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

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The Creston Police Department says a business in Creston reported Monday morning an incident of vandalism. Supreme Cleaners told authorities that sometime between
Feb. 24th and 27th, someone spray painted the back wall of the business. The damage was estimated at $50.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports the arrest Sunday night of 44-year old Verlyn Duane Richardson, of Audubon. Richardson was arrested by Mills County Deputies at around 8:45-p.m. in Glenwood, on an Audubon Police Dept. warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault, Interference with Official Acts and Disorderly Conduct. Richardson was transported to the Audubon County Jail and after appearing before the magistrate, was released on a Promise to Appear later, in  court.

On Sunday, 36-year old Angela Marie Cerda, of Audubon, was arrested for Theft in the 3rd Degree. She was later released by the magistrate on a Promise to Appear in court.

And, on Feb. 17th, 35-year old Amanda Lynn Thompson, of Audubon, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. She was later released on bond.

(7-a.m. News)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A county-owned hospital in western Iowa has released to the public how much it paid the husband of a woman whose death was blamed on a botched colonoscopy. Settlement documents released by Crawford County Memorial Hospital show it and its insurer paid $500,000 to Eugene Christiansen, whose wife, Carole, died in November 2014 after her colon was accidentally torn.

The hospital had refused to release the settlement documents, saying the money was deposited into an estate account that was sealed by a judge. State law bars government agencies from entering into secret settlements of lawsuits.

The Carroll Daily Times Herald and the Iowa Freedom of Information Council took the matter to court. On Friday a judge ordered the hospital to disclose the settlement publicly.

Poultry producers in Iowa are again on-guard for avian influenza after a wild duck in Montana was recently diagnosed with the illness. Iowa had more losses than any other state after a bird flu outbreak in 2015. The U-S-D-A’s chief veterinarian, Dr. Jack Shere, says producers statewide need to be watchful for any problems in their flocks.

Dr. Shere says, “The fact that this strain is being maintained in the wild bird population, maybe not at a high level, but that it’s out there, tells us and tells our poultry producers you better be vigilant, you better be on your biosecurity, you better be looking out for this and you’d better be watching your birds very carefully for any signs of sickness.”

Shere says ramping up biosecurity is one answer but that’s hard to do after an outbreak is already underway.  “Many times in these outbreaks, you’re behind the eight ball when you find it and you’re chasing and tracing behind where infection has already occured,” Shere says. “The best thing you can do is cordon it off and try to depopulate the animals quickly, which is what we found out in 2015.”

A large bird flu outbreak was reported recently in South Korea and 30-million birds were destroyed, boosting demand for the export of eggs from Iowa producers. It’s believed the disease is spread by migrating wild waterfowl like geese and ducks. Given the latest case in Montana, Shere says the U-S-D-A is continuing to monitor for the virus.

“Most of the samples that we take are hunter harvest survey testing,” he says. “We have a blanketed plan that blankets the high poultry producing states in the United States with samples, a certain number per state and we use that plan to test. We do also test if there’s a large bird die-off.”

During the 2015 bird flu outbreak, cases were confirmed at 77 Iowa poultry operations in 18 counties. It resulted in the destruction of more than 31-million birds and an economic loss to the state of one-point-two billion dollars.

(Radio Iowa)

A new Police Officer and City Clerk will officially be sworn-in Wednesday evening, during a regular meeting of the Atlantic City Council, which begins at 5:30. First up on the agenda (After approval of the agenda and related items), is Mayor Dave Jones, who will administer the Oath of Office to Police Officer Brock Thompson, who hails from the Cedar Rapids area and comes from a background of military service. Thompson, his wife Hilary and young daughter Natalie, will be settling in Atlantic. He’s one of two new Officers to join the City since the beginning of the new year. Officer Cameron Ward, from Griswold, was sworn-in early last month. Both men were hired as a result of openings created on the Atlantic Police force, with the promotions of two officers, and of Lt. Dave Erickson to Chief of Police.

The Mayor will also administer the Oath of Office to City Clerk Barb Barrick, who succeeds Deb Wheatley-Field. Deb retired after more than 35-years with the City. Her last official day was on Friday.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on closing certain streets for the May 20th Ba-da-Ba-da Bing Bang Military vehicle rally and cruise, that has been well attended since its inception two-years ago. The road closures are similar to those which took place last year along the route, which begins and concludes at the Armory (2nd & Poplar) and will result in temporary Atlantic Police Department traffic control efforts at several intersections along the way. The vehicles and their drivers will get a 30 minute break at 3-p.m. that day in the Wal-Mart parking lot, before returning to the Armory.

The Atlantic City Council will also hold a Public Hearing on a proposal to enter into a General Obligation Equipment Acquisition Loan Agreement and borrowing of money not to exceed $360,000. The funds will be used to purchase two major pieces of equipment for the Street Department (a new boom truck for $180k, and a new loader for $179k). The five-year contract, if approved, would be with TS Bank at an annual interest rate of 2.9%. The Council will act on a Resolution to approve the agreement following the hearing.

They’ll also hold a Public Hearing on the FY 2018 City of Atlantic Budget, which amounts to just under $12.5-million, a decrease from last year of 14.78%, or more than $1.847-million. The proposed Budget calls for a property tax increase of 1.48-percent. In addition, the Council will act on setting the date for a Public Hearing pertaining to the amending of the Code of Ordinances by repealing a Chapter and amendments with regard to Zoning and replacing it with an updated Zoning Ordinance that took more than five-years to revamp and an 11 page Executive Summary to cover it all.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa group has devised a strategy to keep monarch butterflies off the national endangered species list. The Des Moines Register reports that the 135-page plan issued Monday is aimed at helping farmers, backyard gardeners and others boost monarch butterfly habitat in Iowa. Nearly 40 agriculture, conservation, business, utility and government groups, calling themselves the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium, pulled together the strategy.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering protecting monarch butterflies under the Endangered Species Act. Supporters of the protection say farming in the Midwest is among the reasons for monarch’s decline.

Steve Bradbury is an Iowa State University entomologist, and he says it’s unclear exactly how many habitat acres Iowa should add to help keep monarch butterflies off the national endangered species list.

A Red Oak man was arrested this (Tuesday) morning on an assault charge. Police say 36-year old Luke Daniel Rinehart was taken into custody at around 3:18-a.m. in the 300 block of 2nd Avenue, in Red Oak. Rinehart was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault. He was being held without bond pending an appearance before a Magistrate.

A traffic stop Monday night in Adams County resulted in the arrest of a woman on multiple charges. 28-year old Trisha Mitchell, of Lenox, was placed under arrest at around 7:30-p.m., for OWI/1st offense, Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Carrying Weapons, and Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs. Her bond at the Adams County Jail, was set at $5,300.