• John Johnson, Engineer, has been with the department for 42 years.  He will be retiring at the end of this month.
  

  Pictured: Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett, Wayne Brosam, John Johnson, Tom Cappel, AFD Chief. (Photo submitted)

• Wayne Brosam, Assistant Chief, has been with the department for 27 years. Brosam has resigned from AFD due to a move outside of the fire district.
• Others recognized:
  • Russel Peck (38 years)
  • and Rich Smith (32 years).

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood report 31-year-old Shawna Watson, of Glenwood, was arrested Tuesday on a Mills County Warrant. Her cash-only bond was set at $300.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday), approved the posting of a part-time position for the Adair County Veterans Affairs Office. VA Commission Chairperson John Schildberg, III told the Board Administrator Gwen Johnston is very busy and can’t handle all the matters that come before her.

Johnston said she would like to hire a person to work 12 hours per week in her office.

She said she has a person in mind who is interested in the job, but is required to post the position so others may apply as well

Adair County Environmental Health Director Jotham Arber provided an update on well rehabilitation and other matters.

He said they recommend testing the water before and after a well rehabilitation. And, with regard to septic systems, Jotham Arber says…

Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman presented for the Board to approve and Board Chair Jerry Walker to sign, a contract and performance bond for the N-7 Eureka (Township) Bridge Project. Kauffman also reported on Secondary Roads Department Maintenance projects and activities.

Adair County Auditor Mandy Berg spoke with regard to ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding and obligations. The Board approved the request as presented. Berg also presented for the Board’s approval a Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget Amendment.

A public hearing on the amendment as presented, will take place 9:15-a.m. January 2nd, in the Adair County Boardroom at the Courthouse in Greenfield.

(Radio Iowa) – The U-S Army and the contractor that operates the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in southeast Iowa have agreed to pay a 39-thousand dollar fine for allegedly mishandling explosives. The Iowa Army Ammunition Plant covers 19-thousand acres, with nearly a thousand buildings where a wide range of military weapons are produced, assembled and stored. The Environmental Protection Agency cited the plant for improperly detonating explosives and failing to property close the detonation chamber for grenades after it was moved to a different location in the complex last year. The agency also says munitions were burned in open burn pans, above levels allowed in the facility’s hazardous waste management permit.

According to an E-P-A news release, the Army and American Ordnance, the contractor that manages the facility, have taken steps to comply with federal waste management rules. Those regulations apply to privately held, as well as government-owned facilities.

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines woman was sentenced on November 15, 2024 to 12 years in federal prison for distribution of a pill containing fentanyl that resulted in a victim’s death.

According to public court documents, 21-year-old Nevaeh Simone Botts, sold pills containing fentanyl to a 16-year-old victim who subsequently overdosed and died. Botts also sold fentanyl pills to an undercover police officer three times. In July 2023, during the execution of a search warrant at Botts’s apartment, law enforcement found hundreds of fentanyl pills and two firearms.

After completing her term of imprisonment, Botts will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Botts was also ordered to pay $5,574.09 in restitution.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department.

DES MOINES, Iowa – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa said Tuesday, a Des Moines man was sentenced on November 8, 2024 to 12 years in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl. According to public court documents, 25-year-old Luca Joseph Roberts provided pills containing fentanyl to a victim on October 20, 2022. The victim used the pills, overdosed, and died. Law enforcement identified Roberts as the source of supply for those pills and purchased from Roberts additional pills containing fentanyl.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Roberts will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Roberts was also ordered to pay $5,796.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department.

Authorities say Fentanyl has become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Fentanyl deaths for youth ages 15 to 24 more than doubled between 2018 and 2022. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills often resemble pharmaceutical pills, but contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. Visit the Drug Enforcement Administration’s website to learn more about One Pill Can Kill.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were arrested Tuesday. 44-year-old Helen Elaine Tupper, of Malvern, was arrested Tuesday afternoon, for Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. Her bond was set at $300. And, 45-year-old Eric John Rehfredlt, of Red Oak, was arrested Tuesday morning, for OWI/2nd offense. Bond was set at $2,000.