The Atlantic Police Department reports 32-year old Zachary Watkins, of Atlantic, was arrested this (Thursday) morning on Cass County warrants, charging him with two-counts of Burglary in the 2nd degree, Simple Assault, and Trespassing. Watkins was brought to the Cass County Jail and held, pending a court appearance.

Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren received an award today (Thursday) honoring him for his committment to a member of the military who served overseas, who also is one of his deputies. Jerry Hansen Veteran’s Service Officer for Montgomery County made the award to McLaren on behalf of the Iowa and National Committees for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), which is under the office of the Secretary of Defense.

(at left) Jerry Hansen, (Center) Sheriff Darby McLaren, (right) Deputy Ryan Johnson

McLaren was nominated for the Secretary of Defense Employer’s Support Freedom Award by Deputy Ryan Johnson, who was required to take time off of his job to serve in the military, overseas. The award is the U-S Government’s highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of their employees serving in the Guard and Reserve. Only members of the Guard and Reserve and their family members are eligible to nominate their employers for the award.

Hansen said the award “Recognizes employers who support goodwill, are critically important to retaining highly skilled and qualified members of the Guard and Reserve.” He says Johnson felt strongly enough about McLaren’s support to nominate him and the Cass County Sheriff’s Department for the recognition. In his letter nominating McLaren, Johnson said he was ordered to deploy to Afghanistan. After notifying McLaren of his deployment and the duties he needed to atteded to prior to deploying overseas, he says McLaren understood the committment, and explained the situation in detail to the remaining deputies and staff.

While on active duty, Johnson says McLaren saw to it his wife was taken care of, including providing them with security after an attempted break-in at their home, and even removing a snake from his basement. Johnson said his wife was “treated like a queen”by the other deputies and staff. He says when he returned from his deployment, McLaren told him to take as much time as necessary to re-adjust to life and worked on scheduling, so Johnson could spend time with his wife, whom he was away from for 15-months. He ended his statement my saying “My boss is great.”

McLaren, humble in his acceptance of the award, said it was as much for the deputies in his office as it was for himself, because of their committment to working the extra hours necessary to cover for their fellow employee. He especially thanked former deputies Brian Rink and Don Lappe, for stepping-in to volunteer their time. McLaren said he feels “Unwarranted for accepting the award from the military, based on what Ryan (and his fellow soldiers) were giving up,” to serve our Country. He says the deputies “Were home with their wives and families every night, while they (the soldiers) were overseas, risking their lives.”

Officials with Shelby County DevelopSource say their 2012 Business Plan Competition is underway. “Shelby County New Enterprises,”  is a business plan competition open to all start-up and expansion businesses located in or willing to locate to Shelby County. The competition winner can receive up to $30,000 in start up grants. Costs eligible for the funds include feasibility studies, market research, and equipment; purchase/improve property, marketing and more.

In addition, the winner or winners could receive other free items such as basic website design, office space for three months, newspaper and radio advertising, mentoring and assistance in completing finance package. Entrepreneurs with business ideas to implement in Shelby County are encouraged to apply. The deadline to submit an application to the Shelby County New Enterprises is Friday, July 20^th. A panel of judges will select the finalists and all finalists have the opportunity to present their business plan on Thursday, August 16^th. More information and an application form can be found at www.developsource.com .

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Thursday) approved a Resolution authorizing Board Chair Duane McFadden to sign of a letter of support naming two bridges in the County in honor of two State Troopers who were killed in the line of duty 23-years ago.

ISP Lt. Michael J. Miller (left) speaks to the Cass Co. Supervisors

to rename bridges in the State of Iowa, as Memorial Bridges for fallen Troopers. Miller said since the State Patrol was formed in 1935, 10 Troopers have lost their lives in the line of duty, with two having died in Cass County. Trooper Pilot Lance Dietsch and Trooper Stanley Gerling were killed in an airplane accident on June 30th, 1989, southwest of Atlantic. The pair had been searching for an elderly man who had wandered off, and were about to call off the search when they troopers located him in a soybean field. They began to circle the area when the plane made a sudden turn and crashed vertically into the ground. Troopers Dietsch and Gerling were the first aircraft fatalities since the addition of the Patrol Airwing in 1956.

Miller said his job was to try and locate a couple of bridges close to where the accident occurred, and suggest they be named in honor of Dietch and Gerling. The two bridges he chose are west and northeast of Lewis,  and were not already named in honor of a notable individual. They included the #432 bridge west of Lewis, which crosses Indian Creek, and the #464 bridge northeast of Lewis, over Turkey Creek. The Indian Creek bridge will be named in honor of Dietsch, while the Turkey Creek bridge will be named in honor of Gerling. 

Miller said the 6-foot by three-foot signs were created by the Iowa Dept. of Transportation and are ready to be installed by the State.

Officials in Shelby County say a Nebraska man was injured when the semi he was driving rolled into a ditch Wednesday evening. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office says 69-year old Roger Cooley, of Valley, NE was traveling in a 2005 Freightliner eastbound on Highway 44 near Ironwood Road at around 6:15-p.m., when he lost control of the rig, which traveled into the south ditch and came to rest on its side. The semi was hauling a load of coal, which spilled into a waterway along with diesel fuel, which spilled from one of the crushed tanks on the semi’s tractor.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources was called to the scene and ordered a cleanup of the water way and soil. Highway 44 was closed while the clean-up efforts were underway, and traffic was re-routed. Cooley was transported to Myrtue Memorial Hospital for treatment, and later released. Both the tractor and trailer were estimated to be a total loss. The Harlan Fire Department assisted the Shelby County Sheriff’s at the accident scene.

A Stanton man, missing since late Saturday night and possiby suffering from a health condition, was found alive Wednesday afternoon near a ditch under a tree, after a landowner discovered the mans’ burned out pickup truck on his property southwest of Brooks. 71-year-old Dennis Goodrich was conscious and breathing when he was discovered by Prescott Fire Chief Chuck Truman. Goodrich was taken to the hospital in Corning for evaluation, but no other details have been released concerning his condition.

The man was located nearly nine-hours after property owner Dave Sproles notified authorities in Adams County about a suspicious looking, burned pickup truck he found on his land west of Filbert Avenue, near 255th Road. The pickup was later determined to be a Ford F-150, and a check of the VIN revealed it was the vehicle Goodrich drove, and had been reported missing.  Following an investigation into the fire, which officials believe was accidental, authorities thought Goodrich could still be in the area so a search was conducted.  He was located at around 4:14-p.m. Wednesday.

Several agencies and individuals participated in a search for the man, including: The Adam’s County Sheriff’s Office; a pilot with Iowa State Patrol;  the Department of Criminal Investigation; State Fire Marshal’s Office; Adams County Emergency Management; the Adams County-Prescott-and Lenox Volunteer Fire Departments; Adams County Rescue, and a Ringgold County k-9 unit.