(Atlantic, Iowa) – Monday (Today), was the first day candidates for the June Primary Election could begin filing their nomination papers. On the first day of filing, the Cass County Auditor’s Office reports Mary Ward has filed for re-election as County Recorder.

The filing deadline is March 25^th, 2022. If you have any questions about the nomination and/or filing process, contact the Cass County Auditor’s Office or see the Iowa Secretary of State’s website .

Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Monday), reports an adult and two juveniles were arrested on burglary and other charges, Friday evening.  Authorities say that on March 4^th, at 6:45 p.m., the Mills County Communications Center received a 911 call about a burglary in progress at Vinton Equipment, in Pacific Junction. Law Enforcement responded to that location where the reporting party saw one person with a flashlight run behind some equipment. The reporting party stayed on the phone with the Communications Center to give updates to responding units.

When law enforcement arrived on scene, K9 Deputy Evan Ruse gave multiple loud verbal commands to come out with hands up prior to releasing K9 “Danken.” K9 Danken then started barking and was released to do an area search. Almost immediately after K9 Danken was released, three suspects came out with their hands up. All three were taken into custody without further incident.

Jeffrey Greene

During the investigation, law enforcement located burglary tools on all three suspects and a bucket full of copper wire and other parts that were removed from different tractors. Two of the three suspects were juveniles, the third suspect was identified as Jeffrey Greene of Malvern. Law enforcement was able to locate their vehicle, which was parked in the Martin Chapel Cemetery.

Both juveniles were charged with Burglary 3^rd Degree of a Vehicle, Possession of Burglary Tools, and Criminal Mischief 2^nd Degree. Greene was charged with Burglary 3^rd Degree of a Vehicle, Possession of Burglary Tools, Criminal Mischief 2^nd Degree, and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Glenwood Police Department and the Iowa State Patrol.

A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman from Adams County was arrested Friday evening on drug and other charges. 36-year-old Breeanna May Fallin, of Corning, was arrested at 330th and Highway 34, for: A Controlled Substance Violation; 3 counts Possession of a Controlled Substance; Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia and Interference with Official Acts. Bond for those offenses was set at $25,000. Fallin was also taken into custody on a Woodbury County warrant for Failure to Appear. Bond on the warrant is $600.

And, Sunday morning, 26-year-old Dakota John Allen, of Hastings (IA), was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. His bond was set at $300.

DES MOINES – Today (Monday), Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for nine additional counties in response to the March 5 severe weather. The governor’s proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather in Adair, Benton, Decatur, Jasper, Lucas, Polk, Tama, Warren, and Wayne counties.

In addition, the proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program, for the aforementioned nine counties, as well as Madison County. The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website at https://dhs.iowa.gov/disaster-assistance-programs. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

The Disaster Case Management Program addresses serious needs related to disaster-related hardship, injury, or adverse conditions. Disaster case managers work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice, and referral to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation. For information on the Disaster Case Management Program, contact your local community action association or visit www.iowacommunityaction.org.

On Saturday, March 5, the Governor issued a disaster proclamation for Madison County in response to the severe weather.

Council Bluffs, Iowa – The open burning ban in Pottawattamie County will be lifted later today and residents may resume open burning beginning Tuesday, March 8, 2022.

Pott. County Emergency Management Coordinator Doug Reed reports open burning is now allowable throughout the county EXCEPT in any municipal city limits where there is a standing ordinance prohibiting open burning on a regular basis. Before burning, check with your local fire department or city clerk to determine whether your community has such an ordinance.

Residents are to continue using extreme caution whenever burning. The recent rain and snow cover will provide temporary and likely short-term relief of dangerous fire conditions. The county is still significantly below precipitation averages, and it won’t take long for fuels to become extremely volatile under the right atmospheric conditions as we approach spring and planting season

(Radio Iowa) – Higher natural gas prices are bringing Iowans higher winter heating bills, as energy companies warned last fall. Bill Marquess, program planner for Iowa’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LI-HEAP, says he’s seen about a 20-percent increase in applications from last winter. Thanks to new federal funding, he says they provided an extra boost to participants.

“In addition to what individuals would normally get, which is determined by a benefit matrix that looks at different categories, types of fuel, do you own, do you rent, things like that,” Marquess says. “In addition to that, we just issued out supplemental payments at 40% of what that first payment was.” Marquess says the program can help people make ends meet when money is spread thin.

“When households are already struggling and facing hardships, and then you do put in this extreme weather that we’ve been having, which forces usage to go up, and then because of these other issues, the cost of usage is that much higher,” Marquess says. “It has definitely, I think, had a stronger impact for households, maybe than what they’re used to.” He says they also have financial assistance for crises, like when a furnace needs to be replaced.

In October, MidAmerican Energy told customers to expect natural gas bills to rise anywhere from 50 to 100-percent. A MidAmerican spokesperson says customers’ natural gas bills did rise this winter. The average heating bill this past December rose 108-percent.

(by Catherine Wheeler, Iowa Public Radio)

(Stuart, Iowa) – The drivers of two semi tractor-trailer trucks were injured when the vehicles collided Monday morning on I-80 near Stuart. The Iowa State Patrol reports both semi’s were westbound at around 10:35-a.m. in the right-hand lane, when a 2000 Western Star semi – driven by 42-year-old Marcus De Andre Sewell, of San Antonio, TX – failed to complete the lane change prior to making a pass.

The rig collided with the left rear of a 2019 Freightliner semi, driven by 30-year-old Jean Sahens, of Del Ray Beach, FL.  Both rigs came to rest in the traveled portion of the road, blocking westbound traffic.  The drivers were transported by Stuart Rescue to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. Both were wearing their seat belts.

Traffic was detoured for about 3-hours at Stuart, while the wreckage was being clear.  As of early this afternoon, only the right lane remained blocked.

(Radio Iowa) – A legislative committee has voted to temporarily delay implementing a new state rule governing the care of livestock after major Iowa farm groups objected. The rule was originally scheduled to go into effect April 1st. It would have forced veterinarians to examine animals they’re prescribing drugs for or visit the site where the animals are being raised at least once in the past year. Eldon McAfee is an attorney for the Iowa Pork Producers Association. “By going to a hard and fast time deadline — within the past 12 months — affects our facilities quite a bit and we believe the best professional judgement should be respected on behalf of the veterinarians,” McAfee says.

Current rules call for timely and medically necessary visits, but Dr. Duane Ray, chairman of the Iowa Veterinary Medicine Board, says it’s time to put some teeth in the rule to protect animal health.  “To be quite honest with you, I’m a little stunned that the Pork Producers and the Farm Bureau are lobbying against this…The Iowa Veterinary Medicine Association is solidly behind this,” Dr. Ray said. “…We have hog producers managing veterinarians. That has to stop.” Dr. Ray says this is a critical time with African Swine Fever detected in the Dominican Republican and Haiti. “If we get African Swine Fever in Iowa, it’s going to make COVID look like a walk in the park,” Dr. Ray said. “…All swine movement stops for 72 hours. That means the packing houses shut down. All semis stop, so we need veterinarians in the field, familiar with these operations, so we can get this controlled.”

The board has been negotiating with the pork industry for a year over this new rule, according to Dr. Ray. “One of the veterinarians who represented one of the large corporate swine operations commented: ‘There’s no way I can physically get to all of my clients in 12 months,'” Dr. Ray said. “My response was: ‘Are they really your clients…If you can’t get on that farm for 30 minutes in 12 months…or are you just sitting in a corporate office signing scripts?'”

The legislature’s Administration Rules Review Committee voted to delay implementing the rule for 70 days, but committee members warned the commodity groups the rule will go into effect in June as is if they don’t engage in good faith negotiations. Representative Mike Sexton, a Republican from Rockwell City, says it’s become common practice for a case of antibiotics to accompany semi loads of pigs delivered to large scale confinements. “Those pigs aren’t sick,” Sexton says. “Nobody’s looked at those pigs. We’re just going to have a huge, onhand supply of registered antibiotics that a non-veterinarian is going to be able to administer. That’s the problem.”

Dr. Ray told legislators he’d been called to examine a sick calf and learned the farmer had treated the calf with antibiotics that came with a shipment of pigs, drugs that are not to be given to cattle.

(Harlan, Iowa) – In an update to our report on Friday, the Iowa State Patrol says two men were transported by Harlan Medivac to Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, following a collision that took place March 4th, north of Harlan. Authorities say a 2015 Chevy Colorado pickup driven by 79-year-old Ralph Henry Heese, of Tennant, was westbound on Shelby County Road F-32 at around 10:05-a.m., at the same time a 2020 Freightliner semi tractor-trailer driven by 59-year-old Brian David Soll, of Charter Oak, was traveling north on Highway 59.

The Patrol says when Heese failed to stop at the posted intersection, his pickup struck the rear dual tires of the semi’s tractor, and then spun around before hitting the semi’s trailer. The pickup came to rest in the east ditch, just north of the intersection, facing east. The semi came to rest in the east ditch, north of the intersection, with the power unit (Drive section) facing south, and the trailer jack-knifed.

Both men suffered suspected minor, non-incapacitating injuries. Damage to the vehicles amounted to $50,000. No citations were issued.

DES MOINES – Today (Monday), Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the signing of a disaster proclamation for Buena Vista County, in northwest Iowa, in response to the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) – or, Bird Flu – effective immediately, and continuing through April 5, 2022. The proclamation allows state resources from Iowa Homeland Security, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and other agencies to assist with tracking and monitoring, rapid detection, containment, disposal, and disinfection. The proclamation also waives regulatory provisions related to commercial vehicles responding to affected sites.  

The recent highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern, and it remains safe to eat poultry products. If producers suspect signs of HPAI in their flocks, they should contact their veterinarian immediately. 

The USDA has confirmed a positive case at a commercial turkey flock in Buena Vista County. On March 1, 2022, a positive case was confirmed in a backyard, non-commercial flock in Pottawattamie County.