The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Officials with Scooter’s Coffee say concerns of the Atlantic Planning and Zoning Commission, with regard to a drive through/coffee kiosk site on east 7th Street, are without merit. In a letter to the Commission last week, Mike Michaelis, Scooter’s Vice President of Development, asks the Commission to unanimously approve a previously discussed site plan, which calls for the triangular entrance/exit to the U-S Cellar/Verizon & McDonald’s entrance, to be the access and exit routes for motor vehicle traffic. The P&Z will further review the site plan during their meeting 5:30-p.m. Tuesday (Aug. 27), in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall.

During their meeting August 13th, the Commission expressed concerns about traffic congestion to the access drive, as well as vehicle “queuing” (backup), in the drive. At that time, Scooter’s Construction Manager Dan Forsland said he would contact the Iowa DOT about having the turning lane be both east and westbound from the site, instead of the current westbound only.

Michaelis said in his letter, that the site, as proposed, is similar to their coffee kiosk site in Holdredge, Nebraska, and that vehicle stacking at that location averages 3-to 4 vehicles during peak traffic conditions. They estimate the peak traffic times for the Atlantic Scooter’s (If approved), would be between 7:45-to 8-a.m.

Michaelis said their landlord (East Atlantic Holdings, LLC., based in Urbandale), was not able to reach an agreement with neighboring property owners Oinker’s Lounge and Noddles Development Co., with regard to access from those properties.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A Dubuque man has pleaded guilty to taking estate money without permission and giving it to charities. The Telegraph Herald reports that 45-year-old Robert Young Jr. is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 21. He’d pleaded guilty after making a deal with prosecutors. Court documents say Young had been appointed personal administrator of the estate of Thomas Palmer, who died March 3, 2017, at the age of 58. The documents say Young paid off Palmer’s bills and then donated more than $31,500 to charities without a court’s permission.

Both the defense and prosecutors recommend in the plea agreement that Young be put on probation for two to five years and be given a deferred judgment. Under a deferred judgment, the theft conviction can be removed from his record if he successfully completes probation.

A traffic stop at around 3:19-a.m. today (Monday), on Highway 34 in Adams County, resulted in two people being arrested on drug charges. Adams County Deputies pulled over a vehicle for having a defective headlight, near Fig Avenue and Highway 34. Upon making contact with the driver, 34-year old Waymond Lee Foster, SR., of Creston, a small baggie of marijuana was observed in plain view. A probable cause search was conducted, during which more than 18 ounces (504 grams) of marijuana and THC products were found. The items had recently been purchased in Colorado.

Foster was arrested for Possession with the intent to deliver, Failure to affix a drug tax stamp, possession of drug paraphernalia, and Violation of a No Contact Order. His passenger, Ashley Nicole Foster, was arrested on the same charges. Ashley Foster was also charged with three counts of Unlawful Possession of prescription drugs.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Sioux City man accused of killing a Nebraska man in Sioux City has pleaded guilty. Woodbury County District Court records say a judge accepted the plea Friday from 31-year-old Daniel Levering. The charge was second-degree murder. Prosecutors had lowered it from first-degree murder after making a deal with Levering.
Prosecutors say Levering stabbed to death 36-year-old Vincent Walker on July 23, 2017. Walker lived in Winnebago, Nebraska.

The plea agreement says Levering will be sentenced to 50 years in prison and must serve 35 years before he can become eligible for parole. He also agreed to pay $150,000 in restitution to Walker’s heirs. The judge ruled in July that Levering was competent to stand trial.

(Radio Iowa) — Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro — the former mayor of San Antonio — says there “absolutely” should be some federal regulation of large-scale livestock confinements. “I’ve heard plenty of community members here in Iowa who have talked about the environmental impact of some of these factory farms,” Castro says. “I know that there’s concern even with whether there should be any factory farms in the future or the ones that do exist should be allowed to expand.”

Castro says there should at least be a moratorium or what he calls a “pause” on new construction of large-scale animal feeding operations. Castro is the first among the Democratic candidates to release a broad plan addressing animal welfare issues. He calls it “PAW — Protecting Animals and Wildlife.” “We ensure that we’re investing in wildlife preservation, for instance,” Castro says, “that we’re working with communities across the United states to get to ‘no kill’ status in shelters throughout our country.”

Castro is calling for an end to the practice of euthanizing healthy pets if animal shelters grow too crowded. Castro also proposes that animal abuse be a FEDERAL crime. Castro spoke about his proposals during this weekend’s episode of “Iowa Press” on Iowa Public Television.

(Radio Iowa) — Authorities in northwest Iowa are searching for a man who was reported missing over the weekend. The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department is looking for 24-year-old Vincent Harvey. Harvey was last seen around 11:30 Saturday night near the docks at Parks Marina on Lake Okoboji. The sheriff’s office is working with the Spirit Lake Fire Department and the Arnolds Park/Okoboji Underwater Search and Rescue Dive Team searching both land and water around the area Harvey was last seen.

Harvey is a 2014 graduate of St. Edmond high school in Fort Dodge and played football and wrestled for Iowa Central Community College before graduating in 2016. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Harvey is asked to contact the Dickinson County Communications Center in Spirit Lake.

(Radio Iowa) — A bold plan is being proposed to create a nationwide biking and hiking trail from Washington D-C to Washington state that would also cut a path through the heart of Iowa. Lisa Hein, senior director of conservation programs for the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, says the route across Iowa would encompass 465 miles of trail from Council Bluffs to Davenport. Already, 246 miles are complete, but don’t pump up your bike tires in anticipation just yet.

“In Iowa, trails have to apply for competitive grant funding and in the State Recreational Trails Fund there’s a million dollars,” Hein says. “That might do three miles of trail. At that rate, it’s going to take a few years but folks are plugging away at it.” Many of the trails in Iowa are existing, but creating the links between them would be a long process.

Still, the concept of a 37-hundred mile coast-to-coast trail of this sort is staggering — and alluring. “There’s a lot of interest and support across the country because it’s not just for bicycling,” Hein says. “People can get out and walk and run. These trails are really linear parks. Being able to connect across the country is pretty exciting from a transportation as well as recreation and tourism standpoints.”

Many segments of the proposed Great American Rail-Trail are to be built on former railroad beds, but it takes time to acquire other connecting tracts of the land, clear it, grade it and build the trails. “I’m optimistic that the interest and action and implementation of this will just continue to grow, especially as big visions like this are put forth by national organizations,” Hein says. “Iowa can be a very important piece to the entire puzzle.”

Current Iowa trails that would be incorporated under the plan include: Cedar Valley Nature Trail, High Trestle Trail, Raccoon River Valley Trail, the Heart of Iowa Trail and the T-Bone Trail. It will likely be several years before a truly statewide bicycle trail exists in Iowa, reaching from the Missouri River to the Mississippi. “I don’t know that we have really put a timeframe on it at this point,” Hein says. “This whole concept was just launched this spring. Folks are still getting a handle on it and working on how this vision could be implemented in Iowa.”

Learn more about the proposal at the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation website: http://www.inhf.org/blog/blog/the-great-american-railtrail/

Here’s a full list of the Iowa trails that would be incorporated in the effort:
• Government/Arsenal Bridge
• Mississippi River Trail/Riverfront Trail
• Running River Trail System
• Kent Stein to Deep Lakes Park Trail
• Hoover Nature Trail
• Cedar Valley Nature Trail
• Gilbert Drive Trail
• Evansdale Nature Trail
• River Forest Road Trail/Cedar River Levee Trail
• Cedar Valley Lakes Trail
• South Riverside Trail
• Cedar Prairie Trail
• Sergeant Road Trail
• Pioneer Trail
• Iowa River Trail
• Linn Creek Recreational Trail
• Iowa 330/US 30 Trail
• Heart of Iowa Nature Trail
• High Trestle Trail
• Raccoon River Valley Trail
• T-Bone Trail
• Railroad Highway Trail
• Valley View Trail
• Lake Manawa Trail
• Veterans Memorial Trail
• Western Historic Trails Center Link
• Iowa Riverfront Trail
• Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge

Police in Red Oak report 21-year old Steven Cody Esquivel, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 1:30 this (Monday) morning, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $1,000 bond.

Red Oak Police arrested 22-year old Daniel Joseph Pate, of Atlantic, Sunday night for Public Intoxication. Pate was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond. In a separate incident, Red Oak Police arrested 28-year old Randi Lynn VanLeuven, of Red Oak for violation of a no-contact order. Her bond was also set at $300.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

SEATTLE, Washington — KTIV in Sioux City reports Captain Al Haynes, who has been considered a hero for his abilities during the United Airlines Flight 232 crash, died on Sunday, at a hospital in Seattle. The flight crashed in July 1989 at the Sioux Gateway Airport, due to complete loss of all hydraulic lines when a tail fan failed. One hundred and twelve lives were lost in the crash. However, within 40 minutes, all 184 survivors had been found, triaged, and transported to local hospitals. Funeral services for Haynes have not yet been confirmed.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — The city of Davenport is considering changes in its landscaping near the Mississippi river to ensure that it has room for bigger barriers in future floods. City officials are considering spending $180,000 to remove two road dividers filled with dirt and plants to make way for the bigger barriers.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A sinkhole will continue interfering with traffic in downtown Dubuque for about another month. The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald reports city officials estimate that it will take that long to figure out what is causing the hole under a lane of White Street downtown and fix the problem.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — A man convicted of second-degree murder for a crash that killed two people has been sentenced to 70 years in prison. The Coloradoan reports 20-year-old Marcos Orozco was sentenced Friday in the deaths of Nicole Nees of Fort Collins and her father, John Nees of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The crash occurred Thanksgiving Day. Authorities say the victims were stopped at a red light when Orozco, driving a stolen pickup, crashed into the rear of their vehicle at 90 mph

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A man sentenced last year to 25 years for attempting to kill his wife in Dubuque now is seeking a competency evaluation, saying he should not have been allowed to enter a plea in the case. The Telegraph Herald reports that 52-year-old Clifford Smiley has filed a petition seeking the exam, saying he was bipolar, off his medication and addicted to heroin when he entered an Alford plea to attempted murder last August. A judge recently granted Smiley’s request, but prosecutors are objecting.