A traffic stop early this (Tuesday) morning at the intersection of 222nd Street & Highway 48, south of Red Oak, has resulted in two drug-related arrests. Montgomery County Sheriff’s officials say 45-year old James Keith Saufley, Jr., of Hepburn, was taken into custody at around 3:47-a.m., on charges that include Possession of Methamphetamine and Carrying Weapons. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $2,000 bond. Another person in the vehicle, 41-year old Amy Michelle Stiner, also of Hepburn, was arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She was released from the jail after receiving a citation.Red Oak Police assisted deputies in conducting the arrests and investigation.

Fire officials near Red Oak say an investigation has determined an electrical problem was the likely cause of a house fire that occurred late last week. The blaze at 2359 Highway 48 just south of Red Oak, happened at around 6:30-p.m., Thursday. The flames were visible from about a mile away as the first crews were arriving.

No one was injured in the blaze that caused about $60,000 damage to the two-story structure owned by Duane Barkman. Firefighters from Red Oak, Elliott, Essex and Stanton had responded to the scene.

The latest U-S-D-A crop report says farmers harvested one-tenth of the state’s corn crop during the week that ended Sunday. The report says cold temperatures and snow halted most other ag activities during the week. Ninety-two percent of Iowa’s corn acreage was harvested which matched 2013 and is two days ahead of the five-year average. It’s the first time this season that corn harvest was ahead of the normal pace. The cold weather was welcome by some, including Brad Sorenson, who farms 24-hundred acres near Harlan.

“We got done Friday. Had to wait ‘til the ground froze so we could finish up,” Sorenson says. The rain-soaked fields had kept Sorenson and others from making progress. “Ground was so saturated that the ground had to freeze to carry the weight of the combine and the grain cart so we could get the last fields done,” Sorenson explains. “It was somewhat of a struggle this year.” Although the weather was wet, Sorenson says things eventually turned out pretty well when it came to the harvest.

“In early October, they we were afraid we’d have to spend 20 to 25 cents a bushel to dry it. And, the weather went in our favor and it dried in the field for us, and we saved a lot of money doing that,” according to Sorenson. Only about ten-percent or less of Iowa’s corn crop remains in the fields. South-central Iowa continued to trail behind the rest of the state with only 79-percent of the corn harvest complete. The soybean harvest was nearing completion with 98-percent of the acreage harvested.

(Radio Iowa)

Plans for the replacement of a shelter at Sunnyside Park, in Atlantic, are continuing to progress. During Monday night’s meeting of the City’s Parks and Recreation Department Board of Directors, Parks Director Roger Herring asked the Board to “Seriously consider” a proposal from a company that can provide an unassembled, pre-fabricated low-pitch wood beam shelter for the Kiddie Korral at Sunnyside Park. The open structure would cost about $25,000 to $26,000. The price does not include a concrete slab, electrical wiring and so on.

brochure snapshot of the proposed shelter for the Kiddie Korral at Sunnyside Park.

Herring said the manufacturer would need eight-weeks lead-time before it’s shipped. He said also, he does have concerns over safety and security at the Kiddie Korral. Herring suggested a photo-cell operated security light be installed at the shelter as well as at the shelter for the Camblin Addition.

In other business, the Parks and Rec Board agreed to advertise for an Assistant Parks and Rec Dept. Director, who will eventually succeed Herring. A committee will be assembled on Nov. 24th to begin the process of soliciting applications and eventually interviewing candidates, with the idea being to have their selection in-place as early as possible, in 2015. Ideally, that person would be able to start on January 2nd, according to the Board, but there is flexibility that would allow them to begin by March 1st. The annual salary would range from $38,000 to $44,000, after three-years.

Firefighters from Grant, Elliott and Griswold were called to battle a structure fire at a two-story residence in rural northeast Montgomery County, late Monday night.

Photo courtesy Cass Co. Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Johnson.

Emergency Management Coordinator Brian Hamman said everyone was able get out of the home without injury. The fire, which started just before 9-p.m., Monday, was brought under control a few hours later. An investigation into the cause pointed to the area where electrical power enters the house.

The owners had reported a loss of some lights before the entire power went out. When they got out, they saw flames near the main fuse box. The house is considered a total loss.

Photo by Montgomery Co. Emergency Manager Brian Hamman.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

PLEASANT HILL, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man who drove around a Des Moines suburb and randomly opened fire is charged with attempted murder. Thirty-two-year-old Pete Jason Polson faces several charges stemming from Monday morning’s shootings, including two counts of attempted murder. Two men have been hospitalized. Polson has been linked to three shootings within a 12-minute span. A third man was fired at but was not hurt. The victims appear to have been randomly targeted.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say an Iowa man under the state’s work release program has escaped. Twenty-three-year-old Alan Nigel Archibald, Jr. was placed on escape status Monday after he didn’t return to the Fort Des Moines work release facility from a job assignment. Since January 2011, Archibald has been serving a 10-year sentence for willful injury causing serious injury. He was transferred to the work release program in June.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officials in Des Moines say a high school, a middle school and an elementary school were briefly locked down because of a nearby shooting. Des Moines Public Schools says East High School, Hiatt Middle School and Carver Community School were put on a partial lockdown Monday morning following reports of a nearby shooting. The lockdown was later lifted. No suspects have been identified in the shooting, which police believe involved a dispute between several people. No injuries have been reported.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The board meant to promote openness in Iowa government has named a government lawyer with experience in election and campaign law as its next executive director. The Iowa Public Information Board says Charlie Smithson would succeed Keith Luchtel on Dec. 1.

Red Oak Police arrested an area man Monday afternoon. Joseph Earl Smith of Red Oak was charged with driving while suspended and no proof of insurance after he was stopped at the corner of Broadway and Walnut Streets in Red Oak.

There were more homes sold across the state in October compared to the same month a year ago. The Iowa Association of Realtors (IAR) reports 3,349 homes were sold last month. That’s an increase of three-percent (3%) from October 2013 (3,251 homes sold). IAR President Jon Yocum of Davenport says the number of pending sales also increased from year-to-year. “I think the low interest rates have a lot to do with that,” Yocum said. “We’re also finishing up our summer market, so people who made offers in August and September were closing in October.”

Interest rates have been hovering between 3.25 and 4 percent on a 30-year fixed mortgage, according to Yocum. The average sale price of a home sold last month in Iowa was $157,231. That’s up slightly (less than $100) from a year ago. Meanwhile, the state’s home inventory decreased 1.2 percent compared to October of 2013. “Our sales prices are up, but our sales volume is down over a year ago,” Yocum confirmed. The IAR report also shows the average days on the market for a home sold in Iowa was 85 days in October 2014, compared to 78 days in October 2013.

“All in all, across the state of Iowa, things are looking very good,” Yocum said. Yocum was just recently installed as the new president of the Iowa Association of Realtors. He’s worked as a Realtor in Iowa for over 26 years and has been with Mel Foster Company in the Davenport area since 1996.

(Radio Iowa)

Enrollment for Medicaid and Healthcare Marketplace Exchange consumers is now open, and help is available through regional Healthcare.gov Navigators. Susan Daniels, Chief Financial Officer for the Cass County Health System (CCHS) says “The Healthcare.gov Navigators will work one-on-one with you to help you complete your enrollment, weigh your options, and answer your questions.” Daniels say they “Are happy to host the Navigators at CCHS, and [we] encourage Medicaid and Marketplace customers to make an appointment as soon as possible.”

All prior-year enrollees, for both Medicaid and the Marketplace, will need to be enrolled by December 15, 2014 to have coverage in effect by January 1, 2015. All meetings with the Navigators are by appointment, and they are private. Consumers are asked to bring important information with them, such as addresses, social security numbers, income information, and policy numbers for any current health insurance plans.

The private appointments will be held at Cass County Health System in Conference Room 6, which is accessible from Parking Lot C. A limited number of appointments are also available at the Anita, Griswold, and Massena Medical Centers. For more information or to make an appointment, please call either Melissa Namanny at 712-243-2850 ext. 4111 or Nancy Templeman at 712-243-3250 ext. 3411.