The Department of Defense announced today (Sunday) the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Caleb A. Nelson, 26, of Omaha, Neb.,died after his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while conducting a combat patrol in Zabul province, Afghanistan on Oct.1.  Nelson was assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit, Norfolk, Va.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AP) — A religious group from Iowa will lead a peace rally at Offutt Air Force Base. The Sisters of St. Francis from Dubuque, Iowa, say this (Sunday) afternoon’s demonstration is meant to commemorate both the 10th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan and St. Francis of Assisi. The group says it expects about 100 protesters from across Iowa to travel to eastern Nebraska for the protest. It anticipates some demonstrators will be arrested for trespassing.

The Atlantic School District will pay $300,000 to the families of three students who were stripped search by a school employee in 2009. The settlement was first reported by the Omaha World-Herald.

As part of the settlement, each family of the three students will receive $100,000.

The lawsuit, alleged that former Atlantic High School Assistant principal Paul Croghan ordered a strip search of five female students when another student reported they were missing $100. No money was found after the searches. Croghan resigned in 2009.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege the school violated the girls state and federal rights against unreasonable searches.

Atlantic Schools admitted earlier this fall that the searches were against school policy and state law. They also said the girls did not do anything wrong.

w/ Brett Johnson

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The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of an Omaha man on Friday.

At about 9:10 AM, the Sheriff’s Office arrested 28-year-old Shawn Michael Jones of Omaha on a Pottawattamie County felony bench warrant for operation without owners consent following a traffic stop in the 100 block of W Oak Street in Red Oak.

Jones was transported to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and held on $1,000 cash bond pending extradition.

Police in Council Bluffs are still looking for a man who robbed a gas station the area early Friday morning.

At about 2:40 AM, police responded to a reported robbery at the Kwik Shop on Avenue G in Council Bluffs.

The suspect approached the clerk at the store and displayed a black handgun and demanded money. He was given an undermined amount of cash and fled the scene on Avenue G on a bike.

The suspect is described as a black man, wearing a tan jersey, blue jeans, sunglasses, gloves, and a bandanna around his face.

No injuries were reported with the incident. The Council Bluffs Police Department continues the investigation.

Banks in Guthrie County made a presentation to the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors Tuesday saying they are not interested in holding the county’s estimated $12 million in revenue.

The banks say they would prefer not to hold the money until the revenue is divvied out to local schools and cities later in October. That presentation was made by Guthrie County Treasurer Marcia Kindred and Guthrie County State Bank President Barry Monaghan.

Monaghan says because there are currently very few construction projects taking place, the area banks already have money on hand, but no one to lend it to. She says that they only have two construction loans out this year, when in a normal year they usually see about 15.

The Supervisors eventually voted unanimously to deposit the tax revenues with the Iowa Public Agency Investment Trust.

w/ Brett Johnson

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Paranormal activity was one of the subjects at the most recent meeting of the Guthrie Center City Council.

The City Council gave approval to the Des Moines Area Paranormal Society to investigate possible paranormal activity at Union Cemetery. Four to six members of the group will conduct a series of tests to collect evidence of possible paranormal activity.

The group made the request to the City Council because in some cases, access is required to a location for a period of up to six hours during the evening or late night hours.

The group selected Union Cemetery because of reports of events that may or may not have occurred at the cemetery.

Also at the meeting, the City Council received bids from four engineering firms regarding construction projects around town. Some of the projects include the master downtown revitalization plan and projects for lights and sidewalks in downtown.

The Council did not take action on any of the bids because two Council members were not present at the meeting.

Incidents of vandalism continue to be a problem for Bayard.

Vandalism has recently occurred on both private and city property on Main Street as well as the city park.

Although no arrests have been made yet, authorities do have information about possible suspects. Charges in the vandalism crimes would result in fourth degree criminal mischief and destruction or vandalism of property.

Some of the incidents of vandalism include pornographic graffiti that was sprayed two weeks ago on an outside wall of the library.

Another incident last Saturday had a dumpster filled with cardboard that was lit of on fire at the old Bayard High School.

Anyone with information asked to call the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office.