w/ Chris Parks

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The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a vehicle in a ditch on its side on 110th Street approximately 2 miles east of Highway 48 near Elliot at 9:41pm Friday (11/1/2013).   Upon arrival, the deputy observed a 2005 Red Chevy Silverado on its driver’s side in the north ditch facing the northeast.  A check of the immediate area failed to locate anyone at the scene.

The deputy recognized the vehicle and another responding deputy went to the residence at 2381 110th Street near Elliot and located the operator whom was determined to be 18-year-old Andrew C. Coughlin of Elliot.  Four additional occupants of the vehicle were also found at the residence and taken to Montgomery County Memorial Hospital to be checked out for possible and minor injuries.

Coughlin was charged with OWI First Offense, Possession of Alcohol Under 21 and cited for Failure to Obey Stop Sign. He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1000 bond awaiting initial appearance before a magistrate.

Three of the passengers were also issued citations related to the accident.  18-year-old Olivia Marie Herzberg of Villisca was cited for Possession of Alcohol under 21.  21-year-old Allison Ann Luke of Tea, South Dakota and 21-year-old Thomas John Moore of Griswold, IA were both cited for Open Container as a Passenger.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office issued a report on Friday, Nov. 1st about the theft of some hunting materials on private land near Brooks.  Sometime between Monday, Oct. 21st  and Monday, Oct. 28th a One River’s Edge Camouflage Ladder Stand and a Camouflage Ameristep Portable Hunting Blind were taken from Ed Nelson’s land west of Brooks.  If anyone has any information about the theft please contact the Adams County Sheriff’s Office at 641-322-4444.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa agency that oversees the federal Women, Infants, and Children food program has been awarded a $5.3 million grant to convert from delivering paper checks to participants to providing electronic money transfers with plastic cards similar to debit cards. The Iowa Department of Public Health says in a statement Friday it has received the grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The money is to be used within two years to hire a contractor to set up the system.

The program provides money for purchase of supplemental food at approved local grocery stores for low-income nutritionally at-risk women, infants, and children. It also provides nutrition education and counseling. The Iowa program served more than 69,000 participants each month last year.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Athletic coaches and academics are among the top earners on the state payroll in Iowa. Data released by the state Friday shows the football and men’s basketball coaches at two state universities received some of the highest overall compensation in the state during the 2012-2013 fiscal year. University of Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz took home roughly $3.8 million during that period and Iowa State football coach Paul Rhoads received about $2 million.

The athletic programs at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University are self-sustaining and do not receive state dollars. University of Iowa President Sally Mason received about $973,000. That’s about twice her earnings in the previous year because she received a substantial one-time deferred compensation payment.

Gov. Terry Branstad earned $130,000.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department say a suspicious substance discovered at CDS Global Thursday afternoon, was NOT harmful. At around 12:30-pm CDS Global in Harlan received an envelope containing an unknown white powder. Local law enforcement, Shelby County Emergency Management, Shelby County Public Health, Harlan Fire Department and other local agencies responded to the call from CDS.

The FBI, US Postal, The 71st. Civil Support Team, and Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and Iowa State Patrol were called to assist. Until the makeup of the substance could be determined CDS Global was locked down.

Following preliminary testing of the substance employees were allowed to leave CDS Global. Authorities were able to determine that the substance posed no threat at any time to CDS employees or to the public, and  CDS Global was told to resume normal operations at approximately 7:30 PM, Thursday.

The origin of the letter remains under investigation by Federal agencies.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has released the latest version of its Water Summary, a look at drought conditions, precipitation values, and stream flows. Officials say rainfall during the month of October was slightly above normal, at 2.79 inches, as compared to normal October precipitation of 2.61 inches. However, more months of consistently above normal rainfall are needed to reduce drought conditions before the 2014 growing season.

The most significant groundwater concerns are in a band through the middle of the state with the driest areas in Boone, Calhoun and Webster counties. The lowest streamflow conditions are in the Skunk and Chariton River watersheds. With the exception of a swath of area stretching southeastward from Carroll through Guthrie, Madison, the eastern half of Adair and Union Counties, most streams in the KJAN listening area are at normal flow, according to the DNR.

Precipitation across southwest Iowa was at or above normal for the month, with the exception of a few counties to the south of Cass, where it was 50-to 75-percent below normal. Here in Atlantic, we received 3.95-inches for the month of October, which was well above the normal 2.76-inches.

The latest Drought Monitor from the National Drought Mitigation Center shows with the exception of central and western Pottawattamie County, most counties in the KJAN listening area either still abnormally dry, or in a moderate drought. In Atlantic, we’re still about 5-inches shy of normal precipitation for the year-to-date. Shallow groundwater across the area is at or near seasonal lows.

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For graphical maps of the drought situation, surf to http://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/geology/10.31.13%20WSU2.pdf

The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest on Thursday of 22-year old Jose Perez-Rivas. The Atlantic man was arrested on a Forgery by credit card, charge. Perez-Rivas was booked into the Cass County Jail.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Thursday, authorized County Engineer Charles Marker to work with County Attorney Dan Feistner, to draft a Resolution it’s hoped will put a little more “bite” into a State law penalizing those who use 4-wheel drive vehicles to tear up County dirt roads after it rains.

Supervisor Chuck Rieken is upset about the condition of the dirt roads, which are primarily used by farmers to transport the crops from their fields at harvest time. The roads are often torn-up by off-road vehicles soon after it rains. He first asked Engineer Charles Marker if there was anything the County could do about the acts of vandalism. More specifically, he asked if there was any way the County could create a resolution that would make the culprits pay a stiff fines for destroying roads the County has to spend time and money on by grading once the roads dry out.

Marker said the Code of Iowa allows Counties to take action against persons who intentionally destroy County property. He said there is a statute on the books about damage to a county or public road, that allows fines to be levied, but citizens who see such acts occurring need to be willing to report those incidents and be willing to testify to what they saw.

Rieken said seeing a vehicle traveling through town covered in mud is not enough evidence to prosecute those individuals. Someone must see the act taking place, take down a license plate and report it immediately to the authorities. Sheriff Darby McLaren said a Resolution from the County would help in prosecuting those responsible, once they are caught. He said it would be difficult to prosecute them using the State statute alone. A County resolution of support he said, would add more clout to the State law, and show the County is serious in making those responsible pay for the crime.