Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports four recent arrests. Starmer said Monday, that 23 year old Cassandra Preston Burcham-Hoagland, of Audubon, was arrested Sunday for Disorderly Conduct. Burcham-Hoagland was released on promise to appear.

On Saturday, Audubon Police arrested 50 year old Mitchell Lee Thompson,
of Audubon. Thompson was arrested on warrants for Possession of Marijuana/3rd
offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The warrants stemmed from an incident that took place in Audubon on April 6th. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the arrest.

Last Friday, 21 year old Samantha Christine Schmidt, of Audubon, was arrested for Harassment. Schmidt was processed and released on promise to appear.

And on April 4th, 58 year old Phillip Alan Rustvold, of Audubon, was arrested for Operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated. Rustvold was taken to the Audubon County Jail for processing and released.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Two former egg industry executives have been sentenced to three months in jail for their roles in a major 2010 salmonella outbreak that sickened thousands. Austin “Jack” DeCoster and his son Peter were sentenced Monday on shipping adulterated food charges. They will remain free while appealing the sentence.

The DeCosters wanted to avoid jail, but U.S. District Judge Mark Bennett heeded prosecutors’ calls for a tough punishment because of the widespread harm the outbreak caused. Prosecutors also said the DeCosters knew their Iowa egg facilities were at risk for contamination.

Federal health officials linked 1,939 illnesses to the outbreak but estimate up to 56,000 people may have been sickened. The Quality Egg company paid a $6.8 million fine as part of a plea agreement, and the DeCosters paid $100,000 apiece.

A woman from Nebraska was sentenced today (Monday) to a term of probation for her role in the 2014 thefts of cattle from two farms in Cass County. The Cass County Attorney’s office reports 42-year-old Amy Springer, of Omaha, pled guilty to the a felony charge of Theft in the 2nd degree. Because Springer had no previous record, she was given a deferred judgement and sentenced to two-year’s probation.Springer was released from the Cass County Jail late this (Monday) morning.

Springer, along with 57-year old Ervin J. Jacob, of Omaha, was charged in connection with the theft of cattle from Freund Brothers Farms near Lewis. The stolen cattle were unloaded to unsuspecting buyers at various Iowa and Nebraska sale barns.

Jacob faces charges that include Ongoing Criminal conduct and three counts of Theft in the 2nd Degree.  His Pre-trial conference is set for May 11th, with trial scheduled for May 27th.

A third person allegedly connected to the crime, 49-year old James Michael Brunzo, Jr., also of Omaha, was being held without bond in the Pottawattamie County Jail on charges of Theft in the 1st Degree and Burglary in the 3rd Degree.  Both men have entered pleas of Not Guilty to the charges.

SIBLEY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say they’re searching for the person who dumped a bag of dead puppies near a northwestern Iowa bridge. The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office says the bag was located near a bridge north of Sibley, Iowa on Northwest Boulevard. The sheriff’s office received a report of the puppies April 6.

The Sioux City Journal reports that the puppies have been described as medium or large breed dogs. Officials say they were seemingly left near the bridge sometime in the winter. The case remains under investigation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The case of an Urbandale man accused of robbing a central Iowa bank at gunpoint has been sent to a federal grand jury.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa says 35-year-old Hussam Fayiz Abusharkh appeared in federal court Friday on a criminal complaint. He is accused of robbing the Farmers and Merchants State Bank in St. Charles on March 25, when Madison County deputies responded to reports of a man with a handgun ordering employees to fill a bag with money.

Abusharkh turned himself in to authorities Thursday on a state first-degree robbery charge. A judge ordered that Abusharkh remain detained pending the grand jury’s review of his case.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – Six people have been arrested after an investigation into sex trafficking in Sioux Falls. Attorney General Marty Jackley, Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead and Sioux Falls Police Chief Doug Barthel announced the arrests on Monday. Jackley says they resulted from a probe by the state Division of Criminal Investigation and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

The suspects are from South Dakota, Iowa and Guatemala. They include 29-year-old Scott Robert Larson and 25-year-old Benjamin Lyle Iverson of Sioux Falls; 27-year-old Nathanuel Walter Downs of Sioux City; 29-year-old Lance Eugene Hunter of Little Rock, IA; 35-year-old Andrew Richard Krogman of Doon, IA; and 26-year-old Jose Joaquin Oxlaj of Guatemala.

They all face a felony charge of solicitation of a minor that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. One suspect also is accused of assault on a police officer and could face another 25 years if convicted.

A planning meeting for “Produce in the Park” will be held this Thursday, April 16th, beginning at 4:30-p.m. in the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce’ meeting room. Anyone interested in being a vendor, assisting with activities or having questions is invited to attend. The market will open June 4th in the Atlantic City Park. The hours will be 4:30- to 6:30-p.m.

Fresh produce, locally made baked goods and hand crafted items will high light the market. Entertainment, children’s activities, food demonstrations and tasting, and educational exhibits are being planned. Atlantic businesses are assisting with marketing.

Applications for vendors are now available. A vendor fee of $60 is charged for the entire season. For more information contact Emily Krengel, LaVon Eblen, Susan Retz or the Atlantic Chamber or Commerce.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, will act on accepting the site plans for the Ash Street Single-Family Housing Development Project. Boose Building Construction, L.C. has proposed the nearly $1.26-million dollar project, which would be constructed between 1405 and 1503 Ash Street. The City’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved the site plan during their meeting last week.

Boose is requesting a grant from the City in the amount of $80,000 in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to aid in making the project a reality. The first payment of $40,000 would be paid when public improvements (grading, street, water, sanitary and storm sewer) are installed. Construction of the first house is slated to begin this year, with two more houses next year, and three houses to follow. The second TIF payment of $40,000 would be paid when the third foundation is in place. Boose says the last two houses they completed in past two years sold before they were completed, which is indicative of the need for more, single family homes, according to the company.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, will act on accepting the site plans for a 6,813-square foot addition to the Heritage House at 1200 Brookridge Circle. The plans were approved 5-1 during the P&Z Commission meeting, with the dissenting vote only having concerns dealing with storm water, but otherwise was strongly in support of the project. A representative of Wesley Life will be on-hand at the meeting to address any such concerns.

And, the Atlantic City Council will act on approving a Resolution approving the contract and bonds for the 2015 Street Improvement Project. Their meeting in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall, begins at 5:30-p.m., Wednesday.

Iowans who love to hunt, cook and eat morel mushrooms are ready to start scoping out their secret areas in hopes of finding their prized growths of fungus. Maxine Stone has hunted the elusive mushrooms for years and says they have a distinctive look. “A morel is either black or yellow or grey and it has ridges and pits, definite ridges and definite pits,” Stone says, “and when you cut it down from the top to the bottom, it’s totally hollow inside.”

A Morel mushroom (ISU Extension photo)

Stone says those who are morel hunting for the first time should go with people who know what the mushroom looks like. She says you should never eat a wild mushroom without positively identifying it. “I think first time around, if you’re going to eat a mushroom, I wouldn’t go by a picture,” Stone says. “I would either take it to someone who knows what they’re doing or take really good pictures of the mushrooms and send them to someone who knows what they’re doing.”

Stone says her favorite way to cook morels is by sauteing them with onion, cream and cognac over pasta and bread. Some people prefer to bread and fry them, but she says that’s too “old school.” Stone adds, you should always cook a wild mushroom before you eat it. Morel hunter Malissa Briggler says morels can be found near dying elm trees but avid mushroom hunters keep quiet tabs on the places where they hunt.

Briggler says,  “A lot of times they’ll be popping up at the same spot next year so you want to kind of guard your area closely so you don’t let your secret out or you might have somebody beat you to the spot next year.” Briggler says you do not need a license to hunt morels, but hunters should get permission from landowners and check regulations on public land before collecting mushrooms.

(Radio Iowa)

The 8-a.m. Newscast w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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