(Logan, Iowa) – The Harrison County Emergency Management Agency, Tuesday, said a Burn Ban that had been in-place since late last month, is officially canceled. The ban was rescinded as of 10-a.m. Tuesday (11/15/22).

A news release from the EMA said “Residents may resume open burning,” but noted that there are some municipal city limits where open burns are prohibited on a standing basis. And, while recent rain and snow have reduced hazards, authorities still urge caution when conducting open burns and ask that residents call the Harrison County Communications Center at 712-644-2244 before doing so.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s Attorney General has announced a settlement against Walmart after claims the company contributed to the opioid crisis. Attorney General Tom Miller says a coalition of attorneys general have reached a $3.1 billion settlement with Walmart after allegations the company failed to appropriately oversee the dispensing of opioids at its stores.

Iowa will receive nearly $20 million from the settlement that Miller says must be used to provide treatment and recovery services to people struggling with opioid use disorder. The settlement also includes court-ordered requirements for oversight to prevent fraudulent prescriptions and flag suspicious prescriptions.

This is one of several opioid settlements that have been reached — or are in negotiations.

(Radio Iowa) – The city of Sioux City is issuing a health advisory due to dangerous chemicals called PFAs detected in one of the city’s drinking water plants. It’s one of many communities across Iowa that has to come up with a plan to address the so-called “forever chemicals.” Utilities director Brad Puetz (PITS) says Sioux City will wait to develop a plan once the E-P-A’s final rule on PFAs standards comes out next summer. Puetz says, “We don’t want to be premature in making a decision on how we want to spend money for an emerging contaminant that we just don’t have all the information for yet.”

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources first detected the chemicals at nine-point-one parts per trillion in January. Since then, the Environmental Protection Agency has lowered its threshold for health advisories from 70 parts per trillion to less than point-zero-zero-four parts per trillion. “It’s very difficult for us to say at what level the water would become toxic for the citizens to drink,” he says. “I don’t believe we’re there and we’ll know more once the final rule is published.”

Puetz says Sioux City’s water was likely contaminated by the nearby Iowa Air National Guard Base. The drinking source accounts for less than a fourth of the city’s drinking water. The EPA is expected to give a final ruling of PFAS level standards next summer, and if the city is still under an advisory, officials say they will consider relocating the well to a different water source.

(Kendall Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports there were four recent arrests and three non-injury accidents.

• On Sunday (Nov. 13), Beau Stephen Brodersen, of Plattsmouth, NE, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, following a traffic stop on 195th Street at around 5:50-a.m. ( Bond $1,000).
• At around 10:30-a.m. Friday, 32-year-old Kyle Alexander Walline, of Kansas City, MO., was arrested at the Jackson County, MO., Detention Facility, on a Mills County warrant for Violation of Probation. Walline was being held without bond.
• At around 4:30-p.m. on Nov. 9th, Mills County Deputies conducted a traffic stop on I-29 and subsequently arrested 59-year-old Raymond Lamar Greene, of Nebraska City, NE, for Possession of Controlled Substance. His bond was set at $25,000.
• And, on Nov. 8th, 33-year-old Derek Laclair Cotter, of Shenandoah, was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance and Contraband in Correctional Facility. Bond was set at $6,000.

Two accidents took place in Mills County Monday night during inclement weather. Slick roads were attributed to separate accidents involving vehicles driven by 53-year-old Scott Ziegler, of Glenwood, as well as 22-year-old Keilani Drenner, of Pacific Junction, and 20-year-old Nicholas Dollen, of Mineola. The latter collision occurred at around 8:45-p.m., when Drenner lost control of her 2010 Chevy as she was traveling north in the 54,000 block of 250th Street, and Dollen was traveling southbound. Her vehicle swerved and struck Dollen’s 2018 Ford. In the other accident, Scott Zieglar was driving a 2005 Nissan east on Highway 34 at around 8:05-p.m., Monday, when his vehicle went out of control on the snow and ice-covered road. The vehicle rolled over once before coming to rest on its wheels.

And, an accident occurred last Thursday, as 51-year-old David Robinson, of Sioux City, was working in an area off Edwards Street, and was moving a 2022 Ford truck, when the vehicle struck a fire hydrant, causing minimal damage to the vehicle, and no above ground observable damage to the hydrant.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – No injuries were reported after a vehicle driven by Cody Baker, of Atlantic, crashed into the Casey’s Store at 7th and Poplar Streets, Monday evening, in Atlantic. Authorities say Baker was southbound and pulling up to the north side of the “Casey’s Central,” as it’s known, when his vehicle jumped the curb and ran into the building. In speaking with the driver and vehicle occupants to make sure they were okay, Atlantic Police learned they had been having trouble with the car not going into park, and that the engine revved-up before it moved forward, into the building.

The accident happened at around 4:50-p.m. Damage to the building was estimated at $20,000. The car sustained $2,000 damage. (Photos courtesy of the Atlantic Police Dept.)

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors have passed a Resolution amending the County’s 5-year construction program from Fiscal Year 2024 to FY 2023, which allows a bridge project to move forward sooner than anticipated, thanks to funds the county received by closing a road under Interstate 80. County Engineer Trent Wolken explains…

Wolken reported also, that the Assistant to the Cass County Engineer and Zoning Administrator Rich Hansen, is retiring at the end of December.

It’s not clear at this time, how the Zoning position will be filled. Wolken discussed current Secondary Roads Department Projects during the Supervisor’s meeting.

Additional concrete pours on some projects are expected to take place, Thursday. The Supervisors voted to approved a request by Jorgensen Dirt Works, LLC, to delay work on a project due to a delay in being able to receive project pipe. The original contract complete date was November 15^th, but with the Board’s action, allows that to be extended until April 2024.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Emergency Management Coordinator Brian Hamman reports that “At the request of the fire chiefs within Montgomery County, the burn ban has been lifted effective immediately. It is requested that anyone who wished to burn, please call the Montgomery County Communications Center at 712-623-5107 to avoid any unnecessary fire department responses, have alternative water sources nearby, never leave fires unattended and use caution on dry windy days.”

(Anita, Iowa) – A public hearing was held Monday evening during a regular meeting of the CAM School Board, with regard to the sale of a portion of the District’s property. Superintendent Paul Croghan, said the green-space property is located east of the Industrial Arts Building, about four-blocks south of the main campus, in Anita, and is rarely used by the District.

Mr. Croghan said after they agreed to the sale, the Board tabled until next month, action on approving certain Board Policies because they weren’t included in the packet for Board members to read ahead of discussion. They then acted on locking-in natural gas prices.

He said because it’s a risk management option with Wood River Energy, it allows the funds to be taken from Management Fund instead of the General Fund.

Croghan said also, the CAM School Board discussed enrollment and financial projections. He said “Last year we took a hit of about 27.9 students, and this year we’re down about 2.9.

He emphasized discussion about District facilities and a possible future alignment, was just that. The Board asked Croghan to come back on the 28^th at 6:30-p.m., with more information to help determine future options.

He said there will be a Board workshop to come back with as many answers as they can, in the next two-weeks.