Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren has released additional information about a fatal accident that occurred early this (Thursday) morning. South of Wiota. McLaren says 23-year old Nicholas Herman Baier, of Atlantic, was pronounced deceased at the scene of the crash. An investigation revealed the vehicle Baier was driving had been traveling west on Lansing Road, when it drove onto the shoulder/ditch area east of 680th Street. The vehicle came back onto the roadway at 680th Street, slid across into the south ditch off of Lansing Road, and rolled three times before coming to rest on its top. Baier suffered fatal injuries when was ejected from the vehicle. The accident was reported at 6:50-a.m.

Officials with the Iowa Council of Foundations today (Thursday) announced Dennis Nissen, Director of the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa, based in Omaha, is joining the ICOF’s Board of Directors for the 2012-2013 calendar year. Nissen was one of two new members named to the Board. He joins Jerry Mathiasen, Senior Vice President of the Iowa West Foundation in Council Bluffs, on the eight-member Board.

The ICOF was founded in 1998. It promotes philanthropy and effective grantmaking in Iowa, and serves as the state’s leading philanthropic entity. To learn more, go to www.iowacounciloffoundations.org.

Officials with the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency say the recent rains which fell over the County were very much appreciated, but they didn’t result in a reduced fire risk. As a result the Fire Danger Index will remain in HIGH Category.  Most of the rain fell in the central and northeast parts of the County, and rain is in the forecast for Saturday or more likely on Sunday, which will certainly help.  Regardless, and while Shelby County is not in an official burn ban, EMA officials remind citizens and businesses who need to burn, to call the Emergency Management office at 755-2124.

Officials say there were some unannounced burns held over the last few weeks, to which Fire personnel responded. Those volunteers all have regular jobs, and reducing these types of calls is essential to good employee-employer relations. Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert says “Those employers who support their personnel, by allowing them take time to fight fires are going the “extra mile” and should be commended.” Seivert say also, volunteer firefighters shouldn’t have to take time from work attending to unnecessary and unannounced controlled burns.

The Atlantic Police Department says only minor injuries were reported following a car versus bicycle accident Wednesday evening, at 7th and Walnut Streets. Official say a vehicle driven by Aaron Page, of Urbandale, was traveling west on 7th Street at around 7:25-p.m., when his vehicle was hit on the side by a bicycle, as Page was in the middle of the intersection. The rider of the bike, Arthur Davis, of Atlantic, refused medical treatment. Davis was cited for Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device. Damage from the collision amounted to $600.

The Atlantic P-D reports also, 32-year old John Knight, of Atlantic, was arrested Wednesday on Cass County warrants for Driving While Barred, Driving While Suspended, and Failure to have S-R 22 Insurance on File. Knight was brought to the Cass County Jail and held pending an appearance before the magistrate.

U-S Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today (Thursday), announced that rural electric utilities in 18 states will receive loan guarantees to make improvements to electric lines, transmission facilities and to reduce peak electric loads by deploying smart grid technologies. Vilsack said “Maintaining and upgrading rural electric systems improves system reliability, creates jobs and supports economic development. With these loans, we are continuing to help cooperatives provide reliable service to rural residents. A significant portion of this funding will go to smart grid technologies, helping consumers lower their electric bills and reducing peak demand for producers.”

Today’s announcement includes support for nearly $29 million in smart grid projects. In all, USDA is investing more than $420 million in rural electric infrastructure. Included among the utilities slated to receive USDA funding, is the Sioux City-based Southwestern Electric Cooperative, Inc, which will receive just over $39-million.  The funds will be used to serve over 1,400 consumers, build and improve 618 miles of distribution line, and make other system improvements. The loan amount includes $3,585,806 in smart grid projects.

The funding is contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the loan agreement. The money is being provided by USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS). The loans help electric utilities upgrade, expand, maintain and replace rural America’s electric infrastructure.

Information released by the Center for Rural Strategies says Cass County has experienced a “brain gain” in the last 40 years, joining the rest of the country in what has been a massive increase in the number of adults who have earned college degrees. In 1970, 8.4 percent of those over 25 years of age had college degrees in Cass County. By 2010, 14.5 percent of adults here had completed college. The percentage of adults with college degrees in Cass County was less than the national average of 27.9 percent in 2010. The college-educated rate was less than the Iowa average of 24.5 percent.

The number of adults in the United States with college degrees has nearly tripled since 1970, when only 10.7 percent of adults had graduated from college. But the percentage of adults with degrees in rural counties, such as Cass County, while increasing, has generally fallen behind the proportion of college-educated residents in urban counties.

In 1970, 7.8 percent of adults in rural counties had some education after high school, but less than a college degree. By 2010, 27.4 percent of rural adults had attained some post high school education without earning a college diploma. That level of education was close to the national average of 28.1 percent. In Cass County, 10.6 percent of adults had some college in 1970, rising to 31.8 percent in 2010. The Iowa average in 2010 was 31.0 percent. Cass County had 10,357 adults (those over 25 years of age) in 1970 and 9,805 adults in 2010.

Only 8.9 percent of the adult population in Cass County had failed to graduate from high school in 2010. Nationally 15 percent of adults had not completed high school; in Iowa, the rate was 10.1 percent. The report was compiled by Bill Bishop, editor of the news site DailyYonder.com, and Robert Gallardo, an associate professor at Mississippi State’s Southern Rural Development Center.

The source data, charts, and a map may be downloaded at http://www.dailyyonder.com/education-and-rural-america-data-page/2012/07/06/4165.