A western Iowa man who has fought to save many homes from fire over the years, had to face the loss of his own home, Tuesday. Mondamin Fire Chief Norm Wallis, from rural Mondamin, was on his way back from lunch Tuesday afternoon, when he saw smoke coming from Interstate 29. The 55-year old volunteer firefighter dialed 9-1-1, and when he reached his mobile home, quickly reacted to cut power to the structure and move his vehicles and equipment away from the flames, just as he would have done if he was working to save any other property in danger of being consumed by fire.

Area firefighters from Mondamin, Modale, Magnolia and Little Sioux helped extinguish the blaze. Wallis told the Omaha World-Herald, he had worried the entire summer about the Missouri River flood waters but those stopped about 100 feet from his place. Wallis’ mobile home and its contents were a total loss, but no injuries were reported.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation continues, but officials said it did not appear to be suspicious in nature.

1934 Lithograph of US Constitution

A handful of local veterans and members of the Cass County Board of Supervisors were on-hand this (Wednesday) morning, for the presentation of a framed, 1934 lithograph copy of the U-S Constitution at the Cass County Courthouse. Gary Stephenson, from Fort Dodge, had spoken with the Board in August, and asked permission to look for local sponsors for the large print, which will be mounted on the wall in the corridor, outside of the Treasurer’s Office.

The lithograph, which has also been put in place in 34 other courthouses across Iowa, was made possible through the Supervisors’ support, and more than a half-dozen local sponsors. They include: Atlantic Motor Supply; the Cass County Abstract Company, Incorporated; McAtee Tire, Incorporated; Brocker, Karns and Karns Insurance; Hockenberry Family Care Funeral Home; the Atlantic Rotary Club; Ed & Debbie Liestad and Family; Tom and Wendy Cappel, ReAnn and Trey; and, W and S Appliance.

Plaques commemorating those sponsors, along with those in Memory of Cass County Supervisor Chuck Kinen, and all who sacrificed their lives in service to our country, will be included on the wall beneath the lithograph. The print was originally printed in 1934, but not discovered until 50-years later. It recognizes the Founding Fathers for their wisdom, and remembers those who fought to preserve our liberties.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – State health officials say a northwest Iowa woman is the state’s first reported case of someone becoming ill after eating a cantaloupe tainted with listeria. The Iowa Department of Public Health says in a news release Wednesday the woman was pregnant at the time she became ill and suffered a miscarriage. State health officials say the woman has recovered. The woman had eaten a cantaloupe purchased at an Iowa store. It’s the state’s first case linked to the multi-state outbreak of listeria linked to a Colorado farm. Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, the state’s medical director, says while all affected cantaloupe should be off store shelves, more illnesses may be reported because it can take two months for symptoms to develop. Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – A 43-year-old Lincoln man with at least six aliases has been sentenced to life in federal prison for dealing drugs.Nebraska’s U.S. Attorney Deborah Gilg says Javier Garcia-Hernandez was sentenced Tuesday in federal court for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. There is no parole under federal sentencing guidelines. Garcia-Hernandez was convicted of the charge in June. Federal prosecutors were able to determine that Garcia-Hernandez had three prior felony drug convictions from Iowa, South Dakota and Texas, all under different names. The amount of drugs for which Garcia-Hernandez was held responsible and his prior drug convictions meant his mandatory minimum sentence was life in prison.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Forty postal workers in Sioux City could still collect a total of over $1.7 million a year in salaries even though their office recently closed. The U.S. Postal Service mail-processing facility closed on Friday. But officials agreed to a four-year union contract with those workers in May. The Des Moines Register reports the total average costs of those 40 standby employees could tops $2.88 million a year once benefits are factored in. That number slightly exceeds the estimated $2.8 million annual savings from merging the center’s functions with one in Sioux Falls, S.D. Postal spokesman Richard Watkins says closing the facility still makes sense financially. That’s because it’s likely the majority of the 40 standby employees will be relocated to other postal jobs.

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A Villisca teen was arrested early this (Wednesday) morning, in Montgomery County. Sheriff’s officials report 16-year old Nicholas J. Farwell was taken into custody at around 3-a.m., for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His arrest took place following a traffic stop at 250^th and Q Avenue.

During a search of Farwell’s vehicle, deputies discovered several items of drug paraphernalia. In addition to the drug paraphernalia charge, Farwell was cited for violating his graduated driver’s license. He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and processed before being released to the custody of a parent.

A program designed to help young internet users stay safe online was the subject of a workshop last night (Tuesday) for parents and students in Council Bluffs. Shannon Seeger, spokeswoman for the Internet Keep Safe Coalition or i-Keep-Safe, says children are growing up in a world where their social life is coordinated through interactions on-line or through a cell phone. Seeger says kids need to be reminded how to act and interact. “Keeping and maintaining a positive reputation, keeping your personal information to yourself, also, when you interact with people, how to be a citizen about it,” she says.

Children need to be aware of predators, cyber-bullying, harassment and other threats. While the Internet can be a great place to connect with friends, Seeger says some people use social networking sites to humiliate and degrade others. “It doesn’t just deal with bullying, it’s harassment of all kinds, child-to-child harassment, parent-on-teacher, child-on-teacher,” she says. “There are many, many different variations on cyber-bullying.”

Seeger says there are increasing reports of children missing school, dropping out and event taking their own lives because of non-stop bullying. “One-million children were cyber-bullied last year on Facebook alone,” she says. “That doesn’t take into count all of the other social media and all the networking and messaging that children are doing back and forth.”

The first workshop Tuesday in Council Bluffs was for teachers only and was directed at helping to teach their students to be responsible online. The second workshop last night was for parents and students, urging them to start their own at-home programs for safe, healthy and ethical internet use. Learn more at: www.ikeepsafe.org

(Radio Iowa)

One person was arrested late Tuesday night in Montgomery County following an investigation into an assault and personal injury accident. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 21-year old Kiley B. Caron, of Villisca, was taken into custody at around 10:40-p.m. at 5^th Avenue and 1^st Street.

Caron was found following his flight from the scene of a personal injury motor vehicle accident which occurred in Adams County. Authorities say he was visibly intoxicated, and emitted a strong odor of alcohol. Caron failed his preliminary breath test and was taken into custody on a charge of public intoxication.

He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.