Police in Lenox said today (Thursday) assault charges have been filed in juvenile court against two male students at the Lenox Middle School. The charges were filed after police investigated a report Wednesday morning two boys, ages 12 and 13, wrestled a 13-year old male to the ground and kicked him repeatedly while he was on the ground. The victim sustained minor injuries and was transported by private vehicle to a doctor. The names of the juveniles were not released.

The Cass County Community Foundation (CCCF) today (Thursday) announced $20, 900 in grants were awarded Monday to various nonprofit agencies within the County. CCCF Chair Nicholas Hunt said with these most recent grants included, the CCCF has distributed $713, 875 over the past 11-years to qualifying groups and organizations. The most recent grant package includes $1,000 from the Lawrence E. and Mary J. Turner Endowed Fund, to the Friends of the Atlantic Animal Shelter, and $1,000 from the Griswold Community Development Endowment Fund to the Cass County Historical Society, and $500 from the Triumph Endowed Fund for Cass County, to the City of Marne.

The following organizations received grant monies from the Cass County Community Foundation this week:

• The Anita Foundation: $2,000 to install a keypad entry system and surveillance cameras.
• Atlantic Coca-Cola Center and Museum: $2,500 to repair the museum roof.
• Atlantic Park and Recreation Dept.: $2,400 to replace equipment at the Sunnyside Public Pool.
• Cass County Conservation Board: $1,000 to purchase a projector & digital camera for the Environmental Education Dept.
• Cass County Historical Society: $2,000 to repair & paint trim on the Museum.
• Lewis Public Library: $2,000 for new carpeting.
• City of Marne: $2,000 to finish construction of the City Park shelter.
• City of Massena: $500 to Support health & fitness programs for CAM Middle School students.
• Friends of the Atlantic Animal Shelter: $2,000 to repair damaged equipment & make building repairs.
• Lewis Town & Country Boosters: $1,500 to replace the existing floor covering in the Lewis Community Center.
• Southwest IA Mental Health Center: $1,000 to purchase an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED).
• Zion Lutheran Church: $2,000 for the Little Lambs Preschool Outdoor classroom/science center & lockers.

All grantees met the criteria as Cass County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions, in the areas of civic, cultural, health, education and social services. Only Organizations providing services in Cass County were eligible. For more information about donating or establishing an individual foundation or fund, contact any CCCF Board member, or Dennis Nissen at 1-800-794-3458.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Department reports a Casey woman turned herself in to the sheriff’s department this (Thursday) morning. 42-year old Connie Jae Emgarten faces a charge of Theft in the 2nd degree. The charge stems from an investigation into a theft which occurred at a business in Kimballton, on October 8th. Emgarten was released from custody after appearing before a magistrate. Her preliminary hearing on the charge was set for December 5th.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer is asking for your help in locating a dog who bit a man after he freed it from a trap. Palmer says Steven Wiese, of Shenandoah, was releasing a dog from a trap Tuesday afternoon, when the brown, mixed-breed animal wearing a yellow collar, bit him on the hand, causing an injury. The incident happened about five-miles north of Essex, on D Avenue, near the Montgomery/Page County line.

Authorities contacted residents in the area in an attempt to locate the dog and/or its owner, but neither was found. If you have any information about a dog fitting the description mentioned, please call the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 712-542-5193.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Thousands of trees damaged or killed by floodwater from the Missouri River will be removed in the next few months along Interstate 29. Most of the trees are between U.S. Highway 30 and the north side of Council Bluffs. The Iowa DOT says the removal of the trees will cost about $150,000. Nebraska Forest Service expert Graham Herbst says debris in the floodwater caused damage to trees that led to decay. In other cases, floodwater choked off oxygen to tree roots. The Iowa DOT says it will wait for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to determine how it will manage the Missouri River in the future before deciding when to replant trees.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) – Federal regulators have fined an Iowa grain processor more than $96,000 for its failure to develop a facility response plan as required by the federal Clean Water Act. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that Omaha-Neb.-based Ag Processing Inc. agreed to pay the fine for its failure to develop and implement a response plan for its soybean processing facility in Mason City.

The EPA says the Mason City facility is near a stream which flows into two small lakes and eventually into the Winnebago River and that without a response plan the facility was not prepared for a worst-case discharge into nearby waters and the potential impact to wetland and wildlife habitats.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A former federal union official has been sentenced to three years of probation, including six months of being confined to her home, for embezzling $33,000. U.S. District Judge John Jarvey issued the sentence Wednesday to Ann Kelly, the former treasurer-secretary of the American Federation of Government Employees in Council Bluffs. The retired federal railroad inspector had pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for using union funds between 2002 and 2007 to make payments to personal credit cards and write checks to family members.

Kelly had asked Jarvey to show leniency and let her avoid prison. She had argued the theft was motivated to help her family out of a series of financial crises and that she’d already cashed out her retirement savings to pay the money back.

The increasing popularity of electronic book readers such as the Amazon Kindle, has not had an adverse effect on the use of libraries. Carole Stanger, Director of the Atlantic Public Library, says the trends they’ve seen at the library over the past 5-years have been amazing, especially with regard to the “technology explosion.” That includes e-books.

Stanger held up a Kindle e-book reader during her periodic report at the City Council meeting Wednesday evening, The device had 23 different books in it, including a dictionary, but it can hold hundreds of books. She says those who have e-book readers can download books from the Atlantic Library. She says up until a few weeks ago, you couldn’t download books for free, but now you can. The result, is a massive increase in the amount of reading material available through the local library. Another technology feature available at the library in Atlantic, is free Wi-Fi. She says it extends into the parking lot, and on more than one occasion, she’s seen people in their vehicles at night, using the service.

Stanger says the facility is in the process of changing over their telephone system, so it’s tied-into their computer network. That will enable patrons to better utilize the many services available from the library, including the genealogy department. Carole says they typically have 300 visits per day from patrons, to the library. Much of those visits are from people who use the internet to look for work, and those looking to experience e-books for the first time. She says more people from different countries are coming to use the library, as well.

Stanger says some of the financial aspects which will affect the 108-year old library in the near future, include government mandates, such as taking care of hidden, lead-based paint. She says they are also making sure the facility is “going green.” That means being energy-efficient, and environmentally aware. Stanger says they’re doing their best to try and meet those requirements.

The Atlantic Police Department says some minor injuries were reported following an accident Wednesday afternoon at 7th and Walnut Streets. Offcials say vehicles driven by Dillon Cox and Laura Champlin, both of Atlantic, collided at around 2:40-p.m.  The accident happened as both vehicle were traveling south on Walnut Street.  According to the police report, Champlin had stopped to wait for traffic before making a left-hand turn. Cox failed to stop in-time, and rear-ended Champlin’s vehicle. Cox was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, and subsquently cited for Following too close. Damage from the mishap totaled $4,500.

w/ Ric Hanson

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