Sheriff’s officials in Cass County today (Wednesday), released a report on an accident that took place over a week ago. The accident happened at around 12:25-a.m. January 12th. Authorities say a 2006 Dodge Ram owned and driven by 34-year old Rodney Dean Hackwell, of Walnut, was northbound on Marne Road, when the vehicle slid out of control and struck an oncoming 2004 GMC Denali driven by 35-year old Anthony Thomas Flug, of Marne. No injuries were reported. Damage from the collision amounted to $20,000 altogether. Upon investigation, Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Hackwell for OWI/2nd Offense. He was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on his own recognizance.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Wednesday) released a report on numerous arrests dating back to Dec. 31st. Most recently:

• On January 20th, 40-year old Severiano Batalla-Castillo, of Lewis, was arrested on a charge of OWI 2^nd Offense. Batalla-Castillo was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $2,000 bond.
• On January 17th, 29-year old Amanda Lucille Thompson, of Atlantic, was arrested on charges of Child Endangerment and OWI 1^st Offense. Thompson was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on her own recognizance.
• On January 15th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 59-year old Jeffrey Harold Jensen, of Anita, on charges of Possession of Meth 2^nd Offense, and OWI 1^st Offense. Jensen was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.
• On January 14th: 57-year old Myron Lee Flathers, of Anita, turned himself in at the Cass County Sheriff’s Office on an outstanding warrant for Probation Violation. Flathers was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $5,000 bond; 43-year old Samantha Sue Clark, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Possession with Intent to Deliver Marijuana (a Class-D Felony), A Drug Tax Stamp Violation (D Felony); and Possession with Intent to Deliver Clonazepam. Clark was taken to the Cass County Jail where she remains held on $20,000 bond; and, 46-year old Robert Joseph Dambra, of Atlantic, turned himself in at the Cass County Sheriff’s Office on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Possession with Intent to Deliver Meth (C Felony); Possession with Intent to Deliver Hydrocodone (C Felony); and Drug Tax Stamp Violation (D Felony). Dambra was booked at the Cass County Jail and remains held on $25,000 bond.
• On January 11th: 32-year old Prudence Penelope Gwendolyn Page, of Atlantic, turned herself in at the Cass County Jail on a Pottawattamie County warrant. She was later released to Pottawattamie County authorities.; And, 35-year old Joshua James Mullen, of Corning, was arrested on charges of Possession of Meth 3^rd or Subsequent (D Felony), Possession of Contraband in Jail (D Felony), Possession of Marijuana 3^rd or Subsequent offense, OWI 2^nd Offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Mullen was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $7,000 bond.
• On January 10th, Cass County Deputies arrested 57-year old Charles Clyde Burns, of Atlantic, on a charge of Possession with Intent to Deliver Meth (C Felony). Burns was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released on his own recognizance.
• On January 7th, 25-year old Alex Lee Pleis, of Audubon, was arrested on a Federal Warrant. Pleis was taken to the Cass County Jail and released to US Marshals the following day.
• On January 6th, 45-year old Joseph John King, of Atlantic, was arrested on charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver Meth (C Felony); Possession of Meth 3^rd or Subsequent (D Felony); Possession of Marijuana 3^rd or Subsequent (Aggravated); and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Simple). King was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $57,000 bond.
• January 5th 49-year old John Richard Rutledge, Jr., of Kansas City, MO, was arrested in Cass County on two District Court warrants for Failure to Appear for Child Support Hearing. Rutledge was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $2,000 bond.
• January 4th, 23-year old River Dean Pecha-Nichols, of Griswold, was arrested on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Theft 2^nd Degree (D Felony) and Criminal Mischief 2^nd Degree (D Felony). The charges are in association with the theft of a vehicle from Griswold on October 24, 2018. Pecha-Nichols was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 bond.
• January 3rd, 35-year old Jeffery Lee Carpenter, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Sex Offender Registry Violation 2^nd or Subsequent Offense (D Felony). Carpenter was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $5,000 bond.
• On January 2nd, 48-year old Thomas Matthew Connors III, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in Cass County on two District Court warrants for Failure to Appear to Serve Time. Connors was taken to the Cass County Jail and released upon completing service of his time.
• And, on December 31st, Cass County deputies arrested 61-year old Douglas Joe Radford, of Griswold, on a charge of OWI 1^st Offense. Radford was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.

(Radio Iowa) — State Auditor Rob Sand says energy usage will be flagged in every audit report his office issues for state and local government agencies. “To make sure that they know where they are starting, so they can measure their progress in energy efficiency,” Sand said.  Sand spoke briefly yesterday to a crowd at the capitol for “Energy Efficiency Day on the Hill.” Sand says the kind of “bench-marking” he’s suggesting shouldn’t be controversial.

“If you want to manage the amount of taxpayer money that we are spending on energy issues, what you first have to do is measure the amount that we are doing and find ways to save it,” Sand said. ‘So benchmarking is really taking a snapshot of your energy use and figuring out: ‘Where are we right now?’ And then once you know where you are, you can figure out where you need to go.”

Sand says his office will work with the Iowa Energy Office to identify the best money-saving measures. “You have a tremendous ability to save taxpayer money through energy efficiency in Iowa,” Sand says. Sand, a Democrat, was elected state auditor in November and he was sworn into office three weeks ago.

The Audubon School Board met Monday night during a regular session. Eric Trager, 5th-through 12th grade Principal, told KJAN News the Board approved a contract for a new Athletic Director. They approved Sean Birks, Head Football and Baseball Coach. Birks will succeed Randy Spies who’s been with the District for 33 years, and is retiring at the end of current school year. Trager said Spies has served as an outstanding teacher and Activities Director. Trager said also, the District is in the process of hiring its new Middle School/High School Principal.

The Board, he said, talked a little about that process during their meeting, Monday. He said they hope to have a finalist selected by the end of this month, with interviews scheduled early next month. Trager said “We might be a little aggressive here, but we’d like to have a contract to approve at the February Board meeting.” He said also, the Board set 7-p.m. Feb. 18th as the date and time for a sale of a small strip of District-owned land. An interested buyer would like to purchase the roughly 12-by-100 foot piece of land for a residential garage. A hearing on the 2019-2020 School Calendar will take place immediately thereafter.

The Audubon School Board also approved the extension of a “Memorandum of Understanding” with the Coon Rapids-Bayard School District, for another three-years. Trager said they had to re-do the MOU because of the change in Superintendent for the upcoming school year. Trager will step into that role effective July 1st, succeeding Brett Gibbs, who is retiring at the end of the current school year. And, Trager discussed with the Board possible calendar options for 2019-2020.

After the meeting, he learned there was a band trip next year, so there may end-up being a Spring Break, but it’s still too early to put anything in writing.

WAVERLY, Iowa (AP) — Backers have cleared a key fundraising hurdle for a project that would provide new fairgrounds and sports fields in a northeast Iowa community. Consultant Terry Hinrichs had vowed to raise $1 million by the end of 2018 for the Champions Ridge project in Waverly. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that he was still short of his goal on Dec. 31 but gained a pledge that put him over the top in time for Monday night’s City Council meeting. The council voted 5-2 to move forward with the project, which will be built on land the city owns.

Hinrichs hopes to break ground on the 142-acre project by spring. He’s putting together a funding package for excavation and infrastructure — another goal the council placed on the Champions Ridge board.

Two women from Atlantic were cited into court on Animal Neglect charges. According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, two puppies, one of which was said to be a Labrador Retriever, were found in a snow-filled ditch near 750th and Hamburg Road (Southwest of Anita), on Jan. 12th. The animals were brought to the Cass County Animal Clinic for treatment. An investigation resulted in citations for 50-year old Bunny Manlove and her daughter, 28-year old Karen Hernandez, both of Atlantic. Both are scheduled to appear in court on January 31st.

A traffic stop early this (Wednesday) morning in Pottawattamie County resulted in the arrest of a Council Bluffs man. The Sheriff’s Office reports a deputy on patrol at around 3:55-a.m.  initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle for failing to obey two stop signs at the intersection of Valley View Drive and College Road. The driver of the vehicle, identified as 63-year old Terry Hilt, of Council Bluffs, was found to have a valid warrant for violation of probation. After the warrant was confirmed, Hilt was placed under arrest and transported to Pott. County Corrections, where his bond was set at $2,000.