An Atlantic resident, upset about a stolen cement yard ornament she’s owned for about 30-years, says if the person who took it returns it, undamaged, she won’t press charges. The woman, who resides in the 600 block of Elm Street, told KJAN News the 12-inch tall, black statue of a female “Hillbilly,” was taken sometime April 10th or early April 11th. And, while it’s only worth about $30, the sentimental value means much more to the woman from whom it was stolen.

The incident has been reported to the Atlantic Police Department, and the victim says a neighbor has surveillance video of the thief that police are reviewing. The woman promises that if the thief returns the statue in one piece, or can direct authorities to where it is, no charges will be filed.

A two-state pursuit Thursday that began in Fremont County, ended in Nebraska with the suspect crashing into three sheriff’s department vehicles and an arrest. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports 39-year old Jay Rickman, of Eagle, NE., was finally arrested with the assistance of a Fremont County K9 Unit. The incident began, when the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a possible wanted subject staying at a hotel in Percival, Iowa. Deputies were advised the subject was possibly armed, and had made statements that he would kill law enforcement if they attempted to arrest him.

Deputies attempted to stop a 1999 Chrysler Sebring at the intersection of 195th Street and Highway 2, when the vehicle fled the area and traveled west on Highway 2 reaching speeds of about 115mph. The vehicle continued west on Hwy 2 into Nebraska, where Otoe County deputies began leading the pursuit. The vehicle attempted to turn north on Highway 43, west of Palmyra, NE., when it went out of control. The vehicle then rammed an Otoe County Deputy’s vehicle, causing disabling damage. The car then rammed a Fremont County vehicle, causing minor damage, and rammed a second Fremont County vehicle, causing extensive damage to the deputy’s vehicle and disabling the suspect vehicle.

Charges against Rickman are pending in Fremont County for Felony Eluding from law enforcement.

An update is expected this (Friday) afternoon on the search for a missing autistic boy in northeast Iowa. Law officers involved in the search, centered in Black Hawk County, are holding a news conference at 2 o’clock this afternoon. Reports indicate there is -no- news on the whereabouts of 16-year-old Jake Wilson. He walked away from his home in LaPorte City almost two weeks ago, the night of April 7th. Hundreds of volunteers had joined in the search, which was scaled back in recent days.

SIBLEY, Iowa (AP) — A former football coach and teacher accused of sexually assaulting a child in northwest Iowa has been imprisoned for a similar crime in Nebraska. Court records say 39-year-old Kyle Ewinger was sentenced Thursday to 55 to 85 years and credited for 105 days already served. In January a jury in Omaha found him guilty of sexual assault of a child. Prosecutors say he assaulted the 9-year-old son of a woman he was dating in 2012 and 2013.

Osceola County District Court records in Iowa say the former Sibley-Ocheyedan coach was fired after the district superintendent found him sleeping in his classroom next to a 10-year-old in October 2015.
Ewinger has pleaded not guilty. His trial start was set to begin April 10 but was delayed until Aug. 28.

Officials with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office said today (Friday), that 39-year old Jacob Benjamin Tuttle, of Omaha, was arrested late Thursday morning in Neola, on a Sarpy County, Nebraska, warrant for being a Fugitive from Justice.  Tuttle was taken into custody after a Pott. County Deputy responded to a residence in the 200 block of 4th Street in Neola, to assist the DHS with a Child welfare check investigation. Altogether, three people were charged with gathering where drugs are used and one person was additionally charged with possession of a controlled substance, marijuana.

Tuttle was additionally charged with Hosting a Drug House and Possession of a Controlled Substance. A resident of the home, 36-year old Staci Lynn Ashley, of Neola, was charged with hosting a drug house, and 28-year old Danni Jo Bohnenkamp, of Council Bluffs was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance. Authorities found 1 gram of methamphetamine and 12.9-grams of marijuana during their investigation into activities at the home.

The Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund donated $1500.00 to the Atlantic Sports Youth Association to place agrilime on some of the fields at the Atlantic Sports Complex.  Fund spokesperson, and Trevor’s mom, Melanie Petty, said “We are happy to help out such a wonderful organization that our family has personally been involved with for many years.  We look forward to seeing the season start in just a few short weeks.”

Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren and members of the ASYA.

The 10th Annual TFred Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, August 11th at Nishna Hills Golf Course.  This is the organization’s only fundraiser for the year.  You’re asked to consider getting a team together for a fun day of golf or stop out and bid on silent auction items. Petty says “We always have a great day and all money is donated back to the community that Trevor loved.”

The Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

DES MOINES, IOWA – Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 2.8 percent in March. The state’s jobless rate was 3.3 percent one year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent in March. Beth Townsend, Iowa Workforce Development Director, said Friday (Today), that  “Iowa’s economy continued to show overall gains in job growth with a drop in the unemployment rate in March to 2.8 percent. Iowa has added a net of 10,600 jobs since last March including manufacturing jobs that increased by 10,400 alone.” Townsend said also, “Iowa currently has 224,200 manufacturing jobs and the number is trending upward.  Increasing the skilled worker labor pool continues to be a pressing issue and the unanimous passage of the Future Ready Iowa Act by the Legislature, signed by Governor Reynolds on April 3, is a significant step in addressing that need.”

The number of unemployed Iowans decreased to 47,300 in March from 47,900 in February. The current estimate is 8,200 lower than the year ago level of 55,500.  The total number of working Iowans increased to 1,626,100 in March. This figure was 500 higher than February and 300 higher than one year ago.

Iowa businesses shed 600 jobs from payrolls in March, lowering total non-farm employment down to 1,582,100 jobs. This is the second decline to begin 2018, and this month’s loss was localized entirely within private services. Goods producing industries added jobs for the second consecutive month. Private services shed 2,100 jobs, completely offsetting a gain of 1,700 last month. Government was little changed versus February and is up 500 jobs compared to last March.

Construction sectors added the most jobs in March (+1,300), marking the second consecutive increase in jobs. This sector experienced declines throughout most of 2017 and to begin the year, so the monthly gains are welcomed news for this industry. Professional, scientific, and technical services advanced by 700 jobs, partially due to gains in law offices and tax preparation services. Elsewhere, gains were seen in finance and insurance (+500), transportation (+300), and arts and entertainment (+300). Alternatively, losses continued to plague retail, which shed 1,800 jobs in March. This sector has steadily trended down since October. Accommodations and food services also lost jobs this month (-1,100) and have lost 1,800 jobs thus far this year. Smaller losses this month included private education (-500), other services (-500), and wholesale trade (-200).

Since last March, a total of 10,600 jobs have been added. Manufacturing continues to trend upward and has increased by 10,400 jobs alone. Durable goods factories have contributed 7,900 jobs added versus 2,500 in nondurable goods workshops. Finance and insurance industries experienced a surge in hiring to end the year and now rests up 2,900 jobs since last March, matching the annual gains in healthcare and social assistance. Following recent declines, retail now trails last year’s mark by 4,600 jobs. Construction also lags behind last year’s level (-3,900); however, this number has been declining as construction has shown signs of hiring over the past few months.

This week the Iowa House unanimously passed a bill designed that may give rural Iowans who don’t have ready access to ambulance services another avenue to get it. Representative Zach Nunn of Bondurant says Myrna Hunt’s story about her husband’s heart attack in late 2013 helped spur the action. Hunt told legislators her husband died on their front steps in Runnells, just a couple of blocks away from the volunteer fire department. “She called 911 for the volunteers to come and after 20 minutes she called 911 again and more than an hour later, when the volunteers finally arrived and escorted her husband to a hospital here in Des Moines, he’d already passed away from cardiac arrest,” Nunn said. “This is just one of many tales that come from our volunteers across the state who are doing the best they can with limited resources.”

The bill would let residents in unincorporated areas — outside city limits — petition for a vote that would raise property taxes in the township to pay for emergency medical services. Representative Amy Nielsen, the former mayor of North Liberty, says the lack of access to ambulance services in rural areas is troubling. “I believe that this bill is a good first step in making EMS an essential service, just like fire protection,” Nielsen says. Representative Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton says legislators have been working on this bill for six years. “I think all of us enjoy going to our EMS ambulance service pancake breakfasts, but that’s ridiculous that they have to do that just to be able to fill the gaps in their budget,” Kaufmann says. “…This bill is just a start, but I think it’s a great start.”

The bill now goes to the Senate for review.

(Radio Iowa)

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A monthly survey of bankers shows that concerns over a trade war have hurt confidence in the economy in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says weak farm income continues to weigh on the rural economy, but that the survey in recent months shows the economy is trending upward.

The overall Rural Mainstreet index slipped slightly to 53.5 in April from 54.7 in March. Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy in the months ahead, while a score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy.

Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.