Funeral services have been set for a western Iowa solider who was killed in Afghanistan April 23rd. Ohde Funeral Home in Manilla reports services for 32-year old Staff Sgt. James Justice,  of Grimes, and formerly of Manilla, will be held on Wed., May 4th, at the IKM-Manning High School Gymnasium, in Manning.
Visitation in the IKM-Manning Middle School gym in Manilla, will be held from 4-to 8-p.m. Tue., May 3rd. Visitation will resume at 1-p.m. Wed., prior to the funeral service, in the high school gymnasium.

Burial, with full military honors, will be at the Arlington National Cemetery, at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to the James Justice Benefit Account at Veridian Credit Union, 5910 University Avenue, West Des Moines, IA, 50266.

Justice, was killed by enemy small arms fire in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan while helping to rescue the crew of a downed helicopter. Specialist Zachary Durham, age 21, of Des Moines, was injured in the attack. Both Soldiers were assigned to Troop A, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry, Camp Dodge, Johnston.

Durham was being treated for his injuries at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D-C.

The Iowa DOT’s Council Bluffs construction office says road construction work will cause traffic to be restricted to one lane in alternating directions on Iowa 191 from just south of eastbound Interstate 680 to just north of westbound I-680 beginning Friday, May 6th.
Traffic in the work zone will be controlled by temporary traffic signals. A 16-foot width lane restriction will also be in place. The project is expected to be completed by early July, weather permitting.

Have you ever wondered how the pioneers made their own rope or dipped their own candles?  Maybe you have even thought about trying your hand at spinning wool.  If so, you should come to the Hitchcock Pioneer Skills Festival.

The Festival will be held on Saturday, May 7th at the Hitchcock House, which is located 6 miles south of Atlantic and 1.5 miles west of Lewis, IA.  The festivities will begin at 1:00 p.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.  You will have an opportunity to visit the historic Hitchcock House and see many of the skills and crafts that people of the late 1800’s used in daily living.

You could begin your visit with a tour of the Hitchcock House that is also a National Historic Landmark.  At the barn, there will be rope making, candle dipping, tin punching, and butter making.

Don’t miss out on this exciting day!  The festival will be held rain or shine.  Families are encouraged to come and share the day together as they might have in the 1800’s.  There is a $5 fee for a tour of the Hitchcock House, last tour at 4:15 pm.  All activities in the barn are free of charge; donations to the Hitchcock House will be accepted.

For more information contact Lora Schwendinger, Naturalist, Cass County Conservation Board, at 712-769-2372

(CCCB Press Release)

Red Oak police are investigating a burglary reported Thursday. A resident at Villa Village located on North 8th street reported property stolen from his residence.

According to the police report, various items, including a flatscreen television were taken from the apartment. The total loss reported by the victim totals close to $2,000. Red Oak police are asking for the public’s help as they gather information on this crime. If you have any information police might find helpful, give them a call at 623-6500.

On another topic, King says the recent disclosure by President Obama’s of his birth certificate, in an effort to silence those who claim he is not an American Citizen, is nothing new. He says records clearly prove Obama is a natural-born citizen, but one question remains.

 He wants to know why the American people had to wait two and a-half years to see his birth certificate, and why he had to spend so much money to protect the information. He says it calls into question his ability to make important decisions.

Steve King spoke also about a budget plan proposed by Wisconsin Republican Representative Paul Ryan, which would reduce the deficit by $4.4-trillion over ten years, by repealing the Democrat’s health care bill and reform entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid. He says the budget is unlikely to meet approval of the Senate, and may face further cuts in the House.

 He says House Republicans have promised each other when they began the appropriations process, there would be 12 or 13 bills, and the Ryan budget as a guideline to keep spending at $4.4-trillion or below. King says he wanted to see a stronger budget, but he voted for Ryan’s version because it offers some degree of control.

Kings says “some leftist organizations” have decided to fund “robo-calls” to people in his district, in an attempt to scare Senior Citizens about proposed Medicare and Medicaid reforms in Ryan’s budget. He says there’s a guarantee persons 55 and older will not be touched. There is a proposal to provide those below age 55 with the resources to buy their own resources, but no policy is set in concrete right now.

Kings says there has to be serious discussion about how to solve the entitlement issues because of the anticipated increase Medicare recipients over the next few years. He says the program cannot sustain that increase under the current system.

An Adams County man was arrested last night in Montgomery County, following a traffic stop. Sheriff’s officials say 23-year old Jessie Bruce Fitzwater, of Villisca, was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over at around 8:45-p.m. near Grant.

Fitzwater did not have any identification on him. Officials say while he id’d himself as Steven L. Fitzwater, the officer who made the traffic stop had prior knowledge Fitzwater allegedly had a history of providing false identification when encountering authorities. After comparisons were made of tattoos on the passenger to known person wanted by authorities, Fitzwater admitted and further provided information which proved he was in fact, Jessie Bruce Fitzwater.

He was taken into custody on a warrant from Adams County on charges of Possession of a Firearm as a Felon, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Methamphetamine, and two Serious Misdemeanors. Fitzwater was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and later transferred to the Adams County Jail, where he was being held on $7,000 cash bond.

Police in Harlan reported Thursday a Cumberland woman was arrested Monday, for possession of drug paraphernalia and marijuana.18-year old Shannen Tedford was taken into custody following a traffic stop. When officer offered to give four persons in the vehicle a ride home, those persons were patted-down to be checked for weapons.

During the search, the illegal substance and paraphernalia were allegedly found on Tedford, who was subsequently brought to the Shelby County Jail and booked for possession. Tedford posted a $1,000 cash bond and made her initial appearance in court, Thursday, where she plead not guilty to the charges. Her trial date has yet to be set.