(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Auditor’s Office reports additional filings have taken place in advance of the 5-p.m. Friday, March 25th deadline for County offices.

For Primary Election:

Jay W Mez –  Republican  – Cass County Attorney

Vanessa E Strazdas – Republican – Cass County Attorney

Wendy Richter – Republican – District 3 Board of Supervisor

There are still have no candidates for the following offices:

(Hospital Trustees, Soil & Water and Ag Extension have until August 31, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. to file)

For the General Election:

 Agricultural Extension – 5 positions

Soil & Water Conservation – 2 positions

Hospital Trustee – 4 positions

Township Trustees only have until this Friday to file:

Edna Township Trustee – 2 positions

Union Township Trustee – 1 position

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department, Tuesday (today), said a 9-1-1 call reporting an “Active shooter” alarm and hearing gun shots at the Early Childhood Center, in Creston, turned out to due to a mechanical error with the alarm. Creston Police, Union County Sheriff’s Deputies and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Officers responded to the scene.

They immediately entered the school and began clearing the building, within minutes of receiving the 9-1-1 call. All Creston Community School District building went into lockdown. There was no indication of an active shooter, however. Once the building was thoroughly searched, the schools were given the “all clear” to release from lockdown status.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – One person suffered from back pain and was transported to the hospital, following an accident Monday evening, in Mills County. The Sheriff’s Department reports a 2008 Honda driven by 21-year-old Brian Jaworski, of SIlver City, was traveling south on 287th Street near Barrus Road at around 5:30-p.m.,when the vehicle crossed into the wrong lane of travel and ended-up in a ditch. The vehicle then ramped a field entrance and crash on the other side. No charges were filed.

No injuries were reported after a 2020 International semi rolled away unoccupied, while it was parked in the I-29 southbound rest area, Friday afternoon. The driver was outside the vehicle when it began to roll away. The semi came to rest in the west portion of the ditch on I-29.

Mills County authorities report also, 32-year-old Tyler Eldon Buckner, of Emerson, was arrested last Friday evening, for Driving Under Suspension. His bond was set at $300.

(Radio Iowa) – Another proposal for revamping Iowa’s 44-year-old Bottle Bill has won bipartisan approval in a House committee and could be debated by the full House early next week. Just like a version pending in the Iowa Senate, it would no longer require grocers, convenience stores and other retailers that sell beer and pop to accept the empty bottles and cans and pay the nickel deposit fee in 2023. Brad Epperly, a lobbyist for the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, says if that change takes effect, it’s a significant step.  “Progress around this place is sometimes slow,” Epperly says. “Something like this is more of a quest.”

But grocers object to another section of the House proposal that would require them to pay another half-a-cent per container. “For us, payment to opt out of a government mandate is something principally that’s very challenging,” Epperly says, “let alone the amount that we’re talking about here.” He estimates the bill would require grocers and retailers to pay an additional 50 million over five years. R.G. Schwarm, a lobbyist for the Iowa Recycling Association, says it’s a positive step to double the handling fee for redemption centers which are struggling to stay in business. However, Schwarm says the plan, as written, appears to let all retailers opt out of accepting cans — and there aren’t enough redemption centers to deal with the volume of empties containers.

“There are 44 counties that do not have a redemption center…It’s largely in rural Iowa and that’s where our concerns lie,” Schwarm says. “When we remove a significant amount of infrastructure for redemption, that’s where we’re going to make it more difficult for Iowans to redeem.” The House plan also proposes a new tax credit for beer makers that’s connected to the number of empty beer cans that are redeemed for the deposits. Representative Brian Lohse, a Republican from Bondurant, is the leader of a group of House members who’ve been working on a compromise. He says lawmakers hear about the Bottle Bill from Iowans daily.

“It’s something that we know we have to do. I mean this isn’t just a, ‘O.K, it’s not working. We’ll see what we can do.’ This is, from our leadership, ‘Get something done,'” Lohse says. “And we are tired of talking about it. We know we need to have action. Now’s the time to do it.”

Lohse, who owns a grocery store, says the proposal requires all the private businesses involved to participate in changes in the bottle and can redemption system. A House subcommittee reviewed the plan at 8 a.m. this (Tuesday) morning and the House Ways and Means tax-writing committee approved it two hours later.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday morning, unanimously approved increases the County Board of Health had approved earlier, with regard to septic system, time to transfer and water well, permits. Jotham Arber, with Cass/Guthrie Environmental Health, said the fee schedule has not changed in 10-years, until now.

He says the County wasn’t breaking even, based on what the Sanitarian was billing and what the homeowner was paying for those permits.

The new rates ($225 for Septic systems; $300 for title transfer, & $175 for Water Well permits) will take effect July 1, 2022. The changes were approved by the Cass County Board of Health, and needed approval of the Supervisors before it goes into effect on July 1st.

The Supervisors also heard from Mick Allen, representing the Atlantic Golf and Country Club. He asked the Board to approve a water usage permit for irrigation, that would allow them to pump water out of the Nishnabotna River. A line on a map the Supervisors received shows the proposed pipeline that would be used, to draw water.

Allen says about five-or six-years ago, they spent about $55,000 to put four wells in. Due to the drought, those wells have gone dry.

He says they’re projecting that on a year with little-to-no rain, in extreme conditions, they would have to pull between 100-to 200,000 gallons out of the river, on a daily basis. After some discussion, the Board approved the request, pending approval and receipt of permits from the Iowa DNR.

(Lewis, Iowa) – Two families are offering a $5,000 cash reward for information that leads to the return of a church bell in Cass County. Drue Kirchhoff, with Southwest Iowa Tiling, in Griswold, says the bell was located in front of the United Congregational Methodist Church in Lewis.

The church bell has a long history of being in the area, but Kirchhoff wasn’t sure of its age.

The United Congregational Methodist Church of Lewis’ bell (file photo)

He believes the bell was made of cast iron, which is a hot commodity these days for its salvage value, especially when it’s included with other, heavy metals. He’s asking salvage yards to be on the lookout for the bell.

Kirchhoff, and Rob and Marlo Stamp with Stamp Construction, in Atlantic, are offering the reward for the return of the bell, no questions asked.

If you or someone you know has information that may help the Cass County Sheriff’s Office with their investigation, please call 712-243-2206.