An investigation into an alleged incident of sexual abuse in Shelby County has resulted in the arrest of a former area physician. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office says 81 year old Wing Tai Fung, of Scarborough, Canada, who was wanted on a warrant issued on Nov. 5th, 2013, was arrested Monday, April 28th, at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Fund is charged with Felony Sexual Abuse in the 2nd degree in connection with a sex act that allegedly involved a child under the age of 12. The incident is alleged to have occurred when Fung was a medical practitioner in Shelby County. 

Officials say with assistance from the U.S. Customs Service Enforcement and the Chicago Police Department, Fung was arrested when he flew from Canada to Chicago. He appeared in court in Chicago on Tuesday and waived extradition to Iowa. Fung was subsequently transported to  Shelby County and booked into the jail. He was later released on $100,000 bond. Fung is scheduled to appear in Shelby County District Court on May 15th.

If convicted on the Class B Sexual Abuse charge, Fung faces a mandatory minimum of 17.5-years in prison, and a maximum prison term of 25 years. In either case, the term cannot be suspended.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday, appointed Deb Schuler as Director of Mental Health and General Assistance. Schuler had been serving as the interim director following the Board’s sudden termination in February of former Director Teresa Kanning. Schuler’s appointment will mean an increase in pay to the Director’s rate previously paid.

In her monthly report to the Board, Schuler said her office made 32 contacts with individuals last month, and handled 123 phone calls for General Assistance. There were also 81 calls made with regard to Mental Health care and numerous meetings attended. In other business, the Supervisors authorized Chair Frank Waters to sign a Planning Grant Agreement with the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, with regard to the renewal of the Hazard Mitigation Plan. The purpose of the program is to reduce loss of life and property resulting from natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the recovery from a disaster.

Cass County’s current plan continues through mid-2015. The Board working with SWIPCO, wanted to make sure there wouldn’t be a gap in coverage for the next five-years, taking into account the time it takes to write the grant application and file other necessary documents. The news application covers 2015 through 2020. The grant request is was for $53,000. The County’s share of the funds, in the form of an in-kind match, amounts to $7,950.

The Board also received a quarterly report from Conservation Director Micah Lee, and they approved a concrete box culvert project bid from Gus Construction of Adair, amounting to just under $259,516. Gus’ bid was the only one Engineer Charles Marker was able to obtain, and comparable to the cost of other such projects in nearby counties. The Board also approved an amended appropriation to the Medical Examiner’s Department, to cover the cost of a higher than expected number of autopsies that were requested.

A Cass County teen faces drug charges in Audubon County. Sheriff’s Officials say 19-year old Taber Charles Andersen, of Marne, was charged Tuesday night with Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Andersen was taken into custody at around 9-p.m., following a traffic stop near Littlefield Drive and Eagle Avenue, in Audubon County. Andersen was being held in the Audubon County Jail on $1,000 bond.

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.