With a light agenda, the Atlantic City Council held a shorter than normal meeting Wednesday evening. In his regular report, City Administrator John Lund said residents will be receiving letters this fall from Utility Service Partners, Inc. (USP) with regard to an optional National League of Cities (NLC) warranty for existing Sanitary Sewer lines. Lund reminds residents that the City is only a partner in the program, it is NOT mandatory. Lund says for residents with much older properties (40+ years old), it might make sense to have those lines insured.Individual property owners who elect to sign-up for the warranty service will have to pay for the warranty, which helps to pay the repair cost of unexpected water or sewer line failures from the City right-of-way to your home. Those repairs can typically cost thousands of dollars out-of-pocket. In June of 2015, the City opted to enter into a Marketing agreement with USP, Inc., for water line warranty service. The company pays the City a small royalty each month for each paid warranty contract with residential customers.

In other business, Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones once again reminded young motorcyclists not to be doing stunts (like wheelies) and speeding, in town. Jones was blunt about the dangers those types of stunts and speed can do motorcyclists, and the dangers they pose to the public. He said he’s had complaints from the public about the cycles racing through town at a high rate of speed, and if a crash happens, he said “I don’t want our policemen picking their brains up off the street and put ’em in a bag and then have to call their parents and say here’s your son, or here’s your daughter.” He said if they want to race, do it outside of Atlantic. The Mayor said also he received a call from a member of the Atlantic Cemetery Board asking if “We needed extra [burial] plots because of the bikes running up and down Main Street?”

Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green said if they catch motorcyclists driving recklessly through town, they can lose their license on the spot and be subject to a hefty fine. On another note, Jones said also, he would like any resident of Atlantic who wants to fill an At Large vacancy on the City Council, to turn in their names and preferably a resume to the City Clerk, by no later than August 15th. The City’s Personnel and Finance Committee will decide on Aug. 16th, whether to make a recommendation to the full Council on the 17th, the name of someone to fill the seat left open by the resignation of Bob Cord.

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports 39-year old Jaime Castillo Gomez, of Mexico City, MX, was sentenced today (Wednesday) to serve 14-years in prison for his role in the trafficking of meth in western Iowa. Senior United States District Court Judge James E. Gritzner also ordered Gomez to serve a five year term of supervised release, to follow his imprisonment.

On February 26th, 2016, Castillo Gomez pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, which was the result of an investigation by law enforcement of methamphetamine trafficking that occurred in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area for over a one-year time period. Beginning at least as early as November of 2014, and continuing through September of 2015, Castillo Gomez conspired with multiple other individuals to distribute at least 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Southern District of Iowa and elsewhere.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Greater Omaha Safe Streets Task Force and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday (today), the former manager of the Fremont County Landfill was arrested on felony Ongoing Criminal Conduct and 2nd Degree Theft charges, following a State Auditor’s report that alleged 31-year old Dusty VanRenan spent more than $39,000 improperly. Van Renan turned himself-in and has since posted bond amounting to $2,500.

The charges were the result of a special investigation of the Fremont County Sanitary Landfill Commission which found the improper use of thousands of dollars of the organization’s funds. State Auditor Mary Mosiman said her office found irregularities in spending by VanRenan.  She says they found a little more than 39-thousand dollars of money that was not properly spent — including around 79-hundred dollars that was from the improper use of the commission’s fuel card, and there were some improper disbursements to VanRenan.

Dusty VanRenan

Mosiman says VanRenan was the manager from March of 2014 through September 30th, 2015, and during that time he also failed to do some of the required paperwork for a loan with the D-N-R, and that cost the organization money. “Since the commission failed to meet various milestones and reporting requirements — they have to repay the forgivable loan — which I believe was 20-thousand dollars,” Mosiman explains. “And then a little over 26-hundred dollars was unsupported disbursements and we didn’t have enough documentation to be able to tell if they purchases for the operation of the landfill, or if they were personal in nature.”

The commission is made up of representatives from the county and the cities of Farragut, Hamburg, Imogene, Randolph, Riverton, Sidney, Tabor, and Thurman. Mosiman says commissioners raised concern after noticing the amount of gas being bought went up after VanRenan took over. She says they did an analysis of the time before during and after VanRenan took over and found the amount of money spent on gas went up significantly.

The increase came at a time when gas prices were dropping. Other issues found in the audit included undeposited fees for dumping at the landfill, and the organization paid sales tax on items purchased when that was not required. Mosiman reported some of the payments for sale of recycled pallets were deposited to the former manager’s personal bank account rather than the commission’s bank account. “The way the agreement was set up fifty percent of those proceeds (from the pallet sales) went to the company and fifty percent went to the commission, but they didn’t go to the commission,” Mosiman says. Mosiman says commissioners had questions for VanRenan on the lack of funding in the recycling program.

“The proceeds were going to his bank account so it didn’t appear to be worthwhile for the commission to maintain the recycling portion of the landfill,” Mosiman says. “But had he deposited the money into the commission’s bank account versus his own bank account, things could have been different.” Further investigation found one of the people who owned the recycling company handling the material also had a ten percent interest in a recycling company VanRenan started in Nebraska. Mosiman made several recommendations to the commission for improving their oversight of the organization’s finances.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in their investigation by the Fremont County Attorney’s Office and the Iowa State Auditor’s Office.

(Radio IA/Fremont County S/O Press Release)

Iowa Department of Corrections spokesman Fred Scaletta said Wednesday afternoon, that Work Release prisoner who failed to return from Tuesday from his place of employment to the Fort Des Moines Work Release Facility, has been apprehended. 30-year old Michael Joseph Frazier, who had been listed as escaped, returned to the facility at around 1:30-p.m. Wednesday, and was transported to the Polk County Jail by the Fifth District Warrant Team.

Frazier was transferred to Work Release June 22nd. He was serving a 15-year sentence out of Warren County for 3rd degree kidnapping and possession of a firearm as a felon.

DOC file photo of Michael Frazier.

The Harlan Police Department reports a Shelby County warrant was issued Monday, after officers were called to Westridge Acres Trailer Court for a subject who had entered a home at that location and allegedly removed items from that residence.  67-year old Duane Straight, of Harlan, was arrested on the warrant and was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with Burglary 3^rd degree.

Authorities said also, on July 28th, 30-year old Eugene Cardine, of Harlan, was taken into custody when officers were called to investigate an open 911 line with a possible domestic situation.  Cardine was arrested and taken to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with domestic abuse assault for allegedly striking a Harlan woman. That same day, 31-year old Robert Sommer, of Kirkman, was taken into custody when officers were called to the Myrtue Memorial Emergency Department for a female patient who may have been abused. Sommer was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with domestic abuse assault.

And, on July 27th, Harlan Police arrested 20-year old Shawn Schaben, of Earling, after officers were called to investigate an attempt to buy alcohol by a person under legal age.  Schaben met with officers at the Harlan Police Department where he was charged with attempting to purchase alcohol and use of a driver’s license by underage person to obtain alcohol.  Schaben was cited and released.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors has approved an investigation into a cyberattack that compromised about 3,700 county files last month. The Sioux City Journal reports that the board voted unanimously Tuesday to work with Cleveland-based law firm BakerHostetler, which conducts data security incident response investigations.

Human resources director Ed Gilliland says the source of the cyberattack July 20 was ransomware that was delivered through an email. Ransomware is software that locks files on a computer and demands a payment for their release. Gilliland says nothing was lost because the Woodbury County Information Communication Committee backs up files every night. Emails requesting ransom for the files have been deleted.

Gilliland says the investigation will help determine which specific files were targeted and whether there will be any long-term consequences.

Cass County Health System officials report a new family medicine practitioner will begin serving the Atlantic Medical Center next Monday, Aug. 8th.  Dr. Edna Becht recently completed her family medicine residency at Memorial Family Medicine in South Bend, Indiana. She will provide comprehensive family medicine services, including obstetric care. She and her husband, Ed Schneiders, have recently moved to Atlantic.

Dr. Edna Becht

Dr. Becht said in a statement, “I was really looking for an opportunity where I can provide the full scope of family medicine, and Atlantic Medical Center is set up just for that.” Dr. Becht grew up in Indiana. She attended Indiana University where she received bachelor’s degrees in French in 2006 and in Biology in 2007. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Biology from Indiana University-Purdue University in 2008. Dr. Becht graduated from Des Moines University with a Doctor of Osteopathy in 2013.

In addition to caring for patients at Atlantic Medical Center, Dr. Becht will be on staff at Cass County Memorial Hospital. To schedule an appointment, call Atlantic Medical Center at 712-243-2850.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a burglary and theft. Today (Wednesday), a Pacific Junction woman reported an incident of 2nd Degree Theft occurred Tuesday afternoon at a location on Depot Street. And, two Pacific Junction residents reported an incident of 3rd Degree Burglary occurred on July 27th at a location on Hobbit Avenue. Additional information concerning the incidents is not available, and both incidents remain under investigation.

Authorities in Cass and surrounding counties remain on the lookout for a motorcycle reported stolen Tuesday night, from Atlantic. Atlantic Police Officer Nathan Kinney says the black Yamaha XJ-700 was stolen sometime between 7:30-p.m. Tuesday and 6:45-a.m. today (Wednesday). The cycle has Iowa license plate CV 6705.

Photo courtesy the Atlantic Police Dept. (Officer Nathan Kinney) – note: saddlebags not shown in this pic.

The bike has fringe on the handle bars, a nickel seat button and is equipped with saddlebags. The keys were not in the ignition, and the handle bars were not locked. If you see this motorcycle, call your local law enforcement agency.

A Democratic state senator says he’s hopeful the Iowa Legislature will take action next year to help make the state’s roads safer for cycling. Nine people have died while biking in the state so far this year. That’s the most in any year since 2010. Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City, says he feels distracted drivers are part of the problem.

“I think it’s probably time that we look at ending cell phone use in cars unless it’s hands-free…stopping texting, Facebooking, emailing,” Bolkcom said. Last week, Governor Branstad pledged to recommend ways the legislature can help make Iowa’s roads safer for cyclists as well as motorists. The governor’s comments followed the latest cycling death in the state, a week ago Sunday, when a Florida man participating in the annual RAGBRAI ride was struck from behind near Glenwood and killed before joining the official route.

“The tragedies of these lost lives is really going to move this along,” Bolkcom said. “I hope that we can move with something on distracted driving on cell phone use.” Bolkcom made his comments (Tuesday) on Iowa Public Radio’s River to River program.

(Radio Iowa/IPR)