The trial for an Atlantic man facing a felony charge of Willful Injury Causing Bodily Injury, and a Serious Misdemeanor charge of Domestic Abuse Assault Causing Bodily Injury, has been delayed until May. According to online court records, Judge Jeffrey Larson, on Monday, granted a request by attorneys in the case of 45-year old Rex Dean McDermott to delay his trial until 9:30-a.m. May 29th.

His pre-trial conference is set to take place earlier that same month.His trial was originally set to take place January 8th in Cass County District Court. McDermott entered a written plea on Monday, of Not Guilty to the charges, and is currently free on bond.

McDermott had been arrested in Oct. 2012, following an incident which allegedly occurred at R&B Feeds in Atlantic.

A woman from Corning was arrested early this (Wednesday) morning, following an investigation into an accident which occurred previously. The Adams County Sheriff’s Department says 20-year old Kaitlyn DeYoung, of Corning, faces an OWI and Child Endangerment charge. She was taken into custody at around 10:30-a.m. DeYoung was being held in the Adams County Jail on $3,000 bond.

An underground water main broke early this (Tuesday) morning in Council Bluffs and prompted part of a residential street to collapse. Homeowner David Froth woke up around 3 A-M to see the road caving in. Froth says he ran to the aid of a neighbor who was driving up the street and crashed into a large hole. “It’s a little scary seeing something like this and then trying to help your neighbor out of his own car,” Froth said.

Officials with the Council Bluffs Water Works said a major water main break near Ave E and N. 9th Street caused a loss of water pressure on the west end of Council Bluffs. The water main break has been isolated and the system was repressurizing late Wednesday morning.

The utility says “While loss of pressure does not necessarily mean the water has been contaminated, it does mean that pathogens may be able to enter the piped-water system and thus be carried to consumers. The Council Bluffs Water Works is issuing precautionary boil water advisory for the entire City until further notice. The precautionary notice includes the cities of Crescent, Underwood, and McClelland and the Bentree Subdivisions.

Do not use tap water for drinking or food preparation. Under a boil-water advisory (BWA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that water be brought to a rolling boil for one minute before it is consumed in order to kill protozoa, bacteria and viruses. The Council Bluff Water Works will be taking water samples throughout the City to verify the safety of the water and lift the advisory as soon as possible.”

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld the first-degree murder conviction of a woman serving life in prison for the 2001 fatal shooting of a neighbor in her Iowa home.  The court on Wednesday rejected Tracey Richter‘s argument that prosecutors failed to overcome her claim that the shooting of 20-year-old Dustin Wehde was in self-defense.

Richter shot and killed Wehde in her home in the Sac County town of Early. She maintains that she shot Wehde to protect herself and her three children after Wehde and another man invaded her home. Prosecutors say the home invasion claim was a hoax, and that Richter killed Wehde as part of a plot to frame her ex-husband.

The court says there was “substantial evidence” from which jurors could conclude the killing wasn’t justified.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Shelby County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, approved a five-percent increase in wages for elected officials, with just a few exceptions. Tim Meyer, Treasurer of the Shelby County Compensation Board, requested the increase for elected officials except for Shelby County Sheriff Mark Hervey, who will see a 6 percent increase. Meyer told the supervisors his first year on the board in 2011, that Shelby county officials were trailing the rest of the counties considerably, ranking 89^th as compared to the population at 65^th. The Compensation board decided in 2011 to ask for the increase in wages and continue a plan to raise the compensation closer to the population. Meyer said the 5 percent increase agreed upon by the Compensation Board prior being recommended for approval by the Supervisors.

Meyer said the county officials do a great job and should be commended for the work they do. Supervisor Steve Kenkel compared elected officials’ wages in Shelby County and four other counties in the area prior to the Boards’ vote.  Kenkel said “Shelby County population ranking is 64 and property tax is 63 so we are right where we need to be. But I wanted to look at the levy rate where we are with taxes. The levy rate of the counties around us varies to 37.3 and we are 30.3. The state average is 34 so we are real low in the property tax levy. Property tax in our 5 year average what our change has been is 2.4%, or about half of the state average.”

He said also, the County will be debt free by next fiscal year, and he reminded the Board other County officials received a $1,500 raise this year. Kenkel said “If we weren’t doing anything at all you have to look at that and factor that in there that’s $12,000 subtract off of there. You are looking at above and beyond a 1.5% increase about what the other employees got. Charlie and I said we would not take a raise the 1^st year if this is approved, that’s $1,279. If you take that savings out, we are looking at additional cost for the county of 1.1%.”

Supervisor Roger Schmitz said he would not vote for a salary increase, because he is not better than the other two supervisors.  Kenkel refuted that argument, saying “What I wanted to do was approve it and Roger get his now and wait 6 months the next year and then enacts Charlie and I in. That way we end up with two and a half and he ends up with 5.” A motion to approve the increase passed however, by a vote of 2-to 1, with Schmitz voting no, because he felt everyone should be the same on the board.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

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(Updated 7:23-a.m.)

Officials in Council Bluffs say a large water main break near North 9th Street and Avenue F, has resulted in the issuance of a BOIL ADVISORY for the entire City of Council Bluffs for anywhere from 24-to 48-hours.   According to media reports, a geyser was shooting up from the street for a while after the incident occurred sometime between 2:15- and 2:30-a.m., and a vehicle was observed partially submerged in the large hole created by the water main break. The road has also buckled in the area.  The cause of the break is under investigation.

Authorities have shut down at least nine blocks to traffic, as the main break caused street flooding.  Temperatures below freezing means that roads in the vicinity of the incident are very icy or slushy. Drivers are urged to avoid the area.

And, schools are asking students to bring bottled water to class today, due to the Boil Advisory. Under a Boil Advisory, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that persons use bottled water for drinking, cooking and the brushing of teeth, or tap water be brought to a rolling boil for one minute before it is consumed in order to kill protozoa, bacteria and viruses.

(7-a.m. News)

Area residents looking for ways to fulfill their New Year’s resolution to get healthy and fit, can do so by participating in the annual “Live Healthy Iowa 10 Week Challenge“, January 28th through April 5th. During the challenge, participants form teams of anywhere from two to 10-adults, who motivate and support each other in achieving their fitness and weight loss goals.

Each week, team members report their physical activity and/or weight, as part of a friendly competition. Team totals will be tracked and tabulated. In addition, a new feature this year, is a K-through 12 Live Healthy Iowa kids’ 10-week Challenge. Last year, Corporate and Community Cup Challenges were introduced into the competition, where teams from those divisions vied for a traveling trophy. Cass County is one of the communities which will actively be tracking its participation.

If teams sign-up using the group i.d.  LHICASS, they will be grouped with all teams in Cass County, thereby making the County eligible for the Community Cup Challenge. Sign-up today, by visiting www.livehealthyiowa.org.  Or, for more information, call Teddi Grindberg, Cass County Wellness Coordinator, at 712-243-3934.