The Cass County Board of Supervisors will meet 9:00-a.m. Friday in the Boardroom at the Courthouse in Atlantic. On their agenda is action on extending a joint agreement between Cass and Montgomery Counties, for an Engineer. Cass County Engineer Charles Bechtold was approved as interim Engineer for Montgomery County, when Brad Skinner resigned last April as the Montgomery County Engineer. The original agreement between the counties was for 60-days.

The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors have been looking for a full-time Engineer ever since. They recently interviewed three candidates, but the Montgomery County Board has yet to act on a successor to Skinner.  It’s possible, if Cass County approves, Bechtold’s contract could be extended for another 30-to-60 days. His services are needed by Montgomery County, for signing off on paperwork and other administrative duties.

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors will act on approving the closure or limiting  access to a roadway through Marne, for the RAGBRAI weekend. The action items include: Determining the compensation of “other employees” with regard to Secondary Roads; Authorizing allowances for personal cell phone use when used for Official County Business; Approving a Resolution increasing operating transfers and amending expense appropriations for FY 2019 (if any); and, the adoption of a new Employee Information Handbook.

A woman from Nebraska was arrested in a Pottawattamie County courtroom, Wednesday, on valid Pottawattamie County warrants. The Pott. County Sheriff’s Office reports 23-year old Breanna Nicole Evans, of Omaha, was arrested for Child Endangerment/Abandon – bodily injury, and Theft in the 5th Degree. She was transported to the Pott. County Jail.

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

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Authorities in Creston report two men were arrested on separate charges, Wednesday. According to the Creston Police Dept., 51-year old Walter Hughes, of Creston, was arrested on charges of OWI 1st Offense & Carrying Weapons. He was released from the Union County Jail on a $3000 bond. And, 58-year old Michael McCutchison, of Waterloo, was arrested in Creston on a Blackhawk County Warrant for Probation Violation. He is being held in the Union County Jail on a $5000 bond or transfer to Blackhawk County.

And, a resident of the 700 block of E. Jefferson Street in Creston, reported to police Wed. afternoon, that sometime between 2:45-and 3:45-p.m., Wednesday, someone keyed his father’s vehicle while it was parked in the driveway at 609 S Stone. An estimated $500 damage was done to the vehicles’ passenger side rear door, front door and front fender.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A wounded Davenport police officer has returned to work, but only on a restricted basis Police Chief Paul Sikorsky told the Quad-City Times on Wednesday that Officer Ryan Leabo will be doing administrative work at first. Sikorsky says he doesn’t have a timetable for when Leabo will return to his normal duties.

Prosecutors say Brett Dennis Sr. shot Leabo on April 25 after a foot chase and struggle. Dennis had run away when Leabo tried to talk to him and another man. They’d been seen rummaging through a car. One shot hit Leabo in a leg and a second gunshot was stopped by Leabo’s bulletproof vest. Prosecutors say Leabo then shot Dennis in a leg.

Dennis’ trial on attempted murder and other charges is scheduled to begin July 8.

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

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MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — No criminal charges will be filed over more than $2.1 million in improper payments by the Mason City Community School District. The Cerro Gordo County attorney’s office said in a news release Wednesday that it was determined after consultations with the Iowa attorney general’s office that there was “insufficient evidence to support any criminal charges.”

A state audit that covered July 20009 through August 2017 says more than $1.3 million was salary to 66 mainly administrative employees that exceeded the authorized pay and increases. The improper payments also included other monetary benefits, such as vehicle and cellphone allowances given to some employees. The audit report released in December also said hundreds of thousands more in improper disbursements covered district contributions to retirement and annuity accounts.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne was among the supporters of a bill providing humanitarian aid to migrants crossing the U-S southern border.
The U-S House approved the four-point-five-BILLION dollar ($4.5) emergency aid bill 230-195 Tuesday. House Democrats pushed the bill in response to concern over the treatment of children separated from parents at the border as part of the detention of immigrants coming into the country illegally. Axne says the bill addresses the humanitarian crisis at the border.
“I think that we can all agree that we want families and children to be treated appropriately,” Axne says. “So, this is a lot of assistance through refugees at the state licensed shelters, to help folks expand capacities in the small and medium-scale state licensed facilities to reduce reliance and the influx of shelters for children.”

She says it also helps with legal services, and advocates, and then post-release services. It puts some money toward the Office of Inspector General, and federal field specialists and case management services. The West Des Moines Democrat says the bill included provisions for the U-S Department of Homeland Security to boost border security measures. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection got another one-point-three billion,” she says. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement, over 128 million, and federal emergency management money, as well, to assist with all of the migrants coming in, and giving them the capacity to work with that.”

Axne says funding is also included oversight and migrant safety. The congresswoman hopes Congress moves forward in protecting the border, and keeping the country safe–but in a humane way. “We don’t ever want to see children who are supervising other young children, who don’t get an opportunity for a change of diapers. Children that are denied basic things like brushing their teeth. Certainly, these things need to be addressed,” according to Axne.

Iowa Democrats Abby Finkenauer and Dave Loebsack voted for the bill — while Republican Congressman Steve King voted against the bill.

(Radio Iowa) — People in nine Iowa counties hit hardest by spring flooding have just a few days to register for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Registering with FEMA helps the agency determine if people are eligible for grants to help repair their flood-damaged homes or pay for temporary housing. FEMA’s Deanna Frazier says many Iowans who are eligible still haven’t requested help. Frazier says, “They want to make sure that there is enough funding to go around to other survivors who were more highly impacted than they were.”

More than 24-hundred Iowa households and families have registered with FEMA so far, and the agency has already approved more than 13-million dollars for Iowans. Once a homeowner registers with FEMA, the agency works to get an inspector to their home to survey the damage.  “We are receiving more registrations that are kind of trickling in rather than busting down our doors right now, however, we do believe that there are people out there that have not registered with FEMA for assistance.”

The U.S. Small Business Administration also offers low-interest loans for homeowners. The deadline to register is July 1st — Monday. Seven of the eligible counties are in western Iowa: Woodbury, Monona, Harrison, Pottawattmie, Shelby, Fremont and Mills, while the remaining two are in eastern Iowa: Scott and Louisa. For information, call 800-621-FEMA or visit disasterassistance.gov.

Police in Red Oak report the arrest at around 12:55-a.m. today (Thursday), of 32-year old Benjamin William Hrabik. The Red Oak man was taken into custody for Public Intoxication, and was being held in the Montgomery County Jail, on a $300 bond.