Gov. Terry Branstad, Wednesday, issued a proclamation of disaster emergency for seven counties in response to the ongoing flooding and severe weather beginning June 26, 2014, temporarily lifted certain transportation weight restrictions and requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct assessments in 20 counties impacted by the June 26 and continuing storms.

Counties included in this most recent disaster proclamation are Audubon, Grundy, Ida, Jasper, Keokuk, Poweshiek and Washington. The governor’s proclamation allows State resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of these storms.

In addition, the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEMD) made a request Wednesday to FEMA, to conduct damage assessments in 20 counties impacted by the June 26 and continuing storms. The damage assessments, which will primarily cover public infrastructure, will be conducted jointly by FEMA, HSEMD and local officials. Results of the damage assessments could be used to determine if a request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration is warranted. Damage assessments will be conducted in the following counties: Audubon, Black Hawk, Butler, Cedar, Des
Moines, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardin, Ida, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Lee,
Linn, Louisa, Mahaska, Muscatine and Poweshiek.

This is the fourth such request that HSEMD has made to FEMA to conduct damage assessments as a result of June severe weather.

Emergency crews were called to the scene of a head-on collision Wednesday afternoon, southeast of Walnut. The accident happened at around 4:25-p.m. on 530th near the intersection with Sumac Road in Pottawattamie County. Multiple injuries were reported, along with victims trapped. LifeNet responded to the scene along with Walnut Rescue and Medivac Ambulance. Two people were in each vehicle.

Three of the victims were transported from the scene. Two of them went to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic. Another was flown to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha. Family members say two women were in one vehicle. One of the vehicles was driven by Leah Jenkins, of Atlantic. Her sister says Leah suffered from several broken bones and other, unspecified injuries, but was expected to make a full recovery. A passenger in the car suffered from scrapes and bruises. Both women were wearing their seat belts.

The status of a victim in the other vehicle is not available, while the fourth person was not injured. The names of the other accident victims have not officially been released.

The accident remains under investigation by the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have seized a computer and flash drives from the Iowa home of a woman whose daughter was convicted of a high-profile murder, based on a search warrant alleging the two worked together to harass prosecution witnesses by spreading defamatory information about them online.

Records obtained by The Associated Press show the items were seized Tuesday at the Urbandale condominium of 68-year-old Anna Richter. Her daughter, Tracey Richter, was convicted of the murder of a neighbor in what prosecutors said was a plot to frame her ex-husband. The incident happened at Richter’s home in the Sac County town of Early.

The warrant application says the Richters and their associates are targeting witnesses who testified against Tracey Richter. No one has been charged.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A new report from a nonpartisan state agency questions whether Gov. Terry Branstad is cutting the cost and size of state government as he claims. Branstad insists the state is on track to meet his promised 15 percent reduction in the cost of government. He says he’s cut more than 1,000 state jobs.

The Legislative Services Agency, responsible for providing financial reports for lawmakers, says state employment has increased and state expenditures have fallen only slightly since Branstad took office.
Branstad’s job cuts figure includes only the executive branch under his control. It doesn’t include state universities or the legislative and judicial branches of government.

He insists he’s on track to cut expenditures by 15 percent when compared to the projected spending of his predecessor, Democratic Gov. Chet Culver.

The Harlan Police Department today (Wednesday) issued a report on their most recent arrests and investigations. Officials say two people were arrested Monday. 46-year old Kelly Robinson, of Harlan, was arrested after allegedly striking a 14-year old male. Robinson was brought to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault. And, 46-year old Patsy Nuzum, of Harlan, was arrested on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault, after officers were called to a domestic disturbance Monday at Westridge Acres.  That same day, officers took a report of vandalism. A Wall Lake woman said someone broke out the driver’s side window on the 2013 Dodge Avenger, while the vehicle was parked in a lot at the corner of 7th and Baldwin Streets, in Harlan. The damage was estimated at $150. It’s not clear what hit the window, and the incident remains under investigation.

On Sunday, police in Harlan arrested 31-year old’s Michael Carrier and Stephanie Josits, both of Harlan. They were charged with Possession of Stolen Property and 4th degree theft. Both were brought to the Shelby County Jail. Josits cited and released, while Carrier remained in the jail. The pair were arrested after police received a call about someone removing merchandise from the Crees Garden Center. An investigation ensued and a search warrant executed, during which officers found the missing garden store items, in addition to several items believed to have been stolen during recent church burglaries.

On July 4th, 42-year old Frankie Jo Garren, of Harlan, was cited for leaving the scene of an accident, and failure to provide proof of insurance, after a vehicle belonging to Kirk and Erin Andersen, of Harlan, was struck. The driver of the other vehicle, identified as Garren, then fled the scene. And finally, on July 1st, 33-year old Ian Leib, of Harlan, was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct, after authorities received a report of a man being inappropriate with the staff at the Norman Stamp Aquatic Center. Leib was also served with notice that he is no longer allowed on the pool property.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday, approved a zoning classification change for an area in Lyman. The action came after a public hearing was held on changing a parcel of land (Parcel H of the northeast 1/4, northeast 1/4 of Section 9) in Noble Township from Rural Residential/General AG, to Light Industrial. Zoning Administrator Rich Hansen said on June 26th, the County Zoning Board approved the classification change, which needed final approval from the Supervisors. Hansen said Corey Sindt has purchased 1.29-acres of land in Lyman to be used for an expansion of his automotive repair business, and the sale of used cars. He’s planning on building a 120-foot by 70-foot structure with 5 service bays, an office and showroom. He would be moving to the town from the outlying, rural area.

Corey Sindt (left) listens as Rich Hansen speaks to the Supervisors about the zoning matter.

The Zoning Board approved the plans after hearing no objections during their hearing, and Supervisors, having received no written or spoken objections, followed suit.

In other business, Cass County Engineer Charles Marker said the Secondary Roads Dept. crews have started to shift to handling other duties because they’re running out of 1.5-inch diameter contract rock for filling in the rutted gravel roads caused by recent heavy rains.

Marker said the Atlantic quarry is out of rock and there’s no word on when a stripping crew might arrive to create a supply of rock that’s needed.

He said the Stennett Quarry south of Griswold and service the southern part of the County, has a stripping crew working, but they won’t have any rock available until around August 1st at the earliest. Marker says that leaves them no other option but to haul rock from quarries north of Greenfield or near Corning. Those quarries typically service other parts of the County.

Instead of burning the extra fuel to bring rock northward toward Atlantic, Marker has reassigned some crews to other duties until rock is available.

Two men on probation who failed to return to the Residential Corrections Facility in Council Bluffs last week were apprehended over the weekend. The Omaha World-Herald reports 25-year old Michael E. Hall, and 18-year old Phillip M. Moffatt, both of Council Bluffs, were arrested Saturday on suspicion of escape from authority.
Hall was originally arrested for possession of stolen property in Shelby County, and Moffatt was arrested in Pottawattamie County for trafficking of stolen weapons and attempted burglary.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Monday of a Glenwood woman on arson and child endangerment charges. 36-year old Angie Dabney was taken into custody at around 3:50-p.m. at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on charges of 1st degree arson and Child Endangerment. Her bond was set at $25,000. A preliminary hearing in her case was set for July 16th.

The Mills County Attorney’s office has said the charges stem from an incident whereby Dabney allegedly asked her children to light a trash can on fire at a relative’s home in Pacific Junction. After one of the children lit the fire, Dabney took off. The flames were quickly extinguished and no one was injured. Four children were in the home at the time, three were under the age of 12.

The Mills County Sheriff’s office also reports the arrest Tuesday afternoon of  29-year old Christopher Raul Raudales, of Bellevue, NE. The man was taken into custody on a warrant for Failure to Appear on an original charge of Driving Under Suspension. His bond was set at $1,000.

And, authorities in Mills County say no injuries were reported following a rollover accident early this (Wednesday) morning. Amy Parker, of Malvern, was driving a 2014 Ford eastbound on Cary Avenue at around 4:45-a.m., and failed to slow down enough as she approached the stop sign with 340th Street. Her car slid across the road and into a ditch before rolling over onto its top.

The Iowa Board of Mortuary Science has reinstated a suspended Council Bluffs funeral director’s license. In its ruling made public today (Wednesday), the Board found the license of David L. Rogness should be reinstated because enough time has passed since he last practiced mortuary science, and that monitoring and supervision of his practices will satisfy and protect the public interest. The board granted a probationary funeral director’s license to Rogness under the condition that he be supervised for at least a year. He will remain on probation for 18-months under the terms of a consent order agreed to in April, 2000.The Board also requires him to complete 20 hours of continuing education beyond that which is required for his license reactivation.

In January 2000, the Board had initiated formal disciplinary proceedings again Rogness for knowingly making misleading, deceptive, untrue or fraudulent representations while practicing as a funeral director, by misrepresenting the funeral services he actually provided.

In November 1999, Rogness admitted to a state investigator that one-year prior, he used a rental casket for a burial and that he lied to the family of a deceased person, who had been promised a new casket. Rogness’ license was suspended by the Board in March, 2000, but the charges were settled through a consent order in April of that year, and he was authorized to apply for reinstatement in July 2000. He chose to do so and reactivate his license nearly 14 years later.

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education Tuesday, approved a recommendation from Middle School Principal Josh Rasmussen, for the hiring of a Family and Consumer Science Instructor. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein said the position will finally be filled after a year-long search.

Carolyn Russell (from her Linked-In profile)

Amstein says Rassmussen recommended the hiring of Carolyn Russell, from Minnetonka, MN. She’s fully-endorsed in Family and Consumer Science. Rasmmussen said Russell has started FCS programs from scratch in other schools, and will be helping Atlantic’s fledgling program get off the ground. That includes getting the students lab time in areas such as cooking and sewing.

Every 6th, 7th and 8th grader will be required to take the class and related labs. Russell has an impressive resume. She has years of experience, including working for General Mills, being a Culinary Specialist. She has an MBA in marketing from Indiana Wesleyan University, a BA from Iowa State University in Vocational Family and Consumer Science, and a Bachelor of Science degree in General Food Science from the University of Illinois.

Rasmussen said Russell saw the Atlantic School District’s website, and liked what she saw. On her way to Atlantic from Minnesota last week, Russell ran into trouble, in the form of Mother Nature. He says she was caught in the massive hail storm near Adair. Her car was a mess, but Russell still made it into town and accepted the position.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board renewed Superintendent Amstein’s contract for the 2014-15 school year. The contract calls for a two-percent negotiated increase in pay, and for a payment of $25,000 upon retirement, to a health insurance plan.

The Board also received and approved a resignation from para-educator Michelle McLaren who was hired for another position within the district but had not turned in her resignation from her current position. And, the Board approved the first reading of a new policy with regard to Honorary Diplomas. Superintendent Amstein said there was a request made to the Board for that, and since there was none in-place, that topic is up for discussion and possible action. He said it’s a “Good opportunity to award those individuals, who for one reason or another, may not have been able to complete their high school education, but certainly have made [documented] contributions to the school district itself or to the community.”