Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say a Griswold woman was arrested Wednesday afternoon on theft charges, in connection with money allegedly stolen from the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital Foundation and MCMH Employee Sounding Board. 48-year-old Mitzi Wallace, of Griswold, is alleged to have taken about $10,000 from both entities over an extended period of time, but the actual amount could be more. Wallace was arrested on two counts of 2nd degree theft.  An investigation into the crime remains ongoing.

(5-p.m. News, Thursday)

The Iowa Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration and Illinois Department of Transportation, will be hosting both in-person, and online, self-directed open house meetings May 1st through May 12th, 2012, for the Chicago to Omaha Regional Passenger Rail System Planning Study. 

The open house meetings are intended to illustrate various route alternatives, explain the process used to evaluate the route alternatives, discuss results of the alternatives analysis, and gain public input on the route alternatives. The online, self-directed open house meeting and route alternatives analysis report will be available May 1st through May 12th on the study’s website at www.iowadot.gov/chicagotoomaha/.

 In-person open house meetings will be held:

In Des Moines, on Wed., May 2nd, from 4-7pm,  at the State Historical Society of Iowa Building Atrium, 600 E. Locust St.

And, in Council Bluffs, on Thu., May 3rd, frm 4-7 p.m., at the Mid-America Center, Rooms E/F, One Arena Way

Tamara Nicholson, director of the Iowa DOT’s Office of Rail Transportation says “Findings from the route alternatives analysis will be presented at in-person and online public meetings. Each meeting will contain the same information.”  The route alternatives analysis report will be available on the study’s website. Comments on the document can be provided on the website or at any of the in-person open house meetings. All comments on route alternatives and the alternatives analysis report, submitted online, by mail, phone message or in person will be accepted until May 21, 2012. For those without Internet access, all meeting materials, including a comment form, may be requested by calling the study’s toll-free line at 800-488-7119. Comments are also being accepted by calling this number.

Damage in southwest Iowa from last weekend’s twin tornadoes is climbing into the many millions of dollars, but the price tag apparently isn’t high enough for two hard-hit communities to qualify for federal aid. Iowa U-S Senator Tom Harkin says it’s an unfortunate fact and the rules are in place for a reason. “We’ve spoken with Homeland Security about this,” Senator Harkin says. “They’ve noted that it’s quite unlikely that Thurman would be eligible for a presidential disaster declaration, given the level of loss and the expected insured rate. The same would be true also, I’ve heard, of Creston.”

In the small town of Thurman, virtually every home had at least some twister damage, while 14 houses were destroyed and 28 more were heavily damaged. In Creston, the hospital and community college were among the larger structures that were hit by the tornado, in addition to a number of homes and other businesses. Governor Terry Branstad has declared Union and Fremont counties as state disaster areas, but Harkin says that’s probably as far as it’ll go.

Harkin says, “What you look at are the uninsured losses and they’re well below the limits that would be required for a presidential declaration at the national level.” It’s not that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is broke, Harkin says. FEMA has the money, he adds, it’s just that Creston and Thurman won’t qualify for it.

“Obviously, budgets are tight,” Harkin says. “We’ll do whatever we can to assist and help but there are pretty set requirements for what is a national disaster and what is a local or state-type of disaster.” Both tornadoes that hit Saturday were classified as E-F-2s, with winds topping out around 125 to 135 miles an hour.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

No injuries were reported following an accident in Atlantic, Wednesday evening. According to Atlantic Police, a vehicle driven by Patty Hogue, of Atlantic, was traveling north on Olive Street at around 6:35-p.m., when a vehicle driven by Eric Renner, of Atlantic, backed out of a driveway and collided with the Hogue vehicle. The accident happened in the 25-hundred block of Olive. Damage from the mishap amounted to $2,000. There were no citations issued.

Arrests made earlier this year in Atlantic haven’t stemmed the tide of spray-paint vandalism being perpetrated on City property and private businesses. City Councilman Dana Halder reported at Wednesday night’s Council meeting, AMU officials are concerned about recent incidents of graffiti having occurred at the water plant. Halder told Mayor Dave Jones it’s not the only location being hit by spray-paint vandals.

He said there are a lot of buildings around town that have been targeted. Halder and Mayor Dave Jones implored citizens to call City Hall if you find incidents of vandalism, and if you see anyone committing the act, to call police.

In January, Police Chief Steve Green reported three juveniles were arrested in connection with a string of spray-paint vandalism incidents in the downtown area, which occurred over a period of several weeks. More than two-dozen buildings sustained damage. The teens were charged with Trespassing, Criminal Mischief in the 2^nd degree, and Criminal Gang Participation.

In the Summer of 2010, six people were arrested for vandalism and spray painting incidents at locations which included the downtown City Park, and at downtown businesses. The incidents included a homemade acid bomb which was used at the park shelter and on a monument. At the time, the damage was estimated at $3,000.