Officials with the Monsanto Corporation today (Tuesday) say Audubon farmer Todd Nelsen has been selected as a winner in America’s Farmers Grow Communities^SM, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. Grow Communities gives farmers the opportunity to win a $2,500 donation to direct to their favorite local nonprofit organizations.

To further support counties that have been declared disaster areas due to drought by the U.S.D.A., winning farmers in those counties were able to direct double the donation, a total of $5,000 to further support the community. Audubon County was declared a disaster area by the USDA, giving Todd Nelsen, the opportunity to place two $2,500 donations. Nelsen selected the Audubon Recreation Foundation and the Audubon County Agricultural Society.

A ceremonial check presentation will take place next Tuesday, Jan. 22^nd in the Supervisor’s Board Room at the Audubon County Courthouse.

Gov. Terry Branstad’s spokesman is defending the state’s release of a convict charged with killing his mother and kidnapping a woman 36 hours after leaving prison.  Spokesman Tim Albrecht said Monday that state officials did everything in their power to protect the public from 21-year-old Kirk Levin.

Albrecht says Department of Corrections officials identified Levin as needing “special attention in the community,” and notified the Sac County sheriff and Levin’s past victims about his release. He says officials had no basis to seek Levin’s commitment for mental health treatment once his prison term for burglary ended, despite discovering a notebook in which he fantasized about rape.

Levin is charged in the Jan. 3 death of his mother in Early in northwest Iowa. Police say he also kidnapped a 21-year-old woman.

Officials with the Midwest Partnership Economic Development Corporation (MP-EDC) say they have been working closely with Cargill Kitchen Solutions, Iowa Workforce Development and the community to deal with the closing of the company’s Panora plant, beginning in February, and culminating in March. Cargill announced late last October that it would be closing its hard-cooked egg facility, which was a fixture in Panora for 28-years. The company said it planned to consolidate and shift production to their plant in Big Lake, Minnesota. The 55 employees were given the option to apply for positions at the Minnesota plant.

MP-EDC says they are working with Workforce Development and the company on a job fair to be held at the location next Friday. If you have or are aware of possible job opportunities with businesses in Guthrie County or nearby, please call Midwest Partnership in Stuart, at (515) 523-1262.

MP-EDC says also that they have worked closely with the company and state development to start pursuing potential businesses for the facility.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports a brief pursuit last week resulted in the arrest of an Atlantic man. Officials say 43-year old Paul William Jessen was taken into custody Jan. 7th, on a Department of Corrections Warrant for Parole Violation.

During the pursuit, Jessen entered a house in Lewis illegally, for which he was charged for Burglary 3^rd Degree (D Felony). He was also charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance.  Jessen was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was being held without bond on the Parole Violation warrant.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports a service truck belonging to Agriland  F-S in Canby was stolen over the weekend. The vehicle, a white 2012 Ford F-350 with license plate 661 SEM, was stolen from the company’s shop. It was equipped with a flatbed box and had several pieces of equipment mounted on the back.

The doors were adorned with Agriland F-S  decals and unit number 629 was displayed on both front fenders. The pickup was stolen sometime between 10:30-a.m. Sunday and 7-a.m. Monday. Anyone with information about the theft or the location of the truck should call the Adair County Sheriff’s Office at 641-743-2148.

The Atlantic Police Department reports an Anita woman was arrested Monday on a shoplifting-related charge. 65-year old Linda Barber was taken into custody on a charge of 5^th degree theft. She was later released with orders to appear in court at a later date.

No injuries were reported following a two-vehicle accident Monday afternoon at 13^th and Plum Streets, in Atlantic. According to Atlantic Police, vehicles driven by Seth Nelson and Emily Hemphill, both of Atlantic, collided at around 3:35-p.m., when Hemphill’s vehicle began to slow, and was hit from behind by the Nelson vehicle. Nelson was cited for Failure to Maintain Control/reduce speed. Damage from the mishap amounted to $3,300.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will act on three separate matters during their meeting Wednesday morning, in Atlantic. In addition to their regular business, the Board will act on approving the hiring of a full-time legal administrative assistant, and vote to allow or disallow family farm and agricultural land credits, in accordance with the Iowa Code.

And, the Board will hold the second of two public hearings on an amended zoning ordinance, which would change the County Zoning District permitted principal uses. Last week, the board discussed the addition of a single word in one line of a section of the amendment, as proposed, with regard to areas zoned for Light Industry. They instructed Cass County Attorney Dan Feistner to review the ordinance and see if the wording was necessary, redundant, and/or would put the County at-risk for seeing Heavy Industry slip into a Light Industrial Zone.

The final vote may impact an agreement the County has with Ron Fagen, who has purchased the former Amaizing Energy site just northwest of Atlantic, and has plans to bring in a renewable energy production facility of some sort. Originally, he had proposed building a next generation cellulosic ethanol plant to the area, but those plans appear to have changed, and it is not clear what will end-up at the site.

Prior to adjournment, the Cass County Supervisors will review and discuss proposed Fiscal Year 2014 budgets. Their meeting begins at 9-a.m. in the Cass County Courthouse.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors will field more requests for funding when they meet Wednesday morning, in Greenfield. The Board, like those in counties around the State, is gathering information on the needs of various county departments, as they prepare to discuss and finalize their Fiscal Year 2014 budget.

During their session Wednesday, the Supervisors in Adair County will hear budget requests from: Auditor Mindy Schaefer, with regard to the Clerk of Court and Social Services’ budgets: County Conservation Director Kevin Blazek, and Sheriff Brad Newton.

In addition, County Assistant Engineer Tom McGovern will present to the Board, a resolution for a 2013 Right of Way Purchase, 2013 Compensation for Fence, and Plans for a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Project, for the resurfacing of County Road G-30/White Pole Road.

Atlantic High School Assistant Principal and Activities Director Josh Rasmussen, Monday, reported on a survey of the district’s 7^th through 11^th grade students, with regard to the possible addition of sports programs, such as bowling, swimming, archery and dance. Rasmussen was responsible for conducting the survey. He says 343 students participated in, and returned the survey. Seventh graders led all students, with 99 completing and returning the survey.

Rasmussen said the survey asked students if they would participate in one of the four mentioned activities if they were offered, and whether or not those same students would drop another activity, such as volleyball or soccer, to participate in one of the other, proposed activities.

He said 59-percent of the students said they would drop their current activity in favor of swimming (which is for the girls, is typically held in Fall, and boys in the Winter), 45-percent of them said bowling (Which is a Winter sport) would be a preferable substitute to their current sport. Archery, according to Rasmussen, would be more of a club-type gathering, because unlike bowling and swimming, it’s not a sanctioned sport by the State of Iowa. However, there are free competitions such as the Iowa Deer Classic in Des Moines where awards are handed-out to qualifiers.

As for Dance, Rasmussen says 60-percent of the survey respondents said if offered, that would take the place of their current activity. He said many girls who are currently involved in basketball or cheerleading, would likely become involved in the sport, which would be offered in the Fall.

Rasmussen says participating in sports teaches discipline, time management skills, and how to function in a team environment. Superintendent Mike Amstein instructed Rasmussen to try and come up with a cost analysis for each sport, by contacting other schools which offer those particular activities, and report back to the board at a future meeting, for them to consider the options.