The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following a collision between a car and a small school bus this (Wednesday) morning, in Villisca. Officials say the accident occurred at around 7:35-a.m. at the intersection of 4th Avenue and High Street in Villisca. A 2001 Honda Civic driven by 16-year old Dean Allen Smith, of Villisca, was stopped at the intersection, waiting to turn west onto High Street. Smith told authorities he didn’t see an approaching Villisca Community School District bus because of condensation which had formed on his driver’s side window.

Smith pulled out into the intersection and struck a 2001 International School Bus driven by 57-year old Jeffrey Allen Beckett, of Villisca. The bus was also occupied by two students. Villisca Fire and Rescue responded and checked the occupants for injuries, but there were none reported.

Damage from the accident amounted to $5,500. Officials say Smith was cited for Failure to Obey a Stop Sign.

The Harlan City Council is set to dispose of a property within the city limits. In a meeting held Tuesday, the council passed a resolution setting October 1^st at 5:15-p.m. as the date and time for a public hearing on the disposal of the property. The Council previously determined that as city owned property, 808 Main Street, was not needed for public use by the city of Harlan, and to enhance city wide economic development.

The council also passed a resolution approving a contract with Leinen Construction for the Harlan Police Department’s new building. City Administrator Terry Cox told the board with their approval, the building project will begin next Monday.

During his report to the Council, Mayor Gettys presented Pat Deren and Mike Hatfield with certificates for their years of service on various boards. Gettys and Councilman Keith Kaufman brought up the openings on the city council. Kaufman is one of the council members not running for re-election.

Kaufman in Ward 1, Kate Kohorst of Ward 3 and Aaron Anliker, at-large seat, will conclude their terms in office at the end of the year. Mayor Gettys said time is running out for anyone wanting to file nomination papers for City office. He said “This Thursday at 5pm is the deadline to have nomination papers turned in. I am also planning on running for another 2 year term. There truly is still time. We continue to look for engagement. There is a time commitment. It’s as much as you want to make of it. Yet it is getting involved with the future direction of the policy and growth of our community.”

Nomination papers may be picked up at the Harlan City Hall.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

A full security review is being conducted at all Iowa National Guard facilities statewide following this week’s shootings at the Washington D-C Navy Yard that left 13 people dead. Iowa Guard spokesman Colonel Greg Hapgood says the precautionary move isn’t anything out of the ordinary. “The Iowa National Guard routinely pulls out the security plans, reviews them, exercises them, to make sure they’re still relevant regarding the threat environment that we face,” Hapgood says. “Those threats can certainly evolve with time so we want to make sure our policies work well for whatever that situation might be.”

The colonel says he’s confident in the current security precautions. “We believe that the policies and procedures we have in place now are very sound and don’t foresee any significant changes,” Hapgood says, “but it’s certainly a good point in time for us to pull them out, take a look at them and make sure that they work well.”

There are 54 Iowa National Guard outposts in 41 Iowa cities. The guard headquarters and training base at Camp Dodge near Des Moines underwent extensive security upgrades after the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Thursday, are expected to act on approving Uniform Patrol Service agreements with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cities of Anita and Griswold. City leaders in both communities approved their respective agreements, last week.

In a related matter, the Cass County Supervisors will act on approving an increase in the number of Deputy Sheriff positions by one (meaning there will be eight instead of seven), with the Fiscal Year 2014 budget to be amended later, to fund the additional position through June 30th, 2014, and to provide a vehicle, with the majority of the expense paid for by receipts from the Cities of Anita and Griswold.

In other business, the Board will receive a report from the City of Lewis’ economic development group, and information at 10-a.m. Thursday from Excel Mechanical Co., Inc., on Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC). The Supervisor’s meeting begins at 9-a.m.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency has announced a bridge will be closed during the day for the rest of the week. The “Hollywood” bridge over the West Nishnabotna River on 1400th Street between Orange Road and County Road M-36 will be closed from 9-am to 5-pm,  today (Wednesday) through Friday, for engineering work.

Residents and emergency personnel in the Irwin and Kirkman areas should be aware of this change.  Signs will be posted during the day and taken down in the evening. Persons affected by the bridge work should plan to take alternate routes. If you have questions regarding the bridge repair, contact the Shelby County Engineer’s Office at 712-755-5954.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Veterinarians in Des Moines have confirmed several cases of kennel cough in dogs in the region. Des Moines television station KCCI reports that vets have seen a recent increase in the cases of the virus, commonly spread at dog kennels, parks, pet boarding businesses and grooming centers. The disease isn’t life-threatening, but causes inflammation of the windpipe and voice box, and the accompanying cough can last several weeks.

Veterinarian Dennis Woodriff says the Bordetella vaccine can reduce the risk of getting the illness, but “with so many strains, even vaccinated dogs can catch the highly contagious cough.”

w/ Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.7MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The Atlantic Police Department this (Wednesday) morning updated information about an accident that occurred Tuesday afternoon on the east side of town. Officials say vehicles driven by Sharon Petersen and Betty Pollock, both of Anita, collided at around 12:12-p.m. on 7th Street, near the north entrance to the Wal-Mart store.

The P-D says an eastbound vehicle driven by Petersen failed to stop at the light, and struck Pollock’s car as she was making a left turn onto westbound 7th Street from the entrance to the Wal-Mart/Dollar General frontage road. Both drivers were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, to be checked for possible injuries. Petersen was cited for Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Signal. Damage from the accident amounted to $8,000.

(8-a.m. News)

ROCKWELL CITY, Iowa (AP) – A slain Rockwell City police officer has been buried in the community he served for eight years.

This photo of the law enforcement presence at the funeral is courtesy I80 K9/Cass Co. Deputy Kyle Quist

The Des Moines Register reports that the Tuesday funeral service for 37-year-old Jamie Buenting drew an estimated 800 to 1,000 police officers and firefighters from Iowa and surrounding states.They joined hundreds of others in the gym at South Central Calhoun Middle School. Buenting was buried in Rosehill Cemetery later in the day.

The hearse carrying the body of Officer Jamie Buenting (all photos in this series are courtesy of Brian Rink)

Buenting, a married father of two, was shot during a standoff early Friday in Rockwell City. Police arrested 32-year-old Corey Trott and charged him with first-degree murder in Buenting’s death. Buenting’s 7-year-old daughter, Kalie, read a note at her father’s funeral she penned after his death, asking God to make sure he “gets the best place in Heaven.”

w/ Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (2.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS