Officials with PRIDE (the Progressive Rural Iowa Development group) have announced three legislative coffees have been scheduled for various communities in Cass County for the 2012 Iowa session. Randy Baxter, President of PRIDE, says “These coffees are opportunities to have face-to-face dialogue with our Iowa legislators, Senator Nancy Boettger, and Representatives Clel Baudler and Jack Drake.” Baxter adds that “The legislators always appreciate coming to Cass County because we have such terrific attendance. People here really want to have input into our state government, so they participate when the legislators make time to come to our towns.” 

The first coffee is Saturday, February 11th, at the Legion Hall in Massena, at 10 a.m., with special guest will be Mike Cormack, policy liaison to Jason Glass, director for the Iowa Department of Education and former social studies teacher from Massena. Mike will join Boettger, Baudler and Drake, to discuss education reform, one of the top issues of the current legistlative session.  The second event will be held Saturday, March 10, at the Marne Community Center, at 7:30 a.m.!   The early start time allows the legislators and citizens to attend the coffee, and, be present later in the morning at the county’s political conventions. The final coffee will take place Saturday, April 14, at the Cass County Museum in Griswold at 10 a.m. 

P.R.I.D.E. is the economic development organization that works on behalf of the cities of Cumberland, Griswold, Lewis, and Marne for Cass County development, plus numerous individual members and businesses in Southwest Iowa. For additional information, or to join P.R.I.D.E., please contact Randy Baxter, president, at 781-2395, or Clarke Gerlock, vice-president, at 712-774-5476.

VAIL, Iowa (AP) – Authorities in Crawford County are looking for a suspect who they say threatened a teller at the Westside State Bank in Vail with an explosive device before fleeing with an undisclosed amount of cash. The robbery occurred just after 9 a.m. Saturday. Crawford County Sheriff Jim Steinkuehler said the man, described as white, in his 30s or 40s with a red goatee, threatened a teller with a Molotov cocktail but did not use the homemade bomb. The sheriff says the suspect, who was also wearing sunglasses, took an undisclosed amount of cash and fled on foot.  Bank President Matt Lujano declined comment.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a Glenwood man was arrested Thursday on drug and Child Endangerment charges.  35-year-old Clinton Prindle was taken into custody on charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Child Endangerment. The Sheriff’s Office reports also,  51-year-old Dale Peters, of Glenwood,  was arrested Tuesday, and 20-year-old Nile Packett, of Glenwood, was arrested last Sunday. Both were charged with Domestic Abuse Assault.

A routine traffic stop early this (Saturday) morning in Shenandoah resulted in the arrest of two people on drug charges. According to the Shenandoah Police Department, Officer Steve Mather stopped a vehicle in the 500 block of south Fremont Street. An investigation resulted in the arrest of Shenandoah residents, 36-year-old William Fuller, on two Page County warrants for contempt of court and possession of drug paraphernalia, and 33-year-old Lisa Moyer, who was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia. Fuller was taken to the Page County Jail and is being held on $1,325 bond. Moyer was able to post bond, cited into court, and released.