A former Omaha resident was sentenced Wednesday in Council Bluffs to spend slightly more than four-years in prison for escaping from a federal facility. 25-year old Princeton C. Baker was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge James Gritzner to 51 months in prison, plus three years of supervised release when he completes his sentence. Judge Gritzner ordered that the 51 months be served consecutively to the prison time Baker is currently serving for attempted robbery in the State of Iowa.

On July 3rd, 2012, Baker entered a guilty plea to escape from a federal facility. The basis for the charge and plea was that on November 6th, 2012, Baker was transferred to a halfway house in Council Bluffs, to complete a 27 month sentence imposed by the Federal District Court for the District of Nebraska.

On November 7th, 2012, Baker complained of feeling ill and staff from the CH, Inc. halfway house transported Baker to a medical facility. While being transported from the medical facility to a secure facility, Baker jumped from the moving transport vehicle and attempted to take several cars before being apprehended by Council Bluffs Police.

The investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department and the United States Marshal’s Service, and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Thursday), approved a 28-E agreement for Cooperative Law Enforcement services with the Cities of Anita and Griswold. The agreement means a Deputy from Cass County will provide coverage to each respective community, at a cost for both cities $60,000 each. The hours each deputy will work remains the same in both communities. The Board also approved an increase in the number of deputy sheriff positions from seven to eight, in order to cover the County’s commitment in providing law enforcement protection. The Fiscal Year 2014 budget will be amended later to fund the position through June 30^th, 2014. Receipts from the cities will be used to fund the deputies’ salaries and vehicle costs.

In other business, the Board received an update from County Engineer Charles Marker, with regard to various, on-going Secondary Road and Bridge projects. Marker also addressed complaints and comments he’s received from residents in the County, with regard to why more rock isn’t being applied to the gravel roads which are in need of work following the drastic changes in the weather. He said some of the calls he’s received are from people wondering why their property tax dollars aren’t getting things done sooner.

His answer is that there are 650-miles of rock road in Cass County. Property taxes provide the department with slightly more than $1.55-million dollars. The County pays $10.60 per ton for rock at the quarry. The minimum amount applied to a given road is 300 tons per mile. Marker said he would need $2-million property tax dollars to rock all the roads in the County each year. That figure does not include snow removal, salaries for the employees, hauling and blading.

He said the County can only afford to put rock on the gravel roads once every seven-years, he acknowledged, that more needs to be done more often, but there’s not enough money. Marker said that’s why people are seeing a gradual deterioration of rock roads. It’s because they can’t put on enough rock on the roads given the funds available. He said he’s lucky to be able to rock the roads every three-years, with a minimum coating of rock.

He said his district road crew foremen are keeping an eye on the roads in their area, and are working to repair and maintain the worst roads as they become problems, as best as possible.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Thursday) voted to approve a $5,000 contribution to the City of Lewis towards its efforts to have a Freedom Rock painted. The Board voted four-to-one in favor of the contribution, with Board Chair Mark Wedemeyer voting against it. Wedemeyer proposed having the County contribute $2,500, and he wanted to see more effort made by the City of Lewis to raise funds for the project before additional funding is granted. The County’s contribution will come from the Local Option Sales Tax proceeds.

Individuals representing the City of Lewis’ Economic Development group asked for the contribution, after explaining the costs involved and what’s been accomplished so far. Ray “Bubba” Sorensen and his family from Greenfield, are traveling the State of Iowa to put paintings uniquely individual to each location, on rocks acquired by various cities. Sorensen is of course, famous for his Freedom Rock painting in northern Adair County, as well as for the many murals he has painted on buildings throughout the State.

Matt Klein said they have received a 15,000-pound boulder, which was donated for the project, and put in-place on the northeast corner of the East Park, in Lewis. Klein said the project, which will represent the entire County, will cost an estimated $8,000 altogether. He said the Board of Tourism is excited by the project, which is expected to bring visitors not only to Lewis, but other communities in Cass County as well.

Klein said the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce has already had inquires about where the rock is located, even though it hasn’t been painted yet. The City of Lewis has made a down payment to Sorensen in the amount of $1,000. A concrete pad for the rock will be poured to support the 8-foot tall, 4 ½-foot wide boulder. Klein said while the City is on a waiting list to have the rock painted, having the County’s support behind the project could bump the project up on the list, in front of other Counties who want the work done, but have yet to find a boulder.

Klein said a final design for the painting has not yet been selected by Sorensen, but he has the final say in what will best represent the County. He said Sorensen will hold a town hall meeting to gather input from the communities before he comes up with the design.

No timetable has been established for when the rock will be painted, as fund raising efforts are in the planning stages, and there are several communities on the list who are ready to have their rocks painted. Shelby, Adair, Adams and Ringgold Counties already have their rocks painted. Sorensen will be touring the State over the next few Summers, working on the commissioned projects. For more information about the locations and counties that have applied for a Freedom Rock painting, go to http://www.thefreedomrock.com/tour/.

The Atlantic Police Department says no injuries were reported following an accident Wednesday afternoon at 7th and Plum Streets. Officials say vehicles driven by Amanda Gustafson, of Elk Horn, and David Dressler, of Anita, collided at around 4:35-p.m., as both vehicles were headed west on 7th Street and approaching Plum. The accident occurred when Dressler slowed for traffic in front him after going through the stop light, and Gustafson hit him from behind. Dressler was cited for Failure to Obey a Traffic Signal. Damage from the accident amounted to $2,000.