Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green said today (Monday) a combined effort by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and officers with the Atlantic Police Department has resulted in numerous charges being filed in association with a number of car burglaries, and the theft of a firearm. Taken into custody on 25 counts each of Burglary in the 3rd degree and Ongoing Criminal Conduct, were 17-year olds Shawn Jensen and Kameron Burg, both of Atlantic.

During their investigation, authorities recovered a stolen firearm from 19-year old Joseph Riesberg, of Atlantic. He faces a felony charge of Possession of a Firearm, and Theft in the 4th Degree. 20-year old Lucas Nelson, of Marne, faces a Possession of Stolen Property charge.

Green says the case remains under investigation, and additional charges are currently pending.

A family of seven firefighters from the Harlan Fire Department will be featured on Iowa Public Television, tomorrow (Tuesday). Tom Butler of Harlan and his sons Chad, Brad and Mike, along with his daughter Kristi Pederson, son-in-law Tim Pederson, and daughter-in-law Robin Butler, are all members of the Harlan Fire Department. Tom Butler says he has Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen to thank for getting the family on television. Butler says IPTV wanted to do a segment on firefighters. Bissen threw their name into a hat, and after interviewing Butler’s family members and other prospective families, decided to select the Butlers. 

Families from the state of Iowa were interviewed as potential candidates for the segment entitled “Iowa’s Firefighting Families.” Butler says once the film crew came back, they followed and filmed the family for a week. Tom Butler says at first he didn’t think he had the time to join the Harlan Fire Department but one fire in particular changed his mind. He says after a fire at the grocery store where his wife works, he decided to join the department. Once his children grew up, they decided to follow in his footsteps. 

He’s been on the Harlan Fire Department for 24 years. Most of his kids have been serving with the department for over a decade. The 30 minute program featuring the Butler family will air 7-p.m. Tuesday, on IPTV. If you miss the first broadcast, you can see it on Tuesday, June 12^th, beginning at 4:30-pm, or, on Sunday, June 24^th at 8:30pm. Butler says it was an honor to be featured on the program.

The Council Bluffs Police Department reports a Plattesmouth, NE woman and her son whose bodies were found near Lake Manawa died as the result of an apparent murder/suicide. 41-year old Charlotte Schilling and her 10-year old son Owen Schilling disappeared May 10^th, after the woman checked her son out of the elementary school he was attending. 

The woman’s car was found about one-half mile from where the bodies of her and her son were found May 20^th..  Inside the vehicle, was Charlotte Schilling’s cell phone and purse. The bodies were found deep in the woods at Lake Manawa State Park. Authorities say Charlotte and Owen Schilling died by ligature/strangulation, by use of a zip tie. 

An official autopsy report however, is expected to take several weeks. Authorities say Charlotte Schilling attempted suicide by a similar method in November, 2011. Interviews with her friends and associates revealed recent actions consistent with those of a person contemplating suicide, and officials say evidence at the scene supports that theory.

An Irwin woman was injured early Friday morning during a rollover accident about six-miles east of Irwin. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Department says 52-year old Debra Jayne Rasmussen Krause was transported to the hospital in Manning, following the crash. A report on her condition is not available.

The accident happened at around 12:45-a.m. Friday, on 150th Street, near Yellowwood Road. Authorities say the woman was traveling west on 150th Street, when her 2006 Ford F-250 crossed the centerline, went out of control, and entered a ditch before it hit an embankment and flipped onto its side.

Rasmussen-Krause was trapped in the pickup, until being freed by Irwin Fire and Rescue. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $16,000. The accident remains under investigation.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following two separate accidents Friday. One of the accidents happened at around 3:20-p.m, on 750^th Street, at the Massena Cemetery. Officials say a 2011 Chevy pickup owned and driven by 76-year old Richard Dean Follmann, of Massena, was making a left turn into the south cemetery entrance when his vehicle was hit on the rear driver’s side corner, by a 1998 Chevy pickup. The accident happened as 26-year old Cody John Simpson, of Geneva, IA, was attempting to pass Follmann’s vehicle. No citations were issued. Damage from the crash amounted to $2,500. 

The second accident happened at around 6:10-p.m., Friday on 570^th Street, north of Fayette Road. Sheriff’s officials say a 1994 Ford pickup driven by 18-year old Ethan Kaleb-Joseph Nachtman, of Atlantic, was northbound on 570^th Street when Nachtman lost control of the vehicle. The pickup slid into the east ditch, and hit a power pole. No citations were issued. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $2,500, while the pole sustained $500 damage.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports an Atlantic man was arrested Friday on a Class C felony charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and a Serious Misdemeanor charge of Theft in the 4^th degree, for possession of stolen property. 19-year old Joseph Riesberg was brought to the Cass County Jail, where he was being held on a $6,000 cash only bond.

Officials with the Audubon Chamber of Commerce report serving a large crowd during their annual Flight Breakfast Sunday morning, at the Audubon Airport. 50 planes landed for the event, with each of the aircraft’s pilots and/or passengers enjoying a free breakfast, comprised of ham and cheese omelets, pancakes, coffee, milk and juice.  The breakfast was served from 6:30-until 10:30-a.m. Altogether, 730 people attended the fly-in.

Officials say aircraft arriving at the Audubon Airport Sunday, came from all over Iowa, and Nebraska. Some of the pilots were from: Ames; Atlantic; Carroll; Clarinda; Creston; Danbury; Indianola; Des Moines; Manning, Manson and Mason City; Pocahontas, and Iowa Falls. The Nebrasaka pilots came from Omaha, Millard and Bancroft.

An accident in Avoca Saturday afternoon resulted in one person being sent to the hospital. According to Lt. Pat McGinn with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, 30-year old Tyler Griffen, of Avoca, was transported to Myrtue Memorial Hospital in Harlan, and later transferred to a hospital in Omaha, following the accident at the intersection of North Walnut and High Streets in Avoca, at around 2:30-p.m., Saturday.

McGinn told KJAN News a car driven by 16-year old Mason Crum, of Logan, was traveling south on Walnut Street, when he turned west onto High Street, and into the path of Griffen’s northbound motorcycle. Charges are pending in connection with the crash.