Officials with Shelby County say the county will be receiving a brand new tourist attraction this summer. During a regular Shelby County Board of Supervisors meeting this (Tuesday) morning, Jack Kenkel with the Shelby County American Legion reported the county has been accepted to receive a “Freedom Rock”.

One rendition of the “Freedom Rock” north of Greenfield. Artist Ray “Bubba” Sorensen repaints the rock each year with a different, patriotic theme.

Artist Ray “Bubba” Sorensen created the original rock just south of Interstate 80 off of Highway 25, in Adair County. It’s repainted annually, as a thank you to all who have served the armed forces. Kenkel said the Sorensen family will travel and create a “Freedom Rock” in all 99 Iowa Counties over the next few summers and doing 10 rocks a year. Shelby County is the farthest western Iowa County to be selected in the process so far.

Kenkel says the location of the rock will be in Earling, in what is now called Veterans Park, on the south side of the Highway 37. He says the site will need some preparation work before the rock can be put in place. Meanwhile, the Shelby County American Legion is looking for ideas on what to be painted on the rock.  Kenkel says they will incorporate the pioneering of Shelby County into the theme.

The County and American Legion have a little more than two months to plan and get the rock set, as “Bubba” is scheduled to be in Shelby County to paint the rock in the last two weeks of June. Kenkel said the maintenance of the rock will be minimal with the city of Earling mowing the area and the rock will need resealed every 5 years. The estimated cost for the project is around $25-30,000. Kenkel says the rock will be a key component of tourism for the county.

The Shelby County American Legion will be giving a presentation at the Shelby County Hotel/Motel Tax Committee on Wednesday to discuss funding. However, if you would like more information on the Freedom Rock project or to donate to the project, contact the Shelby County American Legion or Jack Kenkel.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

A Stanton teen involved in a head-on collision this (Tuesday) morning in Stanton was injured after the crash, when the vehicle she was driving knocked her down, and rolled down a hill. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department says 16-year old Joey Nicole Volquartsen was driving a 2001 Dodge Durango eastbound on Elliott Street at around 7:55-a.m., when she was blinded by the sun. When the SUV crossed over into the opposite lane of travel, 72-year old Sharmyn Brockshus, of Stanton, saw her coming and came to a stop. The woman honked the horn of her 2011 Chevy Malibu to warn Volquartsen, but the SUV struck the car head-on, causing the car’s airbags to deploy.

Following the collision, the teen put the SUV into park and got out of the vehicle, which then began to roll downhill. Volquartsen tried to stop the vehicle, but it knocked her down and continued down the hill to the intersection of Broad Avenue, where it finally came to a halt when it hit a tree, with the gearshift still in “Park.”

Volquartsen was transported by private vehicle to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital. Brockshus was not injured during the collision. Officials say there were no citations issued. Damage to the Durango, registered to Joseph Volquartsen, was estimated at $2,500, while the Malibu sustained $3,500 damage.

A U-S Senator from Iowa says “there’s every reason to be afraid” as North Korea’s leader vows to restart that nation’s nuclear reactor, hinting it would provide materials for atomic weapons. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley says he’s “very concerned” as the U-S moves more troops, ships and warplanes into that region. “We’ve had so-called saber rattling from North Korea for probably 15 years but we have a 31-year-old leader of the country who I don’t know much about,” Grassley says “I don’t know if we know enough about him to draw any conclusions.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said in a speech Sunday that nuclear weapons would be “a reliable war deterrent and a guarantee to protect our sovereignty.” Grassley fears Kim’s inexperience and recklessness could lead to trouble. “He could be young enough that he’s willing to take any chances, doesn’t understand the potential dangers that are ahead, both for him as well as other people involved,” Grassley says. “He may be just trying to saber rattle to consolidate his own political agenda.”

Kim has repeatedly threatened to invade South Korea and to attack American bases in the Pacific. Last month, a North Korean official reportedly said he’d back launching a preemptive nuclear strike on Washington D-C, saying, “the stronghold of evils will be engulfed in a sea of fire.” Grassley says he’s seen the reports from U-S experts who say North Korea doesn’t have the technological capability to pose a legitimate threat, but he says there’s still reason for concern. “The military is very strong in that country and I presume they’re strong enough that if they don’t like him, they could throw him out,” Grassley says. “We just don’t know the situation and so there’s every reason to be afraid.”

North Korea’s nuclear plant has been idle since 2007.

(Radio Iowa)

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were arrested late last week on separate warrants. Officials say 43-year old Jodie Marie Sherman, of Shambaugh, was arrested March 27th by Council Bluffs Police on a Page County warrant for Failure to Appear. Sherman was held in the Pottawattamie County Jail until being transferred to the Page County Jail, where she was being held on $2,000 bond until making an appearance before a District Court Judge. Sherman originally faced an Aggravated Serious Misdemeanor charge of Domestic Abuse Assault with intent or display of a weapon.

Last Thursday, 39-year old Raymond Dean Wiley, of Essex, was arrested at his home, on a Page County warrant stemming from a local traffic stop, where he was arrested for Driving While Suspended or revoked. Wiley was brought to the Page County Jail and later posted a $1,000 bond.

In a follow-up to a story we first told you about Saturday morning, officials in Shelby County say a Harlan man was charged with OWI following an accident in which a car struck a house in Harlan on Saturday. The Harlan Police Department says 18 year old Christopher J. Hopkins Jr. of Harlan was driving a Ford Taurus on 19th Street around 4am Saturday when the vehicle went out of control, went through a yard, struck a tree and hit the north side of the residence at 1104 19th Street.

Authorities say Hopkins told officers the brakes went out on the vehicle, causing him to lose control. An investigation showed he had a blood alcohol level of .16%. Hopkins was taken to the Shelby County Jail. Upon further investigation, Hopkins was also cited for possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to maintain control. 22 year old Dane Dodge of Harlan was charged in the accident with providing alcohol to a minor.