The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors met with staff from the Cass County Extension office on Thursday, July 7th, 2022, to meet new staff and learn more about the services Extension provides.

Kate Olson, Director of Cass Extension, shared they have welcomed two interns for the summer as well as a new Youth Coordinator. Caroline Pellett has been interning since May and is helping with all youth programming in the county. Courtney Hering has also been interning since May and has been involved with Cass County Fair preparations and office work.

Katie Bateman, Youth Coordinator, is from Atlantic and has been involved with 4-H her entire life. Bateman attended UNI and worked in Story and Linn County before moving back to Atlantic. Bateman has been involved with Cass County 4-H programs as a participant and volunteer and has always enjoyed all the opportunities 4-H provides youth. Bateman is excited to continue her passion for 4-H in her hometown county.

Olson shared some upcoming programs Extension has coming up in the next few weeks. They will be hosting a Beef Forage and Grazing Field Day, in partnership with the Wallace Foundation, at the Armstrong Research Farm, located on the edge of Lewis. A Food Preservation 101 Workshop will be hosted next week. Pre-fair judging will also begin next week including King & Queen Contest interviews, Clothing Selection/Fashion Review and Table Setting. Olson mentioned one thing she loves about Extension being a statewide coalition, is you don’t have to leave home to have access to programs.

Olson shared outside of 4-H and youth programming, Extension also provides research-based information and programming to communities they serve related to: Economic & Community Development, Ag & Natural Resources, Horticulture and Human Sciences. One of their major Horticulture programs is Master Gardeners. Olson is excited to share they will be hosting a Master Gardeners course in the fall with the popular hybrid model making its return. Participants will take their courses online with four to six hands on sessions available in Cass County. Participants must also complete 40 hours of community service before becoming fully certified as a Master Gardener.

Olson thanked her staff, which is made up of three full-time employees and two part-time employees, for all they do to keep their programs organized, but heightened the importance of their large volunteer base that helps keep all their programming manageable.

For more information on Extension programming or Cass County Fair updates, visit their website at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CassCoIAExt.

The Cass County Extension office is located at 805 W. 10th St., Atlantic and is open Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 4:30 PM.

Adair County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections, Mandy Berg, announces that pursuant to a Federal Court Order, the filing period for candidates for Nonparty political organization (NPPO) and Non-Affiliated persons for the upcoming General Election, held on November 8, 2022, has changed.

Anyone interested in running as an NPPO or Non-Affiliated candidate in the General Election may pick up Nomination Papers and Affidavits of Candidacy in the Auditor’s Office, located at 400 Public Sq, Ste 5, in Greenfield, from 8:00 a.m. till 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or at https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/electioninfo/general/index.html

The first day for Non-Party candidates and Township Trustees to file for the General Election is Monday, August 8th, with a filing deadline of 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 31st.  As a reminder, the last day to file for Soil & Water Commissioners and Ag-Extension is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 31st.  If you have already filed papers to be on the General Election ballot, you do not need to refile.

County positions open are: Supervisor-Districts #2NE and District #4SE, Treasurer, Recorder, County Attorney, Township Trustees & Clerks (Richland & Washington Townships), Soil & Water Commissioners, and Ag-Extension candidates.

For more information and for the number of signatures required for each office, please contact the Auditor’s office at 641-743-2546.

The Creston Police Department reports the arrest of 39-year-old Jason Leroy Arends of Creston at 6:10 p.m. on Thursday at the intersection of Elm and Irving Streets in Creston. Arends was charged with Interference with Official Acts Bodily Injury, Driving While Barred, Domestic Abuse Assault, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Obstruction of Emergency Communication, and two warrants from outside agencies. Arends was booked into the Union County Jail and held on no bond until seen by a judge.

(Des Moines, IA) Effective immediately, the beach at Lake of Three Fires in Taylor County will be closed temporarily for swimming. The closure is a precautionary response to a confirmed infection of Naegleria fowleri in a Missouri resident with recent potential exposure while swimming at the beach at Lake of Three Fires State Park.

Testing to confirm the presence of Naegleria fowleri in Lake of Three Fires is being conducted in conjunction with the CDC and could take several days to complete. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is working closely with the Department of Natural Resources to share information about this rare infection and will provide additional updates as test results become available.

Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic single-celled free-living ameba that can cause a rare life-threatening infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The ameba is commonly found in warm freshwater such as lakes, rivers, and ponds; however, PAM is extremely rare. Since 1962, only 154 known cases have been identified in the United States. No additional suspected cases of PAM are currently being investigated in Missouri or Iowa.

While Naegleria fowleri can be present in any body of warm freshwater across the United States, infections as a result remain rare. Infection by Naegleria fowleri can occur if water containing the ameba enters the body through the nose. The Naegleria fowleri ameba then travels up the nose to the brain where it destroys the brain tissue. This infection cannot be spread from one person to another, and it cannot be contracted by swallowing contaminated water.

People can take actions to reduce the risk of infection by limiting the amount of water going up the nose. These actions could include:

• Hold your nose shut, use nose clips, or keep your head above water when taking part in water-related activities in bodies of warm freshwater.
• Avoid water-related activities in warm freshwater during periods of high-water temperature.
• Avoid digging in, or stirring up, the sediment while taking part in water-related activities in shallow, warm freshwater areas.

(These recommendations are best practices but not based on scientific testing since the low numbers of infections make it difficult to show effectiveness.)

The Iowa State Patrol responded to a 2-vehicle accident at the 52 mile-marker of Interstate 80 in Cass County on Thursday morning. An Acura sedan and a Chevy pickup both ended up clear down in the southbound ditch following the accident. Both drivers were taken to Cass Health by Cass EMS. No further details are known at this time.

Marne Fire responded to assist at the scene as well.

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Des Moines, Iowa – The State’s fiscal year drew to a close on June 30, and State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald is reflecting on the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt’s accomplishments. “In the past year, my office was able to return over $24 million dollars to more than 25,000 claimants,” announced Fitzgerald. “Reuniting owners with their rightful property will always be one of the most rewarding aspects of my job, and I will continue to provide past and present Iowans with a free, easy and accessible way to find their treasure.”

The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt was created by Fitzgerald in 1983 to return missing money and other abandoned property to the rightful owners or heirs. Each year, businesses and financial institutions turn over the assets from inactive checking and savings accounts, uncashed checks, lost stocks and bonds, security deposit refunds, life insurance premiums and the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes to the State for safekeeping. Fitzgerald uploads information to an online database, sends letters to last known addresses and publishes names in local papers to locate the owners.

“We reunited thousands of people with their cash this year, which means our efforts are paying off,” continued Fitzgerald. “But we are still holding $454 million! With one in 10 people being owed unclaimed property, there is a good chance you or someone you know has funds to claim. Search for yourself, family, friends and favorite businesses.”

Visit GreatIowaTreasureHunt.gov to find your missing money and learn more about unclaimed property in Iowa. Connect with the Treasurer on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for a weekly list of businesses with unclaimed funds and fun facts about his office.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports a Des Moines woman was arrested for OWI following an accident on York Avenue and 310th Street in Guthrie County. The accident took place at about 2:39 p.m. on Tuesday, July 5th.

When Deputies arrived on scene they met 22-year-old Jessica Mae Grau of Des Moines who said she was the driver of the wrecked 2012 Chevy Cruze and that no one else was with her. She said she was driving too fast and lost control going north on the curve and rolled the vehicle. The Deputy stated she did not know where she was and had slurred speech. She initially stated she had not been drinking but later admitted she had once the Deputy noted an odor of alcoholic beverage coming from her breath in the patrol vehicle. Grau failed multiple impairment tests and was taken to the Sheriff’s Office for BAC testing. She registered a BAC of .239 and was subsequently charged with OWI 1st Offense. Grau was also charged with Failure to Maintain Control and Driving While Suspended.

An Audubon man was seriously injured in an ATV accident on July 4th. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports the accident occurred at 3:22 a.m. on 270th Street. After investigation it was determined that 22-year-old Aaron Robert Gust of Audubon was driving a 2009 Yamaha Sportsman ATV when he lost control and drove through a ditch and a barb wire fence before striking a tree. When Deputies arrived they spoke with 19-year-old Laxne Borkowski and 21-year-old Westly Borkowski. Westly was standing up, while Laxne was holding Gust’s head and comforting him. The Deputy on scene retrieved a blanket and applied it to Gust’s head to help stop the bleeding from his severe injuries. Gust also had severe knee injuries.

Laxne and Westly Borkowski admitted to drinking and said Gust had taken the ATV out for a ride and went to go check on him when he didn’t come back.  Gust was taken by Panora EMS to Mercy One and flown to Mercy hospital in Des Moines. Laxne then asked if Panora EMS could look at him because he though he may have a concussion. He then admitted to EMS that he was actually a passenger on the back of the ATV with Gust. He remembered leaving the driveway but nothing after that. He did call his brother Westly after the accident and he came to the scene.

The ATV had extensive front end damage and did not have current registration. Charges in the incident are pending.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office released some details on an accident that took place on June 29th. At 9:33 a.m. Deputies responded to an accident near the intersection of 570th and Nishna Valley Road. It was determined that a 2022 Catepillar front end loader being operated by Anthony Freund was turning left onto Nishna Valley Road and failed to yield to a 2022 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup with trailer in tow. The Dodge was being operated by Aaron Hancox and the Cat struck the passenger door of the truck causing extensive damage estimated at $35,000.

One injury was reported and that person was transported for medical attention. No further details were released at this time.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office released details Thursday on arrests dating back to June 29th.

On July 7th the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Justin Parker, 40, of Adair, on warrants for Violation of Probation. Parker was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.

On July 5th the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Brianna Long, 18, of Atlantic, on a warrant for Failure to Appear. Long was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held until her later release.

On July 5th the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jason Powell, 39, of Wiota, on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault 1st Offense.

On July 5th the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jason Tasto, 45, of Atlantic, on warrants for Failure to Appear. Tasto turned himself in on these warrants and was booked and held until his later release after time served.

On July 3rd, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Joseph Townsend, 47, of Surprise, AZ, on the charge of Theft 3rd Degree. Townsend was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held until his later release on bond.

On July 2nd the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Dan Christensen, 48, of Atlantic, on the charge of Domestic Abuse Assault Causing Bodily Injury. Christensen was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held until his later release on his own recognizance.

On July 2nd the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Xachariah Hinson, 18, of Greenfield, on the charges of Driving Under Suspension and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Hinson was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.

On July 1st the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Zachary Scheffler, 36, of Atlantic, on warrants for Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree. Scheffler was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held until his later release on bond.

On June 29th the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Timothy Asmus, 22, of Audubon, on warrants for Failure to Appear, Driving While Barred, Leaving the Scene of an Accident and Driving under Suspension. Asmus was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.