Officials with the Cass and Audubon County Community Foundations are issuing a reminder to non-profit organizations in the respective counties, that the deadline to apply for fall grant program funds is Sept. 1st. In Cass County, $26,775 is available. Of that, $2,275 is from the Griswold Community Development Endowed Fund, and $500 is from the Triumph Endowed Fund for Cass County.

In Audubon County, $39,770 is available for eligible non-profit organizations. Of that, $2,500 is from the Leon and Iva Milliman Endowed Fund for the Exira area, $2,800 is from the Charles T. and Kathleen K. Manatt Endowed Fund. Another $690 is being made available by the Audubon State Bank/Stephen Garst Endowed Fund, $1,200 is from the Audubon Masonic Association Endowed Fund for the City of Audubon area, $490 is available for the City of Audubon from the Fred and Evelyn Nissen Endowed Fund for Audubon, and $490 is made possible through the Merle and Norma Petersen Endowed Fund for the City of Audubon.

Only organizations providing services in Cass and Audubon are eligible for funds in their respective counties. Those groups must be able to demonstrate broad community/county support, and supply a copy of their 501(c)3 IRS determination letter.

Application procedures and grant guidelines can be found online at www.iowacommunityfoundations.org.  (Add /auduboncef after.org for Audubon County, or /casscef for Cass County)

(Correction to charges issued to Wiebeseik & Bergren by Chief Brothers)

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers today (Friday), released details about a drug bust conducted in his community last weekend. Brothers says at around 3:50-a.m. August 9th, Clarinda Police Officers responded to a loud party/noise complaint at 422 N. 17th Street. The residence is rented by 21-year old James Kinghorn, of Clarinda.

Kinghorn was arrested for delivery of a controlled substance believed to be marijuana. Also arrested at the residence was 21-year old Brodie Lee Bergren, and 23-year old Jared Daniel Wiebesiek, both of Clarinda. They were charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance.

All three men were booked into the Page County Jail and held while awaiting initial appearances before the Page County Magistrate. The matter has been referred to the Page County Attorney’s Office for review and the formal filing of charges.

A pancake feed featuring homemade maple syrup will be held in Pottawattamie County this weekend. Botna Bend Park located outside of Hancock will be the site of the big breakfast from 8:30- until 11-a.m., Saturday. Park Ranger Jon Fenner says your free will donation breakfast will leave you feeling full. “We’ll have good hot coffee in the morning, orange juice and then pancakes, pure maple syrup and we get sausage from Gress Locker. They donate sausage every year.”

Making homemade maple syrup is a process that starts earlier in the year. “Right after winter, late February early March when the trees are coming out of their dormant period they start to bring up the sap from the ground and it is all the stored food that they have in their roots that they bring up. We tap the trees and able to take some of the sap that has some of that sweet sugar, maple flavor and we take that down and boil it to make syrup.”

Fenner says it takes 40 to 50 gallons of sap to produce just one gallon of syrup. During the breakfast, tickets will be sold for the fundraiser raffle to benefit the children’s craft program at Botna Bend with the top prize being a handmade quilt created by Botna Bend Park volunteers.

Other prizes include a jar of homemade maple syrup, a hand crafted bird feeder and two chances for a free weekend of camping at Botna Bend. Tickets are $1 each or 6 tickets for $5. Botna Bend Park is located at 42926 Mahogany Road near Hancock. Visitors can take exit 40 off Interstate 80 then south 8 miles on U.S. Highway 59 and follow the signs to the park. For more information, contact Botna Bend Park at 712-741-5465 or online at www.pottcoconservation.com.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A digital replica of the Iowa Constitution is now available online for public viewing. Secretary of State Matt Schultz said Friday that the document from 1857 had been scanned so that a replica could be provided online. Previously, people could only see the original beneath glass in the Secretary of State’s office at the State Capitol.

The constitution – which features 40 pages of hand-written text – was digitized through a partnership between Schultz’s office and the State Library of Iowa. The library bought a $23,000 scanner a year ago to use on fragile documents.

State officials said they hope the public will enjoy being able to look over the historic document. The digital version of the Iowa Constitution is on the State Library of Iowa’s website.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Friday) approved the purchase of two new, 2013 model-year motor graders for the Secondary Roads Department. Their decision followed a report from County Engineer Charles Marker, on test drives, fuel consumption and other factors associated with a John Deere model 770-G, Volvo, Caterpillar (“CAT”) 2013 12M2 and 2014 12M3 graders. Marker said his recommendation on the purchase of two “CAT” 12M2’s from Ziegler for a total of $287,352 (with trade-in’s), was based partly on input from his motor grader operators.

Caterpillar Model 12M2/M3 motor grader

The operators discussed and created a list of pro’s and con’s for each grader they tested, which included the ability to stand up and sit down inside the cab, visibility (of the blade and behind the grader), whether it was equipped with steering wheel or “joy stick” steering and controls, along with other factors.

When it came down to the nuts and bolts of each of the machines tested, Marker said the CAT 12M2 would use less fuel, and unlike the John Deere 770G, it does not require an expensive fuel additive necessary to make the machine EPA compliant on emission controls.