Cass County Weed Commissioner Larry Randel provided the Board of Supervisors with an update on his department’s activities. Randel said he’s had several “problem issues” with the growth of noxious and nuisance weeds in the County he’s had to send out notices on, to property owners. Randel says he got a “decent response” from those he sent out notices to, but not a 100-percent response. Randal will follow-up with those property owners next year to remind them of their responsibilities. He said also he wants to work with the County to make sure they take care of their respective rights-of-way, especially after property owners complained that the county doesn’t take care of its fair-share of the weed problem. The weeds he says tend to proliferate, especially in the Massena area, because of work installing the wind turbines and culverts, which causes the seeds to be spread and appear unsightly when the grow into full-fledged weeds. Supervisor Chuck Rieken suggested Randel write an official letter to the County Roads Department, the Iowa DOT Engineer and Iowa Interstate Railroad, to remind them they need to take care of their right-of-ways.

In other business, the Board of Supervisors met for about an hour with area funeral home directors to discuss revisions to the County’s indigent burial policy, which currently pays up to $1,500 for burial or cremation services. Some suggestions which will likely be included in a draft of the policy – which hasn’t been changed since 1997 – include removing a nearly identical and redundant fee funeral homes and the County pays to the Medical Examiner’s Office, removing the funeral homes’ responsibility for finding a burial plot, and setting an equal rate for which the county pays cemeteries for grave openings and closing. How much the County pays for indigent burials needs to be determined soon, because budget deadlines are looming.

In an update to a story we first brought to you Tuesday evening during the news on KJAN, the Cass County Sheriff’s Department says three people were injured, one of them seriously, during a crash Tuesday afternoon, southeast of Anita. Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Ayers told KJAN News the accident happened about 3-miles southeast of Anita on Glendale Road, at about 3:45-p.m.

Ayers says a 1999 Chevy Blazer driven by 33-year old Cynthia Simon, of Anita, was traveling west on Glendale Road and turning left into a farm driveway, when she failed to see an eastbound 2000 Buick LeSabre, driven by 92-year old Virgil Martin, of Fontanelle.  The vehicle s collided head-on.

Both drivers were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, along with Evelyn Martin, of Fontanelle, who was a passenger in the Buick. She was later flown to a hospital in Des Moines for treatment of serious injuries. Her husband was being treated at the hospital. Simon was treated at the hospital and released. Charges are pending completion of an investigation into the accident. Damage from the crash amounted to $18,000.

A former youth minister from Council Bluffs faces up to 17-years in prison for his role in the sexual exploitation of teens. 32-year old Brent Girouex plead guilty Tuesday to one-count of sexual abuse in the 3^rd degree, one-count of felony sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist, and one count of misdemeanor sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist. His sentencing was set for March 7, 2012.

Girouex had been charged with 61 counts of sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist and 28 counts of 3^rd degree sexual abuse, in connection with acts he allegedly performed while serving as a youth pastor with the Victory Fellowship Church in Council Bluffs. His Alford Plea to the 3^rd degree sexual abuse charge means Girouex did not admit to any specific elements of the offense, but acknowledges a jury would most likely find him guilty if a trial where held.

The charges were filed after Girouex told authorities about the incidents on February 16^th, 2011. He admitted the offenses to police only after church leaders confronted him upon hearing from four young men who came forward with the allegations earlier that month. According to court records, Girouex told investigators he felt it was his duty to — quote — Help (the teen) with homosexual urges by praying, while he had sexual contact with him.”