JEFFERSON—DNR is onsite investigating a fish kill in Hardin Creek about two miles east of Jefferson in Greene County at 5 p.m. today.

Local USDA Service Center staff noticed the dead fish while stream sampling in the area.

DNR has little information yet. While the fish differ in size and species, and the affected area is at least three miles long, the source and extent of the fish kill are still under investigation.

Downstream livestock producers may want to consider using another water source for their animals until the pollutant has been identified. Residents should keep children and pets out of the stream for 24 to 48 hours after the pollutant is gone.

DNR will continue to investigate.

DNR asks anyone seeing a fish kill or an obvious pollutant to notify the local field office or call the 24-hour spill line at 515-725-8694. The earlier DNR is notified, the easier it is to trace the pollutant source.

The Cass County Democratic Party recently completed their school supply drive by dropping of supplies to area schools. The drive yielded ten large plastic tubs plus several sacks of supplies. The donations were distributed prior to the school year starting so that the children would have their new back packs and supplies, ensuring their new school year started off right.

Cass County Democratic Party Chair Sherry Toelle said, “I want to thank the community for their generosity. And, of course, thank you to the businesses that agreed to be drop-off sites in their communities for the donations. Without their help, the drive would not happen. Thanks also to my volunteers who helped pick up the donations from the drop-off sites.”

Sandy Sothman, Vice-Chair, Cass County Dem Party; Sherry Toelle; and Larry Hunt, Principal for CAM South Elem and CAM Middle School

Sherry Toelle; Katie Elwood, MS/HS Principal; Nigel Horton, PreK-5 Principal

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The National Weather Service says the tornado that damaged or destroyed several buildings in rural Warren County was rated at EF3, with peak winds of 150 mph (241.4 kph).

It touched down near Lacona a little before 6 a.m. Tuesday and ran for nearly 6 miles (10 kilometers). It damaged the Iowa Operator and Engineers training facility. No deaths of injuries have been reported.

The Des Moines Register reports that another tornado spotted Tuesday touched down a little before 6:25 a.m. near Tracy. It was rated an EF1, with peak winds of 110 mph (177 kph). It damaged several roofs and trees but didn’t injure anyone.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines man who recorded what he says was the abuse of a show pig at the Iowa State Fair earlier this month has been banned from the fair for life.

Wheaten Mather tells the Des Moines Register that he and a friend were at the fair Aug. 8 when he saw a boy hitting a squealing show pig in the face with a stick called a hog whip, and Mather started recording on his cellphone.

Mather confronted fair CEO Gary Slater about the incident 10 days later. Mather says Slater tolerated his questions at first, then became dismissive and called fair police.

Mather says that’s when an officer told him he was being ejected for life.

Fair spokeswoman Mindy Williamson says Mather was banned because he was combative and “a little threatening.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri appeals court has ruled that the former superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol overstepped her authority when she fired a trooper who was driving a boat when a handcuffed Iowa man fell out and drowned.

The appeals court on Tuesday sent the case back to the patrol to determine proper punishment for Trooper Anthony Piercy in the 2014 death of 20-year-old Brandon Ellingson, of Clive, Iowa, at the Lake of the Ozarks.

The Jefferson City News-Tribune reports a patrol review board recommended Piercy be reinstated but transferred out of the Jefferson City troop. Former Superintendent Sandra Karsten fired Piercy in 2017.

Piercy is still fighting to have his law license reinstated after it was revoked twice. A hearing on the appeal is scheduled for early next month.

Atlantic School District Staff have produced a pair of videos explaining the new traffic patterns for Washington Elementary and the Middle School/Schuler Elementary. A new parking lot and drop off lanes were constructed following the 2018-19 school year at Washington Elementary, part of a $9.5 million bond issue for updating the district’s facilities.

Check out the videos below.

The Atlantic City Council met on Wednesday evening in the Council Chambers at City Hall and one of the big agenda items was approval of a Veteran’s New Housing Forgivable Loan Program policy. When the policy was brought up for discussion Councilman Chris Jimmerson stated he thought the program should include the opportunity for some current local Veteran’s to take advantage. Under the initial proposal the policy would require someone to have not lived in Atlantic for the past 24 months to qualify.

The program is in coordination with the Home Base Iowa program that aims to bring retiring Veteran’s to or return to Iowa to build their lives after the military. The initial 24-month requirement was with the thought that they wouldn’t just give money to someone already here. Jimmerson contended that Veteran’s already living here have proven they want to be here and would give them incentive to build a new home. The program involves the opportunity for up to $15,000 in incentives to build and improve a new home in the Atlantic city limits. The initial program would have $90,000, or the opportunity for 6 potential recipients. The council decided to amend the requirements to allow for 2 of those recipients to be local and keep the 24-month away requirement for the other 4 slots.

That amendment was unanimously approved and then the full amended policy was unanimously approved by the council as well. The The program is seeded with $90,000 from the EDR (Economic Development Revolving) Fund. The City may pursue replenishing the loans through a TIF (Tax Increment Financing), but specific projects will need to be identified, and can occur later.

In other business the Council approved street closures for the Atlantic Homecoming Parade on October 11th and a portion of 6th Street near the city park for the Atlantic First Responders Family Night Out event on Sunday, August 25th from 4:00pm-7:00pm.

The Council also passed a Resolution “Amending the City Financial Policy to add Section 204” (A Federal Procurement Policy), with regard to Federal Disaster funds from FEMA.

Officials with Cass County Health System have announced that the August 26th session of “Healthy U” in Atlantic has been canceled. The program, “Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery,” was to be presented by Keith Lodhia, MD, MS. but has now been called off.

An Omaha man was sentenced for sex trafficking involving force on Tuesday in US District Court in Council Bluffs. US Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced that 40-year-old Terrance Terrell Jackson Sr. was sentenced to seven years in prison to be followed by seven years of supervised release. The sentence was handed down by US District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger.

Jackson Sr.’s conviction was the result of investigation conducted by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. On May 11th an undercover officer responded to and internet advertisement offering sexual services for a person identified as “Savannah”. A meeting was then arranged at a Lincoln, NE hotel and “Savanna” was arrested by law enforcement.

Authorities determined Jackson had placed the ad and drove the girl to Lincoln for the meeting. Investigation determined that Jackson had been advertising meetings with the girl since late 2017 in locations in Omaha and Council Bluffs. It was also determined that Jackson physically assaulted the girl to ensure she would participate in acts of prostitution. The girl was hospitalized on several occasions due to the abuse.

The investigation was done by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, Lincoln Police Department, Omaha Police Department, and Council Bluffs Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

A small child escaped harm during an attempted carjacking in Council Bluffs on Wednesday morning. Council Bluffs police were called to a possible carjacking that had just occurred at a Casey’s gas station located at 510 23^rd Ave. in Council Bluffs at 7:15am Wednesday.  A small child was still inside the vehicle at the time of the incident.

Soon after officers arrived on location the vehicle was found a short distance away from the original scene with the child still in his seat unharmed.

Council Bluffs Police are still investigating the incident and are searching for two possible suspects. If anyone has information on this incident please contact the Council Bluffs Police Department at 712-328-4765 or Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.