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.

A display featuring hundreds of photos is about to start its Iowa tour, honoring members of the military who’ve died in combat since the Nine-Eleven attacks of 2001. The exhibit called “Remembering Our Fallen” is sponsored by Bellevue University, just south of Omaha, Nebraska. Jim Maxwell is a spokesman for the school.

“The exhibit…was created to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars,” Maxwell says. “It’s a legacy that these men and women will never be forgotten and their names will be remembered and spoken.” The display includes photos of 98 service members from Nebraska and Iowa who have died in the War on Terror in the past decade. Maxwell says the exhibit has been at Bellevue University since late March and it’s brought an emotional response like nothing else they’ve had on campus.

“Some people have left written notes on the display itself to be given to the families at a later date,” he says. “If you view the display yourself, you’re used to seeing people in uniform but when you start to see photos of people in their everyday lives, people in roles as fathers, wives and mothers and you see children in the photos, it really hits home.” Maxwell says the exhibit is especially moving because of where the university is located.

“We’re right next door to Offutt Air Force Base, a close connection to the military so we’re very proud,” he says. “Nearly 20-percent of our students are active duty or military veterans and our student veterans association chapter is one of the largest in the nation. This isn’t just another sponsorship. This is something we are very proud to be a part of.”

As of May 1st, the display will start what is hoped to be a national campaign, appearing at various locations in Nebraska and Iowa through the end of the year.

Iowa schedule: May 1, 1:30 pm program open to the public 2-4 pm, Adel-DeSoto-Minburn High School, Adel; May 2-5, State Capitol Rotunda, Des Moines; May 16-22, Community Center, Exira; June 13-18, Shenandoah Chamber & Industry Association, Shenandoah; June 20-25, Wilson Performing Arts Center, Red Oak; September 6-11, Onawa Public Library, Onawa; September 13-17, Stanton School, Stanton.

On the web at http://rememberingourfallen.org/

Sheriff’s officials in Cass County say an Atlantic man was arrested April 22^nd on burglary charges, following an ongoing investigation. In their report issued today (Thursday( authorities said 43-year old Harold Eugene Powell, of Atlantic, was charged with Burglary 2nd Degree, Burglary 3rd Degree, Possession with Intent to Deliver Meth, Ongoing Criminal Conduct, five counts of Possession of a Weapon by a Felon, five counts of Trafficking Stolen Weapons, and one charge of Theft 5th Degree.

Powell was being held at the Cass County Jail on $110,000 bond.

The Cass County Sheriff’s office says 35-year old Thomas Jordan Fredrickson, of Atlantic, turned himself-in Friday, after a warrant was issue his arrest. Fredrickson was wanted for Possession with Intent to Deliver Meth and Child Endangerment.

After being processed at the jail, Fredrickson was released on $12,500 bond.

And, officials say on Sunday, 28-year old Misty Jo Nelson, of Atlantic, was arrested on a charge of OWI 1st Offense. Nelson was taken to the Cass County Jail, and released on her own recognizance later in the day.