A program designed to help young internet users stay safe online was the subject of a workshop last night (Tuesday) for parents and students in Council Bluffs. Shannon Seeger, spokeswoman for the Internet Keep Safe Coalition or i-Keep-Safe, says children are growing up in a world where their social life is coordinated through interactions on-line or through a cell phone. Seeger says kids need to be reminded how to act and interact. “Keeping and maintaining a positive reputation, keeping your personal information to yourself, also, when you interact with people, how to be a citizen about it,” she says.

Children need to be aware of predators, cyber-bullying, harassment and other threats. While the Internet can be a great place to connect with friends, Seeger says some people use social networking sites to humiliate and degrade others. “It doesn’t just deal with bullying, it’s harassment of all kinds, child-to-child harassment, parent-on-teacher, child-on-teacher,” she says. “There are many, many different variations on cyber-bullying.”

Seeger says there are increasing reports of children missing school, dropping out and event taking their own lives because of non-stop bullying. “One-million children were cyber-bullied last year on Facebook alone,” she says. “That doesn’t take into count all of the other social media and all the networking and messaging that children are doing back and forth.”

The first workshop Tuesday in Council Bluffs was for teachers only and was directed at helping to teach their students to be responsible online. The second workshop last night was for parents and students, urging them to start their own at-home programs for safe, healthy and ethical internet use. Learn more at: www.ikeepsafe.org

(Radio Iowa)

One person was arrested late Tuesday night in Montgomery County following an investigation into an assault and personal injury accident. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 21-year old Kiley B. Caron, of Villisca, was taken into custody at around 10:40-p.m. at 5^th Avenue and 1^st Street.

Caron was found following his flight from the scene of a personal injury motor vehicle accident which occurred in Adams County. Authorities say he was visibly intoxicated, and emitted a strong odor of alcohol. Caron failed his preliminary breath test and was taken into custody on a charge of public intoxication.

He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.

A Villisca teen escaped injury Tuesday night, when the pickup he was driving ran into a ditch and hit an embankment. 16-year old Damon Tyler Sunderman, of Villisca, told Montgomery County Sheriff’s Officials he was traveling east on 250^th Street, and approaching the intersection with Highway 71, when he applied the brakes, which apparently failed.

The 2001 Dodge Dakota pickup he was driving went through the intersection and into the east ditch before coming to rest against the embankment. The accident, which happened about one-half mile north of Villisca, occurred at around 8:45-p.m.

The pickup, owned by Brad Sunderman, of Villisca, was considered a total loss.

Police in Harlan say an Earling man was arrested last week, for allegedly supplying alcohol to persons under the legal age. The incident allegedly occurred on May 28^th. 21-year old Cody Betances was taken into custody September 28^th on an active Shelby County warrant. Betances was brought to the Shelby County Jail. He posted a $1,000 bond on Monday.

A pre-trial hearing will take place October 17^th in Shelby County District Court, with his trial set for November 15^th.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Officials at Eppley Airfield in Omaha say crews have begun the cleanup of what was left behind by this summer’s flooding along the Missouri River.  Contractors have started removing the flood control infrastructure around the airport. They also say specially designed wells that kept floodwaters away from the runways will continue to operate through October. The Omaha Airport Authority says it has spent $17 million on flood control but will eventually spend $26 million to protect the airport. The flooding also left behind a 300-yard swath of sand and silt between the river and the airport’s levee system. It was a grassy mix of fields and farmland leased out by the airport and it’s not clear if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will restore the area.

Officials with Mid-American Energy have reported their semi-annual property tax payments to Iowa counties, schools and cities for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. All together, the company has paid more than $45.7-million, which they say makes them the largest property tax-paying entity in the state.

In this area: nearly $299,520 was paid to Cass County on September 30^th; Adair County received more than $419,335; Adams County $66,220; Audubon County $155,758;Guthrie County, $14,269; and Montgomery County, $343,182.

Pottawattamie County received the biggest chunk in property tax payments from Mid-American, at slightly more than $4.2-million dollars. Shelby County has received a nearly $119,000 payment. The same amounts will also be distributed to each of those counties on March 31^st, 2012.

The single largest tax bill installment of more than $12.1-million was paid to Polk County. Mid-American Energy, which is headquartered in Des Moines, and is Iowa’s largest energy company, provides electric service to 729,000 customers, and natural gas service to 709,000 customers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota.

Sheriff’s officials in Audubon County say two local teenagers have been arrested following an investigation into the theft of a pickup which was burned in the 2900 block of Falcon Avenue, and an ATV that was stolen and burned in the 1500 block of 260th Street, during the evening hours on August 5th and early morning hours on August 6th.

Officials say 16-year old Dustin Joseph Hunter, of Audubon, was taken into custody at around 4-p.m. Monday. He was charged with Arson in the second-degree (aiding and abetting), Theft in the second-degree (aiding and abetting), and burglary.

17-year old James Rathmann, of Audubon, was also arrested in connection with the same incidents. Rathman faces charges which include Burglary in the third-degree, Theft in the second-degree, Arson in the second-degree (Accessory After the Fact), and Theft in the second-degree (Aiding and Abetting). Hunter was transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs. Rathman was released to the custody of his parents and his case referred to Juvenile Court Services.

Last month, 20-year old Mackenzie Jacob Belnap, of Ottumwa, was also charged in connection with the crimes. He faces 1st- and 2nd-degree Arson charges, along with two counts of burglary in the 3rd degree and two-counts of theft in the 2nd degree. He’s entered a written plea of not guilty to the charges. A jury trial in his case will take place November 29^th. Belnap remains in the Audubon County Jail on $25,000 bond.