The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Monday, passed a Resolution pertaining to the construction of livestock feeding operations.

The “Construction evaluation resolution,” or, “Master Matrix” as it’s commonly called, permits those counties that have adopted the Resolution to submit to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), an adopted recommendation to approve or disapprove a construction permit application regarding a proposed confinement feeding operation structure, and the ability to contest the DNR’s decision regarding such matters, if a specific construction application approved by the Board, is denied by the DNR.

The Resolution is acted upon annually by the Cass County Supervisors, and covers those applications received, evaluated and scored by the Board between February 1, 2019 and January 31, 2020.

Prior to the start of their regular session Monday afternoon, the Supervisors conducted a canvass of the Dec. 11, 2018 Iowa Western Community College Bond vote.

Their next regular meeting takes place Monday, Dec. 31st, unless an urgent matter requires their attention and action.

The Sunnyside Ice Rink opening has been delayed due to the inconsistent weather pattern. Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Seth Staashelm said Monday he had hoped to have the rink open by this Saturday, Dec. 22nd, but now it looks like it won’t be until after Christmas. He says it’ll still be weather dependent. They tried to fill the rink the other day, but that didn’t work, because it didn’t hold water. They’ll work on getting the liner installed Tuesday, in preparation for filling with water.

In the meantime, Parks staff will be working on Winter projects, such as making their own Curling rocks so young adults can try out the sport of Curling, which is an Olympic event. Staashelm said ice skates are available for use on a first-come first-served basis, but they are not in good condition, meaning the skates are not very sharp, and they are not very attractive. If you have your own skates, you’ll probably want to use them, instead.

He said also, the Schildberg Campgrounds are closed, and the roads inside Sunnyside Park are closed, but the park remains open for Winter activities. In other business, Jolene Smith with the Atlantic Royal Neighbors organization, have presented a check for $900 to Staashlem, for a black bench that’s been placed in the downtown City Park, south of the restrooms/shelter house. Parks and Rec Board member Charlene Beane commended Smith for her efforts over the years to spearhead fundraising for various projects.

Parks & Rec Director Seth Staashelm accepts a check from Board Member Jolene Smith with the Atlantic Royal Neighbors.

And, the Parks and Rec Board, Monday evening approved a proposal for staggered four-term Park Board terms, instead of the current six-years. They had approved it during their last meeting as well, but Staashelm wanted to consult with the City Attorney to make sure it was legal to change the terms, in an effort to reduce burn-out and get other people interested in serving.

Parks and Rec Board members are elected to their seat, not appointed. The City Council will consider the proposal at an upcoming meeting.

Officials with Nishna Valley Trails have conveyed a section of recreational trail to the City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Department and the Atlantic Municipal Utilities’ Board. NVT’s Dave Chase said during Monday evening’s meeting of the Parks and Rec Board, and earlier at the AMU meeting, that the $138,000 Troublesome Creek to AMU Wellhead Site Connector Trail located adjacent to the Atlantic Little League Complex, has been completed thanks to donations, and with the cooperation and input of the Parks Department and AMU, the organization coordinated the design of the trail by Snyder and Associates of Atlantic.

Dave Chase (NVT) presents a certificate conveying the completed trail system to Parks and Rec Dir. Seth Staashelm. From left to right: Snyder & Associates Engineer Dave Sturm, Staashelm, Chase and Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones.

Since the project has been paid for, Chase said the group “Thought it appropriate to dedicate [the] trail section to the Public, and add to our community trail system.” The completed hard-surface connection adds about six-miles of trail to the current system in Atlantic, and ties in the Schildberg Quarry to the west and AMU Wellhead trail system to the east.

Chase said the next project the group wants to tackle in the coming year, is a gazebo that will act as a trailhead, a shelter and a place where trail users can get maps and other information about the community, its businesses and services available. The gazebo will be located just off Olive Street, with a hard surface ramp to an area on the Little League Complex grounds. The project is expected to cost about $12,000. He said funds have already been given toward the project by the Atlantic CPC, other organizations and individuals, including memorials from estates.

Trail Head Gazebo concept for the Little League Complex

Chase said also that “We’re not done yet.” That’s because they are looking toward the further implementation of the Atlantic Recreation Trail Comprehensive Plan that was adopted by the City in 2015. Chase said that includes through the use of additional painted lanes, signage and further development of the existing trails. They will enhance the current and proposed trails by making them even more pedestrian and bicycle friendly.

The 2015 Comprehensive Trail plan which was modified a bit in 2017. (click to enlarge)

Those routes and methods are being further identified and supplemented by a recent “Walking Audit” of the City, conducted by the Wellmark Foundation and sponsored by Cass County Public Health.

(Radio Iowa) — Fire destroyed a building in downtown Grinnell this (Monday) morning. Grinnell Fire Chief Dan Sicard says crews were called at 6 a.m. on the report of flames coming from the roof of the building, which housed a Mexican restaurant. “The fire was in the roof and crawl space area,” Sicard said. “We kept it from expanding into any of the buildings next to it and after the collapse happened, we were able get inside and finish putting it out.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation. People in nearby apartments made it out safe and no one was seriously hurt. “Everybody was evacuated from the apartments, we have one minor injury to a firefighter,” Sicard said. The Grinnell Fire Department was assisted by crews from Gilman, Kellogg, Searsboro, Malcolm, and Brooklyn.

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) — A western  Iowa man has pleaded not guilty in the death of his grandmother.
The Sioux City Journal reports 21-year-old Eliot Stowe pleaded not guilty Monday in Monona County District Court. He is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 66-year-old Cheryl Stowe, whose body was found June 27 wrapped in a rug in an area near her home in the tiny community of Castana.

Authorities found Stowe’s body after being contacted by co-workers, who were concerned she hadn’t shown up for work. An autopsy found she died due to “complex homicidal violence.”
Eliot Stowe, also of Castana, was already in custody on an unrelated case when he was arrested Nov. 20 on the murder charge.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest of a Red Oak woman on Monday afternoon. At 1:02pm Officers arrested 24-year-old Ashley Marie Matthews for Shoplifting at the HyVee food store in Red Oak. Matthews was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office is reporting six arrests from over the weekend. On Saturday: 23-year old Heather Lynn Spracklin, of Omaha, NE., was arrested for Public Intoxication and Disorderly Conduct. Her bond was set at $600; 48-year old Mark Monroe Moore, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance and Driving While Barred. His bond was set at $3,000; 37-year old Jenifer Lea Mendez, of Missouri Valley, was arrested for Public Intoxication, with bond set at  $300; and, 27-year old Shialea Kay Cozad, of Council Bluffs, was arrested Saturday for Possession of Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs – Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $3,300.

At around 12:35-a.m. Sunday, 33-year old Abel Vega-Rodriguez, of Bellevue, NE, was arrested in Mills County for OWI/ 1st offense. Bond: $1,000. A little after 5-a.m., Sunday, 33-year old Chad Eugene Burch, of Clarinda, was arrested for OWI 1st, No Valid Driver’s License, Operating Non-Registered Vehicle and Improper use of Lanes. Bond was set at $1,000. Burch also had warrant for his arrest of out Adams County for Failure to Appear, the bond for which was $300.

An engineer examining the safety of a building at 5th and Chestnut Street has ordered 5th Street to be closed until further notice, from the intersection east, to near the Post Office in Atlantic. The order came today (Monday), following the collapse Sunday night of an exterior brick wall on the north side of the building located in the 10 block of E. 5th. Vehicle and pedestrian traffic is prohibited from the area due to the danger of more bricks falling from the structure. Additional bricks fell during the day today (Monday), and there is concern the entire wall may collapse.

The structure is said to be over 100-years old. The building’s occupants were evacuated Sunday, when a large section of the brick wall tumbled onto the sidewalk below, collapsing that portion of the sidewalk.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Civil Rights Commission is seeking to enforce a $14,700 judgment against a businessman accused of making racial slurs to belittle black employees. Bruce Smith of West Des Moines and his company, AAA Allied Building Services, have been ordered to pay lost wages and damages to an employee who says he quit after enduring the harassment. The commission has filed a case against Smith in district court to collect the damages, a rare enforcement action for the agency.

Smith called the case “a railroad job” orchestrated by a disgruntled former employee, saying “the whole thing was a lie.” The case stemmed from a complaint filed by David Curry of Des Moines, who worked on an overnight crew for Smith cleaning Petsmart, Best Buy and other businesses. Curry and a co-worker testified that Smith called them slurs and made other offensive comments. An administrative law judge ruled that Smith violated the Iowa Civil Rights Act.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous arrests over the past three weeks. Last Friday, 31-year old Kristine Jensine Porter, of Creston, was arrested on charges of Child Endangerment No Injury, and OWI 1^st Offense. Porter was taken to the Cass County Jail and remains held on $5,000 bond. On December 12th, deputies arrested 20-year old Dustin Lee Jones, of Atlantic, on two District Court warrants for Probation Violation. Jones was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 bond.

On December 9th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 44-year old Brad James Smith, of Atlantic, on charges of OWI 1^st Offense, and Driving While Revoked. Smith was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on his own recognizance. 29-year old Bryceton Lee Flathers, of Atlantic, was arrested Dec. 7th on a charge of OWI 2^nd Offense. Flathers was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on his own recognizance.

On December 5th, Cass County deputies arrested 40-year old Aaron Joseph Moore, of Wiota, on a felony charge of Interference with Official Acts Involving a Dangerous Weapon, and an aggravated misdemeanor charge of Carrying a Knife over 8 Inches. Moore was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 cash bond. That same day the County Sheriff’s Office arrested 40-year old Matthew David Blair, of Jefferson, on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Blair was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $3,000 bond.

And, on November 30th, deputies in Cass County arrested 42-year old Amanda Kay Bashor, of Atlantic, on a charge of OWI 1^st Offense. Bashor was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on her own recognizance.

On December 14th at approximately 8:00 a.m., the Cass County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a two-vehicle accident at Highway 148 and Main Street in Griswold. A 2017 Chevy Explorer driven by 33-year old Jennifer Elizabeth Bissell, of Corning, was stopped at the southbound stop sign on Highway 148 when said vehicle was struck by a 2005 Dodge pickup driven by 17-year old Brock Hunter Wallace, of Griswold, who was turning from Main Street onto northbound Highway 148. Wallace turned into the southbound traffic lane and struck the front passenger side of Bissell’s vehicle. No injuries were reported. Damage to the Chevy is estimated at $3,000; damage to the Dodge is estimated at $2,500. Wallace was cited for Making an Unsafe Left Turn.