A report of an occupied vehicle in the Nishnabotna High School parking lot in Farragut led to the arrest of a man on drug charges, Sunday night. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says at around 11-p.m., they received a call about a suspicious vehicle parked between the buildings. When deputies arrived the 2005 Dodge Neon was parked unattended, near the entrance of the fitness center.

A search of the area resulted in the owner of the car, 27-year old Jeffrey Allen McClarnon, of Clarinda, being found walking from behind a residence at Phillips and Lincoln Streets, in Farragut. McClarnon was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. He was brought to the Fremont County Jail and held on $1,300 bond.

Sheriff’s officials in Adair County report an 18-year old man from Redfield was arrested Friday for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The unidentified male was taken to the Adair County Sheriff’s Office and held pending an appearance before a Magistrate.

Last Thursday, deputies in Adair County arrested a 37-year old woman from Adair, for Failure to Appear on a Violation of Probation, charge. The female was taken to the Adair County Sheriff’s Office where she held pending an appearance before a Magistrate. Her name was also not released.

Police in Shenandoah Saturday, arrested 41-year-old Craig Edward Wallace. The Shenandoah man was taken into custody at around 8:30-p.m., on  outstanding warrant out of Pottawattamie County, for failure to appear Possession of Methamphetamine-related charges. Wallace posted a $2,000 bond and was released, with orders to appear in court at a later date.

CARTER LAKE, Iowa (AP) — Investigators are trying to determine what caused a fire that destroyed a manufacturing plant in western Iowa. The fire started around 9 p.m. Saturday inside the General Manufacturing plant in Carter Lake. Firefighters from Carter Lake, Omaha and Council Bluffs worked for several hours Saturday night to extinguish the blaze. No injuries were reported.

The Fisher family has owned the business that made bar stools and stacked chairs for more than 50 years. Arlene Fisher says the family plans to rebuild the plant. Twelve people were employed there. The Iowa State Fire Marshal’s office is trying to determine what caused the fire.

HONEY CREEK, Iowa (AP) — A 17-year-old boy is hospitalized in critical condition at an Omaha hospital after a skiing accident in western Iowa. The boy was hurt Sunday in an accident at the Mount Crescent Ski Area near Honey Creek. The 17-year-old was flown to an Omaha hospital for treatment. Officials did not immediately identify the boy, who was knocked unconscious during the accident.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

POCAHONTAS, Iowa (AP) — Forty soldiers in a National Guard unit based in northwest Iowa are getting ready to head to Afghanistan. KTIV reports that family members said goodbye to the members of the Army’s 415th Military Police Detachment in Pocahontas on Saturday. Sgt. Steven Oberg says he’s excited about the deployment, but his sister Caroline Oberg says she’s worried about her brother’s safety.

This will be the unit’s third deployment to Afghanistan in the past five years. The soldiers fly out of Des Moines Sunday for 10 weeks of training before returning to Afghanistan.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — While there has been little fanfare, the 2014 Iowa political calendar effectively begins Tuesday night at the precinct caucuses for both parties. These organizing meetings — which kick off a series of party events, culminating with the state conventions in June — tend to mostly attract loyalists in non-presidential election years. But party leaders are urging Iowa residents to participate, insisting that coming out on a chilly January night really does matter.

Democratic Party Executive Director Troy Price says the people who participate this year “help us carry out the presidential caucus in 2016.” The caucuses begin a process of building a volunteer base that sets the tone for the elections in 2014 and starts organizing in advance of the 2016 presidential election in the early-voting state of Iowa.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce held its Annual Dinner and Awards program Saturday night, at the Cass County Community Center. During the awards presentation part of the Program, The Athena Leadership Award –  made possible through a partnership with Deter Motor Company — and which is given to the person who has “Honored professional excellence, community service, an actively assisted women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills,” was presented by last year’s winner, Dolly Bergman, to former Cass County Memorial Hospital CEO Pat Markham. Markham recently retired from the Cass County Health System after more than 29-years of service.

The Business of the Year Award went to 1st Whitney Bank and Trust, for its innovation and leadership. The bank took a major role in helping the Chamber achieve its four priorities, one of which was to increase the Local Option Sales Tax receipts. 1st Whitney came up with a “Cash Mob” concept, where all of its more than 20 employees would enter an Atlantic business to spend $20 each, or more. They encouraged other businesses to follow suite, and as a result, more than business did the same thing. Six additional “Cash Mob” stops generated more than $15,000 in sales for those businesses that were “mobbed.”

The Distinguished Service Award was presented to Jim Tyler, Chairman of the Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company. The award was accepted by Controller/Human Resources Director Mike Pappas. The Community Betterment Award, which is presented to a business or organization which has invested in the community to increase the value of property, insuring the future of infrastructure in the area, went to the Friends of the Schildberg Quarry, for their numerous volunteer efforts. The Community Service Award was presented to Melanie Petty, with the Frederickson Foundation, for her loyal support of the community and fundraising efforts benefiting the community, following the loss of her son in 2009. The Foundation has raised more than $75,000 in donations for local organizations and causes since its inception.

Other awards were presented to Junior Hansen, with Atlantic Municipal Utilities: Volunteer of the Year; Tina Lord: Outstanding Committee Member; Donnie and Arlene Drennan: Ambassadors of the Year; and The Star Ambassadors Award went to Dr. Keith Leonard, Dolly Bergman, Tammy Waters, Carole Schuler and Sue Muri.

The event featured a dinner of prime rib served by management and staff with the Atlantic Hy-Vee. The stores’ Amy Jordahl succeeds 1st Whitney’s Chip Hansen as President of the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, for 2014.