LE MARS—After looking for the cause of a fish kill in a small stream west of Le Mars Thursday afternoon, DNR traced the source to a local industry that uses ammonia as a refrigerant. Officials said the spill appears to be cooling water discharge from Wells Blue Bunny’s north plant. Normally the storm water discharge would not have ammonia in it, but DNR found elevated levels of ammonia below their discharge pipe.

There were several hundred dead minnows and chubs in the unnamed creek, but no obvious issues in the nearby Floyd River. The DNR recommends children and pets stay away from the creek near the ball park south of Highway 3 for at least 24 hours.

Ken Hessenius, supervisor of the Spencer DNR office, said Friday “This is a reminder to everyone that what you pour down a storm sewer or into a street goes directly to a creek and not to the wastewater plant. Some household chemicals which are flushed to sanitary sewers can be harmful to wastewater treatment plants. So be careful what you pour down the drain—sanitary or storm sewer.”

The DNR will continue to look for and verify the spill source, and send water samples for laboratory analysis. DNR fisheries staff were conducting a fish kill count today (Friday).

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Former Iowa first lady Mari Culver has pleaded guilty to public intoxication after troopers saw her stumbling at the Iowa State Fair last month. In a statement Friday, Culver says she’s “very disappointed” in herself and it won’t happen again.

A complaint says an Iowa State Patrol officer observed Culver “stumble into three people” Aug. 19 before contacting her on the Midway. The trooper says Culver’s speech was slurred and she was having trouble standing.

The report says the trooper contacted a transport vehicle to move her to the patrol’s compound to face processing for public intoxication. The report says a preliminary breath test found a blood alcohol content of .189.

Culver is an attorney and wife of former Democratic Gov. Chet Culver, who served from 2007 to 2011. She pleaded guilty and was fined this week.

Fremont County Sheriff’s officials say Deputies responded at around 11:34-a.m. Wednesday, to the scene of a woman who had died at a residence in the 300 block of Washington Street, in Thurman. 18-year old Anna Marie Joy Courtier, of Tabor, was found dead inside the home.

At this point in the investigation, authorities say her death does not appear to be suspicious in nature, and no one is actively being sought in connection with her death. An autopsy was performed at the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny, but the cause and manner of death are being withheld, pending completion of the autopsy report.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa State Medical Examiner assisted with the investigation. Authorities say no other information will be released at this time.

The Labor Day weekend forecast calls for warm weather and sunny skies for much of Iowa — and it follows a month where the state was generally cooler and drier than usual. State climatologist Harry Hillaker says August wrapped up being unseasonably mild statewide. “Primarily, it was about 3.4-degrees cooler than normal,” Hillaker says. “We only had five days out of 31 that averaged above-normal on temperatures and none of those did it by very much.” It was the 16th coolest August in Iowa in 145 years of record-keeping as well as the coolest August since 2004.

Here in Atlantic, the average High for the month was 81. The average Low was 56. The norms are 83 and 61. As for rainfall, August was the third straight month of below-normal precipitation, but Hillaker says there was an unusual twist. “Both June and July we had drier-than-normal conditions over the southwest two-thirds of the state and then in August, it was exactly the opposite,” Hillaker says. “The driest part of the state was northeast and east-central Iowa, which had been the wettest previously, and the wetter part of the state was all the rest of Iowa, especially the far west, roughly the western third.”

The state averaged three-point-eight inches of rainfall during the month, about four-tenths of an inch below normal. Rainfall was widely varied. In Atlantic, we received 8.48 inches during the month of August, which was 4.6 inches above average.

And, while the eastern Iowa town of Muscatine recorded only half-an-inch of rain during the month, the northwestern town of Milford reported almost 11-inches. As for the month ahead, Hillaker says a long-range forecast was just issued by the National Weather Service. “They just put out a new 30-day outlook for the month of September,” Hillaker says, “and it’s going for below-normal temperatures for the month of September and also favors below-normal rainfall for that month as well.”

The Month of September, in Atlantic, usually brings us 3.81 inches of rain, an average High of 74, and an average Low of 51.

(Radio IA, w/local info. from KJAN)

Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) officials have used the state’s safe haven procedures for the 30th time since the law went into effect. Officials say a girl was born August 21st, 2017, at an Iowa hospital and the infant was released to the custody of the DHS. A court hearing to terminate parental rights is held within a month. Specific details are withheld in order to protect the identity of the parents and child.

Through Iowa’s safe haven law, parents have the option to safely hand over custody of babies age 14 days or younger without fear of prosecution for abandonment. The parent, or their authorized representative, can leave the newborn at a hospital or health care facility, and can remain anonymous.

The safe haven law was approved in the wake of a high-profile case in 2001 involving a teen mother in eastern Iowa who killed her home-delivered newborn. Infants who are safe haven babies are placed with currently-approved foster or adoptive families.

If you are interested in becoming a foster or adoptive parent, please visit https://www.iowakidsnet.com/

For more information on the safe haven procedure: http://dhs.iowa.gov/safe-haven

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa State Patrol has responded to a new texting-while-driving state law by issuing 230 tickets in the past two months, far more than troopers issued all last year. The Des Moines Register reports that troopers issued less than 175 tickets for texting in 2016.

The new law took effect July 1 and lets officers issue citations if they observe a motorist texting while driving. The previous law only allowed motorists to be ticketed for texting if they also committed another traffic offense.

Maj. Randy Kunert heads the state patrol’s field operations. He says officers are using unmarked vehicles and plain-clothed troopers to catch motorists. The Legislative Services Agency says the fine for texting while driving is $30, but court costs bring the total cost to about $100.

As of today (Friday) Crossroads of Western Iowa has expanded into Atlantic, by officially merging with CASS Incorporated. For over 40 years, Crossroads has been serving the Western Iowa area teaching program clients life skills and attaining independence.

Crossroads officials say they are excited to start serving the Atlantic community in an effort to reach more people with disabilities. The merger will allow Crossroads to make more impacts in Iowa communities.

Crossroads of Western Iowa is a non-profit organization devoted to supporting adults in the community who, for various reasons, are unable to live completely on their own. Most have some sort of disability, brain injury or serious mental illness.

The newly combined organization will use the “Crossroads of Western Iowa” name. Brent Dillinger, current CEO for Crossroads of Western Iowa, will continue to oversee all of the major operations of the combined organization. Dillinger has been serving as CEO for Crossroads of Western Iowa since 2008. Under Dillinger’s helm, Crossroads has experienced tremendous growth. Today, the organization has a $20 million budget, employs more than 300 individuals and serves 350 clients.

Dillinger said “This is an exciting time for Crossroads and CASS Incorporated! This merger is a big accomplishment for both organizations. We look forward to continue the legacy of providing much needed services that CASS has been successfully providing for a number of years.”

Glenda Farrier, CEO for CASS Incorporated for the past 28 years, will retire this month. She will continue to work on special projects for Crossroads through January 2018.

By providing residential living, supported employment options and adult dayhab services, Crossroads individuals have been able to reach their full potential at home, at work and in their communities. Crossroads’ services provide meaningful life skills, a connection to the community, low staff-to-client ratios, confidentiality, clean and modern facilities, and qualified staff with ongoing training. Your loved ones are safe to grow with us.

This past July, Crossroads also merged with Cherokee Work Services located in Cherokee, Iowa. The merger has allowed Crossroads to expand services into the Cherokee Iowa area.

For more information about Crossroads of Western Iowa, please visit explorecrossroads.com or contact Rita Hamele at 712-216-2345.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a Council Bluffs man was arrested Thursday afternoon, for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. 45-year old William John Harrisman, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at his residence in the 1900th block of 30th Avenue, and booked into the Pott. County Jail.

A speeding pickup truck was stopped Thursday evening in Pott. County, and its driver arrested on a warrant for OWI/1st offense. Sheriff’s officials say 57-year old Joel Leon Peters, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody on the warrant, at around 9:20-p.m. in the area of Highway 92 and 360th Street.

And, an inmate at the Pottawattamie County Jail faces an Assault on a Peace Officer charge, following an incident at the Jail. Officials say 19-year old Peter Douglas Hobart, of Council Bluffs, is accused of assault a 36-year old male corrections officer, from Council Bluffs. Hobart remained in the Pott. County Jail.

A trucking company out of Massena will be collecting relief supplies for Hurricane Harvey victims, next week. Shawn Holloway, of Massena, is with Holloway and Sons Trucking. He says he’ll be parking a tractor-trailer in the parking lot of Atlantic Carriers (located north of Hy-Vee), on Sept. 7^th, in hopes of filling the trailer with items to donate to the United Way and American Red Cross, in Houston.

Holloway says he wanted to do something good in his life, and set the plan in motion to collect the necessary supplies for those in need.

(The list is as simple as clean-up supplies, non-perishable foods, personal hygiene items, kids toys and baby wipes.)

Holloway says he needs the help of residents in the area to provide those items to help residents of Texas affected by the devastating storm, begin the process of clean-up and recovery, and return to a somewhat more normal life.

He’ll be at the Hy-Vee at around 2-p.m. next Thursday to park the trailer and help load it. Anyone who wants to help the loading process is welcome to do so. The truck and trailer will be available through Saturday, or until it’s loaded. Holloway plans to hit the road and head to Houston, on Monday.

Other drop-off locations include the Darren Hardisty Shop at 207 Jackson Street, in Cumberland, with items will be accepted anytime after 5:30-p.m. or on weekends, and in Corning at the Grace Baptist Church (1801 Quincy St.), from 10-a.m. to 7-p.m., Tuesday (Sept. 5^th). The location in Red Oak is Mark Ranney’s shop across the street from Red Oak McDonald’s restaurant.

Police in Creston say a Ringgold County man turned himself-in Thursday afternoon on a Union County warrant for Probation Violation, and an Adair County warrant for Failure to Appear in Court. 30-year old Shaune William Tindle, of Mt. Ayr, appeared at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, was booked into and held in the jail on a $5,300 bond.

And, a Creston man residing in the 500 block of N. Cherry Street, in Creston, reported to Police Thursday morning, that sometime between 6:13-a.m. and 6:48-a.m., Thursday, someone slashed three tires on his vehicle. The incident happened while the vehicle was in the Super 8 motel parking lot. The loss was estimated at $400.

(8-a.m. News)