The first of what are expected to be several public meetings with regard to the future of the Montgomery County Jail will take place Wednesday evening, in Red Oak. The meeting is being held in the Montgomery County Courthouse basement meeting room, and is under the direction of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors.

According to County Auditor Ted Schoonover, the purpose of the meeting is to gather input from residents of the county on what should be done with the old jail, and will be held as construction on a new jail/public safety center – which was approved by the voters in August, 2010 — continues. Some ideas might include demolishing the old structure, save it, or selling it. Schoonover doesn’t expect any decisions to be made at the meeting.

Schoonover says the fact the current jail is listed on the National Register of Historic Places will have no bearing on whether the county decides to preserve the structure, or demolish it.

No injuries were reported following two accidents over the weekend here in Cass County. One of the crashes happened at around 8:55-p.m. Sunday, on Interstate 80 near the Anita exit. According to dispatch reports, a vehicle rolled into the median after the driver swerved to miss a deer in the road.

Another accident happened Friday around around 11:40-p.m. on Highway 83, just west of Highway 173. Dispatch reports indicated a vehicle had ended-up on its side in the ditch.

No other details are currently available concerning those two accidents.

Officials with Iowa Congressman Leonard Boswell’s office announced late Sunday night the 77-year old democrat from Des Moines will hold a roundtable discussion tonight at Iowa Western Community College in Atlantic, about issues facing community colleges. The meeting takes place from 5-to 6-p.m. at IWCC, located at 705 Walnut Street, in Atlantic.

Congressman Leonard Boswell (D) - from Des Moines

A United States representative in the 112th Congress, Boswell said earlier this month that he has not given thought about retiring, considering his very long experience both in military and politics.  He will challenge Representative Tom Latham for the state’s redrawn third Congressional District, next year.
Boswell was elected to office in 1996, and has served in Congress for twelve years, and the army for twenty years.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of a former Army officer accused of breaking into a Council Bluffs apartment and assaulting a woman. The court rejected the appeal from former Lt. Col. Robert Butts, who claimed there were several problems with his 2010 jury trial. Butts was sentenced to 25 years in prison for seven charges, including second-degree kidnapping. Butts was accused of breaking into a woman’s apartment on Nov. 11, 2009, which was Veteran’s Day, and holding her at gunpoint. The woman’s sister, who was hiding in a closet, called police. During his trial, Butts testified he didn’t remember what happened that night. A psychiatrist testified Butt has history of sleepwalking.

The City Council in Audubon is set to meet Monday evening. On their agenda for the 7-p.m. session at City Hall, is an update from Barb Jacobsen on the Blue Zone Project. Audubon was one of 8 western Iowa communities selected last week from a field of 84 towns, to submit a full application for the opportunity to become one 10 finalists for Blue Zones demonstration sites. The next step in the process, is for the City to submit the full application, by no later than January 4^th.

The Council will also discuss siding on the police office, space in the basement for the police department, and compensation practices.