A ribbon cutting ceremony and dedication for one of two final monuments planned to honor veterans in Pottawattamie County will be held next year, on Memorial Day. Eagle of Honor Veteran Memorial Project organizers recently broke ground on the site for the statue in Macedonia. In addition to paying tribute to veterans, organizers says the Macedonia monument pay homage to the town’s spot on the Mormon Trail. The memorial will include information about Mormon settlers who passed through the town in the 1840s.

James Braden, a volunteer on the project said one of the phrases planned for the monument is “following the footsteps to freedom.” The memorial will feature an eagle sculpture by Neola resident Russell Christensen, who has now completed bronze eagle sculptures for every city in Pottawattamie County. The monument site in Macedonia, is near the old school building, which is being torn down. Braden said the estimated cost of the Macedonia monument is $60,000, with fundraising supplementing the $25,000 from the County Board.

The Eagles of Honor project started in 2007, when organizers unveiled the “Colors of Honor” monument in Neola. From there, Christensen and his wife, Penny, an artist herself and collaborator on the project, solicited each town about a monument. Once the received the “go-ahead” from each community, the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors agreed to grant $25,000 for each memorial for the five-year project.

Monuments are currently available for viewing in Minden, Underwood, McClelland, Carson, Treynor, Oakland, Hancock, Crescent, Carter Lake, Walnut and Avoca. Groundbreaking for Council Bluffs’ eagle monument was held November 5^th.

Officials with the American Cancer Society said Tuesday, in honor of its outstanding contributions in the fight against cancer, the organization presented the American Cancer Society volunteers of Shelby County with the “Community of Hope” Award at the 2011 Midwest Division Leadership Summit Awards and Recognition Program.  The awards ceremony, held in Bloomington, MN, recognizes a community in the American Cancer Society’s Midwest Division (Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) that successfully implements activities that positively impact the cancer fight and increase awareness of the American Cancer Society in their communities.

C.J. Niles, American Cancer Society Community Relations staff person, said “Volunteers for the Relay For Life of Shelby County attribute their success to their team of volunteers—a powerful combination of seasoned and new—who bring experience and enthusiasm to their cancer fighting efforts.” Niles said the “Team has extended their work beyond the track to include innovative year-round efforts to share our mission with Shelby County residents.  They collaborate with the local medical center to educate local cancer survivors about Society programs and services.  In addition, they partner with local media to highlight Shelby County cancer survivors, and generate awareness and excitement for Relay For Life.” She added that “Their efforts to involve youth have yielded great success, including working with Harlan Community High School to raise $21,200 through Coaches vs. Cancer events.”

To learn more about the organization, or to get help, call 1-800-227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.

U-S District Court Judge John Jarvey Tuesday sentenced a Mexican citizen to nine-years in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine distribute methamphetamine throughout South Omaha, Nebraska, and Western Iowa. Jorge Zamora-Lopez was also ordered to serve a five year term of supervised release following incarceration.

On August 8th, Zamora-Lopez entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from January, 2010, through February 25th, 2011. During that time period, Zamora-Lopez, along with a co-defendant distributed meth throughout the region.
Law enforcement identified Zamora-Lopez’s co-defendant as a potential source of methamphetamine when a controlled purchase was made in Shelby County, Iowa, using a confidential informant, in January of 2010. The investigation continued and ultimately resulted Zamora-Lopez’ arrest on February 25, 2011, when he drove his co-defendant to a location in South Omaha to deliver methamphetamine. At the time of their arrest, Zamora-Lopez and his co-defendant had over a pound of pure methamphetamine, cocaine and over ten thousand dollars in currency in their possession.

The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Shelby County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office, the Douglas County, Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, the Department of Homeland Security Enforcement and Removal Operation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.