Deputies from Cass and Pottawattamie County, along with Iowa State Patrol Troopers coordinated efforts to stop a Trailways Bus Tuesday night on Interstate 80 in western Iowa. Cass County Chief Deputy Sheriff John Westering told KJAN News the bus was on its way from Omaha to points east when authorities received word at around 10:40-p.m. a “homicide suspect” from Omaha was on the coach.

Westring says the report indicated there was a warrant for the suspect. The bus was stopped at the Highway 71/Atlantic interchange – Exit 60 – but were unable to located the subject of the search. The bus and its passengers were detained for about 50-minutes before they were allowed to continue on their way. It’s not clear he said, if it was a false report from a tip to authorities, or incorrect information.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety said Wednesday, that a couple from Omaha, NE, were arrested this week in connection with a December 14, 2010 arson fire in Atlantic. 29-year old Elizabeth Kautter and 27-year old William Kautter, were both charged with Arson in the 1st Degree, a Class-B felony. William Kautter was also charged with six counts of Attempt to Commit Murder, which is also a Class-B felony.

Officials say at around 8:50-p.m. December 14th, firefighters were called to a fire at a single-family home located at 601 East 6th Street in Atlantic. Upon arrival, firefighters observed a fire had ignited on the porch and quickly spread into the home’s main entrance. The homeowners, Myron and Jolynne Gill, along with one of their adult children and three juveniles, were in the home at the time, but all escaped without injury.

An investigation conducted by the Atlantic Police Department, Atlantic Fire Department and the State Fire Marshal’s Office, indicated the blaze was caused by gasoline being poured across the front door and porch before being ignited. Complaints and Affidavits filed in coordination with the arrest of William and Elizabeth Kautter said prior to the fire, William Kautter had made several harassing phone calls, threatened physical harm and death to the Gill family.

In addition, cell phone records showed the Kautter’s had traveled to Iowa from Omaha the night of the fire, and, Elizabeth Kautter was seen purchasing gasoline at an Atlantic area gas station on December 14th, 2010. William Kautter was arrested and charged in May 2012, for making terroristic threats. In August 2012, he plead guilty to a lesser charge.

A Harlan man was cited for Failure to Maintain Control, after the vehicle he was driving jumped a curb Tuesday, and struck a light pole, knocking the pole to the ground. According to Harlan Police, the accident happened as Zachary Kloewer, of Harlan, was traveling east on Cyclone Avenue, in a 1999 Ford. The vehicle sustained extensive damage to its front and right side, while damage to the light pole owned by Harlan Municipal Utilities, was estimated at $2,000.

The Harlan Police Department Wednesday, issued a report on arrests, incidents and accidents that took place over the past few weeks. Most recently, 59-year old Gary Anderson, of Harlan, was arrested last Saturday (Oct. 20th), on a charge of Criminal Mischief in the 3rd degree. He was also charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, and interference with official acts resulting in injury. His arrest was the result of an investigation into a disturbance taking place in front of a business at 1007 7th Street, where Anderson allegedly damaged a window in the door of the business.

Authorities report also, the arrest October 18th, of 36-year old Steven Thompson, of Harlan, on Burglary in the 3rd degree and Possession of a Controlled substance charges, along with Prohibited Acts. His arrest occurred after Thompson was observed allegedly removing a lawn mower for the garage at 911 Broadway Street.

And, 26-year old Devin Stahl, of Harlan, was arrested October 13th on a charge of 2nd degree theft, for allegedly taking a surveillance camera from a hallway inside Myrtue Medical Center.

Cass County Engineer Charles Marker said the bridge to the County Landfill which had been closed last week for repairs, has reopened, but there has been a delay in the arrival of guardrails that were ordered. Rather than keep the bridge closed until the guardrails are installed, they elected to re-open it, but install snow barriers to keep people away from the edge of the bridge. The barriers were just installed, and already they have been destroyed. The barrier was torn down by someone Tuesday night. They hadn’t even been up for a whole day. It was tossed into a ditch, which Marker says is very “aggravating.”

He issued a warning to those responsible for removing the safety barriers, and he urged people who live near the bridge to be watchful for suspicious activity in the area. He says if the activity ceases, they will keep the bridge open, but if it continues, they will be forced to close the bridge again, for liability reasons. Marker says they need the public’s help to make sure the damage doesn’t happen again.

The last County in southwest Iowa to rescind its ban on opening burning did so today (Wednesday). Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon told the Board of Supervisors and the media during the Board’s meeting Wednesday morning, that the Burn Ban would cease effective at Noon today. The ban has been in place for the past three-months. Kennon cautioned however, that if dry conditions return, the fire danger will return as well.

He says area Fire Chiefs are still concerned about unsupervised burns of large brush piles, which can smolder for days, left unattended.  Kennon says County residents still need to call their local fire chief if large outdoor burning is planned. He said you should also call the Cass County Communications Center at 243-2204 to report open burning plans before the fires are lit, so area departments aren’t sent out by calls to the Comm Center from concerned citizens and motorists who think a fire is wild or out of control.

Kennon says overall the Burn ban was successful, but there was some confusion about what was considered to be an “Open Burn,” versus outdoor recreational-type fire activities. He says those in a pit outside your home for barbeques and such, has always been allowed. He blames himself for the frustration and confusion among the public for not getting enough information out through the media, and making it clear what a “Burn Ban,” covers.

Even though the drought has dropped levels in Missouri River reservoirs drastically, last year’s flood damage is still being repaired at key points along the waterway. Just upriver, restoration is underway at Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, South Dakota. Dave Becker, the dam’s operations manager, says bank restoration work is being done just downstream from the dam on the north shore. “We lost about 12 foot of river bed there so we lost the foundation for that riprap,” Becker says. “That riprap work is going on and that’ll probably be going on for three or four more months.”

The water releases last summer topped 160-thousand cubic feet per second and caused damage along and under the concrete slab just in front of the spillway gates. Becker says repairs are planned for that area, too. “We are going to have to do some work on the spillway slab,” Becker says. “They have to do more testing on that. It’ll need to wait until our spillway flows stop, about Thanksgiving or so.”

Becker says contractors will drill through the massive slab, working to fill some voids that developed in the gravel bed under the concrete as the floodwaters churned. “They are going to drill through the slab, try and fill the two largest voids and they’ll drill more test holes through the slab to check what the conditions are below,” he says.

Much of the work will extend into next spring.

(Radio Iowa)

w/ Ric Hanson

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Citing the need to explore expanding and rewriting a 2010 ordinance concerning dog permits in Atlantic, the City’s Community Protection Commission, Tuesday, tabled action on forwarding a recommendation pertaining to Vicious Dog permits, to the City Council. Police Chief Steve Green said there are only two reasons a person would need to have a Vicious Dog permit. That includes a dog who has bitten someone, but is still “worthy of redeeming,” but needs to be insured to protect against loss. The other reason is if a person owns a guard dog, which by nature, is trained to be vicious. The owner he says, should have to insure against that animal getting loose and biting someone.

Green has his own definition of what constitutes a “Vicious Dog.” It is one who jumps up and attacks the torso or face or a person. He says no amount of insurance will replace the face of a child who is attacked by such an animal. Green says there is no reason to issue a permit for that type of animal within the City limits. Green and City Administrator Doug Harris agreed, the current definition in the ordinance is wrong, and giving the City Administrator control over how those permits should be issued, not having even seen the animal, is wrong.

Green is in the process of rewriting the guidelines and definitions for the ordinance. In other business, the CPC tabled action on truck parking within the City limits, because arrangements are in the works to possibly relocate the current parking lots for semis and other similar, large vehicles that are not allowed to park on City Streets.

Sheriff’s Officials in Montgomery County report the arrest Tuesday night, of a Villisca man wanted on a warrant out of Adams County. 21-year old Jesse A. Luft was observed walking on 3rd Avenue at around 9:45-p.m., Tuesday.  A check of records indicated Luft was wanted on a warrant for Theft in the 5th Degree. He was arrested without incident and transferred to authorities in Adams County.