A Mills County Sheriff’s Deputy suffered non-life threatening injuries during an accident early this (Saturday) morning. According to the Iowa State Patrol, 31-year old Deputy Joshua England, of Glenwood, was responding across Gaston Avenue at around 12:12-a.m. to assist Pottawattamie County authorities who were in an active pursuit. England was driving his patrol vehicle in an emergency status (lights and sirens), when a deer entered the roadway.

Unable to avoid a collision, England’s 2009 Ford Crown Victoria cruiser hit the animal, causing the Deputy to lose control. His car then ran off the road. England was transported by Glenwood Rescue to Mercy Hospital for treatment of his injuries.

On Friday, May 31st the Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 20-year old Samantha Eletta McCuen for possession of drug paraphernalia. McCuen was cited and released on citation.

Also on Friday, The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office took a report of a single vehicle in a ditch at 210th Street and G Avenue. Upon arriving at the scene it was determined that 14-year old Siera Brooke Bissel-Abraham of Red Oak was operating a 1994 Oldsmobile Achieva owned by Malissa Ann Bissel of Red Oak. Bissel-Abraham was traveling eastbound on 210th Street when she attempted to turn north onto G Avenue, lost control of the vehicle and entered into the east ditch. The vehicle didn’t sustain any damage. Bissel-Abraham was cited for violation of an instruction permit and no insurance (accident related).

w/Marissa Hovde

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The Atlantic Chamber of Commerce reports the Atlantic business community showed First Whitney Bank they accepted the Cash Mob challenge by adding 13 new businesses to the list of participants and generating nearly $3,500 in sales in under two months. First Whitney President Paul Gude said “This is exactly what we wanted to see happen, and I would further the challenge to say, we want to see more.” Forming a partnership with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, First Whitney Bank originated the idea of handing each of their 23 employees $20 and sending them to a local small business at the same time to “mob” them with cash sales.

The Chamber’s initiative to increase Local Option Sales Tax receipts and relaunch the +5 Grow Atlantic Campaign led to the team effort for the organized events. Cash Mobs have been hosted at Robinson’s Hardware, Sweet Joy Shoppe, Cappel’s and Bonnesen’s 5 & 10 in April and May. Chamber Executive Director Megan Roberts said the calls from businesses wanting to jump on board just keep coming.  Roberts says “The Chamber membership is embracing the program wholeheartedly. “The majority of those who attend are being given the $20 from their employer to spend and most of them spend a little of their own cash on top of that.”

According to Roberts, social media like Facebook, YouTube, email marketing and photos have helped spread the word. The First Whitney Bank Cash Mob Challenge video went viral, reaching 1,900 views in three days. Roberts says the Chamber will “Officially re-launch the +5 Grow Atlantic campaign in mid-June. The original +5 Grow Atlantic campaign started in 2005-2006 with a study done by Iowa State University Economist Dave Swenson. His research showed a number of jobs would be created, and the general economy boosted if Atlantic shifted a simple 5 percent of its leaked spending back to a local business.

The City of Atlantic’s resolution to distribute Local Option Sales Tax funds stipulates 25 percent of the funds will be used for a Recreation Center Fund, 40 percent to Capital Improvement/Streets, 7 percent to Community Promotion Fund, and 28 percent to Progress Fund including industrial, housing, commercial development, sidewalks/pathways and Bull Creek Storm Sewers.

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports a man from Shelby County was sentenced Thursday to 10-years in prison on a drug charges U-S District Court Senior Judge Robert Pratt handed down the sentence against 48-year old Jon Monte Rodacker, of Harlan. Pratt sentenced Rodacker to 120 months imprisonment for manufacturing methamphetamine. The judge also ordered Rodacker to serve a five-year term of supervised release following incarceration.

On September 5th, 2012, Rodacker pled guilty to a charge of manufacturing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The charge was the result of an investigation conducted by several law enforcement agencies into the manufacturing of methamphetamine in rural areas in and around Shelby County. The investigation revealed that Rodacker was actively producing methamphetamine from as early as July of 2009, up to March 6th, 2012, using pseudoephedrine pills purchased in Iowa and Nebraska.

The investigation was conducted by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Harlan Police Department, Iowa State Fire Marshal, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports a call requesting an officer Thursday morning resulted in the arrest of a Corning woman. Deputies responded to 1006 8th Street in Corning at around 7:15-a.m., and upon further investigation, arrested 24-year old Katherine Coleman, of Corning.

Coleman was charged with felony Theft, Harassment and Trespassing, both of which are simple misdemeanors. She was being held in the Adams County Jail on $5,000 bond. Officials say the case remains under investigation, with additional charges currently pending.

The Iowa Supreme Court has reversed a district court ruling in a case involving the duties of nurse practitioners. Several physician associations went to court seeking to throw out two administrative rules that permit advanced registered nurse practitioners to supervise technicians during fluoroscopy — a type of x-ray. The physicians argued the Iowa Board of Nursing and the Iowa Department of Public Health exceeded their authority in approving the rules to allow the supervision. The district court agreed, and threw out the rules.

The Iowa Supreme Court ruling says the district court erred in second-guessing the Department of Public Health and nursing board. It says A-R-N-P’s have been supervising the procedure for many years and nowhere in the voluminous record are there any reports of an injury resulting from the practice. The ruling went on to say the visual images provided by the fluoroscopy improve patient safety,  and the practice also improves access to health care for rural Iowans while  helping lower costs.

Justice Mark Cady wrote a dissent to the opinion, saying registered nurses may be qualified to supervise fluoroscopy, but the legislature has left it for the medical profession to make this decision, in partnership with the nursing profession and did not leave it to the nursing board to decide. Cady says the nursing board clearly acted well beyond its authority, contrary to a clear legislative directive.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Board of Supervisors have approved an agreement with the bargaining unit representing the County’s Secondary Roads Department. The action, which came during the Board’s meeting today (Friday) inAtlantic, essentially cleans-up the language in the agreement, and doesn’t make any monetary or policy changes. 

The Board also approved the abatement of taxes on a nuisance property belonging to the City of Anita since November, 2012. Auditor Dale Sunderman said the taxes amounted to $230. The Supervisors also approved the assignment of a County held tax sale certificate of purchase, to the City of Cumberland. Sunderman said in July 2012, the City acquired possession of the west half of Lot1 in block 14. The City decided it also wished to acquire an adjacent property that belonged to the same owner, inLot2 of block 14. Sunderman says the property had acquired last year had a total $108 in taxes due. The newest property has 3.5-years worth of taxes due, or $644.

Cass County Treasurer Tracey Marshall said the County is better-off giving the certificate and property to the City in exchange for the taxes being paid and the County abating $300 worth of those taxes. Part of the agreement stipulates the City of Cumberlandwill proceed to get both properties in the City’s name because they have been up for sale long enough, that they can immediately apply to have a tax sale on those properties. Once the City applies, it takes 90-days for the process to run its course.

The Board Friday also approved a 6-month agreement with Solution, LLC. for licensed County software code support and information technology services. The agreement will cost the County an additional $50 per month.  In other business, Supervisor Gaylord Schelling, members of the County Public Safety Committee and representatives with the City of Atlantic will take a tour next week of the former Sitel building at 1206 southwest 7^th Street. The tour is part of a fact-finding mission pertaining to the possible relocation of the County’s Communications Center to a building outside of the courthouse. No action will taken during the tour on approving the site. The tour begins at 9-a.m. Thursday, June 6^th, and will likely include other members of the Board of Supervisors, as well.

The Clarinda Police Department is requesting help from the public in solving a recent rash of residential garage burglaries & vehicle break-ins. Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports for about the last 30 days, there have been a significant number of such crimes. Brothers says items ranging from power tools, electronic devices and miscellaneous, personal and household items, are being stolen.

He says that his officers have followed up on numerous leads and continue to do so, but no arrests have been made in connection with the burglaries and break-ins. The Chief asks that people keep a watchful eye on their neighborhoods and immediately report any suspicious activity to the police. He also requests that anyone with information regarding the person(s) responsible for committing these crimes contact the Clarinda Police Department at 712-542-2194. Information that leads to an arrest and indictment is eligible for a cash reward from the Page County Crimestoppers fund.

Brothers also reminds Clarinda citizens to keep their vehicles locked and either remove valuables from the vehicle or keep the valuables out of sight. He advises property owners to use exterior lighting at night such as motion sensor lights, and to keep garage structures locked and secured, and keep shrubbery around the property trimmed. Brothers also reminds citizens to let their neighbors know when they are going to be away and ask them to keep an eye on your home while gone.

(8-a.m. News)