The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest today (Tuesday), of 39-year old Heath Allen McClarnon, from Clarinda. McClarnon was taken into custody at around 9:45-a.m. at a residence on Coolbaugh Street in Red Oak, after a Page County warrant was issued with regard to revocation of his probation.

McClarnon was released to Page County authorities, and was being held at the jail in Clarinda on $5,000 cash bond.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating numerous Church burglaries in the county. Sheriff Lyle Palmer said today (Tuesday) burglaries have taken place over the last five days, with three burglaries being reported Monday in Page County and one in the city of Clarinda.

The Sheriff’s office has contacted Churches in the rural towns and area’s solely covered by the Sheriff’s Office to alert them of the burglaries as well as the Clarinda police Department and the Shenandoah Police Department to notify the Churches in their respective communities. When a broadcast was put to over area Law enforcement entities on Monday from the Page County Sheriff’s Office, it was found that other surrounding counties also had Church break-ins.

People are reminded that it they see something suspicious to contact Law Enforcement immediately as time is of the essence in these crimes. At this time all but one of the break-ins in Page County have involved forced entry to the Churches.

Anyone with information into the break-ins is asked to contact the Page County Crime Stoppers at the Page County Sheriff’s Office, or your local Law Enforcement. A Cash reward of up to $1000.00 is available for information leading to the arrest and indictment of person’s involved. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

Authorities in Montgomery County were busy investigating two church burglaries over the weekend. Officials say the first occurred at the Presbyterian Church (109 S. 3rd Ave.), in Villisca. Nothing was reported missing, but a desk sustained $100 damage.

The second incident happened at the Mamrelund Lutheran Church (410 Eastern Ave.), in Stanton. The loss from damage and stolen electronic equipment was estimated at $1,900. Both burglaries happened sometime between Thu., Jan. 9th, and Friday, Jan. 10th.

Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to call the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 712-623-5107, or Crimestoppers at 1-800-432-1001.

Authorities in Mills County report five accidents occurred Saturday on frost covered roads, but only one person was injured. Officials say Alexander Neff, of Glenwood,was driving a 2004 Pontiac northbound on 221st Street, when the car went off the roadway to the right and hit a power pole.The accident happened at around 7:25-a.m., about 7-miles north of Glenwood. Neff  was transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, by Glenwood Rescue.

Road surface conditions were 100% frost covered. The Sheriff’s Department says the County Roads Department was notified of the slippery conditions, but did not respond.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three recent arrests. Early this (Tuesday) morning, 26-year old Amber Rose Pearson, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation. Pearson was transported to the Mills County Jail, where her bond was set at $10,000.

On Saturday, 21-year old Derek Keith Fox, of Omaha, was arrested at the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office on a Mills County warrant for Failing to Appear with regard to a Probation Violation. His bond was set at $2,000.

And on Friday, deputies in Mills County arrested 45-year old Cynthia Sharece Devault, of Council Bluffs. Devault was taken into custody on a charge of Domestic Abuse. She was being held in the Mills County Jail without bond.

The Board of Supervisor’s in Adair County will hold their regular weekly meeting in Greenfield, Wednesday. The 9-a.m. session begins with a semi-annual report from County Treasurer Brenda Wallace. Other matters include a FY 2015 budget request from VA Director Rick Schnaecher, and a report from County Engineer Nick Kauffman, with regard to his budget, Motor Grader purchase options and other issues.

The meeting will conclude with a budget work session.

An influenza-related death in a healthy Iowa child (0 to 17 years of age) has been reported to the Iowa Department of Public Health. IDPH has also been notified of several probable adult deaths related to influenza. CDC reported that as of January 4, ten influenza-related pediatric deaths have been reported nationally.

Officials say it’s not too late to get vaccinated. They say it’s especially important for children to be vaccinated this year, because this year’s most common influenza strain (H1N1) is hitting children particularly hard. All Iowans over 6 months of age should receive a flu vaccine this year and every year. While vaccination is the best defense against influenza, personal actions also help prevent the spread of illness. Remember the 3Cs:

Cover your coughs and sneezes

Clean your hands frequently

Contain germs by staying home when ill

The flu is a respiratory illness caused by viruses. The flu comes on suddenly and symptoms may include fever, headache, tiredness, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, and body aches. Illness typically lasts two to seven days. Influenza may cause severe illness or even death.

(9-a.m. News)

A teenager from Atlantic on her way school was involved in a rollover accident this (Tuesday) morning, not far from her rural home. Atlantic Fire and Rescue and Medivac ambulance were dispatched to the scene about 3-miles south of town near the intersection of 620th and Memphis Streets, at 7:25-a.m. Cass County Chief Deputy Sheriff John Westering told KJAN News the 16-year old female was ejected from her northbound vehicle after she lost control on  620^th, a gravel road. The vehicle rolled several times into a ditch coming to rest on its roof.

Chelsea Leeann Adams, of Atlantic, was found lying in a field near the 2002 Oldsmobile Alero she was driving. The teen was conscious and breathing, but complained of back pain. She was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital by Medivac and later transported by ambulance the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Damage from the crash amounted to $3,500.

The accident remains under investigation.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Iowa Legislature opened the 2014 session of the 85th General Assembly with the modest goals of approving a budget and pursuing legislation on issues like Internet access, bullying and veteran support. During a Monday night meeting of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein says one of the legislative priorities he wants board members to focus on is Allowable Growth, which is now called “Supplemental Aid.” The concern is that the legislature will not set the rate for Supplemental Aid this session for the 2015-2016 school year.

Amstein encouraged the Board to contact area legislators and stress how not having a Supplement Aid rate established puts the Board in a difficult position trying to establish a budget. Another concern pertains to “Operational Sharing.” Amstein said last year lawmakers added some positions to Operational Sharing with other school districts, which in the past, was in a “descending” type of funding agreement. The legislature last year approved O-S for 5-years at 100-percent funding, he says, but now it appears they overlooked the cost of that. Amstein says he hopes during this session they can get that “straightened out so that it can possibly be of benefit to the Atlantic and other districts it might partner with.

The third area of concern Amstein has is getting the State-mandated tests aligned with the Iowa Core. He says it doesn’t make any sense the state-mandated tests don’t align with the Iowa Core teachers are required to administer to students and having them master.