(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Emergency Management Director Brian Hamman, today (Tuesday), updated the Board of Supervisors on reimbursement for damages sustained to County infrastructure stemming from the May 21st tornado. He reported on damage to the Conservation Department/Hacklebarney Woods County Park near Villisca, and Communications equipment (More specifically, the tower that was destroyed near Villisca).

Beginning with the Conservation Department damage report, Hamman said Hacklebarney sustained roughly $304,000 worth of damages from the tornado.

Hamman wanted to point out and send a “Thank you” to all those who volunteered to clean-up the park after the tornado tore through the area. He specifically mentioned Team Rubicon.

Brian Hamman said the loss to the Communications infrastructure amounted to over $1.2-million dollars, the majority of which was related to the Communications Tower.

Montgomery County Emergency Management Director Brian Hamman address the BOS 9-10-24

The Board approved a bid from Motorola in the amount of $1,082, 980, for replacement of the communication tower. A Resolution establishing a County Compensation Board failed to pass after there was no second and discussion on parliamentary procedure. The Board set Tuesday, Oct. 1st, at 8:45-a.m., as the date and time for a public hearing on the Vacating of all of the unimproved Walnut Street as described in the Amended plat of the unincorporated Town of Hawthorne.

They also discussed establishing a policy with regard to Public Comments during Board meetings. There currently is no, written policy in-place for the placement of comments on the agenda. Those comments presently follow the reading of previous meeting minutes, and are limited to two-minutes for any item not already on the agenda. The Board agreed to put the matter on next week’s agenda for discussion and possible approval.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Police Department says there were 12 arrests that took place between August 28th and Sept. 7th (Some of which we have previously reported). Most recently…

There were two arrests last Saturday (Sept. 7th), in Atlantic: 20-year-old Sabastian Hernandez, of Atlantic, was arrested for Public Intoxication; and, 40-year-old Jesse Borden, of Atlantic, was arrested for Going Armed with Intent.

There were also two arrests on Sept. 5th, in Atlantic: 36-year-old Jesica Mayo, of Atlantic, was arrested on a warrant for Violation of Probation; and, 62-year-old Craig Lang, of Atlantic, was arrested for Public Intoxication.

Atlantic Police arrested three-people on Sept. 1st: 28-year-old G Love Kovac, of Atlantic, was arrested for Public Intoxication, Disorderly Conduct and Interference with Official Acts.; 27-year-old Weneity Seker, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI/1st offense; and, 33-year-old Samantha Werhli, of Atlantic, was arrested for False Report of an Indictable Offense, & Public Intox.

On Aug. 30th, APD Officers arrested 43-year-old Nicole Anaya, of Atlantic, for Driving while license denied or revoked. On the 29th, 53-year-old Thomas Strathman, of Atchison, KS, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, and 19-year-old Efrain Sandiego, of Atlantic, was arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order.

And, on August 28th, 57-year-old Rex McDermott, of Elk Horn, was arrested on a Montgomery County warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree. Each of the aforementioned individuals were taken into custody, transported to the Cass County Jail, and booked-in. As of Sept. 9th, only G Love Kovac remained in the Cass County Jail.

The Atlantic Police Department reports also, three people were cited for Shoplifting (Theft in the 5th Degree), between August 28th & Sept. 6th: 35-yearold Trevor Boyer, of Cumberland; 41-year-old Amy Carman, of Atlantic; and 23-year-old Tyler Julich, of Atlantic. In addition, 34-year-old Alyssa Nash, of Atlantic, was cited for Assault causing bodily injury.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Enrollment is open for Cass County 4-H, and the active, learn-by-doing approach is now more accessible to Iowa’s youth than ever. Cass County ISU Extension County Youth Coordinator, Katie Bateman says “4-H is a year-round program for youth in grades kindergarten through 12. Enrollment is free in Cass County thanks to support towards our Cass County 4-H Endowment Fund. Research has shown that young people in 4-H are nearly four times as likely to contribute to their communities and are twice as likely to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs during after school time.”

4-H is uniquely poised to help youth develop life skills such as public speaking, self-motivation, healthy lifestyle choices, emotional intelligence, conflict management, and negotiating. These skills may be a key indicator of future career success when paired with the hard skills often taught in academic settings.

Members will join a 4-H that that has monthly meetings to complete community service, recreation, along with a 4-H business meeting to talk about upcoming 4-H events offered in the county. Families are encouraged to attend meetings with their kids to enhance their learning and sense of belonging in the group. “When you join 4-H, you become part of the Cass County 4-H family. Youth make friends in their own club and across the county at different events!” shared Bateman “Having the whole family participating in club meetings makes it easier for youth members to get involved and gain all the learning benefits 4-H has to offer.”

Cass County Clover Kid Graduates – 2023

Youth may join 4-H at any time in the year, however a new program year begins in September. We recommend that you enroll early in the year to have the maximum experience possible. Workshops, camps, ad special events happen throughout the calendar year. To get enrolled in Cass County 4-H visit us at 805 W 10th Street in Atlantic, call 712-243-1132 or check out the website, https://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/join-4-h.

If you have questions, or your child is interested in joining 4-H, please contact the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, or visit the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

Cass County 4-H has more than 300 4-H youth and 100 volunteers involved in the program.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report 24-year-old Kayden Lee Witt, of Creston, was arrested Monday evening at the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center, for Lascivious Acts With Child-Life Special Sentence. Witt was being held in the Union County Jail without bond until seen by a Magistrate. Monday night, Creston Police arrested 39-year-old Jackie Lee Marler, of Creston, for Driving Barred. Marler was transported to the Union County Jail and later posted a $2,000 bond

At around 1:35-a.m. today (Tuesday), Creston Police arrested 22-year-old Jasmine Kimberly Louise Stow, of Creston, for Child Endangerment. Stow was transported to the Union County Jail and later posted a $2,000 bond.

(Anita, Iowa) – The CAM School District’s Board of Education, Monday night, tabled approval of a Daycare Agreement. Superintendent Paul Croghan..

The daycare is part of the former north elementary building. Following a Public Hearing, the CAM School Board approved an extension of Bus route times from 60-minutes to as much as 75-minutes, to bring the District into compliance with bus route times, when the shuttle bus is factored-in.

The routes times are 60-minutes without a waiver for an Elementary student, Croghan said, and 75-minutes for a high student, but that can be extended.

The Board approved an amended agreement with SitelogIQ (Sight Logic), with regard to District facilities and a $22.5-million bond referendum that will be on the Nov. 5th General Election ballot.

The Board reviewed the website information with regard to the bond issue and decided to update the site to reflect new information about the measure. The District, Monday, posted on it’s Facebook page, information about the attendance policy.

Superintendent Croghan said also, he wishes everyone a safe harvest, and to be aware of what’s going on on the roads, with regard to slow moving equipment, and, that school districts are safe this harvest season.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission recently released a report that says the Iowa horse racing industry needs to make some changes to keep the system viable. Iowa Thoroughbred Association president Jon Moss says he appreciates the study and wants to have more discussion on it. “Definitely needs to be more follow up, in depth follow up, whereby industry stakeholders can kind of really drill down a little bit more into some of the different areas that were brought forward and the questions that were asked to try and see if there’s a way to pull some of that information out a little bit better,” he says.

Moss says he hasn’t felt that the industry is declining. “I felt as though horse racing in Iowa is doing pretty darn good. Iowa breeds are actually winning, not only here in Iowa, but across the country, and they’re doing exceptionally well,” Moss says. The report says horse racing has not kept up as other forms of gambling have developed and its product is not of a high interest to the public. Moss says he sees good attendance at the races.

“Come out on a Friday or Saturday night and compare the amount of people we have on the track apron and how many people are sitting in any one of the retail outlets for sports wagering,” Moss says. “There’s no comparison this place. They’re getting thousands of people to come out, participate and enjoy racing.” Moss says he doesn’t have exact figures, but from what he has seen, people came out during the pandemic looking for entertainment and have kept coming. “It’s kind of continued to carry through. I think it almost like, it almost forced people to reengage with activities that they may not have thought about before. And they came back out to the races, and a number of people found out, Hey, this is, this is easy. It’s family friendly. You can get out there pretty easily,” Moss says.

Moss says he looks forward to more discussions on these issues. Tom Lepic is the president of the Iowa Quarterhorse Association, and says he is glad state regulators got an outside look at the industry. “I welcome anytime anybody tries to help our industry. And it’s a tough industry, and it’s always changing. It’s getting more and more expensive for everybody. It’s getting more and more competitive everywhere,” Lepic says. Lepic says there has already been work underway to improve after the Racing and Gaming Commission had conducted some internal studies. “One of the big items that they talked about was the starters per race, and that, again, was a concern of Iowa Racing and Gaming the last two years. So we’ve worked hard at that, Lepic says.

He says the increase in starters has made a difference in betting. “Our handle quarter horses alone, from 2022 to 2023 went up over 50 percent from over four million to over six million (dollars), and that came from our starters per race and running a few more races because we had more horses,” he says. Lepic says every industry evolves and horse racing is no different.

The Chair of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, Daryl Olsen, says they plan to have some discussions about the study with all those involved to see how they can move forward. Olsen says he is confident those involved in the industry are willing to look at all the options to make things better.

(Corning, Iowa) – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests over the past week. Deputies arrested 38-year-old Carl Daniel, of Bedford, Sunday, on charges that include: Possession of Methamphetamine/3rd Offense; Intent to Deliver Meth; Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia, and Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp. Daniel was being held without bond in the Adams County Jail, pending an appearance before a Magistrate.

On Saturday, Adams County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 40-year-old Ryan Nelson, of Neola, following an incident at the Casey’s General Store. Nelson was charged with Harassment in the 3rd Degree, and Driving While Suspended. Nelson was also arrested on an active warrant from Montgomery County, for Probation Violation. He was booked into the Adams County Jail and later posted bond.

And, on Sept. 2nd at around 4:30-p.m. Deputies in Adams County conducted a traffic stop at Highway 34 and Sycamore Avenue. Upon further investigation, including the deployment of K9 “Midge,” a probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted, which resulted in the recovery of 59-grams of methamphetamine. The driver of the vehicle, 44-year-old Michael Webster, of Red Oak, was arrested for Driving While Suspended, Poss. of drug paraphernalia, Poss. of Meth/3rd offense (A Class-D Felony), Intent to deliver at least 5 grams but not more than 50-kilograms of meth (A Class-B Felony), and Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp (Class-D Felony).

“Any potential criminal charges identified above are merely allegations and any defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Two people were seriously injured in a single-vehicle accident Monday night, in Red Oak. The Red Oak Police Department reports the Montgomery County Communication Center received a call about the crash at around 8-p.m., Monday. Upon arrival, Red Oak Police located a vehicle that had struck a bridge support in the 300 block of S. Broadway Street. Two people were trapped in the vehicle. They were extricated by Red Oak Fire and Rescue before being flown to Omaha, due to the extent of their injuries.

Authorities say the driver of the vehicle was identified as 64-year-old Rocky Lee Lukehart, of Red Oak. His passenger was identified as 64-year-old Tammy Rae Lukehart. Red Oak Police were assisted at the scene by Red Oak Fire & Rescue, Montgomery County 911, and the Sheriff’s Office.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — Iowa has experienced a significant rise in school threats, leading to 11 arrests since the school year began, according to the Governor’s School Safety Bureau. Matte Anderson, head of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau, says the recent incidents span across Iowa and, due to social media, even affect other states. The responses to these threats strain limited resources and divert officers from other duties.

The 11 arrests include both students and a few adults, with charges that are often serious and sometimes felonies. In one case, a 12-year-old in Atlantic faces a terrorism charge. Since Sept. 4, there have been 10 reports from the Safe and Sound Iowa app, and law enforcement has responded to 11 threats. The app allows for anonymous reports of threats, bullying and other concerns. This year, 24 reports have come in through the app, with an additional 25 from other law enforcement agencies.

The Safe and Sound Iowa app is free, and schools that didn’t apply last year can seek access to radios. Anderson emphasized that training and resources are available. One significant step Anderson recommends is for parents to talk to their children about their phones and social media.

To report any concerning behavior, individuals can contact law enforcement or download the Safe and Sound Iowa app, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.