Another community in northwest Iowa is reporting the appearance of counterfeit cash. A bank and a business in Le Mars were both passed bogus bills in the past few weeks. Fakes have also turned up recently in Spencer, Storm Lake, and Graettinger. Le Mars Police Chief Kevin Vande Vegte, says everyone should know some key ways to distinguish real from fake currency.

“The bills will have a watermark so if you tip them, you should see a shadow of a different picture in there,” Vande Vegte says. “The bills will have a change of color, so looking straight on a particular point in the bill will be a constant color if you turn it at a 45-degree angle.” One of the recent incidents in Le Mars involved a fake 50-dollar bill, which was clearly a counterfeit, while the other case involved a 100-dollar bill that was marked “For Motion Picture Use Only.”

Unfortunately, he says that movie currency looks realistic and is readily available over the internet. The chief says anyone who handles money should keep a sharp eye out for the counterfeits. “A big one you can’t forget is just the feel of the bill,” Vande Vegte says. “How does it feel in your hand? Does it feel too heavy? Does it feel too light? When you hold a bill in your hand, you should feel ridges because the U.S. Mint puts raised ink on those bills.”

Magic marker-style pens that are made specifically for checking the authenticity of bills are a must for any business that takes in a lot of big bills. “You can buy these readily online and they’re inexpensive,” Vande Vegte says. “In fact, we looked yesterday and there was a 5-pack for $7, so you can jump right on the internet and buy them.” The chief says he believes the two recent cases in Le Mars are -not- connected as the types of fake cash passed were so different.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds has named Iowa’s Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig as the state’s new agriculture secretary. Reynolds made the announcement Thursday. Naig will replace Bill Northey, who was confirmed on Tuesday by the U.S. Senate to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services within the U.S. Agriculture Department.

Naig, who has been deputy agriculture secretary since 2013, will serve the remainder of Northey’s term, which runs through January. Reynolds says Naig has the “experience, knowledge and staff connections necessary” for the post.

Naig says he plans to build “on the momentum that has been created on water quality and accelerating our adoption of conservation practices.”

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports 23-year old Blade Allen Fox, of Creston, was arrested Wednesday (2/28) at his residence, and charged with committing Sexual Abuse in the 3rd Degree.  Fox was later released from the Union County Jail on $10,000 bond.

And, a rural Creston woman reported Tuesday, that sometime during the previous 24-hours, her mailbox was damaged.  The loss was estimated at $100.

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced appointments today (Thursday) to fill Iowa’s boards and commissions. Locally, the following appointees begin their terms on May 1, 2018, and are subject to Senate confirmation:

Accountancy Examining Board: Robert Snodgrass, Creston

Commission on Community Action Agencies: Kelly Busch, Creston; Leland Shipley, Nodaway.

Credit Union Review Board: Timothy Marcsisak, Atlantic.

Early Childhood Iowa State Board: Jean Statlander, Manning.

Board of Educational Examiners: Kathy Behrens, Carroll.

Enhance Iowa Board:  John Burns, Council Bluffs.

Iowa Great Places Advisory Board: Trevor Toft, Denison.

Investment Board of IPERS: Michael Warmuth, Adel.

Board of Medicine: Kyle Ulveling, Carroll .

Board of Nursing Home Administrators: Charleen Schlepp, Coon Rapids.

Racing and Gaming Commission: Penny Gonseth Cheers, Afton.

Board of Respiratory Care: Lisa Kingery, Casey.

Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology: Douglas Leonard, Atlantic.

Commission on Tobacco Use Prevention and Control: Chad Jensen, Carroll.

Iowa Workforce Development Board: Becky Jacobsen, Denison, & John Krogman, Atlantic.

A man was arrested this (Thursday) morning in Council Bluffs, following a report of a person threatening to come to a towing business and shooting those inside the building. Council Bluffs Police say they were dispatched at around 10:50-a.m., to Arrow towing at 505 S. 15th St.

Officers then received a call that the suspect, later identified as 45-year old Brian Arrowsmith, of Council Bluffs, was at the Perfect Stay Inn at 802 Veteran’s Memorial Hwy room 17. As officers arrived they were told the suspect had just fled the hotel. Officers put Heartland Christian School on lock down and began to search the area. The hotel was checked and cleared.

Officers then deployed the police K-9 to track the suspect. Arrowsmith was located in a ditch hiding approximately three-quarters of a mile to the north east of the hotel. The man was taken to Pottawattamie County Jail. No weapon was ever located.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Sioux City authorities have released the name of a man whose body was found inside a burned sport utility vehicle. Police identified the man Thursday as 41-year-old Matthew Fisher, who lived in Sioux City. The fire was reported the evening of Feb. 18 in a SUV parked outside a residence. The fire and death are still being investigated.

To commemorate Atlantic’s Sesquicentennial this year, the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce is selling t-shirts on behalf of the Sesquicentennial Committee to celebrate the milestone. Chamber Executive Director Baily Smith said “We’re happy to provide the community with something to remember the year by. Community members will be able to keep these shirts as a memento for this community accomplishment.”

T-Shirts are available at the Rock Island Depot, located at 102 Chestnut Street, for $15. Sizes range from small to 3XL, with a limited amount of each size. There are also youth sizes available for $10. All proceeds from the shirt will go towards fireworks for the 4th of July. Sesquicentennial Co-Chair Steve Livengood said “The committee felt this was a great way to visually represent the city’s 150th birthday and a way to get the community involved to help celebrate.”

For information regarding events scheduled throughout the year, visit www.atlanticiowa.com or call City Hall at 712.243.4810. The Sesquicentennial Committee, co-chaired by Steve Livengood and Barb Barrick, meets the third Tuesday of every month at 5:30 PM at City Hall for those who are interested in getting involved.

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Kim Reynolds has ordered all state flags in Iowa to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise until sunset on Friday, March 2, 2018, in honor and remembrance of Reverend Billy Graham. The governor’s order is issued in conjunction with President Donald Trump’s proclamation to lower all United States flags to half-staff for the same length of time.

Flags will be at half-staff on the State Capitol Building and on flag displays in the Capitol Complex. Flags will also be half-staff on all public buildings, grounds and facilities throughout the state. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.

The Nodaway County Missouri Attorney’s Office reports a man from Cass County, IA, was sentenced Monday to three-years in prison on a rape charge. 21-year old Hunter Bechtol, of Atlantic, was found guilty by a grand jury, of Felony 2nd Degree Rape. The jury handed-down its unanimous verdict after just three-hours of deliberation, following a two-day trial in late January.

Bechtol was charged with having sexual intercourse without consent, with a confidential victim on the Northwest Missouri State University campus, last April. Second degree rape in Missouri is punishable by up to seven years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or any combination of the two penalties. The prosecution had argued for a seven-year sentence, while Bechtol’s attorneys asked for probation.

The East Pottawattamie County 4-H program offered “STEM Kids” after school program on Wednesday’s in February from 3:00 – 4:30pm at the Carson Fire Station Meeting Room for all 4th grade youth.  11 excited youth spent Wednesday afternoons leaning about science, technology, engineering and math through hands on activities, teamwork and experiments.  Throughout the month of February, youth learned about the engineering design process by making their own “machines” to move and sort candy; force and energy through making their own roller coasters with loops and hills out of pool noodles; did experiments with popcorn, and learned why bubbles are round along with different bubble experiments.

The Cooking with Kids Afterschool program is being offered to 4th graders attending the AHSTW Schools on Tuesday’s during the month of March.

STEM Kids Riverside – Dane Martens, Trent Spiering, Bailey Richardson, Jackson Allen, Jayka Mark, Adaline Martens, AJ Kremkoski, Sam Bernard, Keagan Allensworth, Danika Feigenbutz