An man was found dead in an overturned vehicle in a farm pond on Tuesday near Sidney.  The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office received a call at 10:07pm Tuesday that a vehicle was overturned in a farm pond located at 3021 165th Street in Anderson, near Sidney.  The body of 55-year-old James Leroy Vrbsky of Anderson was recovered from the vehicle.

The 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup registered to Vrbsky was pulled from the water at 12:22am Wednesday.  Vrbsky was the lone occupant in the vehicle.  An autopsy has been scheduled at the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office.

Investigators determined that Vrbsky was last seen by neighbors on September 22nd placing fishing equipment in his vehicle at his residence, and his vehicle had not returned to his residence since that time.

The Midwest Regional Dive Team, Sidney Fire and Rescue, the Iowa State Patrol, Benefiel Towing, and the Fremont County Medical Examiner assisted the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office with the call.

Funeral Services for Vrbsky are pending with the Hackett Livingston Funeral Home in Shenandoah.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (Sept. 20, 2016) – Barbara Carlson of  First Whitney Bank & Trust in Atlantic was recently honored by the Iowa Bankers Association (IBA) for more than 50 years of service at a bank. The award was presented to Barbara during the IBA Annual Convention on Sept. 20^th in Des Moines. Barbara was one of 24 individuals recognized for reaching the 50-year service milestone.

“Iowa banks have been a trusted resource for Iowans for more than 100 years. We are honored to have the commitment and experience of bankers like Barbara who have worked to provide valuable service to Iowa bank customers and their communities for more than half a century,” said IBA President and CEO John Sorensen.

Barbara began her banking career in 1966 at the First Whitney Bank in Atlantic. One of the biggest changes in 50 years is the transition from hand filing and posting to using scanners and computers. Barbara and her husband Jim have been married for 51 years, and have been farming the same amount of time – Jim providing the labor, and Barbara doing the book-work.  Over the years, Barbara has been on many boards and councils and loves to read, quilt and play cards now that she is working part time at the bank.

w/ Chris Parks

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A group of residents wants Council Bluffs to lift its ban on pit bull dogs.

The Daily Nonpareil reports that about 25 people attended Monday night’s City Council meeting asking for the repeal.

The ban has been on the books since 2005, when officials said they were banning the breed in an effort to reduce dog bites.

Resident Shala Richardson says that hasn’t happened, citing figures she requested from local officials.

Patricia Fuller says she believes the only way to reduce dog bites is to require more responsible dog ownership.

Council member Melissa Head says she’s open to the idea of walking back the ban. Three of the five council members would have to agree for the ban to be repealed.

A Red Oak woman was arrested for Trespassing on Tuesday.  The Red Oak Police Department arrested 50-year-old Barbara Darlene Wilson of Red Oak for Trespassing.  On Monday Wilson was found inside a residence in the 100 block of W Grimes Street without permission or the right to be there. Officers determined that Wilson had no intent to commit a theft. She was taken tot he Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held on $300 bond.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office recovered a stolen UTV in a corn field on Tuesday.  At 2:30pm deputies recovered a RED 2014 Polaris Ranger in a corn field near the intersection of 260th Street and Vine Avenue in Montgomery County.  The owner, Trent Mayer, had contacted the Page County Sheriff’s Office and reported it stolen on July 31st this year.  No further details are known at this time.

After a comprehensive search that started in the spring of 2015, the board of directors and staff of the Museum of Danish America are announcing the selection of Rasmus Thøgersen as its new executive director.

Thøgersen (pronounced too-er-sen) is from Hellerup, the suburb north of Copenhagen in Denmark. He is presently the director of the Morton-James Public Library in Nebraska City, Nebraska, and completed his bachelor’s degree from The Royal School of Library and Information Science at the University of Copenhagen. He holds a joint master’s degree from the Universities of Oslo, Parma an­d Tallinn.

Thøgersen will begin his work at the museum on December 1, ahead of the planned retirement of current director Dr. John Mark Nielsen, who has led the museum in the position since 2003. The pair will work together over a two-month period of transition.

In his application package Thøgersen noted, “Beyond my qualifications, I represent the very narrative being told by the museum. Originally a librarian from Denmark, an undergraduate study abroad experience in the U.S. spurred me toward international opportunities – in Belgium, Norway, Estonia, Italy, Switzerland, and New Zealand.  In 2014 I followed my wife back to her native Nebraska. (Jennifer is on the faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.) Over the next year, I acquired my green card, becoming the director of the Morton-James Public Library. I consider myself a Danish-American achiever and take a great deal of pride in that identity.”

Thøgersen’s role will include both strategic and operational components, from day-to-day administrative responsibilities to the development of strategic plans that advance the museum’s position as the national museum for Danish-American heritage and culture. He will also assure continued compliance with legal, financial, accounting and ethical requirements, including the standards and practices set forth by the American Alliance of Museums, with whom the museum is currently in the process of becoming accredited.

Nielsen remarked, “Since this past March, I have met with Rasmus a number of times, and he has an engaging personality.  He brings experiences and skill sets that complement an already strong staff – a staff that also shares my excitement.”

More about the Museum of Danish America can be found at danishmuseum.org. Welcome messages can be posted to the museum’s Facebook page: facebook.com/danishmuseum.

Coming up in the month of October the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the County Engineer and the Iowa State Patrol will work to make our roads safer as part of the High 5 Rural Traffic Safety Project.

The project is funded by the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau and uses traffic data to target areas of the state with a high crash rate and low seat belt usage.  The goal is to increase seat belt use and decrease crashes by improving roadways and changing driver behavior.

Drivers need to take driving seriously.  Buckle up, pay attention to the road, and slow down.  Be part of the solution by being a safe driver.

cass-co-hi-5-poster

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports that their office is currently investigating a couple of recent incidents of theft in the area.

On September 20th the Page County Sheriff’s Office started an investigation for a burglary that occurred at 2971 270^th Street in Page County on the east side of Clarinda.  The burglary occurred sometime between 7:30 PM on September 19th and 6:30 AM September 20, 2016.  The property owner Terry New reported several guns stolen from the residence along with other items missing or damaged.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office has been actively investigating this incident along with others.  Several of the items New reported have been recovered including guns.

This incident continues to be investigated.  Information will be released when more is available.

Also on September 23, 2016 at approximately 6:40 PM, The Page County Sheriff’s Office received a report from Jeffrey David Mulkins of Clarinda of theft from a building in the 2900 block of 265^th Street, East of Shambaugh.  During the investigation Deputies determined that a black Hull utility trailer with ramp, a white Texaco Sign, a Stihl weed eater, and a Stihl leaf blower were stolen from a building on the property.  This incident remains under investigation.  Anyone with information about this theft is asked to call the Page County Sheriff’s Office @ 712-542-5193 or their local Law Enforcement agency.

Audubon County Emergency Management is warning residents and emergency personnel of an upcoming road closure to replace a bridge with a culvert.  The 3000 block of 350th Street will be closed beginning on Monday, October 3rd and will continue to be closed for approximately two weeks, weather permitting.

Crews will be working to replace the the bridge near the middle of the mile on 350th Street between Thrush Avenue and Union Avenue (Akron Road in Cass County), south of Audubon Township section 36.

It is requested that emergency personnel plan alternate routes for emergency response to nearby residents as the work is completed.

If you have any questions, please call the Audubon County Engineer at 712-563-4286.