Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green says the number of burglaries have dropped-off in the community, since the Police Department last week issued a warning to residents of the City to lock the doors on their homes and vehicles, following a couple of residential burglaries which occurred in the City.

Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green

Green said the thieves were apparently targeting electronic equipment, like computers and audio components, but they’ve gotten wise to the facts the public is being more observant. He says his officers have also been conducting surveillance, and since the news release on August 30^th, the activity has slowed. The “rash” of burglaries he says, is not currently continuing.

Green says they have some leads, but nothing has panned out just yet. He says residents need to remain vigilant though, in their awareness of strange activity going on in their neighborhood, and not be lulled into a false sense of security just because the incidents have seemingly stopped. He says most of the burglaries were residential, and there wasn’t any particular pattern.

Green says while some people may think the thieves are targeting primarily the residences of business owners while they are away from home, they’re not the only ones to have been hit. He says the thieves were hitting homes during the lunch hour, when there is a lesser opportunity people will be around.

The Chief reminds residents that if you should happen to come home and find it has been broken into, immediately exit the residence and call police. Entering the home and tampering with touched objects can result in possible lost evidence, and, there is a chance the suspect or suspects may still be in the residence.

Police in Clarinda say they’re investigating a theft and an incident of vandalism. Chief Keith Brothers says on Tuesday, September 4^th, a woman reported that a clutch purse had been stolen from her vehicle while it was parked at her residence in the 200 block of west Logan Street. The theft occurred sometime between 10:0 0 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. The purse was later located at the Alco Discount Center in Clarinda. The woman said $30.00 cash had been taken from the purse.

And, on Thursday, September 6^th, a woman in Clarinda reported that her 1971 Ford Mustang had been vandalized while the vehicle was parked at her residence located in the 500 block of south 13^th Street. The paint on the vehicle had been damaged with a sharp object, the driver’s side exterior rear-view mirror had been pulled off, the tires punctured and the gas cap broken. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $2,000.00. Both incidents remain under investigation.

The Walnut City Council, Thursday evening, passed a Resolution of Support for the Continuation of Education in Walnut. City Clerk Terry Abell told KJAN News the Council received a report about the economic impact on the community, if it should lose its school, which has faced declining enrollment, and the possibility of consolidation with another district. She said a group of concerned citizens said City leaders need to be aware of the potential impact that such a move could have. On a related note, Terry says a spaghetti supper will be held one-week from this Saturday in Walnut, along with discussion about the future of the school district. She says the free spaghetti supper will be held in the old high school gym beginning at 5:30-p.m. Sept, 15^th, followed by an informational meeting at 6-p.m.

In other business, the Walnut City Council, Thursday, heard a presentation from brothers Shea Campbell and Taylor Campbell, with regard to their proposed Eagle Scout City Park beautification projects. She says Shea wants to paint the buildings at the Walnut Park, while Taylor wants to have the scouts scrape and paint about 60 fire hydrants.

The Walnut City Council also passed an ordinance that will allow the use of golf carts on City streets, and they approved the appointment of Tim Branan, Lois Brix, Lesley Krummel, Betty Roberts, and Denise Sandbothe, to the Community Development Committee.

(9-a.m. News)

w/ Ric Hanson

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ST. LOUIS (AP) – The worst drought in the United States in decades may already have done its damage to the nation’s corn crop now being harvested. But growers say their soybeans may turn out far better. Near Coulterville in southwestern Illinois, Dean Campbell concedes that Tropical Storm Isaac’s remnants “blessed us with some water.” But that won’t save his 900-acre corn crop that’s averaging just about one-tenth of his normal yield with harvesting less than halfway done.  But he says he expects “a reasonable crop” from his still-maturing 1,100 acres of soybeans.

Near Corning, Iowa, Ray Gaesser got nothing from Isaac for his 3,000 acres of corn, which he foresees producing about 60 to 70 percent of normal. But he believes his soybeans could yield some 90 percent of what he’s typically get.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say a Nebraska man was arrested late Thursday night. 33-year old Kelly Robert Brink, of Nehawaka, NE, was taken into custody at around 10:45-p.m., on a charge of OWI/1st offense. Brink was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and held on full bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

A rural Stuart man was found guilty late last month, of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. According to online-court documents, and a report cited in the Guthrie Center Times, it took a jury just under two-hours to reach their verdict on August 24th, following the four-day trial for 48-year old Martin Edward Mock.  Mock reportedly approached and then unjustifiably pointed a loaded semiautomatic handgun at Nick Paardekooper of Redfield, in December, 2010.

Paar-dekooper and a group he was with were engaged in a “group hunt” for whitetail deer in a location where they had received permission to hunt. Mock approached Paarde-kooper and challenged his authority to be there.  The jury found that after refusing to accept Paardekooper’s explanation of having received permission to be there, or his offers to leave, Mock pulled a loaded handgun on Paardekooper and pointed it at him.

Mock is scheduled to be sentenced on October 8th.

A 40-year old school bus driver from Council Bluffs was cited following a hit-and-run accident in Council Bluffs, Thursday. According to Bluffs Police, Chris Fischer, received a citation for suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident. Witnesses say at around 8:40-a.m., a bus transporting about 30 students to Hoover Elementary School in Council Bluffs struck a parked pickup truck in the 300 block of Benton Street. Afterward, the bus driver allegedly walked the aisle through the students, then went back to the front of the bus and drove off.

After Council Bluffs police located the number 44 bus, Fischer told officers his route didn’t take him on Benton Street, but an investigation resulted in evidence indicating the bus had collided with the pickup. Fischer later admitted to police he’d stopped the bus to discipline a student, forgot to put on the parking brake, and the bus rolled.