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.

A Villisca teen escaped injury Tuesday night, when the pickup he was driving ran into a ditch and hit an embankment. 16-year old Damon Tyler Sunderman, of Villisca, told Montgomery County Sheriff’s Officials he was traveling east on 250^th Street, and approaching the intersection with Highway 71, when he applied the brakes, which apparently failed.

The 2001 Dodge Dakota pickup he was driving went through the intersection and into the east ditch before coming to rest against the embankment. The accident, which happened about one-half mile north of Villisca, occurred at around 8:45-p.m.

The pickup, owned by Brad Sunderman, of Villisca, was considered a total loss.

Police in Harlan say an Earling man was arrested last week, for allegedly supplying alcohol to persons under the legal age. The incident allegedly occurred on May 28^th. 21-year old Cody Betances was taken into custody September 28^th on an active Shelby County warrant. Betances was brought to the Shelby County Jail. He posted a $1,000 bond on Monday.

A pre-trial hearing will take place October 17^th in Shelby County District Court, with his trial set for November 15^th.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Officials at Eppley Airfield in Omaha say crews have begun the cleanup of what was left behind by this summer’s flooding along the Missouri River.  Contractors have started removing the flood control infrastructure around the airport. They also say specially designed wells that kept floodwaters away from the runways will continue to operate through October. The Omaha Airport Authority says it has spent $17 million on flood control but will eventually spend $26 million to protect the airport. The flooding also left behind a 300-yard swath of sand and silt between the river and the airport’s levee system. It was a grassy mix of fields and farmland leased out by the airport and it’s not clear if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will restore the area.

 It’s that time of year, when the Cass County Conservation Board asks residents of the county, “When do you think the first Trumpeter Swan will arrive at the Schildberg Quarry in Atlantic?”

A Trumpter Swan (file photo)

 Trumpeter Swans have visited the Schildberg Quarry for, at least, thirteen out of the last fourteen winters. 

Arrival and departure dates of the swans have been as follows:

1997/1998    December 18 – January 2

1998/1999    Nothing on record

1999/2000    December 25 – February 15

2000/2001    November 23 – March 6

2001/2002    December 25 – February 24

2002/2003    November 23 – March 15

2003/2004   November 26 – March 21

2004/2005    November 25 – March 18

2005/2006    November 17 – March 5

2006/2007 October 30 – March 9

2007/2008 November 22- February 14

2008/2009 November 18- March 12

2009-2010 November 19 – January 5

2010-2011 November 5 – February 10

Cass County residents may call in their prediction by no later than November 11^th,  to the Conservation Board at 712-769-2372. You can leave a message and return phone number if their staff is not available to speak with you.  Duplicate dates will not be allowed.  For example, if a caller predicts November 25th, no one else will be allowed to predict that arrival date. 

Only one prediction per family will be allowed.  Sponsors of the contest will determine the official arrival of the swans.  The winner will receive a Trumpeter Swan 8×10 print from the Cass County Conservation Board.  Again, the contest is only open to residents of Cass County, Iowa.