High winds on Wednesday caused numerous grass and structure fires in the area and also removed a portion of the roof on a business in downtown Harlan.

Photos by Joel McCall/KNOD – Harlan

The Harlan Police Department was called to 6^th and Court around 6:50pm due to the partial blown off roof. Officers arrived on scene and contacted Harlan city work crews to assist. The owner of the building was notified and city crews closed off a portion of 6^th Street from Durant and Court. Vehicles parked on the east side of the square from Durant to Market were moved as a precaution in case the roof was dislodged. As of this (Thursday) morning, one lane of 6^th Street is still blocked off between Durant and Court in downtown Harlan.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

Despite the explosive fire growth conditions in the area over the past few days, Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees doesn’t see the need for a County-wide ban on opening burning. McNees told KJAN News the fire that started east of Atlantic Wednesday afternoon was accidental, and not open burning-related. It was one of several fires in western Iowa that burned quickly and intensely, Wednesday. McNees said it’s not as bad in Cass County as in other counties which have instituted bans on open burning.

He says things are “greening-up,” slowly and people are being smart. He says residents are heeding advice given earlier this week to know when you are going to burn, check the weather, call your local fire chief and the Cass County Communications Center.

McNees still cautions residents of Cass County to be careful, and try to give Mother Nature a little more time to green-up the grasses, which will reduce the danger of fires spreading, as opposed to the dry conditions we are currently experiencing. He says if there were crops standing in the fields, he would be more concerned about fires spreading. Wednesday was just an “extreme day,” according to McNees, where all of the elements necessary for the eruption of rapidly expanding fires, were present.

w/ Ric Hanson

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SAC CITY, Iowa (AP) – A May trial has been scheduled for a 26-year-old man facing several charges linked to a standoff with officers in northwest Iowa.  The Sioux City Journal says Jonathan Willroth pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in Sac County District Court in Sac City. He’s charged with sexual abuse, going armed with intent, domestic abuse assault, assault while participating in a felony, assault with intent to commit sex abuse and two counts of neglect of a dependent person.

Court records say Willroth was arrested at a house in Early after a March 11 incident in which he sexually assaulted his ex-wife and threatened to shoot her while their children were present. Officers surrounded the house and eventually talked Willroth into coming outside.

Willroth’s trial is scheduled to begin on May 13.

A two-vehicle accident this (Thursday) morning at the intersection of Highway 71 and 22nd Street, in Atlantic, resulted in what were described as “minor” injuries. The crash was reported at around 7:27-a.m.  Atlantic Fire and Rescue and Medivac Ambulance responded to the scene. At least one person was transported to the hospital for treatment of their injuries.

No other details are currently available.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report a Braddyville man was arrested early this (Thursday) morning on an OWI charge, following an incident which occurred in the 400 block of south 3rd Avenue in Villisca. 21-year old Payne David William Dotson was taken into custody at around 1:50-a.m. and charged with OWI/1st offense. Dotson was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond.

The Omaha World-Herald reports seven men, all Republicans, will seek three seats on the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors. The filing deadline to run for a county office was 5-p.m. Wednesday. The seven board candidates include three incumbents: Scott Belt, Lynn Leaders and Loren Knauss. The four other candidates are Justin Schultz, Tim Wichman, Steve Leaders and Brian Lund. No Democrats are running for the board.

In other Pott. County offices up for election this year, two Republican incumbents — County Attorney Matt Wilber and County Treasurer Lea Voss — are the only candidates for their posts. There are three candidates for the County Recorder’s Office. The two Republican candidates are Mark Brandenburg and Bill White, while Flory Blount is the lone Democrat running. There will be a Republican and Democratic primary election on June 3 for all of those offices, even those with just one candidate running.

In the Republican primary, the top three vote-getters in the County Board race will move on to the November general election, as long as each receives 35 percent or more of the vote. If any or all of the three top candidates don’t receive at least 35 percent of the vote, a special party convention will convene shortly thereafter to select the three who will move on to the general election. The Republican primary will also reduce the two recorder candidates to one, with the same 35 percent provision applying. Anyone interested in running as an independent for office must file between Aug. 4 and 27, according to the County Auditor’s Office.

In Harrison County, there are two seats on the County Board, the candidates are incumbents Walter Utman and Robert Smith, plus challengers Russell Kurth and Harold Bertelsen. All are Republicans. For county treasurer, Shelia Phillips and Sandy Royer, both Republicans, are the candidates.

And in Mills County, Patricia McSorley and Ashley Kissel, both Republicans, are running for county attorney. For one seat on the County Board, incumbent Richard Crouch will be challenged by Thomas Pina. Both are Republicans.

Authorities in Pottawattamie County say a Council Bluffs man was arrested on suspicion of a third drunken-driving charge after police pulled him over with his 3-year-old son in the vehicle. Police told the Daily NonPareil 39-year old Scott E. Thomas, of Council Bluffs was arrested around 6:50 p.m. Saturday following a traffic stop in the 2700 block of Avenue A, after an officer observed Thomas driving erratically in a pickup and pulled him over, according to the Council Bluffs Police Department.

Police said Thomas’ 3-year-old son was in the back seat. Thomas refused a blood-alcohol test and was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, driving while disqualified, operating a vehicle while intoxicated-third offense and a tail- and brake-light violation.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former Ralston, NE., elementary school teacher has been sentenced to over 14 years in prison for inappropriately touching young students. A Douglas County, NE., district judge issued the sentence Wednesday to 60-year-old Nicholas Richter. He has more than 100 days of credit for time served, and he must serve about seven years before he is eligible for parole.

Richter was found guilty in December of three counts of sexual assault of a child. His first trial in August ended in a hung jury. Three young boys ranging in age from 10 to 12 testified that Richter groped them during classes. A middle-aged man also testified that Richter groped him three decades ago, when Richter was teaching in Council Bluffs, Iowa.