SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa woman has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for a federal drug conviction.  Prosecutors announced Wednesday that 48-year-old Treva Rasmussen of Jewell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a protected location. She was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Sioux City. Rasmussen admitted that she participated in the conspiracy from 2010 through November 2011. Prosecutors say she worked with others to make the drug at a home near Stanhope City Park in Hamilton County.  Rasmussen must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after her prison term.

Three Shelby County businesses were awarded $10,000 last week during the Shelby County New Enterprises business plan competition. IC Products, Leah Marie Photography and Panama Diesel presented in front of a panel of judges selected by the Shelby County DevelopSource at the Therkildsen Center last Thursday. After the deliberation, the judges decided to split the $30,000 prize money to all three businesses. David Wahling, owner and operator of IC Products, says he was very appreciative of the money. He said “It was a great deal and many thanks to Shelby County DevelopSource and their sponsors.”

IC Products is a new business focusing on ice cream machines. Wahling says “It’s an alert system when the mix is low, and it gives them an advance warning so it doesn’t create an air lock which creates down time.” IC Products will use the money for office equipment such as computers, a fax machine and furniture. Leah Blankinsop, owner and operator of Leah Marie Photography said her company will use the money towards indoor equipment. She says “We came in from an outdoor photographer so we didn’t have a lot of indoor equipment. We have to have new and updated equipment to be successful.”

Leah Marie Photography has been open in downtown Harlan for the past 6 months. Panama Diesel opened in 2008 and since that time owners Josh and Theresa Kaufman were in the need of expanding their semi parts. Theresa Kaufman said the funds money will help them do just that. She added “We plan to use the money to add an addition to our current building to house parts for resale. Our current supply of parts is taking up a repair bay and we need that space to continue to do truck repairs.”

This was the 2^nd annual Shelby County New Enterprises Business plan competition.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency is telling residents of the county that outdoor burning will not be permitted AT ALL, today. The County is one of several in far western Iowa to be placed under a “Red Flag Warning” for this afternoon and this evening. The warning is in effect from Noon until 7-p.m.  Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert said all Fire Danger indicators will be in the “Extreme” category this afternoon, because any fires that do develop, can move rapidly. He say the amount of “fuel” in the fields and the dry conditions indicate that if fires do develop, they could move into communities, much like they have in the western states of Colorado, Nebraska, and to our south, in Oklahoma.

The county has been in the “High” Fire Danger category for several weeks now, and  Sievert says citizens have been very mindful of the dangers and cooperative. He says his agency has had a lot of cooperation from the public in calling in their need to burn, and connecting them with their local fire chief so they can conduct a burn safely. Seivert encourages people who want to burn – not today, as no burning is allowed – in the future, to call 755-2124 so that officials can ensure the burn is safe and conducted according to standards.

Seivert says officials in Shelby County began preparing for today’s Extreme Fire Danger threat, Tuesday night. He says meeting have taken place with the fire chiefs and fire officers in Shelby and surrounding Counties, as well as elected officials. The parameters that exist today and how they differ from other fire emergencies were outlined during those sessions. Seivert warns of what could happen if a fire does develop during the extremely dry, and windy conditions that are expected today. He says they may be asking citizens to leave their homes and move to a safer location, to get them out of harms way.”

Cass County is not included in a Red Flag warning. Instead we are in an “Enhanced Fire Danger” category. Cass County Emergency Manager Mike Kennon told the Board of Supervisors during their meeting this morning, that citizens here need to be wary of the danger faced by fast growing fires, as well. He says you should refrain from outdoor burning, and issued a reminder the County is and has been under a Burn Ban for quite some time. Kennon says Montgomery County Emergency Management Coordinator Brian Hamman is using a Wildland Fire Dispatch procedures. That means if there’s a grass fire, neighboring fire stations will be dispatched for mutual aid. That includes those from communities in the southern part of Cass County.

w/ Ric Hanson

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A new report shows little progress in the effort to increase the percentage of Iowa high school students who are ready for college-level courses. Iowa City testing company ACT Inc. says only 30 percent of the 23,000 test-takers scored well enough to be considered ready for college-level courses in English, reading, math and science.  The figure has remained stable over the past five years, despite Iowa’s better-than-average ACT scores.

State education leaders have cited the report as evidence that change is needed to prepare more Iowa students for success beyond high school. The results were compiled from 28 states where at least half of the Class of 2012 took the test. Iowa and Wisconsin tied with the second-highest overall composite scores. Minnesota ranked first.

In an update to an earlier story, the Atlantic Police Department says a Council Bluffs woman was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital Tuesday night, following an accident at the intersection of 7th and Hazel Streets. Officials say vehicles driven by Megan Hall, of Council Bluffs, and Leah Jenkins, of Atlantic, were both westbound on 7th Street just before midnight, when Jenkins saw a dark object out of the corner of her eye and hit the brakes.

When Hall couldn’t stop in time, her vehicle struck the back of Jenkins’ vehicle, causing a total of about $2,700 damage. Hall complained of pain and was taken to the hospital by Medivac Ambulance, to be checked out.

Hall was cited by police for following too close, and failure to provide proof of insurance.

w/ Ric Hanson

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A residence in Council Bluffs was hit by gunfire Tuesday morning. A police report cited by the Council Bluffs Non Pareil says the home located in the 4000 block of Ramelle Drive, was struck shortly after midnight, Tuesday. A person in their 40’s who lives in the home told officers two people were allegedly involved in the drive-by shooting. The resident described the suspects as being white, and in their early to mid-20’s. No injuries were reported.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at (712) 328-STOP. Callers may remain anonymous and might be eligible for a cash reward

MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT AND PAGE COUNTIES

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

SOUTHERLY WINDS GUSTING TO AROUND 25 MPH ARE EXPECTED FROM LATE MORNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL FALL TO 15 TO 20 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON. NO THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP MAY SPREAD RAPIDLY. OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

COUNTIES: SAC-CALHOUN-WEBSTER-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE- DALLAS-POLK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS- TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE-

346 AM CDT WED AUG 22 2012

WARM TEMPERATURES…STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 30 PERCENT OR BELOW WILL COMBINE AND LEAD TO AN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER THIS AFTERNOON. FIRES MAY SPREAD RAPIDLY…WITH AN INCREASED RISK FOR BURNING OUT OF CONTROL. REFRAIN FROM BURNING…AND USE EXTREME CAUTION IF BURNING TODAY. BURN BANS ARE ALREADY IN PLACE FOR MANY COUNTIES IN THE KJAN LISTENING AREA.