The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is reporting numerous arrests took place over the past two weeks. On Sunday, 32-year old Christopher Russell Schrader, of Atlantic, was arrested on a charge of OWI 2nd Offense. Schrader was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on his own recognizance.

Last Thursday, Deputies in Cass County arrested 50-year old Rex Dean McDermott, of Atlantic, on a charge of OWI 2nd Offense. McDermott was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance. That same day, 19-year old Levi Allen Lank, of Massena, turned himself in on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office felony warrant for Possession with Intent to Deliver Marijuana. Lank was booked at the Cass County Jail and released later that day on his own recognizance.

Last Wednesday, 58-year old Terry Lee Ranney, of Massena, was arrested in Cass County, on a charge of Domestic Abuse 2nd Offense. Ranney was taken to the Cass County Jail and was released the following day on his own recognizance.

On March 20th, Cass County Deputies arrested 42-year old Matthew Paul Hardick, of Council Bluffs, on a felony charge of Possession of Methamphetamine 3rd/Subsequent offense, and a simple misdemeanor, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, charge. Hardick was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $5,000 bond.

On March 15th, 28-year old Carl James Soglin, of Atlantic, was arrested on two Atlantic Police Department a felony warrant for Theft 2nd Degree and simple misdemeanor charge of Theft 5th Degree. Soglin was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $5,300 bond.

And, on March 14th, 24-year old Tanor Devon Jimmison, of Clarinda, was arrested on a Cass County on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear. Jimmison was taken to the Cass County Jail where he finished serving sentenced jail time and was released.

HARLAN, Iowa (AP) – Remains of an Iowa soldier who died in the Korean War are being returned for burial in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Monday that the remains of Army Sgt. Donald Noehren, of Harlan, Iowa, will be buried April 3rd.

The agency says the 23-year-old Noehren was captured in November 1950 while fighting Chinese units in North Korea. His status was changed from missing in action to deceased the next year after two repatriated U.S. soldiers reported that Noehren had died at a prisoner camp on Jan. 22, 1951.

The agency says several remains were recovered from the camp area in 2005. Agency scientists later matched DNA from relatives to help confirm some of the remains were those of Noehren.

HICKMAN, Neb. (AP) – Authorities have released the names of the drivers involved in a fatal collision in southeast Nebraska. The accident occurred around 7 a.m. Monday on U.S. Highway 77, at a rural road intersection about six miles south of Lincoln. Lancaster County Sheriff’s Capt. Ben Houchin says a westbound car that didn’t halt at the intersection was struck by a northbound car, which then struck a south-facing pickup truck waiting to turn east onto the rural road.

Houchin says the westbound car driver died at the scene. She’s been identified as 87-year-old Laverda Baehr, who lived in Hastings. The other car’s driver was hospitalized in Lincoln. He’s been identified as 26-year-old James Rivers III, of Beatrice.

The pickup driver wasn’t injured. He’s been identified as 64-year-old Jim Jinings, of Macedonia, Iowa.

Atlantic Public Library Director Natalie Struecker has announced the Library has received funding from Humanities, Iowa (a private, non-profit State affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities), to host a presentation entitled “Sherlock Holmes in Turn-of-the-Century Britain,” by Dr. Richard Caplan, an authority on Holmes. Caplan recently published a book concerning Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective, and he’s the founding leader of the Younger Stamfords, Iowa City’s Sherlock Holmes Society.

The presentation will take place 10:15-a.m. on April 7th at the Atlantic Public Library, with doors opening at 10-a.m. The Library will be closed that day, except for the program from Dr. Caplan. Everyone is welcome to attend the presentation.

Other library services, including computer use and checking out materials will not be available during the event. The library will be open for regular hours on Saturday, April 8th, from 9-a.m. until 2-p.m.

An unattended tow truck rolled down a driveway Saturday night, struck a power pole and knocked out power to at least two homes. Red Oak Police say the tow truck, belong to Southwest Iowa Auto, had been parked in the back yard of a residence in the 700 block of E. Washington Avenue. When the driver started the 1994 Ford F-350 and went back inside a home, the vehicle rolled out of the driveway to the south and hit a MidAmerican Energy utility pole in the alley. The driver then pulled the truck back into the driveway, apparently not noticing any damage.

The following morning it was learned electrical service had been knocked off the side of two separate homes in the same block. Damage to the tow truck was estimated at $1,500. The utility pole sustained $100 damage, while damage to the affected residences amounted to about $1,000 altogether. No citations were issued.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Terry Branstad says he still supports a modest minimum wage increase, just days after Republican leaders in the Iowa House made clear they weren’t interested. Branstad told reporters Monday he has informed House leaders he supports raising the wage.

Last week, House Speaker Linda Upmeyer noted Republican legislators didn’t support an increase. Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, who will succeed Branstad if he is confirmed as ambassador to China, says she would consider supporting an increase if she’s convinced it wouldn’t hurt job growth.

The House recently approved a bill blocking local jurisdictions from approving minimum wages above the state level of $7.25. If approved by the Senate, workers in some Iowa counties with approved higher minimums could see pay cuts. Iowa last raised its minimum wage in 2009.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office today (Monday) issued numerous reports on arrests/incidents and warrants served. Among those arrested over the past week, was 27-year old Gabriel Lee Caputo, of Council Bluffs, who faces an OWI/1st offense charge, after the 2001 Chevy Suburban he was driving struck a house at 22348 Three Bridge Road. The accident happened a little after 3-a.m., Sunday. The SUV sustained heavy front end damage and was reported to be partially in the basement of the residence. A dollar amount of the damage to the vehicle and structure was not available.

Taken into custody Saturday night, was 62-year old Randy E. Allen, of Carson. Allen was charged with Domestic Abuse/Simple Assault after allegedly assaulting his spouse. And, 34-year old Zachary Isaac Goodside, of Harlan, was arrested at the Shelby County Jail on a Pott. County warrant for Failure to Appear on a charge of OWI/2nd offense. Goodside was transported to the Pott. County Jail.

Members of the Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education meet in a brief session this (Monday) morning to vote on approving an offer to purchase the Cass, Incorporated building and to terminate a more than $51,000 lease for another, current property. The motion was approved by a vote of 4-to 1, with Board Member Dr. Keith Swanson voting against it. The purchase price is $925,000. The District expects an additional $400,000 is necessary to renovate the facility to make it ready for occupancy and programs. The 27,450-square foot Cass, Inc. building is assessed at a little more than $1-million.

Ric Hanson/photo

During discussion, Board Member Kristy Pellett said she had put together a list of pro’s and con’s for the purchase of the Cass, Inc. building. She said even with $400,000 in renovations, the building cost breaks down to 49-cents per square foot, which is considerably less than the $155 per square feet necessary to make additions to the District’s current buildings, which would include the addition of preschool classrooms at Washington Elementary and an addition to Schuler Elementary. It would also remove $4.5-million from the bond issue the District expects to put before the voters later this year.

Pellett said the building could: house the 6-thru 12 Behavioral Program; Alternative School; Central Office staff; provides space to move home school assistance to gain an additional preschool classroom at Lincoln, without displacing the Ann Wickman baby room. She said it would also allow for expanded art offerings at the Middle School by adding an Art room back to the lower level, and a larger improved space for the Level 3 program at AMS by using current central office space. Pellett said it would also reduce a potential bond referendum from a capacity of $23-million to $3.75 on the levy, and $15-to 17-million would reduce the levy rate to $2.50/$1,000 valuation.

In an e-mail to KJAN, The Car Guys owner Roger Poulson disputed the District’s assertion that not entering into another five-year lease with The Car Guys would save $51,253. Poulson said “That figure includes most all the utility bills generated by the property and the district pays no maintenance cost on the property. The District pays less than $35,000 for the lease, and the rest is to cover utilities.”

In other business, the Board approved the hiring of Cecily Knapp as a Special Education Teacher, the salary for whom is said to have been made possible in-part, by the savings in not having been incurred by extending a lease for the Car Guys property that is being used by the District.