The Iowa State Patrol in association with the Montgomery County Attorney’s office have filed charges against an Essex woman, in connection with a crash late last year that claimed the life of two Cumberland children. 18-year old Karli Jo Brown, of Essex, was arrested Tuesday on two-counts of motor vehicle homicide and one-count of serious injury by a motor vehicle, with regard to a November 28^th crash that resulted in the deaths of 5-year old Maliki Todd and 4-year old Alex Todd. The children’s mother, 25-year old Nina McNeese, was injured in the crash.

The accident occurred on Highway 48 in a no-passing zone. Officials say Brown was southbound on Highway 48 when she attempted to pass two vehicles. He car collided head-on with McNeese’s vehicle, at the crest of a hill.

In the complaints filed against her, prosecutors allege Brown operated a motor vehicle in a reckless manner which intentionally caused the deaths of the two children and resulted in serious injury to McNeese. She was also cited for allegedly speeding, texting while driving, and passing in a no-passing zone.

Brown was taken into custody Tuesday, but later released on $10,000 bond. Her preliminary hearing was set for May 10^th in Montgomery County Court. If convicted on the charges, Brown faces a total of up to 25-years in prison and/or fines of up to $30,000.

Time is running short to purchase your tickets to enjoy a meal on Mother’s Day with world renowned opera singer and Iowa native, Simon Estes. Greenfield Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ginny Kuhfus says tickets for the meal with Estes….which follows his concert May 8^th , at the Nodaway Valley High School…cost just seven-dollars. The concert begins at 3-p.m. in the school gymnasium.

Tickets for “Premiere seating,” which puts you right up front by the stage, are $20. General admission tickets are $10. Estes will, of course perform during the concert. And, he’s bringing some people along with him to make the event even more enjoyable. Kuhfus says some area students will be on the stage as well.

The 32-member Simon Estes Music High School Choir from Capetown, South Africa will be there, along with students from the Nodaway Valley High School, Adair-Casey and Orient High Schools.

Kuhfus says Estes’ visit to Greenfield is part of his ’ 99 county “Roots & Wings tour,” which combines his performances with school assemblies. Proceeds from the sales of tickets will benefit efforts to restore the E.E. Warren Opera House in Greenfield, and the Simon Estes Iowa Educational Foundation, which provides scholarships to aspiring young Iowa artists.

Kuhfus says work on the Opera House is progressing nicely, thanks to a 1.2-million dollar grant the Chamber, Main Street and Development Corporation received in August, 2010. The I-Jobs grant will allow the project to be completed by February, 2012.

Tickets for the meal with Simon Estes must be purchased by this Friday, April 28^th.  Tickets for the meal and/or concert can be purchased in person at the Greenfield Chamber Main Street Office, or by calling 641-743-8444.

Image from Ryan's FaceBook page (used w/his permission)

An Iowa National Guardsman from Cass County is one of several soldiers credited with the recent capture of a highly sought insurgent financier in Afghanistan’s Paktia province. The Army says the arrest of the unnamed insurgent came April 17th near Gardez. The man was among four men in a car that was stopped during a sweep performed by members of the Guard’s 1-168th Battalion, the Afghan National Army and the local police.

Members of the battalion’s D Company identified the suspect using photos and other evidence. Sgt. 1^st Class Ryan Johnson, from Griswold, told a Des Moines Register reporter the insurgent’s capture equates to taking the legs off of a table one-by-one. Eventually, he says, The whole thing’s going to collapse.” Johnson said the financier was “One of those legs, and now the table is wobbling.” Ryan is on leave from the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, while serving on active duty in the military.

The Army says the operation also uncovered two homemade bombs. At one point, insurgents lobbed four mortar rounds and fired rifles at guardsmen who were trying to pull an armored truck out of the mud. The soldiers tracked the firing to a house, where Afghan officials arrested five people who allegedly had gunpowder residue on their hands. The mortar tube was not found, but Guard leaders declared the overall operation a success.

Company D Commander, Capt. Kent Greiner said “We’ve definitely taken the wind out of the sails of the insurgents for a while.” He added that they’re “Striking a nerve with them, and we’re going to keep striking that nerve to see what happens.”

Officials with the Nishna Valley Trails Association have announced a guest speaker for the next meeting, which takes place Monday, May 2^nd. Brian Leaders, a landscape architect with the National Parks Service’s “Rails, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program,” and who works out of the Midwest Region’s Omaha office, will share plans and programs for trail development in Cass County.

In addition, there will be updates on the development of the T-Bone trail in Cass County, and on organizing for the coming of RAGBRAI to Atlantic in July, as well as planning for other future events.

The Nishna Valley Trails group will meet from 6-to 7-pm Monday, May 2^nd, at Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church in Atlantic, located at 1101 East 3^rd Street. The public is welcome to attend.

A homeless man was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Montgomery County. Sheriff’s officials say 47-year old Larry Willard Stoneking was taken into custody just after 1-p.m., on a charge of interference with officials acts.

The arrest was made following an incident which occurred at the intersection of 2^nd Street and 3^rd Avenue, in Villisca. Stoneking was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond.

Atlantic Police report two people were arrested Monday on separate charges. Officials say 42-year old Dana Cisar, of Atlantic, was taken into custody for Driving While Suspended. And, 47-year old George Brittain, of Atlantic, was arrested for Driving While Barred.

Both of the individuals were brought to the Cass County Jail and held pending a court appearance.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will discuss the Prairie Rose Lake restoration plan during a public meeting at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 3, at the Harlan Community Library.

The Prairie Rose lake restoration project is contingent upon the DNR’s lake restoration program being funded at its current $8.6 million level. 

Prairie Rose Lake is one of 35 priority lakes in the state selected for lake restoration work to improve water quality.  Poor water quality has impacted the fish population and affected all water based recreation at the lake.

The lake’s water level will be lowered after the July 4 holiday and will be kept there for the remainder of the year to accommodate construction in the lake basin.  Draining the lake will effectively eliminate the existing fish population.

The presence of common carp in Prairie Rose Lake has contributed to the poor water quality and the dramatic reductions in both the numbers and the quality of sport fish populations and corresponding reduction in angling and boating use.

It is important to note that all other park facilities including the campground will remain open during the lake restoration work.  Users should expect limited lake access until normal water levels return in 2012.

The lake draining and fishery renovation is only part of a process aimed at improving the lake’s water quality. Stabilizing shoreline erosion problems, dredging to restore depth, and wetland construction will all be part of the restoration project.

Conservation practices aimed at reducing the amount of sediment and nutrients reaching the lake began over three years ago.  Soil and nutrient saving practices installed around the lake’s 4,600 acre watershed include more than 40 miles of terraces.

“Now that a significant portion of the land around lake has been treated it is time to move in-lake with restoration efforts,” said Bryan Hayes fisheries biologist with the Iowa DNR.

The public meeting will provide specific details of the nearly $4 million Lake Restoration project at Prairie Rose Lake.

Police in Omaha arrested a City Councilman from Missouri Valley Monday, for allegedly taking more than $271,000 from his employer. 34-year old Christopher Brooks was being held in the Douglas County, Nebraska Jail on suspicion of four-counts of felony theft by deception, causing a loss of more than $1,500, and four-counts of State Tax Evasion.

Brooks allegedly wrote checks to himself on an account registered to River City Barricade. The acts allegedly occurred over a period of four-years, beginning in 2007.

Brooks’ attorney, Michael Fitzpatrick, said it was his client, who, with a guilty conscience,  alerted his employer to what was going on.

Fitzpatrick also disputes the amount of money that was taken. He told reporters they are working to try and figure out exactly how they can prove what the exact amount is. He also mentioned Brooks had been working to pay his employer back for the purchase of nearly $20,000 worth of merchandise, which included a boat.

River City Barricade in Omaha, provides traffic control devices for city streets and construction zones. Company officials have declined to comment on the theft investigation. Brooks has reportedly been with the company for more than 14-years, overseeing its day-to-day operations, payroll, accounting and bidding processes.

He became a member of the Missouri Valley City Council in March 2010.

A Shenandoah Police officer and his canine partner won two awards earlier this month in Des Moines. Shenandoah Police Chief Kris Grebert says Officer Nephi Jones and his K-9 Eron picked up the awards during the National Police Canine Association Regional Trials.

The pair finished 5^th overall in vehicle searches and were named Top Rookie for Region 21, which includes Iowa, parts of Minnesota and Missouri. Sixty-three teams competed during the event. Fifteen were rookies.

Jones said he and Eron participated in the trials so the pair could become certified. He was appointed as K-9 handler at the end of January and completed training at the end of February. Jones has been a member of the Shenandoah Police force since March, 2008.

His partner Eron has already assisted in the detection of narcotics which resulted in arrests.

The Atlantic Board of Education will meet the new Atlantic Middle School Principal tonight, during scheduled work session at the high school. Cameron Smith was hired by the board April 12^th. Smith comes to Atlantic from the Garner-Hayfield School District, where he serves as the K-through 8^th Grade Principal and Athletic Director.

He will succeed AMS Principal Todd Roecker, who had earlier announced he would be retiring from the district at the end of June.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board tonight will receive an update on district building and infrastructure projects from Design Alliance Architect’s Jerry Purdy.

Their work session begins at 7-p.m. in the media center at the high school.