Cass County Youth Coordinator Shelby Williams said today (Friday), “Cass County 4-H Clubs would like to invite the public to attend their annual 4-H Mardi Gras carnival on Sunday, March 5th.”  Williams said also “Mardi Gras includes fun, food, & carnival-type games for kids of all ages. The event is scheduled from 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic. We are so excited to offer many activities for families.”

Activities this year include: Family Mardi Gras Photo Booth, Ring Toss, Dessert Walk, Sponge Throw, the ever popular Youth Council Mardi Gras Jail, Bucket Pong, boot toss and much more! Several clubs will also be selling snacks for attendees to enjoy, including a Walking Taco Stand, cookie decorating station and pop floats to go.

The Youth Action Committee and Youth Council are sponsoring this county-wide event and would like to invite all Cass County families to come out and join the fun. It is intended to be a low cost, family-friendly event for everyone in the county. Williams stresses that “You don’t have to be in 4-H to attend. “all are welcome!”

Admission is $.50 a person and tickets cost $.10 each. Each 4-H club determines how many tickets to charge to play their game. All proceeds from this event go to the 4-H clubs, Youth Council, and the Cass County 4-H Program.

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

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(Update 12:20-p.m.) Two men from Union County were arrested late Thursday night on drug charges. Creston Police say 22-year old Danny Eltino Guzman and 19-year old Norskuski Philanda Rivers, Jr., both of Creston, were taken into custody at around 10:20-p.m. The pair were arrested after officers were called to 1000 W. Montgomery in Creston, for a report of possible drug activity at that location. After gaining entry into the home, authorities found a large quantity of marijuana and cash, in plain view. They seized approximately 246 grams of marijuana and $2,515 in cash.

Guzman and Rivers, Jr. face a charge of Possession with the Intent to Deliver/Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp. Guzman faces an additional charge of Interference with Official Acts. Both men were being held in the Union County Jail on $5,000 bond, each.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Officials with the Golden Hills RC&D (Resource, Conservation and Development), in Oakland, invite you to join them Monday, March 13th at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.  Loess Hills Alliance (LHA) members and legislators are invited to a “Meet and Greet,” with refreshments from Noon until 4-p.m. in the Iowa State Capitol Rotunda.

It’s an opportunity to learn more about LHA’s history and current work, as well as build relationships with other members and state legislators. The Meet and Greet will also help publicize the Loess Hills Alliance and inform members of the public and the media about the organization.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency reports the County FIRE DANGER index will continue in the “Moderate” category this weekend, due to the anticipated dry, sunny and windy conditions. Dry vegetation is creating the potential for controlled burns to spread out of control.

The next Local update will be Monday, March 6th.

A state audit shows a former employee of the Iowa Veterans Home (IVH) in Marshalltown is blamed for the disappearance of hundreds of dollars in popcorn sales. Angie Snyder resigned from the I-V-H in July of last year, shortly after being placed on administrative leave when it was discovered money from popcorn sales had not been deposited for nearly two-and-a-half years. State Auditor Mary Mosiman says Snyder failed to keep any records of the deposits she claimed she made.

“Our report identified an estimated $1,800 of popcorn sales which were not properly deposited during this former administrative assistant’s employment,” Mosiman says. The $1,800 estimate is based on previous sales prior to Snyder’s appointment to the job in October 2014. Mosiman says it’s possible even more money and gifts went missing during Snyder’s time at the I-V-H. “A number of the other collections and donations — such as gift cards, phone cards, and stamps — were not properly safeguarded and were therefore susceptible to loss. Because sufficient records were not available, it was not possible to determine if these types of items were handled improperly for personal purposes,” Mosiman says.

The auditor’s report has been shared with Marshalltown Police, the Iowa DCI, the Marshall County Attorney’s Office, and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. The Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown has roughly 565 residents and 965 employees, according the IVH website.

(Radio Iowa)

Authorities in Creston are investigating a hit-and-run property damage accident that took place on Feb. 26th but wasn’t reported until March 2nd. Officials say a 2000 Chevy Impala driven by 20-year old Billi Jo Stark, of Creston, was traveling north on Jarvis Street in Creston at around 9:10-a.m., when she failed to yield the right of way. Her car was struck by an unknown make and model vehicle that was traveling east on Howard Street. The other vehicle left the scene.

Stark’s car sustained $2,500 damage during the collision. There were no injuries reported.

Governor Terry Branstad says he is “pleased” to see an overhaul of the state’s workers compensation system advancing through the legislature. Branstad says the system is out of whack due to new regulations and recent court rulings.”What they’ve done is taken the original concept of workers comp with is instead of fight over who’s at fault, compensate the worker and try to help them so they can get back to work as quickly as possible to making it kind of, some cases, almost kind of a long-term disability thing.”

Republicans on committees in both the Iowa House and Senate approved the overhaul Thursday afternoon. Democrats on the committees voted against it. Democratic Senator Nate Boulton, a lawyer from Des Moines who has represented injured workers said  “To my fellow senators around this table, pause and think about what message we are sending to our workforce today.”

Boulton says the bill is an “unforgiveable” attack on Iowa workers in both private sector and and government jobs. “If we pass this in its current form, we are going to be truly dismantling a system that is designed to protect Iowa workers who suffer disabling injuries at their workplace,” Boulton says.

The bill would take steps to reduce potential compensation for repetitive motion injuries as well as injuries tied to pre-existing conditions. It also would cut off workers comp checks when an employee reaches the age of 67. Iowa business groups say the system has gotten out of balance and the bill will help address “significant” premium hikes. Representative Peter Cownie, a Republican from West Des Moines, says those concerns need to be addressed.

“If someone gets injured at work, they deserve to be compensated and this bill allows that to happen absolutely,” Cownie says. “But the fact of the matter is there has been abuse in the system. It cannot be denied.” A hearing will be held at 6 p.m. Monday at the statehouse to give the public a chance to comment.

(Radio Iowa)

A bill now eligible for debate in the Iowa Senate would bar Iowa cities and counties as well as public schools and colleges from having “any policy that discourages enforcement of federal immigration law.” The Des Moines School Board recently adopted a policy that requires immigration officials to first contact the superintendent if they want to speak to someone on school grounds.

Immigrants and their advocates crowded into a statehouse hearing on the bill yesterday, watching as Republican Senator Julian Garrrett of Indianola questioned Des Moines School Board member Rob Barron. “Do you recognize that the federal government has jurisdiction in this area over immigration law?” Garrett asked. Barron responded: “There’s not a single person in this room that believes that the federal immigration policy is right. What law enforcement asks for is not always appropriate or right or legal.”

The bill also would make officials in Iowa cities and counties liable if they fail to detain someone federal officials suspect is in the country illegally — and that person commits a felony within the next decade.

A bill that cleared a committee in the Iowa HOUSE about a month ago would deny state funds to any city, county, community college or public university with policies that seek to “restrict or limit” enforcement of federal immigration laws.

(Radio Iowa)