(Stanton, Iowa) – A City of Stanton boom truck and a light fixture was damaged Friday morning, when the legally parked truck began rolling backwards after a worker adjusted the boom’s height. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says the accident occurred near 301 Broad Avenue at around 8:10 a.m. Authorities say Stanton city maintenance personnel were removing Christmas lights from fixtures along Broad Avenue when the City’s unoccupied 1995 Dodge Ram 3500 bucket truck began traveling backwards.

The bucket and boom struck the light pole fixture – shearing it off. The truck continued over the curb and into the grass. The bucket and boom then struck the right side of a car wash building’s roof, causing a mechanical failure in the rotator portion of the bucket truck. The boom and bucket swung from the roof to the north and struck brickwork on the building’s southeast side. The occupant of the bucket, Bret W. Sheppard, was not injured.

Damage is estimated at $3,500 to the city’s light fixture, and $20,000 to the city’s boom truck. The car wash building owned by Eric Anderson sustained approximately $2,500 damage. No one was injured.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Two people were arrested Friday night on active Mills County warrants for Failure to appear in court. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 26-year-old Summer Brooke French, of Red Oak, and 35-year-old Jessie Bruce Fitzwater, of Villisca, were arrested. French was charged with FTA on an original charge of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, while Fitzwater is charged with FTA on an original Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd offense, charge.

Both were being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Rec Department Board of Directors will meet in their regular monthly session, Monday afternoon at City Hall. Their meeting begins at 5:15-p.m., and will include an update on the Parks and Rec Director’s position, the recommendation for which will come after a final interview on Tuesday.

The Board will discuss an increase to the Hotel/Motel tax intended to be prioritized for the proposed new splash pad and improvements to the Sunnyside Pool. Ali Pieken will provide the Board with an update on the project itself. The Board will then discuss and vote on designs for the splashpad, and hold discussion with regard to replacing trail lake #1 on the southwest corner. Assistant Parks Director Jeff Christensen will provide the Parks and Rec Board with a painting update, with regard to the Ross Camblin shelter.

Among new business items, is discussion/update with regard to building planters for Mollett Park, and games for a block party.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s new Parks and Recreation Department Director is expected to be announced Tuesday afternoon. The word will come following a closed session to interview the final candidate for the position, Michelle Spunaugle, a Griswold native who lives in Villisca, and has a Park Ranger background

The closed session interview with Spunaugle will take place at 1-p.m in the Council’s Chambers, after she spends the morning with Parks staff touring the City, its parks and the Parks Building.

Following the closed session, the Parks and Rec Board will vote on who to recommend for the position. City Administrator John Lund says he then intends to make the offer quickly, so the candidate may begin making arrangements to join the City.

In addition to Michelle Spunaugle, the Board has interviewed John Wyatt Adderton from Georgia, who is currently a Park Ranger. The candidate recommended for the position will succeed former Parks and Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen, who accepted a position with the USDA, last Fall.