A traffic stop Monday night in Fremont County resulted in a high-speed pursuit and the arrest of a man on drug and other charges. Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports 25-year old Kevin Junior Booher, of Hamburg, was arrested on Interstate 29 after deputies were able to perform a P.I.T maneuver, which spun Booher’s vehicle around near mile-marker 18. Booher was charged with felony Eluding, felony Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Deliver, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and numerous traffic violations. He was being held in the Fremont County Jail awaiting an appearance before a magistrate.

Kevin Junior Booher (Booking photo)

The incident leading to his arrest began when the Fremont County K9 Unit tried to stop Booher’s vehicle. Booher refused to yield and instead lead deputies in a pursuit that reached speeds of up to 110 miles per hour. No injuries were reported.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has boosted the expected soybean crop to a new record. The agency’s monthly crop update, released Monday, says farmers are expected to produce 4.2 billion bushels of soybeans, an increase of 3 percent from last month’s estimate. It’s also a record for average bushels per acre at 50.6 and acres harvested at 83 million.

The estimated corn crop was reduced to 15.1 billion bushels as compared to last month’s estimate of 15.2 billion. But that still beats the previous high of 14.2 billion bushels in 2014. The huge harvest is still expected to suppress grain prices below farmers’ cost of production, causing most to lose money on corn and soybeans.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A coalition of agriculture, business and conservation leaders say they support a plan to increase Iowa’s sales tax to raise money for water quality and other natural resources programs. The Des Moines Register reports members of Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy Coalition on Monday proposed raising the sales tax by three-eighths of a cent. Organizers say they’ll push their plan at the upcoming legislative session, which begins in January.

The nearly two dozen members of the coalition include the Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Greater Des Moines Partnership and Iowa Ducks Unlimited. The poor quality of Iowa’s waterways has been receiving more attention, especially following a lawsuit filed by Des Moines Water Works against three northwest Iowa counties accusing them of wrongly allowing runoff from farms.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today (Monday) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making investments to improve water and waste infrastructure for 168 small towns across the country, including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The investment, totaling $283 million, is made through USDA Rural Development’s Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program, which provides assistance and financing to develop drinking water and waste disposal systems for communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.

Funding for each project announced today (Monday) is contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the loan, grant or loan/grant agreement. In southwest Iowa, the Fremont County City of Thurman received a $152,000 loan and a $144,000 grant, for water system improvements.

Since 2009, USDA Rural Development (@USDARD) has invested $13.5 billion for 5,739 water and waste infrastructure projects, benefiting 19.1 million rural residents.

A long time entertainment favorite will return to Atlantic this Wednesday (Sept. 14th), when the Atlantic Elks Lodge begins a weekly Bingo night. The Elks will be hosting bingo beginning at 6:30-pm on Wednesday nights with doors open at 6-pm. The event will be held on the lodge bottom floor with access available only from the rear of the building.

The public is invited and welcomed to attend and there will be food and non-alcoholic drinks available for purchase and free coffee. Patrons should be aware that the bathrooms available are not wheelchair accessible.  You must be 21 to be on the bingo floor.

Elks Exalted Ruler Jim Nodskog said “The ELKS are excited to make bingo games available to the public and our members for entertainment on a regular basis. We will be using the proceeds to help with our charitable work, including local school scholarships, boy scouting projects, school and youth projects, and veterans needs.”

The lodge is located at 501 Poplar St and there is parking located in the rear as well as around the streets and lots adjacent to the lodge.

The man who hopes to unseat 3rd District Congressional Republican incumbent David Young this fall, paid a visit to Atlantic over the weekend. Democrat Jim Mowrer, candidate for the US House of Representatives, met with 24 Cass County voters in Atlantic on Saturday, September 10th.

Photo provided by Sherry Toelle, Cass Co. Dem. Party Chair

At the Cass County Democratic Party Headquarters, Mowrer spoke about his childhood, growing up on a rural Boone County farm. His father died in a farming accident when Jim was 7 years old. The family lost their farm and moved into town, where his mother worked to support Jim and his sister. He cited Social Security survivor’s benefits as beneficial, keeping the family afloat financially. “I believe that when one of us falls, we are all better off when we help one another get back up and keep moving forward. I think that is what it’s all about.”

After graduating from high school, Jim joined the Iowa National Guard and was deployed for 23 months, serving in Iraq. He later served in the Pentagon as an analyst, saving money for the American taxpayer. Mowrer said he believes in passing paid family leave, fighting for income equality and getting dark money out of politics. “We need to raise the minimum wage. If you work forty hours a week in this country, you should not live in poverty,” Mowrer stated.

Mowrer answered questions from the audience regarding the military, gun control, and the budget. He plans to return to Cass County prior to the November elections. Mowrer lives in Des Moines with his wife Chelsey and their two sons, Carter and Jack.

(Press Release from the Cass Co. Democratic Party)

ELK POINT, S.D. (AP) – Multiple agencies continue to search for the body of a college student from Iowa who presumably drowned in the Missouri River in South Dakota while trying to help others. Union County (South Dakota) Sheriff Dan Limoges tells the Argus Leader that boats are still “going out every day.” Twenty-three-year-old Tom Patterson, of Frostburg, Maryland, was swimming with friends on Sept. 4 southwest of Elk Point (SD) when he disappeared.

Authorities have said that information from a witness indicates Patterson was trying to help other swimmers back to shore when he was swept away by the current. Limoges says the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department and its Nebraska counterpart are involved in the search. He says an airplane has flown over the area for three days.

Patterson had been attending Briar Cliff University.

A special election will be held Tuesday in Cass County for patrons of the Atlantic Community School District. Voters will determine the fate of two public measures related to the renewal of the 10-year Physical Plant and Equipment levy (PPEL) and, a State Income Surtax, which is designed to replace the tax on property in the district, which in-turn, will reduce the property tax rate – according to District officials. A simple majority of the vote is needed in order for the measure to pass.

The Atlantic Community School District consists of Cass, Audubon and Pottawattamie counties. The polls will open at Noon and close at 8-p.m. Tuesday (Sept. 13th). The election is “AT LARGE,” meaning that all residents of the entire school district may vote for the public measure.

Only two voting centers will be used during the election:

• Voting Center 1: Persons living in Wards 1, 4 and 5 of the City of Atlantic, will vote at HERITAGE HOUSE, 1200 Brook Ridge Circle in Atlantic.
• Voting Center 2: Persons living in the remainder of the Atlantic Community School District, being those voters residing in Audubon and Pottawattamie counties; Bear Grove, Benton, Brighton, Cass, Franklin, Grove, Pymosa and Washington townships of Cass County; the City of Marne; the City of Wiota; and Wards 2 and 3 of the City of Atlantic, will vote at the ATLANTIC PUBLIC LIBRARY (507 Poplar), Atlantic.

If you have further questions on where to vote, call the Cass County Election Commissioner (County Auditor) at 243-4570.

The following will appear on your ballot during the Special Election:

PUBLIC MEASURE B: ” Shall the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Community School District in the Counties of Cass, Pottawattamie, and Audubon, State of Iowa, be authorized for a period of ten (10) years, to levy and impose a voter approved physical plant and equipment tax not to exceed eighty-five cents (85¢) per one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) of assessed valuation of the taxable property within the school district, and be authorized annually, in combination, as determined by the board, to levy a physical plant and equipment property tax upon all the taxable property within the school district commencing with the levy of property taxes for collection in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017, and to impose a physical plant and equipment income surtax upon the state individual income tax of each individual income taxpayer resident in the school district on December 31 for each calendar year commencing with the 2017 calendar year, or each year thereafter, (the percent of income surtax not to exceed twenty percent (20%) to be determined by the board each year), to be used for the purposes permitted by Iowa law, it being understood that if this proposition should fail to be approved by the voters, such failure shall not be construed to terminate or restrict authority previously granted by the voters to levy a special tax for any one or more of the purposes permitted by Iowa law?”

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Linn County supervisors have voted to raise the county’s minimum wage a dollar on Jan. 1 the next three years, taking the wage to $10.25 an hour in 2019.  The board voted 4-1 Monday for the measure after its third and final reading. The county’s cities will be able to opt out and keep the national rate of $7.25 an hour.

Johnson County was the first in Iowa to raise the county’s minimum wage. In September last year the county’s Board of Supervisors approved a proposal that will raise the wage to $10.10 an hour by 2017 in three increments of 95 cents.

Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert today (Monday), said field and grassland Fire Danger updates will be provided on Monday’s and Thursday’s each week, through the harvest season. The purpose of the updates is to provide accurate data to Fire Chiefs, and the Public at large, regarding the current and expected Fire Danger for approximately 84 hours at a time.

Signs will be updated by 9-a.m. Monday and again by 9-a.m. Thursday, each week. Signs will also be placed in Shelby County communities that agree to change them on the days mentioned.  In rare events, such as vacations or during incidents, the EMS Coordinator may change the sign if requested.  Each community will be responsible for checking www.shelbycountyema.com on Monday, and Thursday mornings to get the current Fire Danger Rating.

Fire Danger rating will be a combination of the National Weather Service Grassland Fire Danger Index, as well as a review of the Probability of Ignition tables.  Based on these factors, the danger will be placed into one of the four categories: Low, Moderate, High and Extreme.

When the Fire Danger is….

• Low: You are asked to call in and report your burning projects to dispatch at 712-755-2124, and notify your local Fire Chief.
• Moderate: You are asked to call in and report your burning projects to dispatch at 712-755-2124, and notify your local Fire Chief. Timing for burns should be morning, or evening hours and extinguished by dark unless authorized by Fire Chief due to possible impacts to roads and health from smoke. Burns must be monitored at all times.
• High: Burning of any kind is restricted unless approval is received from local Fire Chief. Controlled burns that are not reported will result in Fire Department being dispatched, and Fires extinguished if determined to be un-safe. Please call 712-755-2124 with questions
• Extreme: – Burning is prohibited, unless you have a signed permit from the local Fire Chief. Fires on Extreme days can grow rapidly and pose a risk to the Health and Safety of the Community. If you have any questions please call 712-755-2124.

Seivert says they’re putting this information out to the public as an education tool, to lower the risk to responders and the public, of responding to controlled burns that are being properly carried out.  The importance of the program he says, is getting the Public to call in the burns to the Shelby County EMA, and getting the public in touch with the local Fire Chief who ultimately decides on how burning can be carried out under the published conditions.