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Evidence and equipment shed to be built from drug money

News

July 10th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

A nearly $348,000, 7,200-square foot metal shed will be built near the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office once Missouri River floodwaters recede. The shed, which will hold equipment and large evidence from criminal cases, is being funded through money forfeited and seized during traffic stops involving drugs. The building also will house a number of specialized trailers the Sheriff’s Office has gained over the years, including a bomb squad trailer.

The Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors voted last week to sign a contract with Andersen Construction to build a $347,820 shed behind an existing shed north of the Sheriff’s Office. Assistant Pottawattamie County Attorney Maggie Reyes said that while the contract has been signed, construction is not likely to begin until after the threat of flooding has subsided, and is expected to take less than 180-days.

Sheriff Jeff Danker said the price of the project includes tree removal, running electricity to the site, architectural work, permits, concrete work, grading and the building itself. He says also, that his department needs the added storage.

He cited as an example, a large burglary arrest made in 200, which resulted in his office renting storage units to hold the seized property.

No jackpot winner in Powerball game

News

July 10th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — None of the tickets sold for the Powerball game Saturday evening matched all six numbers drawn, which were:

01-09-11-23-31

Powerball: 6

Power Play: 3

Players matching all five numbers and the Powerball would have won or shared the $36 million jackpot. The prize goes to an estimated $48 million for Wednesday.

Tickets that match the first five numbers, but miss the Powerball, win $200,000 each, and there were ten of those. They were sold in: Arizona(2), Colorado(1), Georgia(1), Louisiana(1), Michigan(1), New Mexico(1), New York(2) and Wisconsin(1).

There were two Power Play Match 5 winners in Colorado(1) and North Carolina(1).

*********************

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The winning numbers in Saturday evening’s drawing of the “Hot Lotto” game were:

01-10-16-24-39, Hot Ball: 16

Estimated jackpot: $1.2 million

Crash closes I-80 WB ramp at Hwy 25 (update 7-11-11, 8:30 am)

News

July 9th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

This was all that remained of the trailer Sunday morning.

In an update to a story we first brought over the weekend, the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says a fire along Interstate 80 in Adair County destroyed a semi-trailer loaded with metal pieces, jalapeno cheese, and pretzels, Saturday afternoon.  Contrary to a report from the Iowa DOT, the fire was not the result of an accident, but it’s not clear how it started.

The blaze occurred just east of the westbound I-80 exit-ramp at Exit 86 (Hwy 25), two-miles west of Menlo. A detour was established while the wreck was being cleared up. The incident happened at around 3:42-p.m.  

The interstate was reopened just after 5:45-p.m., but the fire in the trailer apparently flared-up again at around 6:40-p.m., according to dispatchers, who received several 9-1-1 calls. Fire crews were once again dispatched to extinguished the blaze.

No injuries were reported. The remains of the burned out trailer were still on the shoulder of the interstate early Sunday morning, but were gone by mid-day, as crews worked through the morning to remove the debris. The only indication a fire had taken place Sunday afternoon, was a large section of scorched pavement.

Fremont County arrest report

News

July 9th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests over the past week. On Monday, 24-year old Jacob Michael Gandy, of Overland Park, KS, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension, and Failure to Obey a Stop Sign.

And, 25-year old Joel Nathaniel Sims, of Harlan, was arrested Monday, on a Fremont County warrant issued in November, 2010, for Failure To Appear/Contempt of Court. Sims was originally arrested in October 2010, on: 2nd offense OWI; Interference with Official Acts; Driving While Suspended; and, Failure to Maintain Control, charges.

The Sheriff’s Office says also, 25-year old Justin Michael Evans, of Sidney, was arrested July 5th, for Probation Violation.

Experts expect more Missouri River levee failures

News

July 9th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Experts say more Missouri River levees are likely to fail throughout the summer because months of high water will put tremendous pressure on the system. Older, rural levees are especially at risk because they’re likely to be shorter and less well-built than levees protecting urban areas.

Missouri University of Science and Technology professor David Rogers says most of the levees along the Missouri River are agricultural ones that weren’t engineered to withstand flooding. So far, most levees have held along the 811 miles the Missouri travels from the last dam in South Dakota to its confluence with the Mississippi River near St. Louis.

But with every additional day of high water, the levees are more likely to develop problems.

Iowa-Nebraska bridge will remain closed longer

News

July 9th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) – A key bridge over the Missouri River linking northwest Iowa with northeast Nebraska will remain closed longer than expected because of damage to the eastern base of the bridge. The Iowa Transportation Department says about 250 feet of the eastern embankment near the Highway 175 bridge has become unstable because of the force of the river and the bridge abutment has been exposed.

Officials said Friday the original flood mitigation plan had to be scrapped, so the bridge between Onawa, Iowa, and Decatur, Neb., will remain closed for a longer period. For people who live on one side of the bridge but work on the other, the bridge closure has significantly lengthened their commute.

What had been a ten-minute trip might take an hour or more now.

Water in Missouri River reservoirs declines a bit

News

July 9th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The amount of water held in reservoirs along the Missouri River has started to decline slightly, but flooding is still expected to continue along the river through the summer. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir manager Jody Farhat says Friday was the sixth day in a row when more water was released from the six reservoirs along the river than came into the system.

Farhat says that’s good news for everyone dealing with flooding. But the corps doesn’t plan to significantly decrease the amount of water being released from dams because there is still a massive amount of water in the reservoirs from melting snow and heavy spring rains.

Farhat says any major rainfall in Montana or the Dakotas could force the corps to increase the amount of water being released.

Brewfest attendees to sample 400+ beers

News

July 9th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Brewfest 2010

Beer lovers can sample a large variety of craft brews in one location in central Iowa this weekend. The Fifth Annual Brewfest is scheduled for 3 to 7 p.m. today (Saturday) at Principal Park in downtown Des Moines. Jeff Bruning, a consultant for the event, says attendees can taste test more than 400 different varieties of beer. “We have a lot of beers that you normally can’t get or are hard to find,” Bruning said. “You can come down and sample these beers…some are special releases, some are brewed specifically for Brewfest and some are hard to get or are coming to the state for this one time.”

More than a dozen Iowa based breweries will offer samples. “I think there are currently 25 breweries in the state of Iowa. We have over half of them coming,” Bruning said. Two relatively new Iowa breweries will be the Brewfest for the first time: Toppling Goliath from Decorah and Twist Vine Brewery from Madison County.

The event gives distributors a unique opportunity to speak directly to consumers and vice-versa.  “There are going to be quite a few brewery reps there, people who know what they’re talking about, so you can ask them questions about what’s coming from the brewery…or what should I try,” Bruning said. Tickets to Brewfest are $23 in advance or $28 at the gate. For more information, visit BREWFEST D-S-M DOT COM.

(Radio Iowa)

Area School Board meetings set for Monday, July 11th

News

July 9th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Four area Boards of Education will meet Monday evening in our immediate listening area. For two of the Boards, it will be their last meeting, because their districts have reorganized into one district.

The first meeting at 5:30-p.m. is for the Griswold School Board, who will meet in the Central Office Board room. On their agenda, is action on: old board policies; Resolutions pertaining to the Revenue Purpose Statement, and the board election; Sharing agreement with cities; approval of bids for the bakery, dairy, snow removal and sanitation, as well as other, administrative matters, such as the appointment of a Board Secretary, Treasurer, Business Manager, and School Attorney.

At 6-p.m., the C-and-M School Board will meet for the last time in the CAM High School Media Center. Last September, voters in the Anita and Cumberland-Massena Community School Districts overwhelmingly chosen to reorganize the two districts into one. For nearly eight-years, the districts have participated in a whole grade sharing agreement, sharing students and programs, and they have shared athletic activities for many years beyond that. All the while, they had maintained separate administrative teams and Boards of Education.

During the C&M Board’s meeting, they’ll act on a Transfer of Quit Claim Deeds for property and Transfer of Vehicle Titles. At 6:20-p.m., the Anita School District’s Board of Education will meet in the CAM High School Media Center, to handle similar administrative matters. And, at 6:45-p.m., the combined CAM School Board will hold its regular meeting, during which they will appoint a Board Secretary/Treasurer, School Attorney and conduct other administrative business.

The CAM Board will also discuss and/or act on Bread and Milk bids, curriculum changes, a School Resources Officer (SRO) agreement, a resignation, contracts and the 2011-2012 school fees.

Audubon City Council to meet Monday

News

July 9th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

The City Council in Audubon is set to meet Monday evening. During their 7-p.m. session at City Hall, the Council will hear, and possible act on a request from the Audubon Chamber of Commerce, for street closings, use of City equipment (tables), and the parade route, for the T-Bone Celebration.