The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports a Nebraska man was arrested Tuesday, after allegedly been seen throwing a large bag of marijuana from a vehicle. Following an investigation which took place in the 1500 block of Washington Street in Hamburg, deputies arrested 33-year old Derrick E. Traub of Nebraska City, NE. Traub was taken into custody while allegedly attempting to retrieve the bag containing approximately 50 grams of marijuana.

Traub faces charges that include Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Deliver, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Failure to have a Drug Tax and Interference with Official Acts. He was booked into the Fremont County Jail, and subsequently released on $5,000 bond.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers says effective at Noon today (Wednesday, March 20th), all traffic control lights/signals have been deactivated on the square. All intersections on the square are now controlled by 4 way (all way) stop signs. Brothers reminds motorists that pedestrians approaching the cross walk, entering the cross walk and in the cross walk ALWAYS have the right of way. Remember to make a complete stop behind the stop line and do not drive through the area while inattentive or distracted.

The City of Clarinda Public Works Department will remove the traffic signal stands and light heads at a later date.  Brothers says with everyone’s cooperation this should be a smooth transition.

(12-p.m. News)

Cass County Naturalist Lora Kanning reports due to the wind chill factor, the “Rocks” program will now be held at the Atlantic Public Library Community Room at 11AM Thursday, March 21, 2013.  The 2013 Oak Strollers Nature Club is sponsored by Cass County Conservation.

Join the Conservation Department for monthly events to guide your family outdoors. Events will be for all ages. Some events may be public Cass County Conservation and some may occur during the day when school is in. The nature club led by Naturalist, Lora Kanning gives parents the comfort of exploring nature in Cass County.

Kanning parents should “Bring your child and plan to have a great time-making a memory.”

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday) approved the renewal of $40,000 per year funding for Fiscal years 2014 through 2018, for the Valley Business Park loan. The funds are payable out of the Local Option Sales Tax fund in Cass County. Audubon County has already agreed to the continuation of their payments. The process to spur economic development in the area began in 2003.

A 28-E agreement was entered into, with the Board of Supervisors in both counties making a formal commitment of $50,000 per year for five-years, to develop the area. The CABEDA (or, Cass-Audubon Business Economic Development Agreement) Board, which is comprised of representatives from both Counties and local economic development officials, agreed to purchase 149 acres of land at a cost of $1-million, in March, 2007.  Cass County Supervisor Duane McFadden said in November 2006, the counties agreed to share in paying on a loan for the purchase of the land.

McFadden says the loan was later rewritten, so the interest rate was reduced from 6.25-percent to 3.95-percent, which he says has made a “big difference” on their payments last year. It means an additional $4,000 each year can be made toward the payments. McFadden says at one point they had a serious prospect for the land, but then the economy tanked. Still, he says efforts persist to market the area. Cass-Atlantic Development Corporation (CADCO) Executive Director Russell Joyce echoed McFadden’s statement, and said while they continue to seek businesses for the area, the land is being rented out to local farmers, which is bringing in much needed revenue. He says the amount of rent payments they receive has nearly tripled since it was purchased, and the value of the land itself is nearly double what it was purchased for in 2007.

In other business, the Cass County Board of Supervisors approved a two-percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Child Support Recovery employees, which is covered under the Intergovernmental Cooperative Reimbursement Agreement between the County and Dept. of Human Services. They also approved the hiring of Cory Kirchhoff for the Secondary Roads Department, for an Operator 1 position at the Atlantic office. Engineer Charles Marker said there were 50 applicants for the position. Six of the applicants were interviewed, with Kirchhoff being well qualified and having met all the requirements, according to Marker. The Board also received two bids for sanitation and recycling services at the courthouse. They approved a lower bid of $100 per month from Cook Sanitation of Atlantic, effective April 1^st.

w/ Ric Hanson

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City Officials in Harlan have approved the refinancing of their 2007  General Obligation bonds. The City Council Tuesday approved a  bid from UMB Bank in Kansas City, MO for $2.845-million in G.O. Refunding Bonds, Series 2013. Jenny Blankenship from PFN in Des Moines, reported to the Council on the three bids the city had received for the bonds. The bonds were originally from 2007 and were set at a 4.25% interest. Blankenship demonstrated to  the board that with the new bid from UMB Bank, the interest rate will fall to a true interest of just over 1.88-percent. The annual savings from 2016 to 2027 will amount to a little more than $318,700, with a net savings of just under $280,000.

In addition to approving refinancing of the bonds, the Harlan City Council agreed to spend $13,567 on new Christmas decorations. City Clerk Debra Sawyer said with the money, the city will buy 11 LED Candy Canes and 11 Standing Deer for Chatburn Avenue, along with new garland and 1500-feet of LED lights for the downtown area. The money will come out of the 2011 bond issue.  Sawyer said the city will be purchasing more Christmas decorations in the coming years.

And, Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen provided the City Council with his regular report.  Bissen said the Fire Department held a board meeting Monday, and elected one new firefighter. The addition brings the total number of members in the department to 35. The maximum number of personnel the department is allowed to have is capped at 40.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

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A report published in the Omaha World-Herald says the City of Hamburg will be forced to remove an additional eight-feet of dirt piled on top of a levee designed to protect the City from flooding by the Missouri River. The paper says because the City was unable to raise more than $5.5 million needed to bring the levee within federal regulations, it must remove extra dirt added to the levee. The result will be a levee reduced to its pre-2011 flood height of 11 feet, which City leaders say is not enough to protect the community from flooding.

Despite a $1 million contribution from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, and an extension by the Corps of Engineers that allowed the City to continue raising funds until March 1^st, the City of Hamburg was still $4.6 million short of the money necessary to keep the additional dirt on the L-575 levee at the beginning of the year. City officials have said removal of the levee would cost Hamburg about One-million dollars.

The Iowa Senate has passed a bill that would give Iowa companies an advantage in selling goods and services to state government. If an out-of-state company is the lowest bidder, Iowa companies with bids just a bit higher would be given a chance to match the low bid and win the contract. Senator Rick Bertrand, a Republican from Sioux City, says many senators voted for the legislation because they fear the campaign pamphlets that would be circulated if they voted no. “This is a feel good bill…We’re all going to vote for it because if we don’t…they’re going to beat the hell out of us on the campaign trail on this, so let’s just vote it up and be done with it.”

Bertrand says everyone’s for promoting Iowa businesses, but the bill doesn’t ensure Iowa taxpayers won’t get the best deals on state contracts because low bidders from out-of-state will lose. Senator Liz Mathis, a Democrat from Robbins, defends the legislation.”You can feel good about voting for this bill because business people back home will see you standing with them,” Mathis told her fellow senators, “supporting them for building their business in Iowa.”

The bill passed on a 34 to 16 vote. This is the second year the Senate has endorsed the concept. It’s unlikely to win support in the Iowa House.

(Radio Iowa)

Two Atlantic men have entered pleas of guilty to amended charges in connection with a January stabbing incident.

Bryce Baker

According to court records, 18-year-old Bryce Baker plead guilty to one-felony count of Willful Injury, while 23-year old Mykel Thorenentered a plea of guilty to an amended, aggravated misdemeanor charge of being an Accessory After The Fact.

Mykel Thoren

Both men had originally been charged with Willful Injury and Going Armed with Intent. They were set to stand trial next week.

Baker is scheduled to be sentenced April 29th. Thoren waived his rights and requested immediate sentencing. The judge sentenced him him to serve a maximum of two-years in prison but then suspended the sentence and gave Thoren credit for time already served. He was also fined $625, plus related court costs.

In February a third man, 21-year-old Austin Nelson, plead guilty to an amended charge of Accessory after the Fact, and was also given a two-year suspended prison sentence. All three men had been charged in connection with the January 28th stabbing of 43-year-old Robert Leslie, of Atlantic.