Authorities in Dallas County have identified a man who died after falling from a boom truck Tuesday morning, while installing a power line. According to the Sheriff’s Office, 39-year-old David Denger, of Panora, died at the scene of the accident located about two-miles north of Dexter. Denger was working on installing power lines at around 10-a.m., when he fell about 50-feet to the ground, from the bucket of a boom truck.

The incident remains under investigation.

Police in Atlantic have arrested a man wanted on a warrant out of southeast Iowa. 21-year old Austin Lemke, of Atlantic, was arrested Tuesday on a Mahaska County warrant for Absence from Custody. Lemke was brought to the Cass County Jail and held pending transport to Mahaska County by their deputies.

The Harlan City Council heard from several citizens about the current Harlan Country Club Estate (HCCE) sidewalk agreement. In a regular meeting Tuesday, the council intended to make a motion to approve the sidewalk agreement has to be completed by December 31st, 2014. The Estate is located on the South side of the Harlan Golf Course in particular the discussion was from citizens residing on Hawkeye Avenue between Country Club Parkway and Shelby Street. One resident, Tamera Ploen  told the council the sidewalks are an issue in the whole city.

“So it’s not just Hawkeye Avenue or the houses surrounding me that have sidewalk problems in the city. We have a lot of sidewalks that need to be redone.” She said her main concern was safety for the children.“The parking is on my side of the street right now. If you put the sidewalk on my side of the street, I am afraid children going in and out of parked cars. We already have cars going by super fast. And when you have a parked vehicle, the other thing is you have people coming around that vehicle and you don’t have access for two vehicles coming down that street.”

Councilman Dave Miller offered a rebuttal. He said “We have been discussing sidewalks in the city of Harlan since the early ‘90’s or late ‘80’s when the first ordinance was enacted. We have discussed all the streets of Harlan that don’t have sidewalks and the areas/homes that don’t have sidewalks will be getting letters also. A timeline we can’t put to it but it is an on going project.”

A motion was made to extend the timeline for completion on the sidewalk agreement for the Harlan Country Club Estate to November 1st, 2015. The motion was passed on a 5 to 1 vote. Councilman Mike Kolbe (Colby) said he would like to bring the topic back up to discussion at the next city council meeting. “I personally would like to see us come back on the June 3rd council meeting and take action on the entire city once we get this done tonight. Give everybody in town the same deadline of November 1st, 2015.”

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

The creators of “Roar into Harlan” are gearing up for a strong summer with several events planned on the square in downtown Harlan. Mike and Pat Wohlhutter from Metal Ink in Harlan spoke at the city council meeting Tuesday, to give an update on the Roar into Harlan events for the rest of the summer. The bike night on the square takes place on the 3rd Thursday of the month from May through September. The first Roar into Harlan was held on May 15th featuring the Westside Bar. Mike Wohlhutter said the next event is June 19th with The Rocking Chair as the featured business.

“There will also be a dunk tank. Some of the people sitting behind there (the council table) are participating in it. The Mayor will be, City Administrator Terry Cox, Police Chief Frank Clark, Superintendent Justin Wagner, Don from the Lounge and Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen. We have a lot of willing volunteers. Well I think mostly because any and all the money taking in from the dunk tank stays in town and goes to the American Legion to support them.”

The couple plans to make July 17th a kid’s night on the square, ladies night will be in August and an open mic night will happen sometime during the Roars. Pat and Mike said the volunteers have been very generous.  “We’ve had a great group of volunteers too, in particular Luke Clark. We couldn’t do it without Luke. He loves doing it and we have a great time with him. The girls at Iowa Wines they have been incredibly helpful and the guys on the street department and Ron Buck. As I said all the people that has anything to do with the city and there that lies within have been very supportive and helpful. Thank you.”

The Wohlhutters also received a considerable amount of funding from the Shelby County Hotel/Motel Tax Committee to help promote the upcoming events for the year. You can find more information on the Roar into Harlan nights on Facebook by searching Roar into Harlan Bike Night.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

No injuries were reported following a rollover accident Tuesday afternoon, in Mills County. Sheriff’s officials say Joseph Baughman of Bellevue, NE, was driving a 1996 Ford westbound on Highway 370 at around 3:45-p.m., when a white car…possibly a Ford Taurus…attempted to pass him at high rate of speed.

At the same time there was a vehicle traveling eastbound on Hwy 370. Baughman told authorities he had to take evasive actions to keep from all vehicles striking each other. He said the white car would not have had time to get over into the westbound lane without causing an accident.

When Baughman’s car hit the northbound shoulder, he over-corrected and lost control. The vehicle entered the south ditch where it rolled at least once before coming to rest on its top. Baughman refused Rescue, and said he was not hurt.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors held a short meeting in Atlantic, today (Wednesday). The Board approved a Tax Suspension for a resident in Anita who is eligible for it since they are a recipient of certain types of supplemental support other than Medicaid. A person’s eligibility status must be ascertained each year from Human Services before the month of June.

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman and Treasurer Tracey J. Marshall explained a Tax Suspension is different from a Tax Abatement. Sunderman said it means the taxes will be exempt from penalty, interest and tax sale, if monthly payments are made on-time and if taxes aren’t delinquent or owed when the house is sold, otherwise they will be due at that time.

The property in question is within the City Limits of Anita, in Section 28. In other business, the Board heard a report from Cass County Engineer Charles Marker, to request Board Chair Frank Waters’ signature on the final pay vouchers for Murphy Construction, with regard to the completed Nishnabotna River bridge project, and, Henningsen Construction, for work on the Lewis Road.

Marker said on Tuesday, they opened the bids up for Bridge Deck Patching. He says three bids were received. The low bid for the maintenance project was from Denco Highway Construction Corporation in Mingo, $234,092.50, which was under the engineer’s estimate. The company was awarded the project based on their experience and bid.

Marker says also part of the County is out of “Contract Rock” for maintenance of some gravel roads. The Stennett Quarry, which services the southwest corner of the County including the Griswold area, and the Jefferson Quarry, just north Greenfield along Highway 25, no longer have crushed rock available, but Marker says the Secondary Roads Department can make do with what it has on-hand.

He says there’s only 20-miles of road left to rock, six-miles of which is near the Anita area, 10-miles is near Massena. Some of the needed rock can come from the Corning site, according to Marker. And, Marker said they are starting their Project Pipe installation projects, which includes large cross-road pipes and culverts, and tearing up some roads as needed for the installation of those pipes and culverts.

Three people, an adult, a teenager and a child, were injured during a rollover accident Tuesday evening in Audubon County. The Sheriff’s Department says 18-year old Brandi Lynn Mulford, of Elk Horn, was traveling south on Goldfinch Avenue at around 6-p.m., when the 2001 Toyota Camry she was driving went out of control as it topped a hill on the gravel road, near 230th Street.

The car entered the east ditch and rolled onto its top. Mulford and her passengers, 6-year old Jordan Mulford, of Elk Horn, and 14-year old Carissa Schwab, of Audubon, were transported by private vehicle to the Audubon County Memorial Hospital.

Damage to the car was estimated at $8,000. Officials said the vehicle appeared to have been going too fast for the road conditions, but the accident remained under investigation.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency says Linden Road, between 1300th Street and Street F-32, will be closed for resurfacing work, and open to local traffic only, along with emergency vehicles. Residents and emergency responders should be aware heavy equipment will be present in work zone, and caution should be exercised when traveling through or near the work zone. Emergency vehicles MAY NOT violate a closed work zone.

The project is expected to last for about 3 weeks.