A traffic stop for an equipment violation Monday night in Lenox resulted in the arrest of an alleged drunken driver.

Jeffrey Luft

According to the Lenox Police Department, a vehicle driven by 33-year old Jeffrey Luft, of Sharpsburg, was pulled over a little after 9-p.m. Monday, on Van Buren Street.

The officer determined Luft had been drinking and performed sobriety tests. The man was subsequently arrested and transported to the Taylor County Sheriffs office where a breath test indicated a Blood Alcohol Content of .195, or more than twice the legal limit. Luft was charged with OWI-2nd offense and transported to the Ringgold county jail.

The Atlantic Airport Commission and Cass County Board of Supervisors will hold separate meetings Wednesday. Both sessions begin at 9-a.m. At the airport, the Airport Commission is set to discuss a request from the Atlantic Jaycees for a fireworks show. The Atlantic City Council approved the request during its meeting, on May 1st.

The Commission will also act on a resolution setting the bid date and public hearing for the Parallel Taxiway Paving Project, and approval of the Sponsor Certification for the project plans and specifications.

At the courthouse, the Cass County Board of Supervisors will act Wednesday, on authorizing an application through the Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program of the USDA, and approval of matching funds amounting to $2,500, if the grant is received. The Board will also act on appointing someone to fill a vacancy position on the Cass County Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad has ordered all flags on the Capitol Complex be flown at half-staff from 8-a.m. to 5-p.m. on Friday, May 10th, 2013, in observance of the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony which is to be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 10, 2013, at the Oran State Office Building of the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

The governor’s directive applies to all U.S. and state flags on the State Capitol Building and on flag displays on the capitol Complex. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.

The 30-minute memorial ceremony is open to the public.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Two men from Oakland were arrested Monday night in connection with a shooting incident that arose from a confrontation between two groups of outdoor enthusiasts. Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker told KJAN News 21-year old Newberry Winfield Wright and 23-year old Alex Kinser, both of Oakland, were taken into custody at around 8:50-p.m., Monday. Wright and Kinser were arrested after the vehicle they and two other men occupied, was pulled over following an investigation into an incident at the Farm Creek Wildlife area, about five-miles east of Carson.

Danker said the incident began following a confrontation between a couple of men who were fishing, and another group of men who were target shooting. The Sheriff said one of the weapons was a Smith and Wesson .500 magnum…a very large and powerful handgun. The fishermen yelled at the shooters that they were scaring the fish. Danker said there were probably “Some unkind words said back and forth, and one group said “Hey, we’re going to call the cops.”  At that point, the target shooters loaded up their boat and proceeded to leave.

Danker says as they were leaving, two shots were allegedly fired. The fishermen claim the shots went in their direction. A Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s deputy stopped the GMC pickup the men were in, and charged Wright, who was the driver of the vehicle, with OWI, Reckless Use of Firearms and Operating While Revoked. Kinser was charged with Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon, Reckless Use of A Firearm, and Shooting over Water, and Manner of Conveyance.

Both men were brought to the Pott. County Jail. Wright was later released on $2,000 bond, while Kinser remained in the jail this (Tuesday) morning. His bond was set at $10,000.

The Harlan Community School District’s Board of Education has approved the purchase of 40 teacher laptops for the next school year. In a regular board meeting held Monday, the computer request was made by technologies coordinator Lisa Swanson. The local bid from Heartland Technologies was approved by the district at a price of $35,120. The bid submitted for the purchase of laptop computers will be used to replace teacher/staff machines at the elementary, middle and high school buildings that are 4 years old or older.

This year, the Harlan Community School District has a need to refresh 27 teacher machines, and seven teacher machines for new positions or newly identified needs, while the rest of the laptops will be overstock. Funds used for the computers will come from the the PPEL (Physical Plant and Equipment) Levy.

In other business, the board accepted the resignation of Bob Hesman, who was recently hired by the district as the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) instructor. Superintendent Justin Wagner said Hesman  had a change of heart. Following the action items, Wagner reported to the board the school district will receive 60 STEM grants. The grants will help meet the Iowa Core requirements. Wagner said more details will emerge on the grants, once everything is finalized. 

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

(8-a.m. News)

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Officials with the Harrison County Historical Village and Iowa Welcome Center, say the “Living Loess Tour” series returns Saturday, May 18, 2013, with nine artisans in the Loess Hills welcoming visitors 9-am to 3-pm each third Saturday through October. This month, visitors are invited to celebrate two special anniversaries- the 100^th Anniversary of the Lincoln Highway and the 75^th Anniversary of the Harrison County Historical Village. The anniversary activities are at the Harrison County Historical Village and Welcome Center, located 5 miles east of I-29, Exit 75 on Highway 30 between Missouri Valley and Logan. 

Special 75^th Anniversary activities May 18 include a guided trail hike, talks on fur trapping and early pioneer life.  Tour a log cabin and school, and learn about the Farmer’s Market, then enjoy grilled burgers and soda from 11am to 1pm from Reisz Farms compliments of the Harrison County Conservation Board. As part of the double anniversary event, you can register to win a two night stay in a housekeeping cabin at Willow Lake Reservation Area near Woodbine, or a Lincoln Highway Centennial gift basket.

To celebrate the 100^th Anniversary of the Lincoln Highway, from 11am to 2pm you can meet the collector of a special exhibit, “Lincoln Highway: The First 100 Years”, get questions answered by an expert, and sip on samples of “Lincoln Highway Red” wine from Santa Maria Winery.  You’ll also be able to take a state by state visual tour on the Lincoln Highway with the special exhibit. For more details, log onto www.livingloess.com.

The Lincoln Highway: The First 100 Years special exhibit will be at the Harrison County Welcome Center until May 27, 2013.

The head of a national advocacy group for foster children is urging Iowa legislators to consider extending the foster care program from age 18 to 21. Gary Stangler, director of the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, says Iowa has a good program called After Care that helps young people when they “age out” of foster care, but he says it doesn’t do enough to help them make successful transitions to adulthood. “Even in Iowa, some of these young people still end up homeless after their 18th birthday,” Stangler says. “Young girls are vulnerable, they become pregnant, because they don’t have the kinds of things we take for granted.”

Iowa’s After Care program helps extend some social services to foster children once they turn 18, but Stangler says those kids are still forced to leave their foster homes. If Iowa extended foster care to age 21, he says half the cost of those additional three years would be paid for by the federal government.  “Most kids in this country can actually go home after college, let alone high school,” Stangler says. “We need that kind of opportunity available for young people in Iowa. We need to have the full extension of foster care.”

Iowa KidsNet reports there are about 61-hundred kids in foster care in Iowa. Stangler says it would cost “a couple million dollars” for Iowa to extend foster care services to young people from age 18 through 21, but in the long-run, he says that action would save the state money. “The cost of unplanned pregnancies, the cost of homeless shelters and supports, the cost of public assistance for young people who are unemployed and who have children,” Stangler says, “these costs add up quickly and they happen quickly.”

A report from the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative says every year, more than 26-thousand young people across the country age out of the foster care system. As a result, Stangler says they are more likely than their peers to drop out of school, become parents before they are ready, experience homelessness, or end up in jail. If foster care is extended from 18 to 21, the report says communities would save $300,000 in lost wages, public assistance and incarceration for each of the young people affected. Nationwide, he says the savings would amount to seven-point-eight billion dollars a year. Learn more at: www.jimcaseyyouth.org

(Radio Iowa)

Warmer weather is returning to Iowa — and so is the pollen. An allergy expert says this spring is shaping up to be one of the worst allergy seasons in years, but Iowans who are constantly sneezing likely already know that. Ted Myatt, an environmental health specialist, says allergy sufferers have more to worry about than just the great outdoors as there can be no where to hide, inside or out. “There’s allergens that are generated outside, the pollen from grass and trees and mold spores from outdoors, all of those particles end up in your home because you’re constantly moving outdoor air into your home,” Myatt says. On top of that, there are allergens generated indoors as well, like pet dander from dogs and cats. Those things, in combination with coming off of last year’s drought, are making for foul conditions for Iowans with allergies. After you’ve been outside, Myatt says it may be helpful to shower right away or to change your clothes — and to use bedding that’s hypoallergenic.

“Washing those sheets in hot water is a great strategy to prevent dust mite exposure,” Myatt says. “Dust mites love bedding and are hard to get rid of unless you use really hot water. Another thing I like to recommend is to take off your shoes. You track in a lot of dirt, a lot of pollen, a lot of mold.” Mold can be a huge problem. Even an isolated area of mold, like a window sill, can trigger symptoms in those allergic to it. He says mold spores travel by air and they will spread. Dust and pollen gather on TV screens and other electronics so keeping them clean is very important. Myatt says even for Iowans who were never bugged by allergies before, this spring could be different.

“People as they age acquire new allergy symptoms,” Myatt says. “If you move to another area of the country where the mixture of the types of pollens and allergens in the air are different than what you’re used to, you see people acquire new allergies.” Even opening the windows to let in a fresh spring breeze will also be letting in dust, mold spores and pollen.

(Radio Iowa)