The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Board has set the date of their next meeting as the time for a public hearing and input on making Sunnyside Park a smoke-free area. Their decision came on the heels of a request by Karla Akers and a group of young people who are associated with the Kiwanis’-sponsored, Middle School Builders Club. Akers said originally, the tobacco-free zone request focused on the skate park area at Sunnyside Park. She said the hope is to eventually make all parks in Cass County being tobacco free, to make them “A family friendly, safe, positive environment for healthy activity.”

To that end, Akers presented the Parks and Rec Board with a signed petition requesting Sunnyside Park be designated as Tobacco Free. She also presented the Board with a proclamation, which if approved, specifies how violators would be dealt with. It says the person will be instructed to stop using tobacco products on Park property, or leave the property. If they fail to do so, a trespassing complaint may be filed with law enforcement. The Kiwanis Club also signed a letter of support for the proposal, and verbally expressed their willingness to enforce the movement. The Kiwanis Club said they would be willing to help enforce the policy in a friendly, non-confrontational way.

Before a Tobacco-Free designation for Sunnyside Park is made however, the proposal must be approved by the Parks and Rec Board and full City Council. As part of the process, the Board will take public input during their meeting on July 15th in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of two women on unrelated charges. On Saturday, 35-year old Maria T. Gudenrath-Hurst of Omaha, was arrested on a Pottawattamie County warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She was taken into custody at around 12:40-a.m., during a traffic stop on Interstate 29. Her bond was set at $1,300. And, 22-year old Heather Jean Vorthmann, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at around 12:30-a.m. Friday on I-29, for Driving While Revoked. Her bond was set at $1,000.

The Atlantic Police Department reports a local woman was arrested Sunday. 23-year old Wendy Daughenbaugh, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Simple Assault charge. She was booked into the Cass County Jail and held, pending an appearance before a magistrate.

Fire fighters in Harlan were called to an unusual water rescue on the NishnabotnaRiver Sunday morning south of Corley in ShelbyCounty. Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen says the call came in around 10-am Sunday about two kayakers, who had gotten into the Nishnabotna River at Nishna bend, and were heading toward Hancock.  Bissen says they got about a mile half from Nishna bend before their kayak’s tipped over and the man and woman in their 50’s became stranded in debris in the water. Bissen said the female was on one log about 10 feet from shore, while the male subject was in a tree hanging onto branches and was about 30 feet from shore.

Bissen said the couple never attempted to make it to shore. He says if they had tried, they wouldn’t have been able to, because the bank was about 12- to 15-feet straight down into the river. The pair were able to dial 9-1-1 while they were in the river, though. Fire fighters received information from dispatch following the 9-1-1 call, but they also had assistance from aircraft that were in the area for the Harlan Flight Breakfast. 

The planes circled above the pair and radioed back to the airport their location. Firefighters found the couple and repelled down the bank, before putting them into rescue vests and pulling them up a steep bank. Bissen said the couple was from Omaha, and were out on a leisure activity for the weekend. The Chief said the river is at a dangerous stage right now from all the rain and people should be aware before hitting the water.

“When we get a lot of rain and the river goes up, they become very dangerous. You have a lot of water with turbulence from debris. So you get the turbulence before and after and that causes problems if you are in a boat, kayak and really dangerous if you have to try and swim out of the situation.” Following the rescue, the unnamed kayakers were checked out by medical staff before being transported over to Nishna Bend to shower and clean up. The Harlan Fire Department was assisted by Harlan Police Department, Medivac Ambulance, the HarlanAirport and Shelby County Sheriff’s Department.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports one person was arrested early Sunday morning, following an investigation into a 9-1-1 hang up call in Shambaugh. Officials say a deputy responded to 107 Main Street shortly after 3:45-a.m.  During an investigation, it was determined a violation of a Domestic Abuse protection order, and a domestic assault had allegedly occcured. With assistance from the Clarinda Police Department, 44-year old Jodie Marie Sherman, of Council Bluffs, and formerly of Shambaugh, was taken into custody. Authorities say Sherman had previously lived in the home at 107 Main Street.

Sherman was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault (an aggravated misdemeanor), Violation of a Protection Order and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (both are Simple Misdemeanors). Additional charges are possible, pending completion of the investigation. Sherman was being held in the Page County Jail without bond.