A traffic stop at around 1:50-a.m. today (Thursday), in Montgomery County at 140th Street and Highway 148, resulted in the discovery of drugs and drug paraphernalia. Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 58-year-old Elton Dean Chandler, of Denison, for Possession of: Methamphetamine, Marijuana, and unlawful possession of prescription medication. Chandler was also charged with Driving While Barred. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

Chandler

Police in Red Oak, Wednesday evening, arrested a man at the intersection of 1st Avenue and W. 4th Street. Authorities say 42-year-old Kim Jack Douglas Trost, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 5:40-p.m., for Public Intoxication, and Domestic Abuse Assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. Trost was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

Trost

Des Moines, Iowa/KCCI —The Iowa Department of Public Health on Wednesday reported 104 additional COVID-19 deaths. The additional deaths happened between Aug. 29 and Oct. 30. That brings the statewide total to 7,069 since the start of the pandemic. The number of Positive tests have also increased over the last week. IDPH reports 6,816 positive tests, up from 6,652 at last report on Monday. The state’s 14-day positivity rate is up from 8.1% on Monday to 8.2% on Wednesday.

The number of patients hospitalized in Iowa is also on the rise once again after declining for several weeks. There are 483 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, up from 467 on Monday. Of those hospitalized with COVID-19, 74.8% are unvaccinated, while 82% of those listed in intensive care with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.

There have been 3,771,944 vaccine doses administered in Iowa, with 68% of those 18 and older fully vaccinated and 70.5% of those 12 and older with at least one dose.

(Urbandale, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Polk County, Wednesday, said a man from southern Iowa’s Ringgold County has been charged with first-degree murder in the death and disappearance of woman from southwestern Wisconsin. Deputies 30-year-old Rachel Reuter, of Cassville, Wisconsin, was reported missing by her father to the Urbandale Police Department on June 16th.

In a News Release, authorities said “The Urbandale Police Department requested assistance from the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations, and both agencies worked conjointly to investigate the reported missing person. Evidence in the case eventually lead investigators to a residence in Bondurant, IA. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office was contacted and began to assist with the case,” deputies said through a news release. “Information and evidence gathered shifted this incident from a missing person investigation to a homicide investigation.”

Investigators believe 46-year-old James Shiloh Klever, of Mount Ayr, killed Reuter at the Bondurant residence on June 13. Deputies said her remains have not been located. Klever is charged with first-degree murder and possession of a controlled substance. He’s currently being held in the Polk County Jail in lieu of a $1 million cash bond.

Authorities say the case remains an ongoing and active investigation that is being conducted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the DCI. Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 515-286-3334.

Des Moines, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Public Health reported the first flu death this year, Wednesday. IDPH stated the Central Iowa woman who died was 81 years old and had underlying conditions. According to the state, the flu season began on Oct. 3. While flu cases remain low in Iowa, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people six months and older to receive the flu vaccine.

Two weeks after receiving the vaccine, participants will fully benefit from the vaccine’s protection. The first flu death also comes on the heels of the CDC recommending the Pediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 years and older.

IDPH is asking Iowans to get the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine.

(Radio Iowa) – An eastern Iowa toy company that makes flexible two-lane racetracks is struggling with supply chain troubles, along with many other businesses, as we approach the busy holiday season. Randy Belding, president and co-founder of Blu Track, says they don’t have the necessary supplies to meet current orders, let alone create a large special order they’d hoped to donate to the Toys for Tots program. “We need extruder PVC,” Belding says, “and unfortunately, we only have one source for it and they’re not even giving us a date anymore of when we can expect our next shipment.”

The company’s Anamosa plant, which employs about ten workers, planned to create 500 track kits — an entire shift’s work — to donate to the popular holiday charity for kids, but Belding says they need about 17-hundred pounds of the P-V-C resin. “What we’re really looking for is some company that would have some extruder PVC resin that they’d be willing to either donate or discount and then we’ll do the rest,” Belding says. “We have volunteers in Anamosa that are willing to come in and help us assemble, we’ll build it all and then we’ll get the product to Toys for Tots.”

Belding says the Blu Track kits allow kids to race two cars at once, side-by-side, while the dual tracks are also being used in school science and physics labs for basic force and motion lessons and even complex coaster designs. Blu Track, which was founded in Pella more than 20 years ago, has long used a Pennsylvania supplier for its P-V-C, but everything has ground to a halt.  “We don’t know what the delay is on their end. They’ve just said they don’t have the raw materials that they need. It could be a lot of things,” Belding says. “From my standpoint, the part that’s kind of scary is that they aren’t giving us a date anymore. That doesn’t make me feel very comfortable that we’re going to get it on time to do much of anything for this Christmas season.”

Time is tight, he says, and they need the resin by November 22nd in order to make the Toys for Tots donation.

(Radio Iowa) – Deere and Company says the second contract offer just rejected by union workers is the company’s last and final offer and representatives of Deere will not return to the negotiating table. Jennifer Hartmann, a spokesman for the company, says Deere listened to production and maintenance employees after the first tentative agreement was overwhelmingly rejected a month ago. “What is in this agreement now meets those concerns and issues that were brought to our attention,” Hartmann says.

Ninety percent of union workers rejected Deere’s first contract offer. The second offer, which included immediate 10 percent raises and a bonus of 85-hundred dollars, was rejected by 55 percent of U-A-W members. “We’re encouraged by the fact that seven out of the 11 units voted to ratify the contract,” Hartmann says.

According to social media posts, a majority of the U-A-W members at Deere plants in Ankeny, Davenport and Ottumwa voted to approve the deal, but it was rejected by workers at plants in Dubuque and Waterloo as well as two Deere facilities in Illinois. The tallies at other union locals out of state have not been made public. According to a statement from Deere, the company’s contract offer would provide workers with an additional three-and-a-half billion dollars over the next six years. The U-A-W issued a brief statement after the tentative agreement was voted down, saying the strike against Deere would continue as the union discusses next steps with the company.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Kelsey Beschorner, Programs Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce said Wednesday, Atlantic Rising, in partnership with Hy-Vee, will continue to lead the Christmas Box Program this holiday season. The program was originally started by West Central Community Action over 20 years ago. The Jaycees took the program over soon after it started and then passed the program to Atlantic Rising in 2018.

“This program helps families and individuals in need of a Christmas dinner,”  Beschorner said. “Atlantic Rising members, along with volunteers, delivered boxes to 165 individuals and families last year. With the continued challenges of COVID-19, we are expecting to see yet another increase in nominations this year,” she added.

Kelsey said also, “Trivia Night was the organization’s main fundraising event, and all participants had a fun night in October. With the projected numbers of families served, we will be reaching out to businesses and community members asking for donations and volunteers to help serve as many families as possible. Any time our community needs us, we are there to put in the work.”

On December 16th, members of Atlantic Rising will help fill and deliver boxes of food items to families and individuals who can then use them to cook Christmas dinner. Beschorner said “Atlantic Rising is proud to carry on this tradition of the Christmas Box program, and we are thankful that we are able to partner with HyVee and give back to the community in such a great way.”

To nominate a family or individual, or if you are interested in volunteering, contact Atlantic Rising at 712.243.3017 or chamber@atlanticiowa.com.

(Adair, Iowa) – One person was injured and flown by helicopter to Des Moines, following a crash Wednesday afternoon in Adair County. The Iowa State Patrol reports the accident happened just before 1-p.m. on I-80 eastbound, about two-miles west of Adair.

Authorities say a 2019 Freightliner semi driven by 50-year-old Geno Khorava, of Palm Coast, FL, a 2007 Freightliner semi driven by 50-year-old Nicholas Cates, of Nampa, ID, and a 2007 Kenworth semi driven by 59-year-old Jeffrey Mokol, of Lenexa, KS, were all eastbound at the 73.5 mile marker.

Half of Cates’ semi was in the right lane with its hazards on for slower speed due the weight of its load. The semi driven by Khorava was behind Cates in the right lane. Khorava attempted to change lanes to avoid a rear end collision with Cates’ semi. The Kenworth was in the left lane near Khorava’s semi. The Kenworth went off the road to the left and struck a high tension cable barrier.

After Khorava’s semi rear ended Cates’ Semi, both rigs came to rest on the traveled portion of I-80. The Patrol says Geno Khorava, who was not wearing a seat belt, was transported by Mercy One helicopter to Mercy Hospital, in Des Moines.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council breezed through their scheduled session Wednesday evening. They approved several matters, including

• The Street Finance Report for Fiscal Year 2020-2021
• An Order to Approve the FY21 Urban Renewal Area Report
• The third and final reading of an Ordinance pertaining to the Fire Department and how volunteer personnel are appointed.
• An Order to Appoint Geoff Barrick to the Planning & Zoning Commission, for a term of five-years. Barrick replaces Rich Tupper, who is resigning from the seat on the Commission.
• The Council, Wednesday, passed a Resolution “Obligating funds from the Hotel Whitney Urban Renewal Area Revenue Fund for Appropriation to the Payment of Annual Appropriation Tax Increment Financed [TIF} obligations,” that are coming due in the next fiscal year.
• And they passed a Resolution “Providing for [the] Reduction of [the] Interest Rate on [the] Taxable Sewer Revenue Bond.” John Lund says the City received word a few weeks ago from its creditor on the Wastewater Treatment Plant project [the State Revolving Fund] that they were reducing the interest rate from 3-percent to 1.75-percent for the remainder of the loan, thereby saving the City $922,300 over the next 16 years. In June, 2011, the City issued debt for the WTP project for slightly more than $11.7-million.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council set their meeting on Nov. 17th as the date for a public hearing on the sale of City-Owned real estate at 901 Birch Street. A local person looking to start a “House-flipping” business is interested in purchase the dilapidated home and giving it renewed life before selling it. The interested party has proposed paying fair market value for property and investing a significant amount of money to properly restore the home. The individual’s credentials and presentation to the Personnel & Finance Committee, were impressive, according to John Lund.

In his report to the Council, Lund said a meeting was held last week with the City’s contracted Retail Coach, and that he’s “absolutely in love with their data base.” The information it revealed, among other things, who the people were from outside of Atlantic, who visited the most.

The day after Christmas and an extended period in late January are the lowest periods of visits from out-of-towners. Lund says the Retail Coach had some “good news and some great news” for Atlantic.

During the Council Committee reports, Councilman Pat McCurdy said beginning next year, the City’s refuse will be transported to a site in Glenwood. He credits Councilperson Kathy Somers for helping negotiate the arrangements with a local sanitation provider.

Earier this year, the Cass County Landfill had sought bids for hauling services as they convert from a landfill to a transfer station.