Three legislative coffees have been scheduled in Cass County for the 2019 session. The events are being presented by the Progressive Rural Iowa Development Enterprise, P.R.I.D.E. economic development organization. The public is welcome to attend the first meeting set for 1-p.m., Feb. 9th, at the Cumberland Fire Station (2nd and Main Street), in Cumberland.

The other two coffees will take place Saturday, March 9, 1 – 2 p.m. at the Marne Community Center, and Saturday, April 13, 1 – 2 p.m. at the Lewis Activity Center.

Clarke Gerlock, vice-president of P.R.I.D.E.., says “The greatest thing about these coffees is our ability to talk with our elected leaders like they are our friends and neighbors, because they are. Cass County legislators have appreciated for years the tremendous turnout from citizens in our area.

Senator Tom Shipley and Rep. Tom Moore come to our towns in their district to hear our views. When we participate in these coffees, they know what matters to us for our children’s schools, employment and business opportunities, population decline, water quality, community development, and other important issues. Helping our legislators understand what’s going on in our area is important, so please bring your thoughts and join us.”

P.R.I.D.E. is the economic development organization focusing on family-friendly communities, businesses, and citizens for Southwest Iowa. For additional information, please contact Clarke Gerlock at 712-774-5476, or Kenner Baxter, president, at 781-2395.

The Atlantic Police Department released details on two arrests earlier this month.

On Thursday, January 17th Atlantic Police arrested 36-year-old Samuel Farley of Anita on a charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance. Farley was taken into custody and transported to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

On Friday, January 18th Atlantic Police arrested 57-year-old Donald Gutschenritter of Atlantic for Possession of Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia charges. He was taken into custody and booked into the Cass County Jail.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports four people were hurt during separate crashes over the weekend. The first took place at around 4:20-p.m. Saturday on Henry Wallace Road, near the intersection with 300th Street. Authorities say a 2014 Ford Escape driven by 23-year old Brooke Zollman, of Orient, was traveling northbound. She slowed and signaled to turn right onto 300th Street. A passenger in her SUV noticed the vehicle behind them wasn’t slowing down.

Zollman attempted to rapidly accelerate into the turn to avoid being struck by the other vehicle, a 2001 Ford pickup, but her vehicle was struck from behind by the pickup. The impact caused the car to be forced into the northeast ditch before it rolled and came to rest on its wheels. The pickup, driven by 26-year old Wyatt Towne, of Clive, stopped on the road. Towne told Deputies he was looking through his wallet and didn’t see the SUV slowing down and attempting to turn.

Zollman complained of pain and was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Creston, along with a female juvenile passenger in her vehicle. Towne was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Greenfield. He was subsequently cited for Following too close. Both vehicles were totaled, with the damage amounting to $25,000.

The second accident in Adair County happened at around 10:55-p.m. Saturday. A 2009 Nissan Altima driven by 57-year old Jeffrey Newton, of Greenfield, was traveling south on Highway 25 near the intersection with 150th Street, when the car went out of control. The vehicle entered the west ditch, struck a pile of rock/snow and flipped end-over-end before going airborne. The car came to rest in the west ditch.

Newton was removed from the wreckage by mechanical means and transported by Mercy Air to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. Deputies say he had an odor of alcohol on his breath, along with bloodshot, watery eyes. Newton admitted to consuming alcohol prior to getting behind the wheel. He said he had had “Too much.” Blood was taken from him to determine the level of intoxication. Charges are pending return of the results from the lab. Newton’s car was totaled in the crash.

The Iowa State Patrol has released the name of the woman who died in a crash that happened just before 7:45-a.m. today (Monday), on Interstate 80, between Avoca and Walnut. Authorities say a back seat passenger in a 2006 Hyundai Sonata, 50-year old Antonieta Altamirano Serrano, of Bountiful, UT., died in the crash. The driver of the car, 38-year old old Melvin Rigoberto Diaz Portillo, and his front seat passenger, 46-year old Reina Leiva De Lucero, both of Gaithersburg, MD., were injured and transported by Walnut Rescue to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, in Atlantic.

The accident happened, when a 2009 Peterbilt semi driven by 59-year old Jeffrey Charles Thomas, of Silver City, rear-ended the car, as the Hyundai was traveling slowly for reasons unknown, in the right lane. Following the collision, the car came to rest in the south ditch. Thomas was not injured in the crash.

The accident remains under investigation. Walnut Fire and Rescue, Medivac Ambulance and Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Enforcement assisted the Patrol at the crash scene.

Authorities say two-people were injured, another killed during a crash on I-80 Monday morning between Walnut and Avoca. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the injuries and death happened when a semi rear-ended the vehicle at around 7:45-a.m., in the eastbound lanes of travel.

A woman in the backseat died. Her name has not yet been released, pending notification of family. The front seat occupants, 38-year old Melvin Rigoberto Diaz Portillo, and 46-year old Reina Leiva De Lucero, both of Gaitherbung, Maryland were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, in Atlantic.The driver of the semi, Jeffrey Thomas, of Silver City, was not injured.

The Iowa State Patrol acknowledged that the roads were getting icy in the area, at the time of the crash.