The Cass County Sheriff’s Office and other County officials are cracking down on persons who think it’s fun or funny, to take their pickup trucks out onto muddy county roads. In the process, the vehicles destroy the roads and in recent incidents, have resulted in the “Mudders,” those responsible for the damage, getting stuck. Cass County Engineer Charles Marker says he’s grateful the Sheriff’s Office is charging those responsible for tearing up the roads when they’ve been caught in the act, and says he hopes the financial penalties will serve as a warning to those who can least afford the cost of “Mudding.”

He said those individuals who are found to have been responsible have been ticketed, and the Secondary Roads Department has calculated the cost of repairing the roads, which he calls “A substantial amount.” Marker hopes that the judicial system will assess the monetary cost of road repairs to the culprits who are found guilty of damaging them. He says it takes three-to four-hours to repair the roads, and that takes time away from other, seasonal road work to repair roads caused by “Kids at play.”

He estimates it costs $400-to $500 to re-grade a Minimum Maintenance Road. In a recent incident, Marker says the mudders found themselves stuck on the roads they were damaging, and that’s how they were caught by Cass County Deputies. Another road was damaged by the Lewis Cemetery. The road had just been repaired by the County and the embankments shored-up. The same person who got stuck north of Atlantic is believed to be responsible for the damage near Lewis. Marker said that person is either a “Slow learner, or he’s got money. I don’t know which.”

Last November, when the Board was discussing ways to crack down on similar incidents, Marker mentioned that the Code of Iowa allows Counties to take action against persons who intentionally destroy County property. The charges, according to the Sheriff’s Department may include Failure to Maintain Control and 4th degree Criminal Mischief.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A western Iowa mother who posted comments about her bullied son possibly shooting up a school has been given a year of probation. Omaha television station KETV says Teri Pallat made a plea deal that includes community service. In December Pallat was arrested after posting a message on her Facebook page that talked about why “people shoot up schools.”

Pallat told the station that she regretted her comments but was only trying to draw attention to the bullying of her son, Collin, at Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs. The school principal denied there was a problem.

Collin now attends another school, but he says he still gets bullied by Lewis Central students on social media.

A district court judge in Council Bluffs says the trial for a physician accused of sexual abuse will stay in Pottawattamie County. The Omaha World-Herald reports Judge Richard Davidson  denied a motion by prosecutors to move the trial of Dr. Dennis Jones outside Council Bluffs. Earlier this month the Iowa Attorney General’s Office requested a change of venue in the case of Jones, a pediatrician accused of sexual abuse of a 5-year-old girl.

The A-G’s office said in court documents, that it would be hard to find a fair or impartial jury due to extensive media coverage and Jones’ 35 years as a doctor in the Pottawattamie County.  Judge Davidson rejected that argument in a court document filed last week.

Jones’ trial is scheduled to begin on Tuesday (May 65th). If convicted on the charge of second-degree sexual abuse, a Class B felony, he faces up to 50 years in prison.