MALVERN, Iowa (AP) – A southwestern Iowa landfill has stopped accepting dead birds and related waste from the recent bird flu outbreak.

Mills County spokeswoman Sheri Bowen tells the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil that the Loess Hills Landfill stopped taking in more birds after Wednesday’s shipments.
Officials the landfill might consider taking in more birds if another outbreak of avian flu were to occur. But at this point, Bowen says, “we’re unsure if we’ll take on more.”

As of Tuesday, trucks had hauled in 426 containers to the landfill, with each carrying seven to eight tons of dead birds, clean-up and protective equipment and other products for use during disposal. Millions of turkeys and chickens have died or have been euthanized to prevent further spreading of the avian flu.

Rescue crews from Cumberland and Lewis, as well as Medivac Ambulance were called to the scene of a two-vehicle crash this morning, about five-miles east of Lewis at the intersection of Highway 71 and Oxford Road (Cass County Road G-43). Five people were injured, with at least three requiring transport to the hospital. One person, a female, suffered a head injury and possible broken leg. Two were determined to be in critical condition. Two had minor injuries. All were conscious and breathing when authorities arrived on the scene. LifeNet helicopter was being directed to the Cass County Memorial Hospital to transport the most seriously injured to another hospital. The road, which was completely blocked, was reopened both ways, as of 8:50-a.m. LifeNet departed from CCMH at about the same time.

The accident occurred at around 7:30-a.m. No other details are currently available.

The 7:06-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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A woman who suffered from an apparent medical condition lost control of her SUV Thursday evening and crashed, in Red Oak. Authorities say 63-year old Debbie Sue James, of Red Oak, was turning south from Highway 34 onto North 8th Street, when she blacked out. Her 2010 Ford Edge veered off the road and hit a traffic sign before entering a steep ditch on the west side of 8th Street. The vehicles’ passenger side then hit a tree before coming to rest on a steep incline. The accident happened at around 5:10-p.m., Thursday.

James refused medical treatment at the scene, but told police she would go to the hospital to be checked out. Damage from the crash amounted to $7,300.

The Guthrie County Board of Supervisors, Thursday, approved by a vote of 3-to 2, a 28E agreement that will have the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office providing law enforcement to the City of Guthrie Center. The arrangement is effective July 1st. Supervisors Mike Dickson and Jerry Caraher voted against the measure. Discussions about sharing the services of sheriff’s deputies with the City began about two-years ago, when the two-person Guthrie Center Police Department lost one of its officers, who accepted employment elsewhere. With the new agreement, the County agrees to provide a deputy for routine patrols in Guthrie Center, investigation of crimes and follow-up of crimes needing additional investigation, and traffic enforcement. It’s hoped coverage of the community will amount to an average 60-hours per week, according to the 28E agreement, which will cost the City a little more than $197,000 for the first year, Fiscal Year 2015-16, $41, 167 of which represents employee benefits. The City will make the payments to the County in quarterly installments.  The contract is valid through June 30, 2019.

Tomorrow (Saturday) marks 20 years since the disappearance of Jodi Huisentruit (HOO-zin-troot).

Jodi Huisentruit

The 27-year-old Long Prairie, Minnesota native was abducted outside her Mason City apartment early on June 27th, 1995, as she was heading to work at KIMT-TV in Mason City, where she was a News Anchor. Police found her car, blood, other personal belongings and evidence of a struggle in the parking lot. Investigators say the case remains open and they’re following leads. Lieutenant Rich Jensen, of the Mason City Police Department, says they’ve been committed to the case since that morning 20 years ago.

He says their goal is to find Jodi and hold those responsible for what happened to her. He says there are a lot of things about the case they haven’t been able to discuss to preserve the sanctity of the case because their expectation is to be in a courtroom someday holding a defendant accountable. Jensen says it’s frustrating not being able to talk about the case openly, especially when people question whether it’s a case that can be solved.

He says they want people to know that they are working on the case and are committed to it. Jensen says the public wants answers, but they can’t provide those answers. He says there is frustration that the case can’t be discussed more since it’s an ongoing criminal case and anything said could jeopardize the case in the future. Mason City police investigator Terrance Prochaska says he’s taken tips from people across the country regarding possible leads and it’s tough when he can’t even tell those people whether or not their tips helped.

He says some people will call back in a month and ask about the outcome of their tip, and it’s tough not to tell them anything. He explains to the person that the “bad guy is still out there…and he’s still listening or watching” and if the bad guy hears any of that information, it gives him an opportunity to hide. Prochaska says they take every tip seriously.

He says they never overlook leads, even from psychics, and they listen to other people’s theories. Prochaska says someone may have a better idea of how they can look at the case or suggest looking someplace new and possibly develop some sort of lead out of it or find something they’ve missed before.

The Mason City Police Department continues to work with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation as leads develop. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Mason City Police at 641-421-3636. Huisentruit was declared legally dead in 2001.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Red Oak responding to a Disorderly Conduct call Thursday evening, ended-up arresting three people. Authorities say officers were called to the 4H Apartments at around 6:05-p.m.  Upon investigation, they arrested 21-year old Blake Wilkinson, of Red Oak, for Providing Alcohol to persons under the legal age of 21. Wilkinson was subsequently released on a citation.

Also taken into custody, for Possession of Alcohol under the age of 21, was 20-year old’s Juan Esquivel, Jr., and Sarah Michaela Marie Manchester, both of Shenandoah. They were brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 cash bond, each.

An effort called “Operation Dry Water” begins today (Friday) as federal, state and local law officers look to prevent drunken boating. The Iowa D-N-R’s boating law administrator, Susan Stocker, says officers make their presence known on the state’s lakes and rivers in the operation that runs through Sunday. “Last year we were able to check approximately 11-hundred boaters and we contacted more than 354 vessels that were out there,” Stocker says.

Stocker says boating drunk can have severe consequences for you and your passengers. “More than 71 percent of our boating fatalities in 2014 involved alcohol. So we are stepping up the effort….in order to curb the intoxicated boater who wants to operate a boat,” Stocker says. Twelve people were arrested on the Mississippi River for operating a boat while under the influence, and Stocker says it once again a focus for Operation Dry Water.

“We will continually find that area with a lot of D-W-I arrests,” Stocker says, “and so we need to realize and put it into perspective, it runs the whole length of the state. So, we are talking all they way north-east from Allamakee County all the way to the south-east. So, that’s why we have a lot of D-W-I arrests on the Mississippi River.” The one dozen arrests for drunken boating on the Mississippi last year were part of 41 overall arrests. Eight people were arrested at Coralville Lake last year, five at Clear Lake, four on the Des Moines River and three at Saylorville Lake.

There is a simple step you should take to keep things safe. “Make sure that you do have a designated driver — just like if you were driving a car you would have a designated driver — to operate a boat. And or, wait until you are done for the afternoon to enjoy a beverage on the shore,” Stocker says. The blood alcohol level for boating while intoxicated was reduced in 2001 from point-one (.10) percent to point-zero-eight (.08) percent to make it the same level as driving a car while intoxicated.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

PRESTON, Iowa (AP) — One man has died in an apparent explosion of a house in rural Jackson County in eastern Iowa. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports 73-year-old Stephen W. Brandenburg was found early Thursday in the basement of a house near U.S. Highway 64 between Miles and Preston. Emergency responders were called to the home about 4:40 a.m. yesterday after reports of an explosion.

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) — Crews made quick work of a steel water tower that had stood over the west side of Clear Lake for decades. The Globe Gazette reports workers cut apart and tore down the 56-year-old tower Thursday. Officials say the 105-foot-tall, multi-legged tower had outlived its usefulness and was expensive to maintain. Earlier this year, crew completed work on a 1 million gallon tower, which has four-times the capacity of the old tower.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A 75-year-old Dubuque man has scratched off two winning tickets in one day. One was worth $100,000, the other $930. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports that Ken Broadwell bought both of his Tuesday winners at the same convenience store in Dubuque.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Wizards selected Iowa power forward Aaron White with the 49th overall pick in the NBA draft Thursday night. White is 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds and averaged 16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds as a senior for the Hawkeyes.

Deputies in Montgomery County, Thursday afternoon, arrested a Red Oak man on a warrant for Harassment in the 1st Degree. Authorities say 22-year old Caleb Lee Walter was taken into custody at around 3:30-p.m., and was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 cash bond.