SAC COUNTY, Iowa (AP) — A crash involving a school bus sent two students and several other people to the hospital. KCCI-TV reports Debra Dettman was driving an East Sac County school bus with four children on board Thursday afternoon when they were struck by a truck. The crash, which happened at the intersection of Highway 20 and Rolf Avenue at 4:17 p.m., sent both vehicles into a ditch.

Dettman was taken to a Sac City hospital. The driver of the truck, 40-year-old August Bach, and his passenger, 38-year-old Jennifer Elliott, also were taken to the Sac City hospital. Their conditions weren’t available.

The parents of two of the children took them to a hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries. Dettman was charged with failure to yield.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – City leaders say Sioux City will add a direct flight to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The Sioux City Journal reports that beginning May 5th, American Airlines will provide flights from the Sioux Gateway Airport to Dallas/Fort Worth. City officials announced the new, non-stop flights during a Friday news conference.

One daily flight will be offered that include departures from Dallas/Fort Worth at 12:20 p.m. and return trips from Sioux City leaving at 3:12 p.m. Tickets will go on sale Saturday.  American is the only carrier at the Sioux Gateway and currently offers two daily flights to the Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Sioux City has not had a direct flight to a western hub since October 2014.

Officials with the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, today (Friday) released an annual audit report. The report, prepared by Gronewold, Bell, Kyhnn & Co. P.C. shows the hospital remained financially strong during the 2015 fiscal year. It indicated there were no necessary corrective measures. A copy of the audit report is available for review in the offices of the Auditor of State and the CCMH Chief Executive Officer.

Some highlights of the audit include:
• The hospital’s unrestricted funds revenues totaled $45,705,200 (for the year ending June 30, 2015), which is a 7.2 percent increase from 2014.
• The revenues included $36,572,400 in net patient revenue, $5,884,500 in other operating revenue, $2,183,500 from the county and $160,300 in investment income.
• Expenses for the year totaled $40,931,900, a 2.4 percent increase from the prior year, and included $18,121,700 for wages and benefits, $5,401,000 for professional fees, $12,480,300 for supplies and other expenses, $3,244,600 for depreciation, and $1,668,100 for interest expense.

The increase in revenues and expenses were primarily due to increases in services provided. The number of inpatient acute days increased by 5.4% compared to the prior year, swing bed days increased by 23.1%, and outpatient occasions of service increased by 11.3%.

Abbey Stangl, Chief Financial Officer said “Our staff has done an outstanding job to hold expenses at only 2.4% growth while increasing occasions of service of all types,” noted . “Their diligence has allowed us to maintain the financial health of our organization while caring for our community members.”

(Press Release)

A teenager from Dexter was injured during an accident Thursday morning, in Guthrie County. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says 17-year old Emma Egger was traveling west on White Pole Road at around 9:05-a.m., when she lost control of the 2002 Chevy Trailblazer she was driving as it was entering a curve. The SUV spun around and entered the eastbound ditch. Egger complained of head and leg injuries and was transported by Stuart EMS to Mercy West Hospital. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $3,500.

Authorities in western Iowa are asking for your help in locating a man who failed to return to the Council Bluffs Work Release Facility. According to the Iowa Department of Corrections, 32-year-old Roger Eugene Madsen was placed on escaped status after failing to return to the facility from his place of employment. Madsen is described as a white male, 5’9, 166 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair.

Roger Eugene Madsen

He was serving a 20-year prison sentence for two counts of first-degree theft, two counts of voluntary absence, prohibited acts with controlled substance, assault with intent of injury on a peace officer and assault with a weapon on a peace officer. Madsen’s sentence began in October 2009. He was transferred to the work release facility on January 5th, 2016.

If you have seen Madsen or know where he is, contact the Council Bluffs Police Department at (712) 328-4701 or the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office at (712) 890-2200.

Law officers in western Iowa are reminding everyone the importance of keeping cell phones charged with G-P-S locators on while traveling in cold weather. Woodbury County deputies found a missing Sioux City woman in the snow in a farm field near Moville Tuesday through the G-P-S coordinates on her phone. Woodbury County lieutenant, Tony Wingert says the cell phone helped save 24-year-old Shaniqwa Hayes’ life.

He says leaving your cell phone on and having it hooked up to a charger in you car “that will help greatly, immensely, save lives, because law enforcement can use it to locate that cell phone.” He says the cell phone can still be used, even if you aren’t able to use it to call for help. “If you don’t have coverage…the cell phone towers will still be able to locate you so law enforcement can get there to help you,” Wingert says.

Hayes remains hospitalized in Sioux City. Her family has asked that her condition not be released.

(Radio Iowa)

The Shelby County Conservation Board has announced persons interested in reserving cabins at the Nishna Bend Recreation Area or Manteno Park, can do so online. Two cabins are available at Nishna Bend, and one is available at Manteno Park.

You can reserve your cabin online at mycountyparks.com. On the website, there’s an interactive calendar where you can see what dates are available up to 24 months in advance. You can then reserve any open dates and pay for the cabin securely, using a credit card.

Signs will be erected on the camping cabins reminding park users of the reservation system.

The Council Bluffs Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect wanted for questioning in connection with a vehicle burglary. (See photo’s posted below) The incident occurred at the Ameristar Casino.

If you have information on this person, call Crimestoppers at (712)328-STOP (7867) or submit an online tip at http://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/…/Po…/Report-a-Tip-Online-33.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports a man wanted on a Union County warrant for Failure to Appear in Court on a 5th Degree Criminal Mischief charge, was arrested today (Friday), at the Union County Law Enforcement Center. 25-year old Christopher Dale Browning, of Creston, was arrested at around 12:40-a.m.  He was later released on $300 bond.

Iowans are being warned about a scam that’s surfaced this week, following Wednesday’s world record Powerball drawing. Jim Hegarty, at the Better Business Bureau, says crooks are always looking for new ways to separate unsuspecting folks from their money. “We’ll probably start seeing texts and emails that are going out to people saying, ‘We’re sorry you weren’t a grand prize winner but you were a secondary winner,'” Hegarty says. They’ll claim your numbers were picked and you’re eligible to collect a few hundred-thousand dollars. “You call a number and then you’ll be connected with scammers and they’re going to work you,” he says.

Hegarty says Iowans need to be very wary of this type of email, letter or phone call. “If you think this through, there’s no way they can know who you are, they don’t know who has bought these tickets,” he says. “It’s like the foreign lottery scam that we’ve seen for years. You get a letter in the mail saying you’re the grand prize winner of a foreign lottery that you entered because you shopped at Walmart or Target or whatever.”

Con artists have learned to make it appear that they’re legitimate, so Hegarty says you need to be on guard when answering your phone and when opening your mail and email. “The tip-off the the rip-off is that you’ve been contacted,” he says. “They’ll spoof the email to make it look like it’s coming from Powerball, they’ll spoof phone calls to make it look like that, too, so don’t trust caller I-D, don’t trust the address.” Hegarty says if one of these scammers calls you, simply hang up.

(Radio Iowa)