Sheriff’s deputies in Mills County were very busy Tuesday, investigating no fewer than four accidents. One of the accidents happened at around 2:50-p.m. Tuesday, about two-miles southeast of Glenwood on Kidd Road, at the intersection with Kane Avenue. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says a 1991 Toyota driven by 16-year old Ashley Hunter, of Glenwood, was traveling south on Kidd Road when for reasons unknown, it left the road and hit an embankment. Hunter was transported by Glenwood Rescue to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs for treatment of undisclosed injuries.

The other three accidents occurred at nearly the same time. Officials say the vehicles each went out of control as they crossed a bridge where ice had formed on the roadway. Each of the accident took place at around 5:35-a.m. Tuesday, about 2.5-miles west of Malvern, on Highway 34.

Officials say a 1999 Ford F-150 pickup driven by 25-year old Matthew Twehous, of Malvern, was traveling west on Highway 34, when the vehicle began to fishtail as he drove across a bridge. Twehous tried to take corrective action, but the truck skidded across the centerline of the road and hit the opposite side of the bridge.

At about the same time, a 2004 Dodge driven by 34-year old Justin Scroggs, of Malvern, hit the same patch of icy road on the bridge, causing the vehicle to fishtail out of control. The vehicle crossed the centerline and hit the opposite side of the bridge twice. And, about an hour later, a 2005 Chevy driven by 48-year old Carri McAdams, of Malvern also spun out of control on the increasingly icy bridge, as McAdams was traveling westbound. The vehicle hit the opposite side of the bridge. None of the drivers was injured. A dollar amount of the damage was not immediately available.

In advance of forecasted blizzard conditions in the state, the Iowa Department of Transportation is advising motorists that travel across the majority of Iowa is not advised from 8 p.m. tonight through noon Thursday, Dec. 20th.  The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning beginning at 6 p.m. tonight and continuing through 6 p.m. Thursday.

In addition to heavy snowfall of 6 to 10 inches, very strong northwest winds (25-35 mph, with gusts exceeding 45 mph) will produce considerable blowing and drifting of snow and blizzard conditions late tonight through Thursday afternoon.

The heaviest snow axis will be along a line from Atlantic to Dubuque. The lowest amounts are expected near the Missouri border. Snow drifts several feet deep will be possible given the strong winds. Visibility at times will be reduced to one-quarter mile or less to whiteout conditions.

The Iowa DOT does not recommend travel during this dangerous winter storm, but if you choose to venture out, take a fully charged cell phone with you. If you become stranded, follow these safety steps.

• Use your mobile phone to call 911 for emergency assistance. Guide emergency personnel to your location by observing any exit numbers, mileposts, crossroads or landmarks.
• Pull as far off the road as possible to avoid getting hit by other vehicles.
• Turn on your vehicle’s warning/flashing lights.
• Remain with your vehicle. Your vehicle provides the shelter necessary to survive and allows you to be found by rescue personnel.
• Remain calm and be patient. It may take considerable time for someone to reach your vehicle during a storm as emergency personnel typically are assisting multiple persons.
• Make sure your vehicle’s gas tank is full before starting your trip. If you become stranded, run your vehicle about 10 minutes every hour to stay warm.
• Crack a window in the vehicle to avoid carbon monoxide build-up; and clear away any snow from the vehicle’s tailpipe so the exhaust can escape.
• Utilize the resources in your winter survival kit.

To discover all the ways in which you can receive 24/7 Iowa traveler information, visit http://511ia.org/.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors Wednesday morning, approved a proposal from Carlson, West, and Povandra Architects, for a courthouse space/needs study. The study will cost a total of $4,300. That includes the base price of $3,800, plus an optional $800 fee for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (Or, HVAC) analysis. The board concluded the HVAC study should be done to determine whether it would be more cost effective and feasible to install a Geo-thermal system, or reconfigure the current system, depending on the location of the 9-1-1 Center.

During their meeting last week, Supervisor Mark Wedemeyer, who sits on the County Public Safety Commission, said the Commission would be willing to foot $2,500 toward the cost of the study, but Supervisor Chuck Rieken said Wednesday, that the Board could look at picking up the entire bill, once the study is complete. He says that’s because it would benefit the entire courthouse, and not just the Comm Center.

The Board could look at numerous methods of helping to pay for the study, including splitting the costs with the Public Safety Commission and obtaining Federal/State grants. The study will be completed within 90-days once the contract is signed.

Finding more space in the courthouse or on the grounds of the facility is a process that began in the Fall of 2011, after it became clear the Cass County 9-1-1/Communications Center has outgrown its current location, and because new technology will take up more space and require the use of additional personnel to operate it.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were arrested on drug charges this week, following an investigation into drug-related activity. 23-year old Justin Tigges, of Defiance, was arrested Monday in Ames, on a felony Delivery of Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine charge. Tigges was transported to Shelby County where he was being held on $50,000 bond.

38-year old Vicki Garrison, from Harlan, was arrested Tuesday in Harlan, on the same felony charge. Garrison was brought to the Shelby County Jail, where she was also being held on $50,000 bond. Authorities say an investigation into the pair’s alleged illegal activities are ongoing.

Several area communities have enacted their Emergency Snow Ordinances.

A Snow Emergency is currently in effect in the City of Cumberland, until Noon on Friday. In Guthrie Center, the Snow Emergency begins Wednesday night, and will remain in effect until the streets are cleared.  In Red Oak and Griswold, Snow Emergencies affecting parking on City streets goes are in effect at 6-p.m. Wednesday.

The City of Corning’s Snow Emergency Declaration goes into effect at 8-p.m. Thursday (Dec. 20th). No parking will be allowed on marked snow route streets during the first 12 hours of the Snow Emergency. With the exception of the Corning business district, parking during the first 12-hours on all other streets will be on the South and West side only. For the remainder of the Snow Emergency, parking will be allowed on the North and East side of the street if not prohibited by signs. All “No Parking” signs and direction of travel parking will be enforced.

In Exira, the Snow Ordinance will go into effect tonight (Wednesday). All vehicles will be prohibited from parking on even numbered sides of the street from 7-a.m. Thursday until Noon, and on odd numbered sides of the street from 1-p.m. until 4:30-p.m. Thursday. All vehicles in violation of the ordinance WILL BE towed. Also, all vehicles parked on Washington and Jefferson Streets in Exira’s downtown area, must be parked elsewhere Wednesday and Thursday.

And, the City of Clarinda has declared a Snow Emergency effective 7-p.m. Wednesday through 3-p.m. Thursday. Parking restrictions will be in effect during the duration of the Snow Emergency. Earlier, we announced the City of Lenox‘ Snow Ordinance will be in effect beginning at 6-p.m. Wednesday and lasting until snow plowing operations cease.

A man from Minnesota was charged with Failure to Maintain Control and Operating While Intoxicated, following a single-vehicle accident Tuesday night about three-miles north of Brayton, in Audubon County. Sheriff’s officials say 44-year old Gary Allan English, of Kasson, MN, was traveling north on Lark Avenue at around 9-p.m. Tuesday, when his vehicle went out of control before entering the east ditch.

English was brought to the Audubon County Jail and later released after appearing before a magistrate. His preliminary hearing on the charges was set for January 7th.

The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest on Monday of 50-year old Tamera Hall, of Atlantic. Hall was taken into custody on a shoplifting (5th degree theft) charge. She was booked in to the Cass County Jail and held pending an appearance before the magistrate.

The Harlan City Council, Tuesday, approved the forgiveness of an administrative fee by the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce. In the final Harlan City Council meeting of 2012, the council approved the motion on a vote of 5 to 1, with the nay vote coming from Council member Kate Kohorst. The 20% fee is part of the Hotel/Motel Tax.

The City Council also passed a motion to place all Hotel/Motel new monies on hold until a new ordinance has been created and adopted by the city of Harlan. Both motions were made at the previous Personnel and Finance Committee meeting last Thursday. City Administrator Terry Cox said the ordinance committee will meet on Thursday, December 27th. The deadline for the new ordinance is January 29th. However Cox said it could be brought to the first City Council meeting in January if it is finished.

In other business, the Harlan City Council approved the purchase of a ¾ ton Ford F-150 pickup from Keast Auto Center in Harlan for the city’s parks department. The truck cost the city $26,270 but Cox said they hope to sell 2 of the city’s vehicles to save the city $1,500. The Council also approved Harlan City Clerk Debra Sawyer to the Iowa League of Cities Education Committee and changed the 2nd council meeting in January from the 22nd to the 29th.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

The Shelby County Supervisors held their final meeting of 2012 Tuesday. The Board of Supervisors began their meeting with the land auction of cash rental property. The landfill ground sold for $395 per acre. Following the sale, the Shelby County Supervisors introduced Chris Nelson of Gronewold & Company to discuss the preliminary results of the county’s annual audit.

Nelson said last year, the Supervisors wanted more documentation attached to or provided with the preparation of expenditures for early childhood Iowa expenditures where the county is the fiscal agent. He said those have been approved. Nelson said there was also a mention of reconciliation of county taxes to the revenue reports of the county.

He said last Thursday, they tested past revenues and reviewed the daily reconciliations.  He said the tax receipts are reconciled on a daily and month basis. And, the Treasurer’s proportionate reports are being proportioned and those do balance. Nelson said they took the monthly summaries and compared those to the county revenue reports that are actual reports which come from the Treasurer’s office, and determined there was a small discrepancy less than $500 for the year, but he but didn’t go into further details. He recommended taking a step further to make sure everything balances out, including reconciling the account, and making sure the information is posted properly in county revenue reports.

The Shelby County Board of Supervisors will see the final audit report in February. Supervisor Roger Schmitz reported to the Board that he had recently attended the Personnel and Finance Committee meeting, along with officials from the city of Harlan. The Supervisors approved the forgiveness of a 20% administrative fee by the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce from the Hotel/Motel Tax, per legal advice. The motion was made at the Committee meeting but needed to be approved by the Supervisors and Harlan City Council.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

w/ Ric Hanson

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