa) – Some of the temporary trailers FEMA set up in Spencer to house people who were flooded out of their homes in mid-2024 were occupied for nearly a year and a half. Spencer City Manager Kevin Robinson says this fall, there were about a dozen individuals who living in the trailers — but the last occupant was able to move into other housing Monday of this week.

“Sixty-five percent of our rental market was impacted by the disaster,” Robinson says. “Most of those rental units, whether they were single-family homes or apartments that were repaired, if they were renting for $650 before the flood they were somewhere closer to $900, $950 after the flood.” The FEMA trailers arrived in Spencer on September 24th of 2024 and a FEMA spokesperson says they will be removed by the end of this month. Two temporary housing sites were set up in Spencer following the flooding in June of 2024.

The FEMA trailers have been in a commercial area on the north side of Spencer. The State of Iowa set up a separate site, near the Clay County Fairgrounds and Robinson estimates at one point as many as 100 people who couldn’t find or afford housing were staying there.

“If they had not found permanent housing when the winter of 2024 hit, they were transitioned into hotels and motels and through last winter they were transitioned out into permanent housing,” Robinson says. At one point, 44 households were living in the FEMA trailers in Spencer. A FEMA spokesperson says the trailers will be put up for auction rather than moved to house storm victims in other parts of the country.