U-S Senate Republican Nominee Joni Ernst, from Red Oak, is set to visit Atlantic this Thursday. Officials with her campaign say Ernst will be at the Cass County Community Center at approximately 4:45-p.m.

To attend, make your reservation by calling 701-373-5848, or by e-mailing josie@joniforiowa.com.

Police in Glenwood are asking for your help in finding the person or persons responsible for the theft of lawn and garden equipment. Officials say two John Deere lawn mowers, a 2010 Z-925 and 2013 Z-930m, along with two Echo lawn trimmers, along with a black H&H tandem-axle trailer, were taken from Jim Hughes Realty at 410 S. Locust Street in Glenwood.

The thefts occurred sometime between 7:30-p.m. Oct. 15th and 8-a.m. Oct. 16th. Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call the Glenwood P-D at 712-527-4844

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports deputies Corey Larsen and Kyle Quist along with their K-9 partners Mufasa and Vader, respectively, attended the Heart of America Police Dog Association annual certification in Kansas, October 5th through the 10th.The event, which features certification competitions, was attended by 28-k9 teams from Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas.

All members of the organization can submit a case for consideration of the Patrol Case of the Year award as one of their best cases for the year between certification periods. The cases are read to all members of the organization and all details such as names, departments, areas, etc., are anonymous. The members of the organization vote for the case they believe to be the best one submitted for the year.

K9 team Quist and Vader received this award for Patrol Case of the Year for an incident that occurred in Audubon County, when the K9 team was called to assist multiple agencies with a domestic situation involving a firearm. At that time, the suspect fled on foot, and K9 Vader tracked the suspect through a field. Suspect was apprehended by Vader’s bite. That subject was arrested on multiple charges after medical clearance.

Deputy Quist and K9 Vader ran a tracking distance and also won a Master Tracker award. This award is granted to one of two competing K9 teams who were considered to be the best in their certification. The judges lay similar tracks for the two competing teams of roughly a mile in length and attempt different techniques to make the K9 teams lose the track. The judges ascertain how well the K9 stayed on track and how the K9 worked on different surface conditions and terrain.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says it’s very proud of their K9 teams and the hard work they do.

Four separate accidents on a Highway 34 construction zone late last week in Mills County, resulted in two people being sent to the hospital. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says one of the injury accidents happened at around 7:50-a.m. Friday, about a mile northwest of Pacific Junction. Officials say a 2008 Chevy driven by Anthony Bartel, of Glenwood, was traveling westbound in the right lane of the single lane road, when a 2001 Ford driven by Brandon Foster, of Randolph, Failed to Yield and pulled away from the stop sign at the intersection with 195th Street, before hitting Bartel’s vehicle. Bartel was transported by Glenwood Rescue to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs.

The second accident resulted inDonna Sumner-Johnson, of Pacific Junction, being transported by medical helicopter to Creighton Hospital following the crash on Highway 34, at around 10:17-a.m., Friday. The accident happened as a 2009 semi driven by Patrick Hogan, of Omaha, was traveling west on Highway 34 and a 2002 Toyota driven by Sumner-Johnson was traveling south on 195th Street. The Toyota failed to yield from the stop sign entering a construction zone and hitting the semi. The car then traveled down an embankment and came to rest in a corn field.

The other two accidents happened Thursday and Saturday, but no injuries were reported in those crashes.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Oct. 16th of 31-year old Trent Matthew Suhr, of Walnut. Suhr was taken into custody on charges of OWI 3rd or Subsequent (D Felony), Driving While Barred (Agg), and four charges of Driving While Revoked. He was brought to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $12,000 bond.
On October 18th, Cass County deputies arrested 24-year old Tyler Lee Mills, of Atlantic, on a charge of Violation of a No Contact Order. Mills was taken to the Cass County Jail where he pled not guilty and was released the following day.
Also on Oct. 18th, 35-year old Tamara Lynn McCoy, of East Moline, IL, was arrested in Cass County on a charge of OWI 1st Offense. McCoy was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $1,000 bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Three Iowa companies have received U.S. Department of Agriculture grants for research projects officials hope will lead to new technologies that advance agriculture. Small Business Innovation Grants were awarded to Harrisvaccines in Ames, which has recently developed a new vaccine for a pig virus; Agren Inc. in Carroll, a consultant that helps farmers deal with environmental issues; and Diamond V Mills in Cedar Rapids, which develops animal food.  Each company receives more than $99,000.

The USDA says the grant program was created to stimulate technological innovations in the private sector and to strengthen the role of federal research and development in support of small businesses.  More than $18 million in grants were announced Monday by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

The Atlantic Police Department is being used in a phone scam. Police Chief Steve Green reports a resident of Audubon County received a phone call from a number that came up on their caller I-D as 712-243-3512….the administrative number for the Atlantic P-D. The person receiving the call was told that they were going to be arrested within 30-minutes if they did not pay $100 by means of electronic payment.

Audubon County Sheriff Todd Johnson, Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren and Chief Green want to let you know that caller ID’s can be “spoofed” through computer manipulation, and that the Atlantic Police Department does NOT CALL and collect money by telephone, e-mail or social media.

The Chief reminds you also, that you should not send money or divulge any personal or financial information to anyone you do not personally know.

Crawford County’s K-9 “Bayou” and his partner have conducted an investigation that resulted in the duo’s 50th drug-related arrest this year. Sheriff’s officials say a little after 11-p.m. Sunday, a traffic stop was conducted in Denison.  During the stop, illegal drug activity was suspected and K9 Bayou was requested for a K9 Sniff. The sniff resulted in a positive alert for the odor of narcotics. A search was conducted and marijuana was located and seized from the vehicle. 25-year old Cheri Justine Baker, of Defiance, was arrested and charged with Possession of Marijuana. Her bond was set at $1,000.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) – Some posts to an anonymous social media app have prompted the University of Northern Iowa’s acting president to send a campus-wide email to explain the comments weren’t representative of the university. The Des Moines Register reports acting UNI President Michael Licari sent the email Friday after someone posted racist comments at the app Yik Yak. Among the comments were, “I chose uni because I didn’t see a single black person on my visit day.”

Licari urged those posting the comments to “understand the impact of your actions and stop.” Licari added that the comments hurt the UNI community but “your thoughtless attempts to undermine the very fabric of our community when you speak hate under the cloak of anonymity will fail.”

Faculty, administrators and students are discussing other responses.

Two people were arrested over the weekend in Audubon County, and two accidents took place, one of which resulted in injuries. Authorities say 18-year old Dayton Duane Hansen, of Kimballton, was arrested Sunday afternoon for Criminal Mischief in the 4th degree. The charge was the result of an investigation into an incident that took place at Hansen’s residence earlier that day. Hansen was brought to the Audubon County Jail and later released. He’s scheduled to appear in court Oct. 27th.

And, 51-year old Todd Ray Selland, of Exira, was arrested Sunday night on charges of Public Intoxication, Disorderly Conduct and Interference with Official Acts. The charges stem from an investigation into an incident that happened in the 100 block of east South Street, in Exira. Selland  appeared before a magistrate, pled guilty, was fined and the released from custody.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports also, 57-year old Randy Brian Hansen, of Exira, was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic Saturday afternoon, following an accident on 320th Street, near Goldfinch Avenue. Authorities say 23-year old Brett Austin Hansen, of Council Bluffs, was traveling west on 320th at around 2-p.m. Saturday, and turning onto Goldfinch Avenue, when a 1997 Ford F-150 pickup driven by Randy B. Hansen, who was also traveling westbound, ran into the rear of Brett Hansen’s semi-trailer. Damage from the accident amounted to $14,000. The accident remains under investigation, and charges are pending.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office is also investigating a hit and run accident that happened Friday night in Kimballton. Officials say a legally parked 1996 Saturn, owned by Dorothy Ann Sorensen, of Valparaiso, NE., was struck by a white pickup truck as the truck was northbound on west 1st Street. The pickup entered a yard and sideswiped Sorensen’s car and hit a tree before leaving the scene. Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office at 712-563-2631 or Audubon County Crimestoppers at 712-563-2234.