The Cass County Board of Supervisors took care of several administrative matters during their first meeting of the new year, today (Thursday ). The Board elected Frank Waters, of Cumberland, as Chair, and Gaylord Schelling, of Atlantic, as Vice-Chair. Waters succeeds Mark Wedemeyer for the top post on the Board. Waters announced as Chair, he wanted to make some changes in the time the Board normally meets, on Wednesdays.

Frank Waters (Center) heads up the Thursday meeting of the Cass County Board of Supervisors.

He said by moving the meeting start time from 9-a.m. to 8:30-a.m., it would allow the County Attorney, Mental Health/General Relief Coordinator and Engineer to make their reports first, allow Board member Chuck Rieken to attend his Juvenile Detention Board meetings, and get most business out of the way, allowing the media to leave earlier.

Waters had earlier spoken with members of the local media, who all agreed the 8:30 start time would be more beneficial to them than the 9-a.m start. In other business, the Board of Supervisors approved the 2014 Master Matrix (or, Livestock Facility Construction Evaluation) Resolution, which is unchanged from last year.

They also agreed to leave the County Assessor, Engineer and G.I.S offices where they are in the courthouse, and to move the 9-1-1/Communications Center to the newly purchased building at 707 Poplar Street. Their decision came after 9-1-1 Director Rob Koppert reported on the cost of renovating the lower level of the courthouse to make room for an upgraded and expanded 9-1-1 Center. The cost estimate came following a recent assessment of the lower level from Al Povandra, with Carlson, West and Povandra Architects, in Omaha. Koppert said the fee for remodeling the lower level would amount to $191,855.

Combined with the $214,000 cost of remodeling the Cambridge Law Firm building, the County could have been looking at spending in excess of $400,000 for both projects. Instead, the Board decided it would be more cost effective to leave the Assessor, Engineer and G-I-S offices in the courthouse, where they could also serve the public more effectively. Auditor Dale Sunderman said keeping those offices in the courthouse would also eliminate any potential technical glitches associated with a move into the other building.

The next step is to have an engineering firm look into boring under the street for the installation of data and back-up power supply lines. It will still be quite some time before the 9-1-1/Communications Center is relocated to the newly acquired building.

Audubon County Sheriff Todd Johnson reports the arrest early New Year’s Day morning of a woman on an OWI charge. 36-year old Keisha Ann Ensley, of Hamlin, was taken into custody at around 12:30-a.m., Wednesday, following an incident on Washington Street, in Exira. Ensley was charged with OWI/1st offense and Careless Driving. She was brought to the Audubon County Jail and later released.

The Clarinda Police Department today (Thursday) released information about an accident in Clarinda last Saturday afternoon, that caused a total of $18,000 damage. Police Chief Keith Brothers says a car driven by 87-year old Cleva Jobe, of New Market, was pulling into a parking stall in front of the Weil’s Clothing Store, when she mistakenly stepped on the accelerator pedal instead of the brake.

Her 2009 Pontiac Vibe drove over the curb and hit a concrete decorative flower pot before hitting the front of the store, and breaking the glass window. The vehicle then became high-centered on the window ledge. Employees of the store had to tell Jobe to take her foot off the gas pedal. The accident happened at around 12:06-p.m., Saturday.

No injuries were reported. The car sustained $3,000 damage, while damage to the store was estimated at $15,000. No citations were issued.

An Atlantic woman has announced her candidacy for the Cass County Recorder’s job. Mary Ward said in a press release Thursday morning, that she will be actively campaigning for the position being left vacant at the end of the year by long-time Recorder Joyce Jensen, who announced her retirement from the position on Dec. 23rd. Jensen has served as the Cass County Recorder since 1991.

Ward, who grew up in the Adair area and is a graduate of the Adair-Casey High School, has served as the deputy Recorder in Cass County for the past couple of years. In addition to the experience that position has brought her, Ward has a background of more than 18-years in the insurance industry and 5-years bookkeeping experience.

She and her husband Nathan have lived in the Atlantic area for the past 20-years.

In an update to a story we first reported early Wednesday morning on KJAN, authorities say an Atlantic man was charged with OWI/1st offense and Minor In Possession of alcohol, following a rollover accident on the northwest side of town. 18-year old Austin Leroy Petty, of Atlantic, was also cited for Failure to Maintain Control, after the 1998 Dodge Dakota pickup he was driving went out of control and rolled into a ditch off of Buck Creek Road, about a quarter of a mile north of the compost pile, or one-half mile south of Echo Road. The accident happened at around 1:38-a.m., Wednesday.

Petty was trapped in the pickup, which rolled onto its top. He was extricated from the vehicle and refused medical treatment.  After being booked into the Cass County Jail, Petty was later released on his own recognizance.  Atlantic Police, deputies with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Atlantic Fire and Rescue and Medivac Ambulance all responded to the scene.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources says  the state’s pheasant, late muzzleloader and archery deer, and archery fall turkey seasons close on Jan. 10th. The January antlerless deer season is Jan. 11th through the 19th, in select counties. Furbearer seasons, squirrel, quail, partridge and grouse remain open until Jan. 31st. Rabbit season is open until Feb. 28th. Crow season is Jan. 14th to March 31st. Beaver trapping season closes on April 15th.

For waterfowl, the north zone Canada goose season closes Jan. 3rd, and the light goose season closes on Jan. 12th. The south zone for Canada goose season closes Jan. 10th and the light goose season closes Jan. 17th. The Missouri River zone Canada goose season and light goose season both close on Jan. 17th.

The light goose conservation order season is open Jan. 18th to April 15th statewide; additional regulations apply. Don’t forget, all 2013 Iowa hunting and fishing licenses expire on Jan. 10th, 2014. All hunters and anglers will need a 2014 license to hunt or fish beginning Jan. 11th.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has capped its successful year-long campaign to introduce several new hunting and fishing licenses. DNR officials say Iowans purchased more than 68,000 of the new licenses during the last 12 months. As part of the promotion, the DNR hosted a weekly drawing of $50 gift cards donated by Iowa retailers; any Iowan purchasing a qualifying license was eligible for one of 37 gift cards from April through the end of December.

Among the retailers donating gift cards was: Bass Pro Shops of Altoona and Council Bluffs, and Cappel’s Ace Hardware, in Atlantic Each of the other retailers donated between one and three gift cards. DNR Director Chuck Gipp said “We greatly appreciate the partnership of license retailers from all across Iowa that participated and helped make the new license offerings successful.”

The number of new hunting and fishing licenses sold between January 1 and December 31, 2013 included:

· 16,439 Angler’s Specials (three-year fishing licenses);

· 6,356 Hunter’s Special (three-year hunting licenses);

· 6,388 Bonus Line Licenses (license to fish with one additional line; the regular fishing license allows two); and

· 38,975 Outdoor Combo Licenses (hunting, fishing and habitat stamp combination license).

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources introduced the new licenses after surveying hunters and anglers to find what license offerings most interested them. The new licenses provide convenience by bundling several privileges into one purchase, or by offering the opportunity to purchase for three years instead of just one.

And, here’s a reminder to hunters and anglers: All 2013 Iowa hunting and fishing licenses expire on Jan. 10th, 2014. All hunters and anglers will need a 2014 license to hunt or fish beginning Jan. 11th.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A monthly economic report suggests supply managers surveyed in nine Midwestern and Plains states are optimistic about the regional economy over the next six months. The confidence index for the Mid-America Business Conditions Index jumped to 66.5 last month from 57.2 in November. However, the overall index rose just 2 points, to 53.2 from 51.2 in November.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says businesses tied to agriculture continue to report softer economic conditions. The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth, while a score below that suggests decline.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.