Tim Pawlenty, R-MN Presidential candidate

Republican Presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty will be making the rounds in western Iowa this week. The two-term former Governor of Minnesota will be in Sioux Center, LeMars and Sioux City on Tuesday, and in Council Bluffs, on Wednesday.

His first stop a “Coffee with Governor Pawlenty,” will be 8:30-a.m. Tuesday, at Casey’s Bakery in Sioux Center. Later that afternoon, he’ll visit the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Shop in Lemars, beginning at 2:30-p.m. And, at 7-p.m. Tuesday, Pawlenty will appear at the Sioux City Library.

On Wednesday, “T-Paw,” as he’s called on his website, will stop at Tish’s Restaurant in Council Bluffs, for a Town Hall meeting that begins at 9:30-a.m. Pawlenty kicked-off his campaign last week in Des Moines, with the announcement he intended to run for President in 2012.

Pawlenty told the crowd at the state capital the country is “in big trouble” and it will take a “new and better president” to fix things. He said that means phasing out federal subsidies for ethanol. That statement prompted a response from the ethanol industry: go to the heart of oil country and give a speech there about ending petroleum subsidies.

For more on Pawlenty’s positions on the issues, surf to www.timpawlenty.com.

No injuries were reported following a rollover accident Sunday night, about five-miles south of Red Oak. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, 45-year old David Lee McClain, of Essex, was charged with OWI 1^st offense, after he wrecked the 1999 Dodge Ram pickup he owned and was operating.

Officials say McLain was traveling south on Highway 48, just south of 260^th Street at around 9:35-p.m. Sunday, when for “reasons unknown,” the vehicle crossed the center line into the northbound lane of travel. McLain attempted to steer back into his lane, but in doing so overcorrected, causing the pickup to enter a ditch on the east side of Highway 48.

In the ditch, the truck rolled an estimated three-to four-times before coming to rest on the driver’s side in a farm field. The vehicle, valued at $10,0000, was a total loss. McClain was arrested and brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held on $1,000 bond.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted in its investigation by Red Oak Police. Red Oak Fire and Rescue also responded to the scene of the accident.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing, Tuesday, on an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2011 County Budget. The hearing, which takes place a few minutes after the meeting is called to order at 9-a.m., will be followed by action on adopting the FY 2011 County Budget Amendment, and amending the expenditure appropriations.

In other business, the Supervisors, Tuesday, will resume discussion on funding for the northwest sewer and water extension project, and act on approving or disapproving a 457 deferred compensation plan, for County employees.

The last Monday in May is Memorial Day, a day to remember those members of the military who have died in service to our nation. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5th 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order #11, and was first observed on May 30th 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.  Locally, several events are planned to commemorate the day and those who have died. You can check out the complete list by surfing to our web page, www.kjan.com and clicking on the Daily Diary tab.

KJAN will continue a long Memorial Day tradition today, as we bring you a live broadcast of the Atlantic Memorial Day service.  The broadcast begins at 10:00 am from the Atlantic Cemetery.  This is the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and the featured speakers will be representatives of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

A Memorial Day Service in Adair will be held at Sunnyhill Cemetery at 10:00 am.

The Anita Legion & Auxilary’s Memorial Day Service will be held at Anita Evergreen Cemetery at 10:30 am., and the Anita Congregational United Church of Christ’s “Decoration Day Dinner” will be held from 11-1 pm. Dinner includes: ham balls, baked potato with all the trimmings, corn, green beans, 2 salads, roll & homemade pie. Cost is $8 for adults and $4 for kids under 12. Take-outs are available by calling 712-249-2377 or 712-250-0307.

Memorial Day Services will be held in the Arlington Cemetery in Audubon at 10 am.

American Legion Post 322 in Elk Horn’s Memorial Day Schedule is as follows: 9:30 am at the Clay Township cemetery; 10:00 am at Monroe Methodist cemetery; 11:00 am Church Service At Elk Horn Lutheran Church followed by Military Service at the Elk Horn Lutheran Cemetery, with dinner following at the church fellowship hall, for a free will offering.

Exira’s Memorial Day Service will start at 9:45 am, at the Exira Catholic Cemetery, St. John’s West and at Nishnabotna River in honor of the navy following the main program. In case of rain services will be held at Exira Recreation Center.

The Exira Lions Memorial Day Breakfast will be held on May 30th from 7-12:30 pm at the Lions Community Center. They are serving pancakes, biscuits & gravy, eggs, sausage and drink for a free will donation.

The Grant United Methodist Church will hold its annual Memorial Day Dinner from 11:30 am-1 pm on May 30th with a free-will offering. The menu includes: sloppy joe or ham sandwich, baked beans, assorted salads, pies and desserts, and offee, tea or lemonade. All money raised by the dinner supports the Grant United Methodist Women and their work for mission projects at the Grant church. Students in Time to Create will have a fundraising sale of homemade snack mix in decorative tins. Proceeds will benefit the program and its mission projects. From 1-4 pm, Jim and Kathy Wymore will host a jam session, and interested musicians can sign up at the event and a full size Circle of Stars quilt will be auctioned off around 2:30 pm.  Attendees should bring lawn chairs; a port-a-potty will be on site and there will be a concession stand. In case of rain, the event will be held at the Grant United Methodist Church. Proceeds from this event will benefit GCP and its work on the Grant Masonic Lodge and Grant Park. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Memorial Day Services in Griswold will be held at the Griswold Cemetery at 10:00 am. There will be  a P-51 Mustang fly over with guest speaker Father David Smith. A smaller service will be held at Pleasant Cemetery immediately following the service at Griswold Cemetery.

Join the Lewis Town & Country Boosters and the Pancake Man for a breakfast of pancakes & sausages, juice and coffee. Serving is from 7:30-10:30 am at the Lewis Community Center for a free will donation.

Montgomery County Veterans Court of Honor Memorial Day Program will be held at the Evergreen Cemetery in Red Oak. Program will include music by Red Oak High School Band, dedication of 30 burial flags to join the over 1300 flags that will be flying around the Evergreen Cemetery that day, a rifle salute and guest speaker, Lieutenant Colonel Joni Ernst, Iowa Army National Guard.

Elsewhere around southwest Iowa, Memorial Day services will be held today:
10:00 am at the Clarinda Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
10:00 am at the Stanton High School gym.
10:00 am at the Inman Primary School Parking lot in Red Oak.
10:30 am at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Shenandoah.
10:30 am at the Sidney Cemetery.

A Council Bluffs insurance agent was recently selected to become a member of Republican Mitt Romney’s Iowa Presidential Leadership Team. Steve Cates, a former Pottawattamie County Republican Party chairman says he was approached by the Romney team to join the group because of his support of the former Massachusetts governor and businessman’s presidential campaign in 2008.
Cates says Romney is a “Proven leader,” and “Everything he has done has been successful.”
Other members of Romney’s leadership team include Bettendorf resident Brian Kennedy, a former state GOP chair; House Rep. Renee Schulte of Cedar Rapids; Polk County Republican Organization chair Connie Schmett; GOP activist Alan Lucken of Akron; and Rose Kramer of Dubuque, a former state GOP Central Committee member.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Untreated wastewater is being released from an Omaha water station into the Missouri River. The city announced Sunday that it was closing isolation gates at the Monroe Street Lift Station as the river surged. The move will allow the release of some untreated wastewater.

Omaha’s Public Works department urges people to avoid wading or swimming in the river near the Veterans Memorial Bridge in south Omaha and for several miles downstream until further notice. Officials in Nebraska and Iowa have been monitoring the swollen river. Flood gates were installed Sunday at Lewis & Clark landing to keep water from seeping into downtown Omaha.

The river is expected to crest near Omaha at record levels between 30 and 35 feet in late June after more water is released from upstream reservoirs.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say a Red Oak man was arrested Saturday night northwest of Red Oak, following a pursuit that wound through the western parts of the county. 49-year old John Wayne Strait, of Red Oak, was charged with eluding, failure to have a valid license and/permit, and speeding.

Officials say the incident which led to his arrest began just after 7-p.m., Saturday, when deputies clocked a motorcycle going well above the posted speed limit, near the intersection of Highway’s 34 and 48. When the deputies tried to initiate a traffic stop, the cycle took-off, heading westbound on Highway 34 for about two-miles, and onto the secondary roads.

The chase continued through the rural areas of Montgomery County until it eventually came to an end in the 16-hundred block of 180^th Street, when Strait decided to surrender, and was taken into custody without further incident.

Strait was being held in the Montgomery County Jail in lieu of bond.