Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert said Friday, that Shelby County and City of Harlan officials met Friday afternoon to review emergency plans in anticipation of the potential winter storm this weekend.  With the potential of power outages and dangerous, if not impossible travel conditions, several recommendations were made to make the communities and citizens as safe as possible.

They strongly suggest:

#1. Keep informed by  using the  media outlets, and paying attention to the weather watches and in particular weather warnings. When travel is not recommended, it means that, you should stay home. Cancel unnecessary travel, until conditions improve.

#2. Maintain some extra provisions, food, water, batteries, flashlights, medications, The standard is a three day supply.  If you have special medical needs, make advance arrangements for a prolonged power outage.

#3. If the power does go out, stay calm. Do not call 911. The Emergency Operations Center will be in continual contact with the power providers assessing the potential duration of the outage  and passing along any information which is being made available. You can stay in your home several hours. Check on your elderly neighbors, those who have special medical needs, and those families with very young children. The City of Harlan has a very robust electrical distribution system and well defined plans which will minimize the need for you to seek shelter outside your home.

#4. If you can park off the street, it would help with a more thorough distribution of salt, and road clearing efforts. Please, use the City parking lots, when possible.

#5. Using generators and kerosene heaters, requires specific safety precautions. generators and heaters are sold with safety instructions and they should always be followed. NEVER run a generator in the home. NEVER leave alternate fuel heaters unattended.

#6. A downed power line is a very dangerous situation, never try to  move a downed line! Don’t touch it!  Keep others away. Call the power company  with the location . IF the line appears to be energized call 911 .

Be Prepared, Be safe, a little pre-planning may pay big dividends!

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of an Irwin man on Thursday on an arrest warrant.  24-year-old Orin Wesley Wright III was arrested for Vehicular Homicide-Operating Under the Influence, a Class B Felony. The charges stem from an incident that occurred on August 21, 2016 which resulted in the death of 67-year-old Russel John Buckley of Earling.  Wright was held in the Shelby County Jail on $25,000 bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Hy-Vee food store chain has recalled store branded candy distributed to 242 stores in eight states after learning an ingredient from another company could be contaminated with salmonella bacteria.

West Des Moines-based Hy-Vee says a milk powder ingredient used in chocolate coating has the potential for contamination and the candy’s manufacturer, Palmer Candy Co., announced a recall of some of its products.

The candy is in a clear plastic container with sell-by dates between Jan. 26 and Feb. 23. It includes chocolate almond bark, chocolate almond pretzels, dazzled peanut brittle, holiday candy trays and others fully listed on the FDA recall website .

The candy was distributed to Hy-Vee’s eight-state region, including Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

No illnesses have been reported.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa authorities intend to file murder and other charges against a man accused of killing a Des Moines resident who’d been reported missing. The Des Moines Police Department said in a news release Friday that prosecutors have approved charges of robbery, burglary and first-degree murder against 22-year-old Kyle Jepson, of Des Moines. He’s accused of killing Gloria Gary, who was reported missing Jan. 5 and was last seen Jan. 3

Her car was spotted Wednesday in Parowan City, Utah, and again Thursday in Tooele  County, Utah. Authorities say Jepson was taken into custody there and will be returned to Iowa. Des Moines police say they obtained a search warrant for Gary’s home and found a body believed to be hers. A positive identification awaits autopsy results.