City officials in Greenfield, Wednesday afternoon, issued a BOIL water ORDER, which is a downgrade, and replaces the higher priority Bottled Water Advisory previously issued. Now, water used for drinking, cooking or brushing teeth must be boiled and cooled prior to consuming.

Levels of toxins were lower than expected with recent testing resulting in the reduction of the advisory. GMU says that turbidity (or cloudiness) of the water in the system was not at acceptable levels during recent testing and that is why it is still necessary to boil water before consumption to assure the removal of potential disease-causing organisms. The finish water coming out of the treatment plant has been put back in compliance for standards but officials say it will take a while for the water that was not up to standard to move through the distribution system.

GMU will inform customers when they no longer need to boil their water. They did mention that the water is considered safe for animal and livestock consumption at this time.

(A copy of the Boil Order is pictured below. Click on the image to enlarge.)

ACKLEY, Iowa (AP) — A north-central Iowa man and his girlfriend have been charged with kidnapping after police say the couple tortured the man’s 8-year-old son for months by locking him in a basement enclosure for hours every day, withholding food and having a dog bite him.

The Hardin County Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday that 39-year-old Traci Lynn Tyler and 30-year-old Alex Craig Shadlow, both of Ackley, are each charged with kidnapping. An arrest affidavit says the abuse happened between July and September 2017 when the boy was locked at least 9 hours a day in an enclosed 6-foot square space under the basement stairs, where he had to sleep on concrete with no bedding and had no access to a bathroom.

Police say Tyler also beat the boy with a fly swatter handle and urged her dog to bite and attack the boy, leaving permanent scarring on his back and limbs. Authorities were alerted to the abuse by the boy’s school.

WINTERSET, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds is defending a harassment investigation that ended with a state trooper being fired after a 10-month paid leave and examined whether a powerful captain responded appropriately to concerns.

Reynolds said Wednesday that the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Administrative Services followed appropriate procedures and ultimately terminated trooper Wade Karp on July 3. Reynolds declined to reveal what the investigation found related to Iowa State Patrol Capt. Mark Logsdon, who oversees the governor’s security detail.

A state employee had accused Logsdon of failing to act after she informed him she was afraid of Karp after receiving unsettling Facebook messages from him seeking a relationship. Karp was placed on paid leave last September when the woman then complained to others.

The state has refused to release the findings of its investigation, calling them confidential personnel information.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Law enforcement officials near Omaha have seized about 20 pounds of marijuana, cocaine and hash from a car heading to Iowa. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says deputies discovered the drugs in a car they tried to pull over early Wednesday morning on Interstate 80 in Omaha. Deputies say the car left the interstate and stopped in a parking lot in eastern Omaha.

The deputies searched the car after detecting the smell of marijuana coming from it. Officials say they found 14 pounds of marijuana in numerous heat-sealed bags inside a black trash bag, nearly five pounds of cocaine and 23 containers of hash.

The driver and a passenger, both of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, were arrested. Officials say they were driving from Colorado to Iowa.

Residents of the southwest Iowa town of Greenfield have been without clean drinking water this week because of a blue-green algae bloom. Scott Tonderum (TUND-rum), general manager of Greenfield Municipal Utilities, says it’s a first for the city. The algae infested the lake that feeds the town’s water supply.

It’s unclear what caused the problem, first discovered Monday afternoon.

Residents of the Adair County town are under a “bottled water advisory,” meaning only bottled water should be used for drinking, infant feeding, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and preparing food. Tonderum says boiling the tap water will only concentrate the algae more, but the water is safe for showering, washing hands, and laundry. Test results returned this (Wednesday) morning show the city’s water is within what’s considered a safe toxin level, but the advisory remains in place.

Hy-Vee, Casey’s, and Fareway stores have all offered free bottled water to Greenfield residents. Tonderum hopes tap water will be safe for drinking again soon.

https://www.facebook.com/GreenfieldMunicipalUtilities

The Atlantic City Council is set to meet this evening at 5:30pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall. On their agenda is a presentation from Atlantic Police Lieutenant Devin Hogue on the 2018 Family Night Out Event that is scheduled for Sunday, August 26th at the Atlantic City Park from 4:00pm-7:00pm.

Next the Council will discuss the closure of streets for AtlanticFest on August 11th from 5:00am-6:00pm. The council is also set to discuss a street closure for Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church’s 125th Anniversary and Dedication Event.

A request to modify pledge money to the YMCA Aquatics Facility Refresh Program will be considered. The Nishna Valley YMCA did not receive grant funds applied for from the Iowa West Foundation but would like to continue with improvements anyway. The Council had previously approved a $10,000 pledge to the effort as part of the grant application.

The council will also complete the first reading of an Ordinance amending the Code of Ordinances and Zoning Regulations. A number of changes are being made to allow for more flexibility for property owners to upgrade their properties without the costly and time consuming process of applying for variance that is unnecessary.

The council will also complete the first reading of an Ordinance amending the Code of Ordinances regarding the number of days the City holds an animal before it is eligible for adoption. The City currently holds animals for 7 days before being put up for adoption, which is more than the 3 days that State Code requires. Animal Control Officer Kris Erickson recommends that the City roll their time held policy back to meet the State Code at three days to cut down on the time animals have to spend in the confined space of the shelter.

A number of other regular reports will be heard by the Council along with a declaration making September Drug-Free Pain Management Month. Mayor Dave Jones and Police Chief Dave Erickson are working with a task-force to eliminate drug misuse and abuse in the area.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Creston man on an Arson charge. On Thursday at 11:30am 26-year-old William Gene Hatfield of Creston was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center for Arson in the 2nd Degree. He was booked in to the Union County Jail on $10,000 bond.

The Harlan Police Department released their latest arrest report on Wednesday.

On Tuesday Harlan Police arrested 31-year-old Joey Lee Ranney Jr. of Harlan for Domestic Abuse. He was booked into the Shelby County Jail.

On Sunday, July 15th Officers arrested 43-year-old Joseph Peter Scheffler of Harlan following a traffic stop at 12th and Baldwin Streets. He was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Prohibited Acts, and Improper Rear Lamp. Sheffler was booked into the Shelby County Jail.

Also on Sunday, July 15th Officers arrested 45-year-old Rebecca Jo Schaben of Harlan for Domestic Abuse Assault and Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs. Schaben was arrested following a disturbance call in the 1000 block of 10th Street in Harlan. Schaben was taken to the Shelby County Jail and booked in.

The third and final arrest Sunday was that of 62-year-old Gary Lyn McCoy of Harlan who was arrested on a 5th Degree Theft Charge. He was also booked into the Shelby County Jail.

On Saturday, July 14th 36-year-old Larry Vincent Clemons of Manilla was arrested following a traffic stop in the 900 block of 6th Street. Clemons was taken to the Shelby County Jail on charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Prohibited Acts Penalties, and Carrying Weapons.

On Thursday, July 12th Harlan Police arrested 52-year-old Damon Patrick Ellsworth of Harlan following a traffic stop in the 500 block of Cyclone Avenue. Ellsworth was taken to the Shelby County Jail on a charge of OWI First Offense.

Shenandoah Elks Lodge 1122 is the host for the next Veterans Town Hall scheduled for today, Wednesday, July 18. The lodge is located at 701 South Fremont Street, Shenandoah, Iowa 51601.

Veterans, caregivers, Family Members or anyone who has a vested interest in Veterans information and updates is invited to the Veterans Town Hall, beginning at 6 p.m.

Subject matter experts from the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System will be on hand to provide current and topical information to the public.

A question and answer session will also be included, in addition to information tables.

Questions about this event may be addressed to jennifer.scales1@va.gov or calling 402.995.4719.

The Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System is also hosting a Veterans Appreciation Picnic in Omaha from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Vets will enjoy some ‘burgers and bonding’ with each other as they are hosted to appreciation picnic.

The picnic is scheduled at the Omaha VA Medical Center, located at 4101 Woolworth Avenue in Omaha.

This is a free picnic for Veterans enrolled in the NWIHCS.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today reminded Iowa farmers that funds are available to help install practices focused on protecting water quality.  Practices eligible for this funding are cover crops, no-till or strip till, or using a nitrification inhibitor when applying fertilizer.

The cost share rate for first-time users of cover crops is $25 per acre, no-till or strip till are eligible for $10 per acre and farmers using a nitrapyrin nitrification inhibitor when applying fall fertilizer can receive $3 per acre. Farmers are eligible for cost share on up to 160 acres.

First-time users that apply by July 27 will be the first applications funded.  First-time users that apply after July 27 will still receive priority consideration, but funds will also be made available to farmers that have used cover crops in the past for cost share assistance at $15 per acre.

“We already have $1.3 million in applications from more than 600 new farmers interested in trying a practice for the first time to better protect water quality. We encourage farmers that are interested to contact their local Soil and Water Conservation District office as soon as possible to learn more about the assistance that is available,” Naig said.

The 100 Soil and Water Conservation District offices located in each county across the state have information about this program and other opportunities for cost share funding.

Background on Iowa Water Quality Initiative

The Iowa Water Quality Initiative was established in 2013 to help implement the Nutrient Reduction Strategy, which is a science and technology based approach to achieving a 45 percent reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus losses to our waters.  The strategy brings together both point sources, such as municipal wastewater treatment plants and industrial facilities, and nonpoint sources, including farm fields and urban stormwater runoff, to address these issues.

The Initiative seeks to harness the collective ability of both private and public resources and organizations to deliver a clear and consistent message to stakeholders to reduce nutrient loss and improve water quality.

The initiative is seeing some exciting results. Last fall, 2,600 farmers invested an estimated $8.7 million in funding to match $4.8 million in state cost share funds to adopt cover crops, no-till or strip till, or use a nitrification inhibitor when applying fall fertilizer. Participants include 1,000 farmers using a practice for the first time and more than 1,600 past users who are trying cover crops again and are receiving a reduced rate of cost share.

A total of 65 demonstration projects are currently located across the state to help implement and demonstrate water quality practices. This includes 14 targeted watershed projects, 7 projects focused on expanding the use and innovative delivery of water quality practices and 44 urban water quality demonstration projects.   More than 250 organizations are participating in these projects. These partners will provide $37.7 million to go with the $23.4 million in state funding going to these projects.

More than $420 million in funding has been documented for efforts in support of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy last year. This represents a $32 million increase of funding in support of Iowa water quality programs and conservation efforts over the previous year.

More information about the initiative can be found at www.CleanWaterIowa.org.