A man from Washington State was arrested Wednesday afternoon after authorities investigated a suspicious object inside his vehicle parked at a rest area off Interstate 80, near Underwood. According to Omaha television station WOWT, Christopher Peak was arrested on charges that include Interference with Official Acts, Disorderly Conduct, and Possession of Explosive Device.

His arrest followed the search of his vehicle, during which a commercial explosive device was found and safely detonated. Authorities said Peak was charged with disorderly conduct after he allegedly became combative with law enforcement.

The incident began at around 11-a.m., Wednesday, and resulted in the westbound rest stop being evacuated and closed for several hours.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, approved a Resolution “Authorizing bids for the 2016 Street and Alley Improvements.” Snyder and Associates Engineer Dave Sturm said bid-letting for the projects will begin later this month. Sturm said their intention is to have the work completed late this summer or early fall. The projects were finalized for the Fiscal Year 2016 Capital Improvement plan. Slightly more than 1-million dollars for the projects will be financed by the 2016 bond. One-half-million dollars will be used from the Local Option Sales Tax Capital Improvement Streets fund to pay for the remaining projects.

The Council also approved, by a vote of 5-to 1, with Councilman Dana Halder opposed,   a change order pertaining to storm water improvements for the Nishna Hills Golf Course. Sturm explained this was the second change order for the project. The change amounted to an additional $3,293.95. He said that includes 46-square yards of cart path, excavation and grading and miscellaneous removal work. 20-cubic yards of dirt had to be brought in to close the project out.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, also approved a Resolution in support of Home Base Iowa, a public/private partnership initiative. Cass-Atlantic Development Corporation (CADCO) President Pat McCurdy, explained Home Base Iowa serves to assist veterans and transitioning service members, back into the community and work force, and give them a place to call “home.”

He says their talents are especially needed here in Cass County, where employers are looking for mid-level workers (Such as electricians, welders and other, skilled labor), whose with skills that can be put to use right away. He said veterans are used to a structured environment and are perfect for those types of positions.

Dan Mehman, a local financial advisor, is spear-heading the local Home Base Iowa initiative. He said to date, 38 communities in Iowa have passed a similar resolution in support of the initiative. The Cass County Board of Supervisors last month passed a resolution of support for the program. Each community in the County must do the same in order for Cass County to be designated a Home Base Iowa County.

And, Mayor Dave Jones signed an order Proclaiming June 13th through the 17th as SWITA’s Ride Transit Week. The Southwest Iowa Transportation Association (SWITA) provides reasonably-priced rides for persons in need (55-thousand rides were provided last year alone, in Atlantic). Daurine Petersen, Outreach Specialist for the SWITA, says as a kick-off celebration of the designation, there will be a mobile unit serving cupcakes from a specialty baker in Des Moines, from 1-to 4-p.m. (or until they last) on Tuesday, June 7th in the SWIPCO parking lot on the west side of Atlantic.

An investigation into a property damage accident that occurred Wednesday evening in Montgomery County, resulted in an arrest. 33-year old David Allan Minard, of Red Oak, was taken into custody on two Montgomery County warrants for Contempt of Court/Resistance to an Order or Process. He was also cited for driving without a valid license, passing contrary to road markings, open container, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Minard was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $2,000 bond.

Officials say Minard was driving westbound on 200th Street at around 6:35-p.m., Wednesday, and had attempted to pass a vehicle. In the process, his car tires dropped off onto the eastbound lane shoulder, causing him to lose control. The 1999 Pontiac Grand Am he was driving entered the south ditch, where it sustained about $3,500 damage.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report a man wanted on a Cass County warrant for Driving While Suspended, was arrested early this (Thursday) morning, in Elliott. 25-year old Timothy Alan Brown, of Elliott, was arrested a little after midnight, and turned over to Cass County deputies. Brown was being held in the Cass County Jail on $300 bond.

Montgomery County Deputies report also, the arrest of 23-year old Dylan Keith Thessen, of Bellevue, NE.  Thessen was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond.

The leaders of Iowa’s largest businesses are optimistic about the state’s economy in the coming six months. That’s according to Elliott Smith, executive director of the Iowa Business Council, which conducts a quarterly survey of its members. “I think we’re seeing a nice, little bit of optimism expressed by business leaders,” Smith said. “All of our metrics moved forward in a positive way. Sales, capital spending, and employment all improved.”

The survey for the second quarter of 2016 shows 90-percent of the business CEOs expect steady or increased sales over the next six months and 95-percent anticipate steady or increased capital spending levels. All of the numbers improved compared to the I-B-C’s first quarter survey. “We’re glad after last quarter, when numbers dropped a little bit…that was an aberration instead of trend,” Smith said.

Eighty-five-percent of the business leaders expect hiring levels to remain steady or rise over the next six months. Smith says the next survey, three months from now, could be even better if things improve for businesses tied to agriculture. “The one sector that remains challenged, and it’s been that way for a number of quarters now, is the ag sector. We are seeing commodity prices starting to rise ever so slightly and hopefully that trend accelerates a little bit,” Smith said.

The IBC’s Overall Economic Outlook Survey Index for the second quarter rose to 62 — five points ahead of the first quarter (57) but five points behind this time last year (670). The Iowa Business Council is comprised of the top executives of over 20 of the largest businesses in the state, the three Regent university presidents, and the president and CEO of Iowa’s largest banking association.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Supreme Court is instituting a hiring freeze after approving a budget for the Judicial Branch for the new fiscal year that begins July 1st. Court spokesman Steve Davis says the nearly 179 million dollar budget approved for the courts is the same amount as last year, but does not include any money for the more than five million dollars in negotiated salary increases and health insurance costs. Davis says the hiring freeze will take care of some of the deficit.

“That’ll save about three-point-two million of the shortfall and then another 834-thousand savings is expected from keeping judicial vacancies open for about six months. And there will be additionally one-point-four million dollars in savings through reductions in travel, furniture purchases, office supplies and postage,” according to Davis. He says there are some 70 open positions in the court system right now that won’t be filled.

“It won’t be as noticeable as say a court closure day where the clerk’s office is close,” Davis says. “But there will still be less staff, and holding the jobs open won’t stop the work from coming into the courthouse.” Davis says the public will notice the difference.”It could cause delays, and there’ll be juvenile court officers who potentially will have less contact with the juveniles in most need of supervision, and the public will feel it that way,” Davis says. He says this year’s appropriation does not include a pay increase for judges, and says judges and magistrates have received one pay raise since 2008.

(Radio Iowa)