COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A group of residents wants Council Bluffs to lift its ban on pit bull dogs.

The Daily Nonpareil reports that about 25 people attended Monday night’s City Council meeting asking for the repeal.

The ban has been on the books since 2005, when officials said they were banning the breed in an effort to reduce dog bites.

Resident Shala Richardson says that hasn’t happened, citing figures she requested from local officials.

Patricia Fuller says she believes the only way to reduce dog bites is to require more responsible dog ownership.

Council member Melissa Head says she’s open to the idea of walking back the ban. Three of the five council members would have to agree for the ban to be repealed.

A Red Oak woman was arrested for Trespassing on Tuesday.  The Red Oak Police Department arrested 50-year-old Barbara Darlene Wilson of Red Oak for Trespassing.  On Monday Wilson was found inside a residence in the 100 block of W Grimes Street without permission or the right to be there. Officers determined that Wilson had no intent to commit a theft. She was taken tot he Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held on $300 bond.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office recovered a stolen UTV in a corn field on Tuesday.  At 2:30pm deputies recovered a RED 2014 Polaris Ranger in a corn field near the intersection of 260th Street and Vine Avenue in Montgomery County.  The owner, Trent Mayer, had contacted the Page County Sheriff’s Office and reported it stolen on July 31st this year.  No further details are known at this time.

After a comprehensive search that started in the spring of 2015, the board of directors and staff of the Museum of Danish America are announcing the selection of Rasmus Thøgersen as its new executive director.

Thøgersen (pronounced too-er-sen) is from Hellerup, the suburb north of Copenhagen in Denmark. He is presently the director of the Morton-James Public Library in Nebraska City, Nebraska, and completed his bachelor’s degree from The Royal School of Library and Information Science at the University of Copenhagen. He holds a joint master’s degree from the Universities of Oslo, Parma an­d Tallinn.

Thøgersen will begin his work at the museum on December 1, ahead of the planned retirement of current director Dr. John Mark Nielsen, who has led the museum in the position since 2003. The pair will work together over a two-month period of transition.

In his application package Thøgersen noted, “Beyond my qualifications, I represent the very narrative being told by the museum. Originally a librarian from Denmark, an undergraduate study abroad experience in the U.S. spurred me toward international opportunities – in Belgium, Norway, Estonia, Italy, Switzerland, and New Zealand.  In 2014 I followed my wife back to her native Nebraska. (Jennifer is on the faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.) Over the next year, I acquired my green card, becoming the director of the Morton-James Public Library. I consider myself a Danish-American achiever and take a great deal of pride in that identity.”

Thøgersen’s role will include both strategic and operational components, from day-to-day administrative responsibilities to the development of strategic plans that advance the museum’s position as the national museum for Danish-American heritage and culture. He will also assure continued compliance with legal, financial, accounting and ethical requirements, including the standards and practices set forth by the American Alliance of Museums, with whom the museum is currently in the process of becoming accredited.

Nielsen remarked, “Since this past March, I have met with Rasmus a number of times, and he has an engaging personality.  He brings experiences and skill sets that complement an already strong staff – a staff that also shares my excitement.”

More about the Museum of Danish America can be found at danishmuseum.org. Welcome messages can be posted to the museum’s Facebook page: facebook.com/danishmuseum.

Coming up in the month of October the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the County Engineer and the Iowa State Patrol will work to make our roads safer as part of the High 5 Rural Traffic Safety Project.

The project is funded by the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau and uses traffic data to target areas of the state with a high crash rate and low seat belt usage.  The goal is to increase seat belt use and decrease crashes by improving roadways and changing driver behavior.

Drivers need to take driving seriously.  Buckle up, pay attention to the road, and slow down.  Be part of the solution by being a safe driver.

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