Officials with the Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency reported late Monday evening, that a WATER BOIL ORDER IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CITY OF AVOCA, due to a water main break. Impacted areas are generally all residential properties south of the Caseys General Store area.

Citizens are encourage to use bottled water OR boil water before consuming, cooking use or personal hygiene such as brushing teeth. The advisory is for 24-to 48-hours or until test results confirm there is no risk to public health.

Update alerts will be distributed via Alert Iowa. Residents can register free at www.pottcounty-ia.gov. Updates will also be posted on the emergency management facebook page and twitter feed. Contact Avoca City Hall for further inquiries.

Officers with the Stuart Police Department conducted a search warrant Monday, in the 400 block of NW 10th Street, as part of an ongoing investigation into several recent burglaries and thefts in the Stuart area. Authorities searched about 16 acres of land, and have recovered several items believed to be stolen property.  Stephen Dennis Kunkle, of Stuart, was arrested as part of the investigation.

Kunkle faces multiple charges, including a felony charge of Burglary in the 3rd degree. He was also charged with: 2 counts of Possession of Stolen Property; Possession of a Controlled Substance – 2nd offense; Possession of Burglary Tools; and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Stuart P-D Facebook photo

The burglaries and thefts occurred between July 20th and August 4th in Stuart. The stolen items included money, tools and several kayaks. Some of the stolen property was identified and will be returned to the rightful owners. If you have been the victim of a recent theft, please contact Stuart Police as soon as possible, as they have also located several suspected stolen items. If you have any further information the Stuart Police dispatch center at 641-747-2214, or private message them through Facebook.

Two women from Union County were arrested Monday night on Adams County warrants. The Adams County Sheriff’s Department reports Amber Miller, of Creston, was arrested at around 9:40-p.m. on a warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine – 1st offense. And, Pamela Claiser, of Creston, was arrested on a warrant for Possession of Meth/3rd offense .The warrants stem from a traffic stop on March 31st.

Miller’s cash only bond was set at $2,000. Claiser was being held without bond until she could be seen by the magistrate.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A federally funded nonprofit says an Iowa school for juvenile boys held under court order is violating their constitutional rights by not providing essential mental health care and instead relying on restraints and seclusion rooms. In a report released Monday, Disability Rights Iowa threatened legal action unless the state makes significant changes at the Boys State Training School in Eldora. State officials say other assessments have lauded the school.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a worker has died after being caught in a grain bin in Waterloo. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports crews were called to an East Central Iowa Co-Op elevator about 11:30 a.m. Monday on a report of a worker who was trapped in soybeans. Firefighters cut holes in the bin and co-op employees used a vacuum to drain the bin as emergency crews entered the elevator to reach the man. Despite the efforts, the man was declared dead.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The head of the agency that oversees Iowa’s flagship history museum is leaving the job. Mary Cownie announced Monday her last day as director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs will be Aug. 17. Cownie, who was appointed in January 2011 by former Gov. Terry Branstad, attempted over several years to seek money from the Legislature to pay for extensive renovations to the State Historical Museum in Des Moines. The effort stalled amid state budget constraints.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) – The Burlington city manager says he’s not meeting the city council members’ expectations, so he’ll be stepping down. Jim Ferneau told The Hawk Eye that he notified council members by email Friday that he intends to leave in October from the post he’s held for more than five years.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federally funded nonprofit organization claims in a report that an Iowa school for juvenile boys held under court order is violating their constitutional rights by not providing essential mental health care and instead relying on restraints and seclusion rooms.

In the report released Monday, Disability Rights Iowa threatened legal action unless the state makes significant changes at the Boys State Training School in Eldora. The organization claims the institution doesn’t have enough mental health professionals, locks up children in seclusion room and restrains them with full-body wraps.

State officials say they share the organization’s goal of improving treatment, but they said other audits and assessments have lauded the school. The institution has space for 130 boys aged 12 to 18 and currently has about 100 students.

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports City Elections will take place on November 7th, 2017. NOMINATION PETITIONS FOR A CITY OFFICE MUST NOW BE FILED WITH THE COUNTY AUDITOR and not with the city clerks office.
The first day to file papers is August 28th. The last day to file papers is September 21.

The process for filing nomination petitions is as follows:
• Obtain an original nomination petition and candidate’s guide from the county
auditor, city clerk or online from the Iowa Secretary of State ( www.sos.iowa.gov ).
• Obtain the nomination signatures of the required number of eligible electors of
the city or ward, as the case may be (The candidate’s guide lists the number of
signatures required. In Cass County, the number of signatures required is 10 for all
positions except the Atlantic At Large council position for which a minimum of 15
signatures are required.).

A person may sign nomination petitions for more than one candidate for the same
office.

• Attach a notarized affidavit acknowledging the candidate’s eligibility.
• File the petition with the County Auditor prior to 5 p.m. on September 21, 2017.
Each candidate who successfully files a completed nomination petition is assured a place on the ballot.

In Cass County, Iowa the following offices will appear on the ballots for the respective cities on November 7, 2017:
Anita

• Three At Large Council seats (4 year terms)
  Incumbents: Mark Harris, Wade Jessen and Dennis Zimmerman

Atlantic

• Mayor (4 year term)
  Incumbent: David Jones
• Council Ward 2 (4 year term)
  Incumbent: Kathy Somers
• Council Ward 5 (4 year term)
  Incumbent: Richard Casady
• Council At Large (4 year term)
  Incumbent: Gerald Brink
• Two Atlantic Parks & Recreation Board (6 year term – term begins November 16)
  Incumbent: Jolene Smith and Mary Strong

Cumberland

• Mayor (2 year term)
  Incumbent: Virginia Coughlin
• Three At Large Council (4 year term)
  Incumbents: Terri Clinton-Reinke, Gary Cooper and Mike Martin

  Griswold

• Mayor (4 year term)
  Incumbent: Jeb Peck
• Two At Large Council (4 year term)
  Incumbents: Barry Moore and Jared Wyman

  Lewis

• Two At Large Council (4 year term)
  Incumbents: Ryan Archibald (appointee) and Marilyn Mundorf
• One At Large Council (Vacancy in 4 year term ending January 2020)
  Appointee: Ryan Lockwood

  Marne

• Mayor (2 year term)
  Incumbent: Randall Baxter
• Five At Large Council (2 year term)Incumbents: Alan Cranston; Kyle Frederiksen; Lori Holste; Michael Jensen and Angela Redler

  Massena

• Mayor (2 year term)
  Incumbent: Linda Reineke
• Two At Large Council (4 year term)
  Incumbents: Jackson Bissell and Doug Venteicher

  Wiota

• Mayor (2 year term)
  Incumbent: Ford Lillard
• Three At Large Council (4 year term)
  Incumbents: Kathryn Havens, Jeff Lillard and Deanna Spry