Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Alex Londo, Monday, said that at around 3:45-p.m., a call came into the Shelby County 911 Center for a plane that was having mechanical problems and was needing to make an emergency landing at the Harlan Municipal Airport. According to Airport Manager Scott Pigsley, a crop duster was conducting commercial crop dusting southwest of the airport when a mechanical problem occurred.

The pilot was able to land the aircraft safely at the Harlan Municipal Airport with no injuries. Harlan Police Department, Shelby County Sheriffs Office, Harlan Fire Department, Medivac Ambulance, and Shelby County Emergency Management all responded. The event is under investigation by authorities.

The Iowa Department of Transportation, today (Monday), awarded more than $3.9-million worth of funding for 46 Volkswagen Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust program projects. Among them was $105,796 for Casey’s General Store in Stuart, for a Direct Current (DC) Fast Charger Corridor project, with a total cost of $132,246.  (Additional details can be found here)

In 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed a complaint alleging Volkswagen violated the Clean Air Act with the sale of motor vehicles between 2009 and 2016 equipped with “defeat devices” designed to perform differently during normal vehicle operation than during emissions tests. This meant that vehicles exceeded the EPA compliant levels of nitrogen oxides during normal use. Volkswagen agreed to settle some of the allegations with the creation of an Environmental Mitigation Trust (Trust) to fund strategies that will reduce the emission of nitrogen oxides. Iowa will receive approximately $21 million in Trust funds for mitigation projects which will be distributed through competitive application programs over the next several years.

Applications for the second funding cycle for categories 1, 2, and 3 were received in February from private organizations, public transit system operators, cities, counties, and schools that own and operate diesel fleets and equipment in Iowa for $4.9 million in funding available across the three eligible project categories. In addition, $1.1 million was available for the first funding cycle of Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Supply Equipment toward two types of electric vehicle charging sites.

Three additional cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in residents of Montgomery County, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to twenty-one (21). Health officials says the three cases contracted the virus via community spread and close contact with a previously reported positive case. One case is an adult (18-40) and two cases are middle-age adults (41-60) and isolating at home.

Sixteen people with the virus have recovered in Montgomery County, two have died, and 1,004 people have been tested altogether.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A police chief says investigators continue to chase leads in the disappearance of a 10-year-old Davenport girl and are still hoping to find her alive. Authorities looking for Breasia Terrell have called off an organized search in Clinton County, which began last week and included hundreds of volunteers. Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski says that investigators have determined their time would be better spent now following up on other leads they have developed.

He says that everyone on the team wants to “find her alive” and that is their intent. Terrell disappeared on July 10 while spending the night at an apartment with her half-brother and his father.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Department reports eight arrests took place from July 12th through the 17th.  Two people were arrested on separate assault charges: 50-year old Kimberly Lynn Lankford, of Greenfield, was arrested July 12th by Greenfield Police. She was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault causing bodily injury, following an incident where by she allegedly assaulted her boyfriend, causing several lacerations and other visible marks. Lankford was released from custody the following day on a $1,000 cash or surety bond; On July 17th, 31-year old Tyler Alexander Estrada, of Stuart, was arrested by Adair County Deputies, for Domestic Abuse Assault causing injury to his girlfriend. Alcohol was believed to have been a contributing factor in the incident. Estrada was released later that same day on a $1,000 cash/surety bond.

There were also three arrests for OWI in Adair County: on July 12th, 37-year old Austin David Peters, of Dickinson, ND, was arrested by Stuart Police, for OWI/1st offense. Peters was released that same day on a $1,000 cash or surety bond; on July 13th, 26-year old Alexy Maritza Lopez, of Allentown, PA, was arrested for OWI/1st offense by the Iowa State Patrol, after the SUV she was driving was involved in a single-vehicle rollover accident on Interstate 80 eastbound, near the 94 miler marker. Lopez was also cited for Failure to Maintain Control. A passenger in her vehicle, 23-year old Birdell B. Brockington, also of Allentown, was arrested for Possession of Marijuana, after he admitted commercially packaged marijuana found just outside the rolled-over SUV, was his. Brockington and Lopez were released the next day on a Recognizance Bond; And, on July 15th, 45-year old Clint Adam Burk, of Atlantic, was arrested by Adair Police for OWI/1st offense, and Open Container by a driver. He was released later that day on his own recognizance.

Also arrested July 15th, was 24-year old Jesse Andrew Queener, of Stuart. He was taken into custody by Stuart Police, for Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order following a dispute over child visitation and/or custody. Queener was released the next day on a $500 cash or surety bond. And, on July 16th, 22-year old Brennan Meyer Weiland, of Greenfield, was arrested by Adair County Sheriff’s Deputies, on a Felony warrant for a Controlled Substance Violation. Weiland was held on a $5,000 cash-only bond for the warrant out of  Wayne County, and released later that same day.

The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will continue discussion on the District’s Return-to-Learn plan, Wednesday evening during a Work Session in the High School Media Center. The meeting begins at 6-p.m.  At their last meeting on July 8th, the Board agreed with a recommendation from Superintendent Steve Barber, that the District begin on-site learning August 24th, with the understanding that the continuous learning plan be flexible on an as-needed basis, in light of the changing circumstances surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Board has not committed to requiring masks for students and/or teacher, but Barber said at the last meeting, moving forward, COVID-19 Health and Safety, as well as Family Dynamics involving student learning need to be taken into consideration, along with whether or not to require masks to worn by students. In other business, the Atlantic School Board Wednesday, will review and discuss updated Board policies, and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

They’ll also discuss upcoming dates, including: 2020-21 Student Registration on Aug. 3rd; the regular board meeting 6-p.m. August 12th; The Board retreat set for August 18th, at the pending date for a new staff “Meet and Greet.”