BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal magistrate judge in North Dakota has sentenced an Iowa man to a year of probation for unlawfully bringing two black bear hides into the United States from Canada. Manitoba licensing laws prohibit more than one big game license of the same type in the same hunting year. Prosecutors say Louis Floden Jr. admitted he shot the second bear and knew it was illegal.

He agreed to forfeit the hides that he brought through the Pembina Port of Entry in North Dakota. Magistrate Judge Alice Senechal also fined the 69-year-old Floden $7,500 Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to unlawful transport of wildlife in foreign commerce.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – August 19, 2020 – Track repairs to the BNSF Railroad Co.’s crossing on U.S. 18, west of Hull, will require an emergency road closure on U.S. 18 beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, August 24, until 6 p.m. Wednesday, August 26, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 3 Office. While the crossing is closed, traffic will be detoured on Sioux County roads K-42 and B-30.

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles and wear seat belts. For traveler information anytime, visit www.511ia.org, call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide), or follow us on Twitter @StatewidelA511 for all alerts.

Students in the Exira-EHK School District began classes under the new normal of Coronavirus safety last Friday, and Superintendent Trevor Miller says the School Board, Monday discussed during their meeting, how things were going so far.

Today (Wednesday) is Professional Development (PD) collaboration day, where the students aren’t in the building but some distance learning is being conducted.

Miller said “It’s going well, but at any given time we could have an outbreak (Of COVID-19).”

Trevor Miller says the younger students are amazing at adapting to the new norm where face masks and social distancing is expected.

In other business, Mr. Miller said there was one new hire: Beth Lauritsen, who will be a part-time cook in the Exira building. He said they are looking to hire a couple of paraeducators, also. And, Miller said there will be some coaching changes for junior high, that will be added next month.

The Atlantic Police Department reports nine arrests occurred over a little more than the past two weeks:

• On Aug. 17th, 27-year old Jason Mark, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI.
• Aug. 16th, 42-year old Monty Casteel, of Atlantic, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense.
• Aug. 15th, 39-year old Mitchell Mullins, of Atlantic, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense.
• There were three arrested on Aug. 14th: 29-year old Devin Garnder, of Atlantic, was arrested for Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree. He turned himself in on the charge and was later released on bond; 33-year old Jenny Clark, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI; and, 18-year old Dante Watkins, of Council Bluffs, was arrested Aug. 14th, on two Cass County warrants for Violation of Probation.
• On Aug. 10th, 19-year old Noah Mienders, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree.
• On Aug. 7th, 43-year old Timothy Snyder, of Kimballton, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Violation of a No Contact Order.
• And on Aug. 1st, 22-year old Kolby Fulk, of Walnut, was arrested for Fraudulent use of registrations, False report of an indictable offense, interference with official acts, and driving while barred.

Each of the defendants were booked into the Cass County Jail. The Atlantic Police Department said also: 53-year old Paul Prall, of Atlantic, was cited into court for Harassment in the 3rd Degree, and provided with a court date. And, on Aug. 9th, 28-year old T.J. Anderson, of Atlantic, was cited into court for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

(Radio Iowa) – Thousands of senior citizens in Iowa are being given kits that can render their unused medications worthless and harmless as part of an effort to reduce the misuse of prescription drugs. Trina Radske-Suchan, president of Community Health Partners in West Des Moines, says the disposable drug deactivation kits are about the size of a zip-lock sandwich bag and they’re simple to use.  “So, it could be a pill, it could be a liquid, it could be a film, you put them into the bag and add water to it and then you seal it, you shake it up, and then you dispose of it,” Radske-Suchan says. “It’s environmentally safe and everything degrades.”

C-H-P Community and the Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative or RALI of Iowa are partnering with a state agency on the effort. She says, “We worked with the Iowa Department on Aging and we were able to get 5,800 of these kits out to seniors through the home meals delivered program.” The kits are being delivered — along with meals — at four Area Agencies on Aging across the state. A state report says the number of opioid-related overdose deaths in Iowa is falling gradually, from a peak of 206 deaths in 2017 down to 136 deaths last year. It’s hoped the drug deactivation kits can help keep more prescription drugs from falling into the wrong hands.

Radske-Suchan says, “With our opioid epidemic nationwide but also in Iowa, it’s a really great prevention activity that we can do by providing all the means and information to families on how to discard their unused medications.” The partner agencies include Milestones Area Agency on Aging in Muscatine, Heritage Area Agency on Aging — headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging in Waterloo, and Aging Resources of Central Iowa, based in Des Moines.

The pandemic, the recession, the drought, and the derecho have ramped up the stress levels facing all of us. The Guthrie County ISU Extension and Outreach service reminds you, that when it all becomes too much for you to deal with, the Iowa Concern Hotline is available 24/7. ICH offers free, confidential assistance with financial concerns, legal education and stress counseling.

You can call Iowa Concern Hotline at (800) 447-1985 or visit www.extension. Iastate.edu/iowaconcern.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Creston Police Department reports three arrests. A little after 2-a.m. today (Wednesday), 30-year old Cody J. Courtney, of Thayer, was arrested at 403 E. Townline in Creston, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd or Subsequent Offense. Courtney was being held in the Union County Jail on a $5,000 bond. He was also being held on a Madison County Warrant for Failure to Appear on the original charge of Possession of Paraphernalia ($300 bond) and a Polk County Warrant for Criminal Mischief 4th degree ($1,000 bond). The Creston Police K9 “Jax” assisted in Courtney’s arrest.

Late Tuesday night, 46-year old Shannon Gandee, of Creston, was also arrested at 403 E. Townline, for Possession of a Controlled Substance 1st Offense. She was being held in the Adams County Jail on a $1000 bond. The Creston Police K9 “Jax” also assisted in her arrest.

Tuesday afternoon, 50-year old Matthew Baulder, of Panora, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center in Creston, on a Union County Warrant for Theft in the 5th Degree. Baudler was released from the Union County Jail on a $300 bond.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa county says that a clinic failed to report up to 3,000 negative coronavirus test results, as concerns about inaccuracies in the state’s official pandemic data continued to mount even as schools use it to determine their fall plans. Webster County Public Health department spokeswoman Kelli Bloomquist says her agency uncovered the clinic’s failure to report negative tests last week, and the clinic belatedly submitted the 3,000 results.

The state system rejected the submissions, but a subsequent review confirmed that many tests had not been entered. The new information dramatically reduced the county’s 14-day positivity rate, which the state is using to determine whether school districts must return for at least 50% in-person instruction.