(HARLAN): Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff responded to a diesel spill in Harlan Thursday, meeting with local officials as they worked to track down its source. Officials say the Shelby County Emergency Management Service and Harlan Fire Department investigated a report of diesel odor and red sheen in a branch of the Nishnabotna River Wednesday night. Emergency staff placed booms with absorbent pads in the tributary to catch floating fuel.

Thursday morning, city staff lifted manholes looking for the fuel’s source and testing air quality underground. All air levels were normal and they did not see any sheen or diesel in water flowing under the manholes. Onsite Thursday, DNR staff noticed a residual sheen and odor in the stream beginning north of the intersection of Sixth Street and Cyclone Avenue, where a stormwater drain outlets and the tributary begins. The sheen disappeared by the time the tributary reached the west entrance of the Shelby County fairgrounds.

The source of the diesel spill is still unknown, but it may have originated on the north side of Harlan if it came through the stormwater drain. Rainfall Thursday morning likely washed much of it downstream. While it’s unknown if diesel reached the river, DNR staff saw many live fish swimming in the stream. At DNR’s request, the city placed more booms in the stream. The city and DNR will continue to monitor the situation and look for the responsible party.

DNR investigators encourage people to call in spills and fish kills as early as possible to the 24-hour spill line at 515-725-8694. Early reporting helps DNR staff determine the pollutant source before it washes downstream.

A jury has found Cristhian Bahena Rivera guilty of murdering 20-year-old college student Mollie Tibbetts in her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, nearly three years ago. The jury’s decision that was announced in court shortly before two o’clock this (Friday) afternoon.

Hear the judge polling the jury, which reached a unanimous verdict after about eight hours of deliberations:

Prosecutor Scott Brown admitted to sleepless nights as the trial progressed, but stressed during a news conference in Davenport that the trial was about Tibbetts and her family.

Brown and Poweshiek County Attorney Bart Klaver met with the Tibbetts family privately following the verdict. Klaver says it was an emotional moment.

Bahena will be sentenced later. A first degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Bahena’s attorneys have indicated they will file an appeal.

AMES, Iowa – May 28, 2021 – From Abingdon to Zwingle, the newly released 2021-2022 Iowa Transportation Map will get you where you want to go within the borders of our beautiful land.

The Iowa Department of Transportation recently released the 2021-2022 Iowa Transportation Map in the standard fold-out paper form and it’s now available at Iowa DOT’s driver’s license service centers, county treasurer’s offices, all six Iowa DOT district offices, Iowa’s welcome centers, and the state’s rest areas. The electronic version to view, print, and download is available at www.iowadot.gov/maps along with a mobile app version and a link to order the map.

The map shows all highways, airports, rail lines, lakes, rivers, and major county roads. Detail maps are shown for the state’s 16 largest cities that identify highways, major streets, and city boundaries. The map information also includes a chart to find mileage between select Iowa cities; and an index listing the cities shown on the map, along with their populations and map location.

Because the transportation system is always changing, the Iowa DOT makes several hundred changes to the map with each printing. While the map is printed every two years, the online and mobile app versions are updated annually.

Officials with the Creston Fire Department said Friday, there were no fatalities following an explosion that resulted in a fire at an apartment building. KCCI reports firefighters were called to 122 Manor Dr. at about 9 a.m. Friday. Authorities confirmed three people were injured during the incident. Two of the injured were taken by air to a local hospital. An early theory Creston Fire officials have presented, is that a person living in the apartment was on oxygen and smoking at the time.

Firefighters told KCCI they helped residents evacuate through exits and windows.

DES MOINES, Iowa – In partnership with the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office, the Division of Criminal Investigation’s Iowa Missing Person Clearinghouse is seeking the public’s assistance in locating missing and endangered person Xavior Harrelson. Xavior is a 10-year-old boy who went missing from Montezuma, Iowa, and was last seen on Thursday, May 27, 2021. At the time of his last sighting, he was wearing a red T-shirt, blue pajama pants and black high-top shoes. Please see Xavior’s description below:

The Atlantic Fire Department responded to Atlantic Specialty Care (1300 E. 19^th Street), Friday morning, following a report of smoke inside the building. The fire page went out at 8:28-a.m. Atlantic Firefighter/EMT Gene Schmelling told KJAN News that a fan belt on a roof-top air handling piece of equipment got hot and the rubber started to smoke, but there was no fire.

No one was injured.

(Atlantic) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors held their regular weekly meeting Friday morning,in Atlantic, during which Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken reported the Secondary Roads Department is finished hauling contract rock for the fiscal year, they have received their first delivery of project pipe, and the new excavator has arrived and is at the shop to be prepped for use. In other business, the Supervisors voted to appoint Trevor Becker, of Cumberland, to fill a position on the Cass County Zoning Board of Adjustment. His term will conclude December 31^st, 2025.

Supervisor Steve Green discussed Cyber Security Services designed to protect the County’s digital infrastructure from hackers, ransomeware and malware attacks, in light of recent attacks on the State of Iowa’s software, and other government agencies around the country.

Thursday night, Green said, “The U-S Government got attacked through Microsoft e-mail.” Green says he spoke with the County’s insurance agent, Kip Harris, who warned “It’s not a matter of if [an attack will occur], it’s a matter of when.

The two-part service he spoke of about cost $16,570 per year. The Board approved an appropriation for the package, which includes the providers working with Microsoft for an enhanced license.

They also agreed to accept funds that will be made available through the American Rescue Plan Allocation. Across the country, the ARP will deliver $350 billion for eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to respond to the COVID-19 emergency and bring back jobs. The funds may not be used to reduce property taxes, but are intended to provide substantial flexibility for each government to meet local needs—including support for households, small businesses, impacted industries, essential workers, and the communities hardest hit by the crisis. The funds can also be used to make necessary investments in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure.

The Board, Friday, passed a Resolution increasing operating transfers and amending expense appropriations for FY 2021, following a review of the FY 21 Cass County Budget. Auditor Dale Sunderman read the resolution as approved.

Cass County Emergency Management Director Mike Kennon reported to the Board the final allocation of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for law enforcement, first responders, public health, and the hospital and long-term care facilities, will be available for pickup by him in Council Bluffs this coming Tuesday.

The Board’s next meeting is 9-a.m. June 8^th.