As of Tuesday, the Page County Sheriff’s Office reports that the handgun found in possession of Rodney Eugene Long during the home invasion in Taylor County was the handgun that had been stolen in a burglary at 2914 180th Street in rural Clarinda which KJAN reported on earlier this week. This was confirmed by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Evidence from this burglary has been turned over to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Crime Lab for analysis.

No charges have been filed in this burglary case and the case remains open pending results of the analysis from the DCI Crime Lab.

Harlan Municipal Utilities has announced after five years of construction and planning, the new HMU water treatment plant is in operation. The plant was first approved by the HMU board in 2008 and is now online providing water to the city of Harlan. The $7.1 million operation will see 2.4 million gallons per day capacity and is fully automated, runs 24 hours a day, removes iron and manganese from water, uses reverse osmosis technology to further filter and soften water and has fluoride and chlorine added to the finished product. In a press release from HMU, Steve Dresen, director of Gas and Water, said, “This plant will be much more efficient than the old one as we are using new and automated technology. We anticipate our labor, operations and maintenance costs to decrease. One thing I do want our customers to know is they may notice a different taste to the water.” He stated the plant uses a different way to clean the water and HMU still meets all the safety and quality standards.

(Joel McCall KNOD)

From late-August through Labor Day, city, county and state police will be out in force as part of the annual nationwide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” crackdown on drunk driving. The crackdown, which will include high-visibility enforcement throughout Iowa, will run from August 26 through September 8, 2013.

The effective nationwide drunk driving crackdown will include high-visibility enforcement and will be supported by national paid advertising, creating a comprehensive campaign to curb drunk driving in August and through the Labor Day holiday weekend. Iowa ranks 2nd as having the lowest number of alcohol related fatalities in the nation.

While it is illegal to drive drunk (having a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher) in all 50 states, far too many people across the nation get behind the wheel after consuming too much alcohol. The latest statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration underscore the serious nature of the nation’s continuing drunk driving epidemic.

“Every year, about one third of all motor vehicle traffic deaths involve one or more drunk drivers or motorcycle operators,” said Colonel David Garrison – Chief of the Iowa State Patrol. “In 2011 9,878 people died across the nation in crashes involving drunk drivers. That is approximately one drunken driving fatality every 53 minutes.” During last year’s Labor Day Holiday, there were no reported alcohol related fatalities, however there were 4 fatalities.

“Research has shown that high-visibility enforcement like the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign reduces drunken driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent. By joining this nationwide effort, we will make Iowa’s roadways safer for everyone throughout the Labor Day period,” said Colonel Garrison.

“Driving drunk is simply not worth the risk. So don’t take the chance. Remember, we will be out in force and we will be watching, so ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,’ said Colonel Garrison.

For more information, visit the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign headquarters at www.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

BEDFORD, Iowa (AP) – A Bedford woman quietly told a dispatcher that her husband shot an escaped inmate who broke into their home. Carolyn Mauderly placed the 911 call after Rodney Long had broken into the couple’s home Monday night and held them against their will for several hours.

FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld the termination of a former Fort Madison police officer who had an affair with the police chief’s wife. The court ruled that William Bowker’s affair with the woman, who was a reserve officer, violated departmental rules. Bowker was seeking a reversal of a district court’s ruling.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A state ethics board will not remove its executive director from an investigation into whether the National Organization for Marriage violated Iowa law. A complaint filed in June alleges NOM did not disclose donors or all of its contributions when funding campaigns against Iowa Supreme Court justices up for retention in 2010 and 2012.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Rock Falls man has been given more prison time for leasing the same piece of farmland to several individuals. Raymond Schaefer pleaded guilty to a third-degree theft charge and was sentenced to two years in state prison. Schaefer will serve the sentence concurrently with a federal prison sentence.

The Harlan City Council approved to surface Maple Road from Highway 44 to the Wasterwater Treatment Plant. In a regular meeting Tuesday, The council approved the bid from StaBilt Construction for $36,185.90. City Administrator Terry Cox said the city will maintain the road following the surfacing. The city has never put an overlay on the road as Cox said it has been rock for thirty six years. In other business, the city approved a solar light school crossing blinker sign for Highway 44 and 19th Street crosswalk. However, the city still needs to go through the proper channels on getting the sign approved by the Iowa Department of Transportation. Cox said at the meeting he submitted the sign to the DOT office in Atlantic but it now has to be sent to the office in Ames for approval. Cox says the solar powered lighting will be much more noticeable for traffic,

Cox1: “When you push the button to cross it will flash these lights. It won’t be 24/7. Once the person crosses, it will be a green light going east and west. We did get the LED light from the utilities. This is a safety thing to help the neighborhood kids.”

The cost for the new LED lighted cross walk will be $6,280. Currently there is a crossing sign on Highway 44 but the city will have to install the new signs with the LED lights. In other news, Harlan Mayor Gene Gettys reported there are four seats up, 3 on the council and the mayor’s position, for election in November on the Council. If you are interested in a seat on the Harlan City Council, stop at City Hall to pick up a packet as the due date is September 19th. Gettys also announced the “Today in America” film crew will be in the area on Monday, August 26th to start filming the city of Harlan for the program.

(Joel McCall KNOD)

The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest today (Wednesday) of 20-year old Jarret Christensen of Exira for OWI/1st offense. He was transported to Cass County Jail and booked in.

On August 19, 2013, 43-year old Paul Kramer of Granger, Iowa, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge James E. Gritzner to 90 months in prison for wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Judge Gritzner also sentenced Kramer to five years of supervised release following incarceration.

From 2006 through 2009, Kramer knowingly used his mortgage company, Kramer Mortgage, and his real estate closing company, Iowa Closing and Escrow, to defraud multiple lenders out of over $1 million. Kramer executed the fraud, in part, in connection with a real estate development company, LDF. Kramer and the members of LDF, including Lane Anderson, orchestrated straw sales of thirteen properties to another LDF member, Shannon Flickinger. LDF was the true buyer but LDF could not qualify for financing for the purchase of the properties because the company already had too much debt. Flickinger was used as a straw buyer to obtain the financing to purchase the additional homes. At Kramer’s direction and with Kramer’s oversight, Kramer Mortgage submitted loan applications in which Flickinger was named as the buyer despite the fact that Kramer knew that LDF was the true buyer. With Kramer’s knowledge, Flickinger’s income was grossly inflated in the applications in order to qualify him for the loans. After Flickinger’s fraudulent loan applications were approved, the straw sales were closed at Kramer’s mortgage company with Kramer’s knowledge. Kramer closed the sales despite the fact that Flickinger paid no down payments for any of the properties, contrary to the documentation that was provided to the lenders.

Kramer defrauded one particular bank by intentionally concealing the sales of properties that had been pledged to the bank as collateral for a $4 million line of credit for Kramer. After the sales of multiple properties in which the proceeds were owed to the bank, Kramer kept the proceeds and used them to pay his own personal or business expenses. Kramer also pledged several properties to more than one bank, without the banks’ knowledge, to obtain additional loans. Kramer’s activities resulted in the primary bank suffering significant losses and also left many homeowners unable to sell or refinance their homes because they did not have clear title to their properties. Some homeowners were threatened with foreclosure due to Kramer’s activities.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today announced that Mike Naig has been hired as the new Deputy Secretary for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. He will start with the Department on September 4.

“Mike will be a tremendous asset to the Department and I’m glad he agreed to join our team,” Northey said. “His background and experience make him a natural fit for the Department.”

Naig previously served as Manager of State and Local Government Affairs for Monsanto. He has been active in the agribusiness industry for over 13 years, also having served in public policy roles for CropLife America based in Washington, DC; the Agribusiness Association of Iowa; and, the Iowa Biotechnology Association.

As Deputy Secretary, Naig will assist in management responsibilities for the Department focused on the areas of personnel and budget. He will also support the Department’s efforts to be accessible to Iowans by traveling regularly to represent the Department at meetings across the state.

“It is an honor to join Secretary Northey and the team at the Department. I look forward to supporting the important work of the Department to promote Iowa agriculture, serve Iowans and protect our natural resources,” said Naig.

Naig grew up on a farm near Cylinder in Northwest Iowa and is a graduate of Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, with degrees in biology and political science. He and his wife Jaime have two boys.

w/ Marissa Hovde

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The Danish Immigrant Museum has announced its selection of a general contractor in its curatorial center project and intends to celebrate the milestone and groundbreaking on Monday, August 26 at 2:30 p.m. with a shovel ceremony and coffee and kringle reception for the public.

Last week, museum board members voted to proceed with the project and selected general contractor Meco-Henne Contracting out of Omaha, NE. Excavation work will begin as soon as possible, with the ultimate goal of the structure’s completion by the Danish Villages’ Tivoli Fest next Memorial Day weekend.

Support for the $3 million project ($2 million for the construction and $1 million for endowment investment) is coming from museum members and donors, two Omaha foundations including the Peter Kiewit Foundation, the State Historical Society of Iowa, and four major bequest gifts. The most significant bequest gift is from the estate of Richard Hellman, Atlantic native and son of Danish immigrants Peter and Karen Hellman.

Planning for the curatorial center was initiated in 2011 through a Conservation Assessment Program grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services and a gift from Bill and Berniece Grewcock of Omaha. The museum currently rents four off-site storage facilities to house artifacts. The new center will allow for the consolidation of those facilities and provide the benefits of greater security, climate control, and proximity for the museum’s collection.

In addition to compact artifact storage, the facility will include areas for artifact cataloging, photography, exhibit creation, and staff and intern office space. The 8,000 sq. ft. expansion will be located below ground on the west side of the present building, accessible by staff through the lower level of the museum.

The museum’s Curator of Collections and Registrar Angela Stanford commented, “This curatorial center will allow us the space to house, care for, and work with our collection as it continues to grow. It will afford us greater flexibility in the types – and sizes – of artifacts we acquire. We are thrilled about this expansion!”

Museum staff and interns have boxed up fragile artifacts including porcelain and glass to protect those items from building vibrations caused by heavy equipment that could potentially damage them. The museum will remain open for the duration of the project.

The Danish Immigrant Museum was founded in 1983 as a national center for the Danish-American community and to preserve the history of Danish immigration to America. Reminiscent of rural Danish architecture, the museum building was completed in 1994 and houses a collection of around 40,000 artifacts important to the interpretation of the Danish immigration story.

The museum’s collection is diverse and wide-ranging. There are family heirlooms brought from Denmark, examples of needlework, tools of early immigrant tradesmen and memorabilia from Danish-American clubs and organizations. Many of the items have been passed down through the generations in Danish families. In recent years the museum has focused on a more contemporary collection with the accession of artifacts from the late 20th century.

The museum is open daily just west of Elk Horn. More information about the museum can be found on their website, www.danishmuseum.org or by calling (712) 764-7001.