Atlantic and Marne Firefighters responded to the scene of a fully engulfed semi-tractor on Highway 173, one-mile south of Interstate 80, Monday night. The call came in at 7:23-p.m. The driver of the 2004 Volvo, 67-year old Sam Hoover, of Atlantic told KJAN News he was traveling south on 173 after having just turned off the interstate on his way home to Atlantic, when he noticed flames in the back of the truck. He said he locked the brakes up, got out of the cab and was going to grab his fire extinguisher, but by then the flames had started to consume the cab and the glass started to blow out.  He said there were flames coming from the engine compartment, also.

Volvo semi tractor, engine compartment, right side view 1-16-12

Hoover said he had just spent $4,000 on his rig in December, and was scheduled to have a wheel seals serviced by Volvo on Tuesday afternoon. Hoover owned the truck, which was contracted to Fremont Carriers, out of Fremont,  Nebraska. It’s not clear what exactly caused the blaze, which completely destroyed the tractor portion of the semi (no trailer was attached). The burned out hulk was still smoldering more than an hour after the first fire crews arrived. No injuries were reported.

Burned out Volvo semi tractor/Driver's side view 1-16-12

After many months of planning, the Board of Directors and Staff of the Griswold Cooperative Telephone Company has announced their BROADBAND NETWORK EVOLUTION PROJECT.

The end of December, Griswold Cooperative started the engineering and installation process of an advanced Broadband Network, that will result in what is generally referred to as Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH). This system will provide a platform for enhanced communications and entertainment services long into the future.

GCTC customers receiving telephone service from the Cooperative today, including all rural customers, will have fiber optics connected right to your homes or businesses. The project will replace the existing copper network cabling that is currently used to provide telephone, Internet and cable television service. The BROADBAND NETWORK will bring all services to customers over fiber optic cable, individually to each location. The fiber “pipe” opens nearly endless opportunities for communications and entertainment services because of the sheer volume of space, or bandwidth, which is available to every customer.

The entire project should be completed by 2015, but different portions or areas will be completed incrementally, at different times. As these steps are completed, those customers will be converted to the new fiber optic system and service offerings. For customers in Elliott and Grant, the initial phase of the project, you are seeing the engineering firm, RVW, Inc., in your neighborhoods and talking with each of you about the design parameters for each individual location GCTC is serving.

GCTC says they believe it is their responsibility to have the technology in place to meet the needs of customers now, and in the future.

The new fiber BROADBAND NETWORK will be capable of increased bandwidth per customer and will allow for higher quality TV channels, and the continued expansion of Internet speeds, data services and applications. The project covers the entire Cooperative service area with FTTH installations. Rural customers will be able to get TV services, which before have only been available to city residents.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says a Cumberland man was arrested Friday night on charges of OWI/2nd offense and Eluding. During the chase, one of the deputies involved in trying to box 51-year old Brian Lee Smith’s vehicle in, reported the man allegedly tried to hit his cruiser. Smith was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released on his own recognizance.

On Saturday, 19-year old Michael Boyd Vyzourek, of Atlantic, was arrested on a warrant out of Colorado. Vyzourek was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was being held awaiting extradition. That same day, 32-year old Ryan Vincent Lee Richards,  of Elk Horn, NE, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Failure to Appear. Richards was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following day on $2000 bond.

In other news from the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, 44-year old Steven Paul Winebrenner, of Atlantic, was arrested January 9th, after deputies responded to a report of a one-vehicle accident on Front Street in Atlantic. As a result of the accident, Winebrenner was arrested on charges of OWI 1st Offense and Driving Under Suspension. He was brought to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following day on his own recognizance.

And, on January 10th,  the Cass County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 27-year old Kristy Lynn Bender, of Council Bluffs, on a warrant out of Nebraska warrant. Bender waived extradition on January 12th,  and was released to Nebraska authorities the next day.

A college student from northwest Iowa who vanished last fall is now believed to be a homicide victim. The body of a former Sioux City man who’s been missing for two months was discovered over the weekend in Arizona. Tucson police say they found the remains of 21-year-old Jordan Alexander Peterson on Friday in a remote area of undeveloped desert. Peterson was living in Arizona and was last heard from on November 16th. Authorities found his truck, keys and cellphone two days later in Tucson. Investigators say the case is considered a homicide. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of Peterson’s death.

(Radio Iowa)