Deter Motor Company and The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce are pleased to announce nominations are now being accepted for the 13th annual ATHENA Award, in Atlantic.

Athena Award

The award will be presented to an exceptional individual who has achieved excellence in her/his business profession, has served the community in a meaningful way and has assisted women in their attainment of professional goals and leadership skills. The ceremony will be held Saturday, Jan. 18th, 2014 at the Cass County Community Center.

The ATHENA Award was first presented in 1982 in Lansing, Michigan and has grown to include presentations to more than 6,000 individuals in hundreds of cities across the globe. Locally, past winners include Dolly Bergmann, Wendy Richter, Ann Pross, Janell Hansen, Jan Kinison, Carole Schuler, Glenda Farrier, Margaret Slepsky, Denise O’Brien, Leanne Pellett, Judy Marnin and LaVon Eblen.

Deter Motor Company believes in the values underlying ATHENA’s philosophy of incorporating talent and expertise of women into the leadership of our businesses, our communities and our government. The spirit of the ATHENA Award Program is captured in a quotation from Plato, “What is honored in a country will be cultivated there.” By honoring exceptional leaders, others will be encouraged to excel.

Those interested in nominating an individual can pick up a nomination packet after Nov. 1st at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, 102 Chestnut Street, or by visitingwww.AtlanticIowa.com. Nominations are due by Nov. 22, 2013.

A man whom authorities say stole a car from a Nebraska used car dealership is in custody after leading law enforcement officials on a chase Tuesday morning in Pottawattamie County. Sheriff Jeff Danker told KJAN News 52-year old Fred McCormick, of Crescent, was taken into custody about six and a-half hours after the pursuit began. McCormick was being held in the Pott. County Jail on charges of Theft in the 2^nd degree, eluding and Driving While Barred. His bond was set at $5,000.

Danker said the incident began at around 10-a.m., Tuesday, after the owners of a red Chevy Cavalier tracked the vehicle by using a GPS unit. He said deputies were dispatched to meet with an individual who had located the stolen car in the Crescent area. While the deputies were responding, Pott. County Conservation officers initiated a pursuit, which went north of Crescent, turned onto Leisure Avenue and drove off into a corn field.

The driver took off on foot. Several law enforcement agencies including at least seven k-9 units engaged in a search for the driver, but the hilly, wooded terrain in the area made the search difficult. Adding to the difficulty in finding the man, was an unharvested corn crop, cloud cover and a light mist.

The manhunt was called-off at around 2:30-p.m., after search teams lost the trail in a corn field. Danker says the suspect was observed at around 4:30-p.m. walking along Old Lincoln Highway. He was then taken into custody and charged.

Strong storms producing powerful lightning wreaked havoc with vehicles and buildings in Cass County this morning. The Cass County Communications Center reports a woman in a car believed her vehicle was struck by lightning near 650th and Whitepole Road (Highway 6 & 71), at around 10:22-a.m.  The only apparent damage, according to officials, was a melted antennae. No injuries were reported.

A couple of minutes earlier, the Iowa State Patrol Communications Center north of Lewis reported a burning smell in their facility. The staff thought their building was hit by lightning, but nothing was found to be wrong. Lewis Fire was called to investigate.

Rescue crews and law enforcement personnel were dispatched to a reported shooting incident in Marne just before 10-a..m. today (Wednesday). According to scanner traffic, the incident involved a 43-year old male who shot himself. The incident took place in a camper located behind a house off Brighton Street, near an alley. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says the Coroner was called to the scene.

No other information has been released.

w/ Ric Hanson

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A Nebraska man who was the subject of a pursuit early this (Wednesday) morning, was arrested after being tasered by a sheriff’s deputy in Percival. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says 22-year old Bradley Wright, of Nebraska City, NE., faces four felony and one aggravated misdemeanor charge following his arrest shortly after 12:15-a.m. He was being held in the Fremont County Jail on just under $28,755 bond.

Officials say a sheriff’s deputy had attempted to stop a black 1996 Honda Civic in the Percival area at around 12:10-a.m., for having a headlight out, and speeding. The vehicle failed to stop and sped through town in excess of 70 miles per hour in a 25-mph zone. The chase finally ended at 2072 190th Street in Percival.

While attempting to arrest Wright, the man allegedly resisted arrest, and was tased. A “Help an Officer” call was broadcast, but Wright was restrained prior to the arrival of a backup officer. Wright faces felony charges that include Assault on an Officer, 2 counts of Disarming a Police Officer, Eluding and Interference with Official Acts. He also received a misdemeanor charge of Carrying a concealed weapon, and he was cited for numerous traffic violations.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

An accident in Council Bluffs late Monday night that sent two people to the hospital and resulted in cattle running loose, happened when the driver of a semi fell asleep at the wheel. According to the Omaha World-Herald, 24-year old Bradlee Ellis, of Hutchinson, KS, told Council Bluffs Police he was awakened by his passenger just before the 1994 Peterbilt went out of control and overturned on southbound Interstate 29, at around 11-p.m., Monday.

Ellis, and his passenger, 20-year old Emileigh Martens, also of Hutchinson, were injured in the crash. The pair were said to be in fair condition Tuesday, at Creighton University Medical Center. More than a dozen cattle were left roaming in the area following the crash. Some of the animals died, when the semi slid into the I-29 overpass at Avenue G and bounced off, causing the top of the trailer to be torn off.

The interstate was blocked for more than 6-hours following the crash.

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