A report was released Friday from the State Medical Examiner’s Office with regard to a fatal airplane crash that took place Nov. 9th. Officials said all four victims of the crash died from “multiple blunt force injuries in the setting of carbon monoxide toxicity.”

A distress call from a person on the plane said those on-board thought the pilot, 49-year old Edward Ralph Anderson, of LeMars, had suffered from a heart attack. A student pilot on the plane attempted a landing at the Guthrie County airport near Guthrie Center, but the plane dropped off radar. The wreckage wasn’t found until around 6:30-the next morning, in a cow pasture southwest of Guthrie Center.

In addition to the pilot, 36-year old Patrick Kellen, and 15-year old Samantha Clark, both from Le Mars, along with 28-year old Tyler Douvia, of Merrill, died in the crash. The accident remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

CLARINDA, Iowa – Iowa Western Community College in Clarinda recently showed off its Center of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing during recent Manufacturing Day tours for area high school students. The CEAM program partners with area manufacturers to provide hands-on training focused on industry needs, with scholarship money and other financial support enabling southwest Iowa residents to jump-start their careers in the skilled trades.

Photo’s courtesy IWCC

Students from Council Bluffs, Clarinda and South Page toured Iowa Western’s Clarinda Center and nearby Lisle Corp., a 115-year-old specialty tool manufacturer in Clarinda. Lisle Corp. is part of a consortium of four area manufacturers looking to grow a workforce in southwest Iowa for workers interested in high-paying, quality careers.

CEAM brings together Lisle Corp., NSK-AKS Precision Ball Co. and NSK Corp. in Clarinda along with MAHLE Engine Components USA Inc. of Atlantic as partners to grow the available workforce and provide additional training for those companies’ employees. CEAM offers a two-year non-credit certificate program that’s primarily hands-on and focused on industry needs.

The program is open to 15 students each year, with 12 slots earmarked for employees of partnering businesses. After core classes their first year, students choose either an electro-mechanical or a tool and die track for their second year. The field trip allowed the high schoolers to see an alternative pathway to education after high school – one that’s hands-on and focuses on career skills that are immediately applicable.

From November 23rd through December 20^th 2018, the Page County Sheriff’s Office is taking gift requests for Operation Blessing.  The Page County Sheriff’s Office program will cover children in the communities of Shambaugh, Braddyville, College Springs, Yorktown, Coin, Blanchard, Northboro, and Hepburn as well as the rural areas, of Page County. Ages of children covered by this program are Birth to 15 years of age.

The requests must come from a parent or guardian of the child and can be called into the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 712-542-5193, or reported in person by the parent or guardian at the Page County Sheriff’s Office located at 323 N 15^th Street in Clarinda, IA. Each child will be given a first and second choice.  It is suggested that a toy and clothing be requested.

Operation Blessing was started in the mid 1980s by the Page County Reserve Deputies to ensure that every child in the rural areas of Page County has the opportunity to receive a gift at Christmas. It has continued every year since for over 30 years. This year the Sheriff’s Office and Reserve program will continue this tradition of ensuring that children in Page County receive a gift for Christmas.

Anyone wishing to donate to the Page County Sheriff’s Office Operation Blessing program can either stop by the Page County Sheriff’s Office or mail the monetary donation to the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 323 North 15th Clarinda, Iowa, 51632.  Monetary donations are taken year round at the Office.

The Sheriff’s Office will again this year be delivering the gifts to the children.  This will take place on December 21st, 22nd, & or 23^rd.   The date depends on staffing, call load, and of course weather. Sheriff Lyle Palmer says he “Would like to thank everyone for their donations and support of the program throughout the years, for without monetary donations, this program would not be able to continue.” He also thanked his staff at the Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in everything they do with the program. Palmer says “They go above and beyond with the call taking, shopping, wrapping and organization of this program.  They along with the organizations, businesses, and individuals who donate make this program a success every year.  THANK YOU!!!”

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope and Chief Deputy Steve Owen announced Friday, that The Fremont County Public Health Team provided the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office with three more AED’s (Automated External Defibrillators) that will be placed in Deputy vehicles.

The Fremont County Public Health Team had previously purchased 5 AEDs for the Sheriff’s Office, and saw how great of an asset the AEDs are for public safety. Aistrope said “We will now be able to equip all of our patrol deputies with AEDs and already have one mounted in our new facility.”

The Fremont County Public Health Team works on grants for public health and safety with the State of Iowa Emergency Preparedness group.

Pictured: left to right
Cheif Deputy Steve Owen, Cynthia Hankins, K9 Deputy Zac Buttercase, Jamie Behrends, Brianna Barnett, Jessica Betts, Katie Livingston, and Sheriff Kevin Aistrope.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board today (Friday) awarded direct financial assistance and tax benefits to two companies for job creation and expansion projects. These awards will assist in the creation of 144 jobs and will result in $36 million in new capital investment for the communities of Atlantic and Nevada.

Elkhart Plastics of Iowa, Inc., a subsidiary of Elkhart Plastics, Inc., (formerly Plastics Professionals) was given tax breaks via the High Quality Jobs program (HQJ) to support a $1-million dollar expansion of the Elkhart Plastics plant in Atlantic. Company officials say 100 more people will be employed in Atlantic after the project is completed. The 100 jobs are incented at a qualifying hourly wage of $15.95. Elkhart Plastics makes custom coolers, water tank liners and other equipment for R-Vs and boats.

Officials have also awarded state tax breaks to a European company that plans to open a biofuels plant at the site of a closed ethanol production facility near Nevada. VERBIO is based in Germany. The Iowa Economic Development Authority Board has approved state tax benefits in support of the company’s plan to produce what’s called “renewable” natural gas. It will happen at the former Pioneer DuPont’s cellulosic ethanol facility near Nevada. VERBIO has been making “biogas” since the summer of 2010 in Europe. The process involves fermenting corn stalks to ultimately produce methane. State officials say it will be the company’s first facility in North America and VERBIO plans to spend 35 million dollars on the project.

The board also recommended grant funding for 14 innovative small businesses in Iowa and approved a Strategic Infrastructure Grant Iowa State University (ISU)/Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS).

View the complete list here: iowaeconomicdevelopment.com/UserDocs/news/SmBizInnovTechTrans.pdf.

Police in Clarinda, early this (Friday) afternoon, arrested a man in connection with an incident of arson. At around 12:45-p.m., officers arrested 37-year old Andrew Jackson Paez, of Clarinda, on a warrant of arrest issued by the District Court of Iowa, Page County, for arson in the second degree, a class “C” felony.

Paez was arrested without incident at 317 W. Clark Street. He was booked into the jail and released from custody after posting bail in the amount of $10,000. Paez is suspected of setting a fire on Sunday, November 11th to 317 W. Clark Street where Paez was living. The home sustained considerable fire and smoke damage.

The investigation into the fire was conducted by the Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office Bureau of Arson and Explosives, the Clarinda Fire Department and the Clarinda Police Department. Reports concerning the incident have been submitted to the office of Page County Attorney Carl M. Sonksen for review regarding the filing of formal charges.