The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is asking for your help in solving the theft of numerous items from a City of Villisca storage garage. Authorities say the theft happened sometime between last Friday (Aug.7th) and Monday (Aug. 10th). Taken from the garage was a black, 6-foot by 14-foot (6×14) Finish Line  utility trailer. The trailer has damage to the left side fender and a missing clearance light.

It was loaded with two yellow Walker mowers (one 25-hp w/a52″ deck, the other 20-hp w/a 62″ deck), a Stihl line trimmer, and a Dewalt grinder. The loss was estimated $28,000.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call Montgomery County Crimestoppers at 1-888-434-2712, or the Sheriff’s Office at 712-623-5107.

Deputies in Montgomery County arrested a rural Red Oak man on an assault charge, Monday evening. Authorities say 47-year old Donald Owen Schollian was arrested at around 8:40-p.m. in the 1900 block of G Avenue, and charged with Domestic Abuse/Simple Assault. He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail, and held without bond.

The Iowa Department of Transportation has created statewide plan to help develop and expand the Park and Ride System. D-O-T spokesperson, Jennifer Roberts, says the system has been around for awhile. “Back in the 80’s when individuals were trying to save money on gas, the public would request areas to park and the D-O-T would have some excess right-of-way — or maybe places where they would store gravel — and they’d let individuals park on those areas,” Roberts says.

The areas are commonly gravel parking lost where people park their cars and then either car pool or van pool to work. Robert says they are looking at the best areas to add Park and Ride lots. She says they looked at commuter data and passenger/traffic data to identify the ideal locations for new areas. “And most of those locations are along urban corridors, just some examples around the state, Ames to Des Moines or Cedar Rapids to Iowa City,” Robert says.

Many of the early Park and Ride locations were in rural areas, as people looked to commute together into bigger cities. Robert says the locations being considered now in urban areas help ease traffic congestion by having people commute to the edge of cities and cutting the number of vehicles in the heavily traveled areas. No matter where they are located, Roberts says the Park and Ride lots help people in a variety of ways.

“Some of the benefits are to save money on gas, also to save wear and tear on your vehicle — maybe you don’t have to get oil changes as much is you are sharing the driving,” Roberts says.

Park and Ride – Iowa

She says overall it saves wear-and-tear on the roads if there are fewer vehicles using them. New sites are still in the review stage. Roberts says they’ll first look at existing right-of-way areas to see if there is land available to use for the proposed sites. If you are interested in taking part in a Park and Ride program, Roberts suggest you check first with your area transit agency.

“As one example, the local transit agency for the central Iowa/Des Moines area is DART. They have a ride-sharing software and ride sharing services that they provide. They also provide a van pooling program,” according to Roberts. She says many employers also help set up programs for workers. You can find out more about the Park and Ride sites on the D-O-T’s website at:website at: www.iowadot.gov/ParkRide.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines Public Schools and its insurance company will pay a former superintendent $350,000 to settle a lawsuit over sexually explicit emails sent by the superintendent. District spokeswoman Amanda Lewis says the district expected to win the lawsuit filed by Nancy Sebring, but its insurance company wanted to settle to avoid additional litigation expenses. Sebring filed a lawsuit after sexually explicit emails sent from her district-issued email account and electronics were made public in May 2012.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Officials say they have arrested a man accused of failing to return to a residential work release facility in Council Bluffs. Twenty-eight-year-old Andrew Eugene Maybee was arrested Monday in Omaha. The Iowa Department of Corrections says it placed Maybee on escape status Saturday after he failed to return to the work release facility from a job. Maybee is serving a 25-year sentence for several convictions.

DAKOTA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating what caused a small helicopter-like aircraft to crash in Iowa, killing the pilot and injuring his passenger. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office says the gyrocopter was traveling near the small community of Dakota City around 7 p.m. Sunday when it crashed. Its wreckage was found in the front yard of a residence. The pilot, 58-year-old Larry Erickson, of Humboldt, was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

SUMNER, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say tall corn growing near a northern Iowa city may have contributed to a fatal, two-vehicle crash. The Bremer County Sheriff’s Office says the two cars were traveling in different directions Monday morning when they collided at an intersection about five miles outside of Sumner. One driver, 44-year-old Dawn Novak, of Sumner, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other driver, 47-year-old Logan Huebner, also of Sumner, received minor injuries along with a passenger in his vehicle.

There’s a new term associated with our culture’s growing obsession with smart phones: FOMO, or Fear Of Missing Out. It applies to people who can’t ever seem to ignore their phone’s tones and vibrations. Adam Tyma, a professor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s Social Media Lab for Research and Engagement, says FOMO is becoming an epidemic. “It’s not just the kids,” Tyma says. “You sit down in any restaurant and look across tables and look at how many people are out with their friends or family and everyone has that candy bar right next to them.”

FOMO

Tyma says it’s a fear of missing out on a text message, a Facebook post or even an app update, and for many people, it’s an addiction. A few years back, he says, people were more courteous and made more of an effort to turn off their ring tones in social situations. “But now, everyone’s phones are blinking and beeping and whistling and yelling and making whatever noises they have to make,” Tyma says. “The moment that started happening, it becomes pathological. We have to do it. We can’t not respond to it. And if that light is blinking in the corner of our eye, as we’re sitting and talking with someone, we’re always thinking about it.”

Distracted driving due to FOMO is an increasing problem that’s leading to accidents on our roads, though Tyma says he’s seeing an encouraging trend. “I see more and more, people under the age of 23 or 25, if that phone goes off, I see them talking on the side of the road,” he says, “They’ll pull off.” However, he says most drivers who have cell phones are likely in the category of “dangerous” and you can spot them easily in traffic.

“The vast majority of people are looking down at their steering wheel where they’ve got their phone, as opposed to looking up,” Tyma says. A recent survey shows 88-percent of teen drivers who believe they are good drivers admitted to using apps while driving, with the most popular being Snapchat and Instagram.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines Public Schools and its insurance company will pay a former superintendent $350,000 to settle a lawsuit over sexually explicit emails sent by the superintendent. District spokeswoman Amanda Lewis said Monday that the district expected to win the lawsuit filed by Nancy Sebring, but its insurance company wanted to settle to avoid additional litigation expenses. Attorneys for Sebring say they’re satisfied with the settlement.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Officials say they have arrested a man accused of failing to return to a residential work release facility in Council Bluffs. The Daily Nonpareil reports 28-year-old Andrew Eugene Maybee was arrested Monday in Omaha.

Officials with the Cass County Health System are inviting all parents, coaches and athletes to attend an educational session called “Back to School, Back to Play” on Sunday, August 16th, from 4 until 5 p.m. Laura Hickman, DPT, ATC, and Erin Johnson, PTA, will cover topics including concussions, warm-up exercises, mobility drills, stretches, and preventing overuse injuries.

Hickman says “We really want these messages to get to our student athletes before they’re already dealing with a concussion or an overuse injury. If we can better prepare them at the start of the season, then they’ll perform to their best ability while reducing their risk of injury.”

(Left to right) Erin Johnson, PTA and Laura Hickman, DPT and Licensed
Certified Athletic Trainer, will be presenting together at the “Back to School, Back
to Play” session on Sunday at Cass County Health System.

This is a free event, and there is no registration necessary. The session will be held in Cass County Health System Conference Room 2. Attendees are asked to park in Parking Lot C and enter through Rehabilitation Services.

For more information, call Laura Hickman or Erin Johnson, at 712-243-7564.

Avoca City Manager Clint Fichter invites the public to two events scheduled to take place this Friday, Aug, 14th, beginning at 7-p.m., at Edgington Memorial Park, in Avoca. The park is located at 800 East Street. The first event is the Pedestrian Bridge Dedication and Luau. The bridge connects the Nishnabotna Trail to Edgington Memorial Park.

Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, and listen to island tunes.. Wear your Hawaiian shirts and grass skirts. The City will provide the leis. Refreshments will also be served.

The second event is a screening of the movie “Big Hero 6,” at the Splash Aquatic Center, beginning at dusk on Friday. The Splash Aquatic Center is also located in Edgington Memorial Park. The pool will have extended hours on the day of the movie and will be open for free from 7:30 PM until the movie starts. Hot dogs and popcorn will be available for $1. All other normal concessions will be available.

The rain date for both event will be this Saturday.