The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest on Thursday of 27-year old Tanner Preston. The Atlantic man was taken into custody on a Cass County warrant for OWI and booked into the Cass County Jail.

Officials with AAA Minnesota/Iowa have announced that three hotels in Iowa earned the Four Diamond Rating during the past 12 months. The AAA/CAA Four and Five Diamond Ratings are AAA’s highest designations for hotels and restaurants. Among the three is The Ameristar Casino Hotel, in Council Bluffs. The others include The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, in Cedar Rapids, and The Hotel Blackhawk, in Davenport.

Hotels rated Four or Five Diamond are stylish and refined with upscale physical attributes. Guests receive personalized attention from an experienced staff and extensive amenities in a luxurious setting. Establishments at the Four and Five Diamond rating levels make up just 3.9 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively, of the 59,000 AAA/CAA Approved hotels and restaurants. Across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, the selected properties represent the upper echelon of the hospitality industry.

Across the continent, just 4.2 percent of all AAA Approved hotels and restaurants began the year with the travel authority’s highest ratings 

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A traffic stop in Red Oak Thursday night resulted in the arrest on drugs charges, of a man from Villisca. According to Red Oak Police, 58-year-old Rodolfo Morales Jr., of Villisca, was pulled over at the intersection of East Summit Street and Sunnyslope Drive. During the traffic stop, authorities determined Morales, Jr. was driving with a revoked license.

A perimeter search of his vehicle by the Red Oak P-D’s K-9 unit resulted in a search of  the vehicle, during which marijuana, and 30-doses of various prescription drug medications were found.  Morales Jr. was arrested on charges of Possession of Marijuana and Prescription Drugs. He was also charged with a drug tax stamp violation, and driving while revoked. Morales, Jr. was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $5,000 cash bond.

A gust of wind in Shelby County Thursday afternoon toppled a semi north of Harlan, resulting in non-life threatening injuries to a the driver, who was  from Illinois. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said a 2012 Volvo semi truck driven by  56-year old Charles Surrat, of Rushville, Ill., was northbound on U.S. Highway 59 at around 2-p.m., when a gust of wind caused him to lose control of the rig. The semi and trailer overturned in the east ditch and came to a rest. Shelby County Rescue transported Surrat to Myrtue Memorial Hospital in Harlan. The National Weather Service said wind speeds in the area reached 63 mph at the time of the accident.

The highest reported wind speed in the region came in Castana in Monona County, where gusts hit 73 mph.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Economic Development Authority is considering financial incentives for several proposed business expansions, including one in Pottawattamie County. Carter Lake steel fabricator Owen Industries is proposing a $34 million project to build a new factory adding 16 jobs. The company seeks a $50,000 forgivable loan and $2 million in tax credits.

General Mills Cereals is proposing to convert warehouse space in Cedar Rapids to a food manufacturing area. The project cost is $58 million. The company wants a $200,000 loan, $3.2 million in state tax credits, and $85,000 in Alliant Energy tax rebates. The project creates 41 jobs.

Loffredo Gardens, a fresh produce distributor, proposes to build a $7 million food processing facility in Norwalk. The company, creating six new jobs, seeks up to $401,000 in tax credits.

A truck driver from California was injured Thursday, when the semi he was driving was blown over on Interstate 80 in Pottawattamie County. The Iowa State Patrol says 60-year old Kenneth Alan Acquistapace, of Goleta, CA, was traveling west on I-80 at around 3:35-p.m., when the rig was hit by strong crosswinds, causing the driver to lose control about five-miles south of the Underwood exit. The semi rolled onto the driver’s side and came to rest blocking both westbound lanes of I-80.

Acquistapace, who was wearing his seatbelt, suffered non-life threatening injuries, and was transported by Underwood Rescue to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs. Another semi was blown over in the eastbound lanes of I-80 near the same location, but reports say the driver was not injured. Wind speeds at the time approached 60-miles per hour.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A longtime Republican activist who serves as the head of a pro-ethanol trade group is entering the race for the U.S. House seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Tom Latham. Monte Shaw announced Thursday that he will step down from his role on the GOP State Central Committee so that he can pursue the seat. The 41-year-old Shaw says he must leave because he promised to remain politically neutral while in a party office.

Shaw, an Iowa native who lives in West Des Moines, serves as executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association. He has worked on GOP campaigns in the past. Shaw says the race presents an opportunity to work for Iowa.

Latham announced last month his plans to retire after finishing his 10th term.