Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green reports that on Wednesday, May 13th between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm, residents in the northern part of the city of Atlantic will most likely hear and emergency siren.  Currently, that area of the community is served by three small sirens, some that date to the late 1960’s.  The older sirens are getting more expensive to repair, so Green says they are looking at the possibility of replacing the oldest units with one larger siren that will have more volume and a larger coverage area.

Wednesday morning, a siren company will bring a special truck to town that will lift a test siren into the air to find out if it will provide the same or better coverage than the current units.

Should there be inclement weather, the test will be cancelled.

Cass County Sheriff’s officials report that on Monday, May 11th, 24 year old Morgan Kay Leeder of Griswold was arrested on three charges.  They include Operating While Intoxicated first offense, Assault on a Peace Officer and Interference with Official Acts.  Deputies report that Leeder was taken to the Cass County Jail and was released later on Monday on a $1000 bond.

DENISON, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a 20-year-old man convicted last week of killing two elderly people in Deloit has tried to escape the Crawford County Jail.

The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office says Jayden Chapman assaulted a jailer on Monday while trying to flee.

Chapman faces two life terms for the slayings of 80-year-old Marvin Huesling and 81-year-old Alice Huisenga in Deloit. Authorities say Chapman and Michael Schenk shot the pair in March 2014 at a trailer home and then set it on fire. Schenk was sentenced in March to two life terms for his role in the slayings.

The new charges facing Chapman are assaulting a jailer and attempting to escape.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A jury has awarded a former Bedford High School football player almost $1 million in a case involving the school’s response to head injuries.

The Des Moines Register reports 18-year-old Kacey Strough had a pre-existing medical condition known as a “cavernous malformation,” or abnormally formed blood vessels, in his brain.

Strough’s attorney argued the vessels bled after he suffered a head injury, but he was allowed to continue practicing and playing.

Jurors Monday found the school district and a school nurse were negligent for not notifying coaches of Strough’s potential concussion or brain injury, as well as failing to follow up with Strough’s grandmother to ensure he was treated.

Strough had a blood clot removed near his brainstem in November 2012. He has permanent injuries and uses a wheelchair.

On May 1st, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad declared a state of emergency, due to a rapidly expanding avian flu outbreak, saying the entire state was at risk from the spread of the disease. The announcement mean authorities have the power to enforce preventative measures against the spread of the outbreak, at least through the end of May. On Wednesday, the Cass County Board of Supervisors will discuss the declaration, and possibly act on passing a resolution, as a proactive/preventive approach to the potential civil emergency in Cass County.

In other business, the Board is expected to act on: Approving a Veterans Affairs Commissioner appointment for a three-year term, running from July 1st, 2015 through June 30th, 2018; and, on a Cass Township Trustee appointment to fill a vacancy term through 2016. They’ll also act on approving the contract and bond with A.M. Cohron for a bridge replacement project over Baughman Creek, northeast of Griswold.

During last week’s meeting, Amy Hook, co-owner of the Griswold Golf and Country Club, requested the start of the project be delayed until September, so as to not affect their business during the busiest part of the golf season. The Board discussed with Engineer Charles Marker the feasibility of delaying the bridge replacement project until September, but Marker said was too early to say if that is an option, because of the process it takes to get the contract signed. Amending the contract to provide for a later start date, would make the process more involved, he said, and require additional discussion with the contractor, not to mention the possible, additional cost to the County.

The Cass County Board of Supervisor’s meeting begins at 8:30-a.m. Wednesday in the Board Room at the courthouse, in Atlantic.

Officials with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office said late Monday evening, an inmate being held on murder charges at the Crawford County Jail has now been charged with felony Assault on a Jailer with the Intent to Commit a Serious Injury. Sheriff’ James Steinkuehler says 20-year old Jayden Ray Chapman, of Denison, also faces a felony charge of Escape or Attempt to Escape a Detention Facility in connection with an incident that occurred Monday, at the Crawford County Jail. Chapman is being held in the facility without bond.

On May 4th, a jury convicted Chapman on two counts of first-degree murder and reckless use of fire in connection with the March 2014 double homicide of 80-year old Marvin Huelsing, of Maple River, and 81-year old Alice Huisenga, of Arcadia. 26-year old Michael David Schenk, also of Denison, was sentenced in March to two life terms in prison for the crime, which happened on a farm located southeast of Deloit.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man and his estranged wife have been handed lengthy federal prison terms on charges that they produced child pornography involving babies and young children. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa says 42-year-old Bradley Shane Jensen and 37-year-old Jennifer Marie Jensen, both Panora residents, were sentenced Friday to 32½ years and 20 years in federal prison, respectively. Bradley Jensen was convicted sexual exploitation of a child and production of child pornography. Jennifer Jensen was found guilty of receipt of child pornography.

Investigation unveiled that the couple produced images of Bradley Jensen sexually abusing a 3-month-old. It also revealed Bradley Jensen made child pornography with a 6-year-old girl, whom they are both accused of sexually abusing.