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Red Oak man arrested on gun charge

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December 31st, 2016 by admin

The Red Oak Police report the arrest of a Red Oak man on an active warrant for carrying weapons on Friday.  At 10:56pm officers arrested 18-year-old Tyler Austin Sowers at the intersection of N 7th and E Corning Streets in Red Oak. Sowers was arrested on an active State of Iowa warrant for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, an Aggravated Misdemeanor.  Sowers was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held.

2 vehicle accident in Red Oak Friday

News

December 30th, 2016 by admin

The Red Oak Police Department reports a two-vehicle accident occurred on Friday in Red Oak. The accident happened at approximately 2:16pm at the intersection of Hammond Street and 2nd Street.  After investigation is was determined that a 2007 Chevy Avalanche driven by Amber Christine Goranson of Red Oak failed to stop at a stop sign traveling west bound on Hammond Street and struck a 2008 Chevy Aveo driven by 61-year-old Linda Sue Major of Red Oak.  A witness stated that he observed the accident and saw that Goranson had failed to stop at the stop sign. No injuries were reported. The Aveo sustained an estimated $4,000 damage and the Avalanche had $800 damage. Goranson was issued a citation for failure to obey a stop sign.

Supreme Court rules on use of bail money to pay court-ordered obligations

News

December 30th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled Iowa law does not allow judges to hand down a criminal sentence that includes the seizure of bail money. In 2013, Patrick Letscher and another man were arrested in Forest City and accused of stealing a pickup. Lescher paid a two-thousand dollar cash bond and was released. Letscher eventually pleaded guilty to the theft charge.

A district court judge ordered him to forfeit the two-thousand dollars, to pay part of his fine for the crime and court costs. He appealed. Iowa’s supreme court notes it’s been common practice for judges at the state AND federal level to order “pretrial” bail money be used to pay “court-imposed” fines and restitution. But the court’s opinion says in 1976 the legislature rewrote Iowa’s criminal code, so that bail money cannot be used to pay restitution and other court-ordered obligations.

(Radio Iowa)

Man charged with false unemployment claims in 3 states

News

December 30th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A California man has been charged with setting up fake businesses in three states, then using names taken from temporary visas issued to students to obtain more than $355,000 in unemployment benefits for nonexistent workers.

Nikolai Monastyrski is charged in federal court in Iowa with wire and mail fraud related to the scheme that prosecutors say he perpetrated there as well as in Illinois and Pennsylvania.

A complaint filed Nov. 10 says Monastyrski received $114,215 from Iowa, $230,000 from Illinois and more than $11,300 from Pennsylvania. He appeared at a hearing in Des Moines on Thursday and was ordered held by federal marshals until a Jan. 6 hearing in Davenport, where he’ll be tried. His federal public defender and a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney prosecuting the case declined comment.

Iowa woman reunites with son nearly 40 years after adoption

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December 30th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An eastern Iowa woman has reunited with her son nearly 40 years after she placed him for adoption. Television station KCRG reports Cheryl Janss embraced Sam Lane at a Cedar Rapids airport Thursday. Janss, of Cedar Rapids, says she was 16 when Lane was placed for adoption. Lane, now 39 and living in the Dallas area in Texas, began searching for his mother about five years ago. The station says he used an ancestry research website and Facebook to make contact.

Janss says the adoption was aimed at giving her son a better life. Lane, who praised his adoptive parents, says he wanted to thank his biological mother for giving him life. The pair will spend a few days together before Lane returns to Texas on Sunday.

Illegal deer hunting under investigation in Council Bluffs results in 1 arrest

News

December 30th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The Council Bluffs Police Department is investigating an allegedly illegal deer hunting incident. At around 10:30-a.m. today (Friday), representatives with the Union Pacific Railroad contacted the Pottawattamie County Communications Center with regard to trespassers in the 3000 block of 14th Avenue, which is railroad property.  The caller advised two suspects had just shot a deer, loaded it into a vehicle, and were in the process of leaving the property.
Officers enroute to the area located a black Chevy Avalanche near S. 35th Street and 11th Avenue, where a traffic stop was conducted. The driver of the vehicle fled on foot, while the passenger remained in the vehicle and was taken into custody. He was identified as 24-year old Deavan W. Donner, of Council Bluffs. Donner was cited for Criminal Trespass and released at the scene, pending further investigation. The second suspect was a white male, wearing a hoodie and dark clothing.
An on-scene investigation determined the vehicle contained a freshly killed deer carcass in the bed of the truck, along with multiple bow and arrow components inside the cab. There were no firearms in the vehicle. The investigation into the incident continues, and was being conducted through a joint effort of the Council Bluffs Police Department, Union Pacific Railroad, and Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources.

Eleven people killed on bicycles in Iowa this year; most since 2005

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December 30th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

More people have died on bicycles in Iowa this year than in any year since 2005. The Iowa Bicycle Coalition says 11 cyclists died while riding this year. The coalition’s executive director, Mark Wyatt, says he fears this year is not an anomaly. “We’ve seen vehicle miles traveled increase over the last year, and if fuel prices stay where they are, we anticipate that will continue to go up. I think we need to take action now and create some steps to make bicycling in traffic safer,” Wyatt says.

The Iowa Bicycle Coalition has been calling on lawmakers to pass a law that would require motorists to change lanes to pass a bicycle. “This is easily taught in drivers’ ed classes. It is easy for law enforcement to differentiate between a motorist being in one lane or the other, and it’s something that’s easy for Iowa drivers to follow,” Wyatt says.

A bill requiring motorists to change lanes when passing a bicycle passed the Iowa Senate last year, but did not make it out of committee in the House. Wyatt says five of the cyclists who died while riding this year where struck from behind while operating legally on roads.

(Radio Iowa)

Cass County Supervisors approve PSA w/Snyder & Assoc., & CAT grant Resolution

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December 30th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Board of Supervisors approved two Professional Services Agreements (PSA’s) with Snyder and Associates Engineers, with regard to Elite Octane Ethanol plant infrastructure, and by a vote of four-to-1 (with Supervisor Frank Waters the lone “Nay” vote), a Resolution for use of County matching funds amounting to $25,000, to secure an Enhance Iowa grant for Schildberg Recreation Area campground improvements.

Snyder and Associates Engineer Tim Teig was asked to attend the meeting to better explain the break-down of costs and services with regard to the ethanol plant Gray water transmission line project and road paving project. Teig said the agreements cover the $9,750 costs associated with the study phase for the gray water project, and $158,300 for the study and design phase of the Echo, Buck Creek and Glacier Road paving project. The total PSA for the roads amounts to $208, 950. That includes the full redesign, bid and construction services.

Teig said everything they’ve done to date with regard to the gray water project, has been very basic, and there is no firm estimate of the volumes of water or other detailed information available from the ethanol company as to how they want to receive the water from the Atlantic Wastewater Treatment Plant.  He says the agreement spells out a preliminary report will be created with the best routes for the gray water line and related property easements, as needed.

Once the study is complete, the Board of Supervisors will be presented with more detailed information, including the firm fees for the design phase. Teig said the PSA for the roads paving project, is inclusive of a new topographic analysis, because the last time a 100-percent design study was done on those roads was 10-years ago.

Teig said the road has likely changed over the past 10-years, with regard to height, shoulder conditions and other factors. Only the profile of the roads may change, due to age and wear, but not the design. Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Seth Staashelm told the Board his request for a Resolution pertaining to the use of County funds, was the result of recommended changes to the CAT (Community Attraction and Tourism) grant application from the Vision Iowa Program Manager, with regard to the Schildberg Recreation Area. The program manager recommended the application that was submitted be pulled, and revised. The other reason a new application must be submitted along with a resolution for financial commitment from the County, is because the Vision Iowa Board was dissolved and a new “Enhance Iowa” Board was established.

If the grant is approved in 2017, it will help to cover phase 1 of the project, which involves electrical and water hook-ups to the camping pads, along with a new storm-safe shower and shelter house.  The application being submitted in 2017, will specifically pertain to the Phase 1 part of the improvements. The Atlantic City Council will also be asked to approve an updated Resolution for $100,000, as part of its commitment to the project.

Departing Cass County Supervisors recognized for years of service

News

December 30th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Two members of the Cass County Board of Supervisors were recognized today (Friday), by Board Chair Gaylord Schelling, for their years of service to the County. Board members Duane McFadden and Chuck Rieken chose not to run for re-election in 2016, and will be replaced by Steve Baier, of Griswold and Steve Green, of Atlantic, who were elected in November, and will represent the District’s 4 and 1, respectively.

Board of Supervisors members, from left to right: Duane McFadden, Gaylord Schelling, Chuck Rieken, Frank Waters and Mark Wedemeyer.

McFadden received a certificate for his 12 years of service. Rieken for his 26-years of service to the County. Rieken chuckled when he said “It hasn’t been easy, I can tell you that.” The Board acknowledged the years of knowledge and experience both men are leaving with, and thanked them for helping make some tough decisions in years past.

Dollar General break-in in Clarinda

News

December 30th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The Clarinda Police Department is investigating a break-in of the Dollar General Store in the community. Police Chief Keith Brothers said today (Friday), that officers responded to an intrusion alarm at the store, Tuesday morning. Upon arrival, officers discovered an exterior wall to the building had been breached.

A tactical sweep of the building was conducted, but the intruder had departed prior to officers’ arrival. Brothers said a small amount of consumable goods were taken from the store, which also sustained somewhere between $500-and 1000 dollars of physical damage.

The investigation into the burglary is continuing and officers are pursuing numerous leads.