Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, Tuesday, denied five prisoners’ applications for commutation of their sentences. Among them was 40-year old Edgar M. Cardona, who committed his crime on November 11th, 2003, in Pottawattamie County. Cardona is currently serving a twenty-five year sentence for first-degree robbery.

The Governor also denied 81-year old Earl Thompson‘s request for commutation. Thompson committed his crime on January 21st, 1961, in Dallas County. He is currently serving a life sentence for first-degree murder.

Commutation denotes the modification or reduction of a punishment. Under Iowa law, first-degree murder is punishable by life in prison without parole. Branstad has commuted only three life sentences during his 20 years in office.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Months after videos of people dumping buckets of icy water over their heads flooded the Internet, the Iowa chapter of the ALS Association has announced how it plans to use funds raised during the campaign. Josh Nuss, the chapter’s executive director, said Wednesday that the $350,000 raised statewide last year through the ice bucket challenge will be invested over the next three years to help Iowans ailing from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Nuss says donations will directly support ALS clinics in Iowa, add staffers for local care services, contribute to the chapter’s general grant program for medical expenses and purchase loan equipment available for Iowans to use free of charge.

From July 29 to Aug. 27, the national ALS Association raised $94 million. For more information, visit the Iowa chapter’s website at www.alsaiowa.org.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday), approved the appointment of former Atlantic Track Coach Bruce Henderson, to fill a vacancy term on the Southern Iowa Regional Housing Authority (SIRHA). Henderson’s term will run through 2017. The Board also approved a bid from A.M. Cohron for replacement of a bridge over Baughman Creek, near the Griswold Golf and Country Club.

Cohron’s bid was the lowest of two for the project, at $655, 835, which Engineer Charles Marker said was also close to the engineer’s estimated cost. The contract, as written, states the project will begin no later than July 6th. Amy Hook and her husband James have owned and run the Griswold Golf and Country Club for nine seasons. The business is located one-mile east of Griswold on Highway 92, and one-mile north on 560th Street. Amy Hook requested the start of the project be delayed until September, so as to not affect their business during the busiest part of the golf season.

The Board discussed placing gravel on a Level B road that can be used to access the golf course, but Marker said it would cost $5-to 10,000-dollars to accomplish. Even if they chose to do that, he said there currently is no road rock available, only larger gravel is available, and that cannot be used for that application.

Hook agreed the road as it is, is not conducive to traffic coming to their business. The Board discussed with Engineer Charles Marker the feasibility of delaying the bridge replacement project until September, but Marker said it’s too early to say right now, if that is possible, because of the process it takes to get the contract signed. Amending the contract to provide for a later start date, makes the process more involved and requires additional discussion with the contractor, not to mention additional cost to the County.

The Board is expected to review the contract after it’s signed by Cohron, during their next meeting. In other business, the Supervisors received a quarterly report from Cass County Veterans Affairs Director Mitch Holmes, and they approved an amendment to a Cooperative Reimbursement Agreement with the DHS/Bureau of Collections, with regard to wording about confidentiality.

More area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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One of two male students who escaped early Tuesday morning from the Clarinda Academy, has been apprehended. Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers said Kenneth “Kenny” Earnest Saunsoci, of Rapid City, South Dakota, was apprehended today (Wednesday), at around 2-a.m. by officers with the Omaha Police Department. Saunsoci is currently being held in the Douglas County, Nebraska Youth Detention Center pending action by juvenile court authorities in South Dakota and the Clarinda Academy administration. A second student, Lukas Trent Barse, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, remains at large. The boys, both of Native American descent, escaped the facility at around 2-a.m. Tuesday, by jumping out a dormitory window.
Authorities believe they stole a 2007 Toyota Camry from Clarinda. The vehicle was recovered Tuesday morning, in Omaha.

A teenager from Creston was charged Monday afternoon, with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana. Creston Police say 16-year old Jami Graham was referred to Juvenile authorities, and then released to the custody of her grandmother.

And, the Creston P-D says a resident in Corning reported that someone took a Samsung Galaxy S4 cell phone out of a locker at his place of employment in Creston, at 500 Industrial Parkway (Farley and Sanders Candy Company). The theft, which took place sometime between 3:30-a.m. 7:30-a.m. Tuesday, resulted in a loss estimated at $220.

The 7:06-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors in Iowa has borrowed $865,000 to pay for high-tech equipment and building improvements. The Sioux City Journal reports the board approved issuing a capital loan note on Tuesday for money to be spent in the current fiscal year. The money will be used to pay for several projects including a new roof at the Prairie Hills jail annex east of Sioux City.

Funds will also be used to upgrade technology for the county’s Information and Communications Commission and computer equipment for the Climbing Hill building used for emergency services. Officials say the loan will be repaid over five years.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa agriculture officials say three additional Iowa poultry farms show signs of the presence of bird flu including two more turkey farms in Buena Vista County, raising the number in the county to 10. A Sioux County egg-laying operation with 60,000 chickens also appears to have the virus. Testing is underway to confirm the disease. The farms experienced an unusual number of bird deaths, prompting an initial test which indicated presence of the H5N2 virus.

The new cases raise Iowa’s total number to 28 cases in 11 counties. More than 20 million of Iowa’s chickens will be affected if the latest cases are confirmed. The number of turkeys to be lost is approaching 500,000.