The Harlan Police Department released their arrest report today (Friday) for this past week. On April 1st, the Harlan Police Department reported the arrest of 21-year old T.J. Anderson of Harlan following a traffic stop. Anderson was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with driving under suspension and cited for defective or unauthorized muffler system. Officers are awaiting results from the DCI and charges are pending for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

On April 3rd, Harlan Officers responded to a disturbance call at Casey’s General Store. Upon arrival they arrested 39-year old Curtis Baldwin and 54-year old Michael Garrison, both of Harlan. Both men were taken to the Shelby County Jail where Baldwin was charged with aggravated public intoxication, possession of a controlled substance and possessing contraband. Garrison was charged with aggravated public intoxication and disorderly conduct.

On April 5th, Harlan Police Officers cited 17-year old Samuel Rivera for minor in possession of tobacco after the Officers were called to the school. Rivera was cited and released.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King says he is nearing a decision on whether to seek the U.S. Senate seat held by retiring Democrat Tom Harkin, but does not know today whether he will run. Appearing on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press,” the six-term U.S. House member from Kiron said: “I need to get a decision made fairly quickly.”

King says he is reviewing polling data he says will help him decide. The outspoken western Iowa conservative has been urged by Republicans, including Gov. Terry Branstad, to forgo a 2014 bid, and run in 2016, in the event six-term Republican Sen. Charles Grassley retires.

Democratic Congressman Bruce Braley of Waterloo is his party’s only candidate for Senate. Harkin, first elected in 1984, said in January he would not seek a sixth term.

A young man set to graduate from the Treynor High School has received an appointment to the U-S Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says Christopher M. Haijsman, of McClelland was appointed to the Academy for the 2013-2014 school year. Haijsman is the son of Sherry and Michael Haijsman.  He will graduate in May from Treynor High School.

Haijsman is a member of the National Honor Society and the Academic Quiz Bowl Team and participated in cross country.  He is a Cadet Commander in the Civil Air Patrol. Grassley said “Admission to the service academies is highly competitive and a great honor. Students work very hard to earn this kind of opportunity.” Iowa’s senior Senator wished Haijsman well, and thanked him for his commitment to serve our country.

Haijsman joins a number of other Iowa students who have been selected this year for admission to the U.S. service academies.  Included among them is Wilson Pingrey of Coon Rapids, who was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. All of the students were among the Iowans Grassley nominated this year for appointments to the U.S. service academies.

For more than 200 years, the academies have educated and trained individuals to lead and command the U.S. armed forces.

One person was seriously injured during an ATV accident Thursday evening, about three-miles east of Lewis. Details are currently limited, but the call about the “Traumatic Injury” accident near 61368 Oxford Road, came in at around 5:15-p.m. Dispatch reports at the time, said a man riding the ATV had been laying near the machine for about an hour before he was found.

Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Johnson, Medivac Ambulance, Lewis Fire and Rescue and Griswold Fire and Rescue all responded to the scene. We’ll update this story as more information is made available.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court says a jury should decide whether a Guthrie Center bar is responsible for injuries to a patron attacked by another in the establishment’s parking lot. The case had been dismissed by a district court judge but the Supreme Court says in a ruling Friday that it should go to trial.  It involves a group of construction workers drinking at Gutterz Bowl and Lounge in Guthrie Center in March 2009.

The bar owner made Curtis Hoyt leave after he started an argument with another man, Curtis Knapp. Later, in the parking lot, Knapp hit Hoyt on the head, knocking him out. Hoyt is suing the bar. The Supreme Court says bar owners must protect patrons and there are sufficient legal issues for a jury to decide.

In an update to our report this (Friday) morning, the Atlantic Police Department said a local man suffered non-life threatening injuries during a collision between his motorcycle and a car Thursday afternoon, in Atlantic. Randall Anderson, of Atlantic, was transported by Medivac Ambulance to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, following a collision with a car at the intersection of 2nd Street and Sunnyside Lane (near the Water Treatment Plant).

The accident happened at around 1:45-p.m. Thursday, as Anderson was making a left-hand turn from 2nd Street/Highway 83, onto Sunnyside lane. Officials say a car driven by Ruth Carstens, of Loveland, CO, had stopped at the intersection, but then proceeded through a stop sign before hitting the cycle.  Carstens was cited for Failure to Obey a Stop Sign.

Damage from the accident amounted to $1,300.

After weeks of voting, Viking Lake State Park near Stanton, Lacey-Keosauqua State Park, have made it to the DNR’s Park Madness championship on Facebook. As a result, Iowans will be able to enter a drawing for a chance to win a free weekend of camping at the championship park. The final round of voting begins at 7:30 p.m. April 7 at www.facebook.com/iowadnr.

People can vote for their park of choice by commenting on the Park Madness post. Be sure to “like” the DNR’s page while you’re there to see future Park Madness posts. The winning park will be announced Monday, April 8th at noon on Facebook, along with contest information. People can enter to win two camping coupons for the winning park. Details about contest entry and rules will be available, beginning April 8th, at www.iowadnr.gov/Destinations/ParkMadness.aspx.

Park Madness kicked off March 19, with two parks from each region of the state facing off. Lacey-Keosauqua defeated Lake Ahquabi in the southeast regional and then Backbone to represent eastern Iowa. Viking Lake won over Waubonsie in the southwest regional and then Ledges in the western semifinal.

For more pictures of parks in the running, visit the DNR on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/iowadnr and check the “Iowa State Parks” board. Follow the DNR on Twitter at www.twitter.com/iowadnr for updates and more information.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U-S Justice Department reports Tyson Foods, Inc., has agreed to pay a $3.95-million civil penalty to settle alleged violations of Clean Air Act regulations covering the prevention of chemical accidents at its facilities in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. As part of a consent decree lodged today (Friday) in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, Mo., Tyson agreed to conduct pipe-testing and third-party audits of its ammonia refrigeration systems to improve compliance with the Clean Air Act’s Risk Management Program requirements at all 23 of the company’s facilities in the four Midwestern states.

Those facilities include Tyson operations located in Cherokee, Columbus Junction, Council Bluffs, Denison, Perry, Sioux City, Storm Lake and Waterloo in Iowa, and four facilities in Nebraska. Among them is the plant in Omaha.  The settlement stems from a series of eight separate incidents between 2006 and 2010 in which accidental releases of anhydrous ammonia at Tyson facilities resulted in property damage, multiple injuries, and one fatality.

In addition to the $3.95 million penalty, pipe-testing and third-party audits, Tyson will also spend at least $300,000 as part of a Supplemental Environmental Project that will purchase anhydrous ammonia related emergency response equipment for fire departments in eight environmental justice communities where the company’s operations are located. In Council Bluffs, that amounts to $78,990, and in Omaha,  $17,934. The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court.

Through a series of inspections and information requests, EPA found multiple occasions of noncompliance with the Clean Air Act’s chemical accident prevention provisions at Tyson’s facilities. Dating back to October 2006, those violations included failures to follow the general industry standards to test or replace safety relief valves, improperly co-located gas-fired boilers and ammonia machinery, as well as failures to abide by the Clean Air Act’s Risk Management Program prevention and reporting requirements.

Tyson, headquartered in Springdale, Ark., is the world’s largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef and pork.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Friday) released information on two accidents which occurred last Sunday. At around 3:50-p.m.,  a two vehicle accident took place at the intersection of White Pole Road (Hwy 6) and Whitney Streets, in Atlantic. Authorities say a 2011 Buick Enclave driven by 38-year old Darin M. Brees, of Olathe, KS, was traveling eastbound on White Pole Road and attempting a left turn onto Whitney Street, when the vehicle hit a 2008 Toyota Prius owned and driven by 23-year old Michael Brian Brady, of Atlantic. The accident happened as Brady was entering the intersection. No injuries were reported and no citations were issued. Damage to both vehicles is estimated at $2500 each.

The second accident happened late Sunday night. Officials say the accident involving a 2004 Dodge Stratus took place at around 11:50-p.m.  The sheriff’s office says 22-year old Veronica Lynn Mardesen, of Griswold, was traveling south on 560^th Street when she lost control of the vehicle, which then entered the east ditch. No injuries were reported. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $3000. Mardesen was cited for Failure to Maintain Control.

The National Weather Service in Omaha, and Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency say the Fire Weather category will remain in the VERY HIGH category today (Friday). Windy and warm conditions are expected. Southerly surface winds may gust up to 25-35 mph at times this afternoon. Officials say if you do burn today, to watch the fire closely as it can spread very rapidly.

Montgomery County Emergency Manager Brian Hamman says all controlled burns in Montgomery County should be reported to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 712-623-5107. Hamman says a burn ban is not expected at this time, but if dry conditions continue into the spring, another burn ban such as the one which last summer for 94 days, could be placed into effect.