The Creston Police Department has made an arrest in connection with the theft or attempted theft last Friday, of property from at least a dozen vehicles. 18-year old Johnathan Palmer, of Creston, was arrested at his residence Monday and was being held in the Union County Jail on a $2000 bond. Palmer faced 13 counts of Burglary in the 3rd Degree.

Authorities said the vehicles were all unlocked, and most were parked along the street. Coins, cash and other personal property was reported missing following the reported incidents.

Members of the Atlantic Fire Department held their annual recognition banquet last Saturday night. During the event, Iowa Firefighters Past President Cliff Renslow presented certificates to Gene Schmeling for 25 years of service, Dustin McLaren for 20 years, and Russell Peck for 30 years. The Department also recognized Trent Cappel and Bob Reynolds for 15 years of service.

Alex Smith was awarded the Rookie of the Year award. Tom Cappel was awarded Firefighter of the Year, the highest award given by the department to a firefighter.

In a statement, Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees said, ‘’ The firefighters recognized [Saturday night] are all very integral parts of the department and have demonstrated their commitment their entire careers. Without members like them, the AFD could not function.”

Tom Cappel – Firefighter of the Year

From left to right (Gene Schmeling, Dustin McLaren, Russell Peck and IA Firefighters past President Cliff Renslow (Pics courtesy Mark McNees)

Alex Smith – Rookie of the Year

Sioux City Fire Chief Tom Everett says he’s concerned about the impact on smaller departments in the wake of charges against the former state fire training manager for allegedly issuing improper certifications to thousands of firefighters. He says it could be a big problem for smaller rural departments, many who depend on volunteers. “Unfortunately I think it does give the fire service in Iowa a black eye,” Everett says. “I do think there are a lot of departments that depend on those certifications and depend on the training that they receive through the bureau. And unfortunately they are going to have to wait through how to fix what’s happened.”

He says Sioux City provides its own training, testing, and evaluation to all firefighters. He says they do have some firefighters who get certified through the state, but says the number of hours they train on the required subjects far exceeds the state standards for certification. He says each member of the Sioux City Department has hundreds of hours of local training. Everett says they train 31-thousand-455 hours, which gives each firefighter 289 hours of individual training each year.

Former State Fire Services Training Bureau certification manager John McPhee was arrested Tuesday on charges of misconduct in office and tampering with records. The Iowa Department of Public Safety revealed that the state bureau issued nearly 23-hundred improper certifications to one-thousand-706 firefighters and emergency personnel between 2012 and 2016.

(Radio Iowa)

Members of the Exira-Elk Horn Kimballton School Board will gather during a Special Meeting this evening at the Elk Horn Building Conference Room. The meeting begins at 5:30-p.m. and includes discussion and/or consideration of Financing Proposals that have been opened and reviewed by Superintendent Trevor Miller and other administrative officials, along with the Placement Agent.

The Board will also discuss and likely take action on, approving a Resolution Directing the Sale of $1-million, 5-thousand dollars in School Infrastructure Sales/Services and Use of Tax Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2017.

Their final discussion and action item is with regard to approving a Bond Counsel Engagement Agreement with Ahlers and Cooney, P.C.