The Page County Sheriff’s Office says a traffic stop Wednesday resulted in a short pursuit, and the arrest of a Missouri man on a trio of charges. 48-year old Michael James Brown, of Burlington Junction, Mo., faces charges of Eluding, Driving While License Suspended, and a citation for Improper use of registration (the Iowa plates were issued for another vehicle). Brown was brought to the Page County Jail and later released on $1,000 bond.

The incident began when Page County Deputy was trying to stop a car driven by Brown, on the southwest corner of Shambaugh. During the incident, the vehicle sped-off, heading west on 270th Street. After a brief pursuit, the vehicle pulled into a residence drive in the 2500 block of 270th, and Brown was arrested without further incident.

Michael James Brown

SAC CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a crop-dusting plane has crashed shortly after taking off from an airport in northwest Iowa. The Sac County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Thursday that the accident was reported about 4 p.m. Wednesday. The Sac City Airport manager said the plane had crashed south of the airport and that airport officials were in contact with the pilot, who said he hadn’t been injured.

The pilot was identified as 50-year-old Randall Sievert, of Alta. He reported that he noticed engine trouble after takeoff and was trying to return to the airport when he crashed into a cornfield. The crash is being investigated.

A group representing more than 1,000 hospitals and health systems has given the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, and Crystal Starlin, CCMH Pharmacy Director, a prestigious award for their outstanding leadership in promoting and advocating on behalf of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program.

The group, 340B Health, gave the hospital and Starlin the annual “340B Champion Award” in Washington, D.C., on July 13th during a national conference on the 340B program attended by more than 1,400 healthcare professionals and others.

Crystal Starlin, Pharm D, CCMH Pharmacy Director, accepts an award for the340B Drug Pricing Program from Ted Slafsky, 340B President and CEO.

Named for the section of the Public Health Service Act that established it, the 340B program requires pharmaceutical manufacturers and biotech companies to give discounts on outpatient medications to hospitals, community health centers, and other healthcare facilities serving large low-income and vulnerable populations. Those healthcare providers use the money they save to serve more patients and provide more comprehensive services.

340B Health chose Starlin for the award on the basis of her advocacy of 340B, including a March 4, 2015 op-ed she wrote for the Atlantic News Telegraph. In that article, Starlin observed that Cass County Memorial Hospital uses 340B savings to provide medications to needy patients; to help support a pharmacy in Anita; and to sustain its inpatient psychiatric unit (one of only 14 in Iowa). Starlin also is a leading advocate of the 340B program on the micro-blogging site Twitter.

As Biopharmaceutical manufacturers are lobbying Congress to scale back the 340B program dramatically, officials say advocacy such as Crystal’s will be important for ensuring the continuation of the 340B program.

The Cass County LEPC (Local Emergency Planning Committee) was presented with an award at the recent 2015 Region 7 LEPC/TERC (Tribal Emergency Response Commission) Conference held in Nebraska City, Nebraska. Region 7 is comprised of LEPCs from the states of Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and TERC from Nine Tribal Nations. Awards were given to recognize LEPC’s/TERC’s that are actively involved in their community risk reduction, planning, and prevention activities involving hazardous materials and other hazards.

LEPC Chair Ric Hanson (Left) & Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon (right).

The Cass County LEPC was one of four award winners in the Small LEPC category. The other recipients were Anderson County, Kansas, Linn County, Missouri and Adair-Guthrie, Iowa. The Adair-Guthrie LEPC also received a Social Media award.

The Cass County LEPC was nominated by The Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The Chairperson of the Cass County LEPC is Ric Hanson of KJAN Radio.

Local Emergency Planning Committees develop hazardous materials response plans for their counties, review the plan at least annually, and provide information about chemicals in the community to citizens. LEPC membership includes elected officials, law enforcement, fire, public health, hospital, emergency management, facility representatives, community groups and the media.

The Atlantic Police Department reports an Anita woman was arrested Wednesday on robbery, theft and drug charges. 19-year old Sarah Jo Porter faces charges that include Robbery in the 2nd Degree, Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, Assault causing Injury, Theft in the 5th Degree (Shoplifting), and Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree. Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green says the Robbery charge is with regard to the alleged assault of a Wal-Mart Loss Prevention Officer, who tried to stop Porter from allegedly stealing a pair of blue jeans.

Also arrested Wednesday, was 24-year old Chad Goodwin, of Atlantic. Goodwin was taken into custody for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and a Controlled Substance violation.

On Monday, Atlantic Police arrested 24-year old Mark Fredericksen, of Atlantic. Fredericksen was taken into custody on two warrants for Failure to Appear in court. And, this past Sunday, 35-year old Loye Krautter, of Atlantic, was arrested for allegedly Shoplifting general, various items of merchandise from the Atlantic Wal-Mart store. The woman was also charged with Simple Assault, after she allegedly shoved a Wal-Mart employee near a store entrance.

All four suspects were booked into the Cass County Jail.

(9-a.m. News)

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry will be in Kimballton and Greenfield next week, participating in a couple of events scheduled as part of his Republican presidential campaign. Perry will attend the West Central Iowa Counties’ “Boots and Barbeque Bash” fundraiser at the Cottonwood Barn in Kimballton, Monday, Aug. 17th. Doors for the event open at 5:30, with a meal served at 6-p.m. and speaker presentations at 6:30.

Then on Tuesday (Aug. 18th), Perry will hold a “Meet and Greet” event in Greenfield from Noon until 1-p.m., at The Corner, located at 284 Public Square. Afterward, Gov. Perry travels to Des Moines for an event at the Iowa State Fair.

Congressman Steve King intends to endorse one of the 17 Republican presidential candidates “sometime later in the fall” and Donald Trump seems to be at or near the top of his list. “I think it’s fascinating to the world how Donald Trump can continue being Donald Trump and instead of getting weaker, he’s getting stronger,” King says.

A new C-N-N poll of likely Iowa Caucus-goers shows Trump in first place, with 22 percent support, followed by Ben Carson with 14 percent. It shows how last Thursday’s debate has reshaped the race and how Trump continues to dominate. “He has a shown a confidence and leadership and he’s been able to step forward and say things that were true. He’s been attacked for these things and they’ve turned out to, many of them, be true.” King’s son is working from the “super” PAC that’s supporting Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz.

“He is his own man. I think he’s well-raised,” King says. “He’s a solid principled, natural, full-spectrum, constitutional conservative.” And King says that description applies to both his son, Jeff, and to Senator Cruz. In another corner, however, is King’s former chief of staff, Chuck Laudner. Laudner is Donald Trump’s state director.
“He mentioned to me just the other day that all of his experience working for me was just perfect preparation for the Trump campaign,” King says, laughing. “…Things get said that people don’t like the way they’re said, but they turn out to be true and we take the attitude that: ‘If you didn’t like that truth, here’s some more of it.”

King has sparked controversy in the past with some of his own comments, like a reference to people crossing into the U.S. along the southern border who had “calves the size of cantaloupes” because they were carrying drugs. King says Trump has “tapped into a reservoir” not only fed up Americans, but grassroots G-O-P activists who are upset with congressional leadership. However, King says some of Trump’s policy positions, including his stand on immigration, are “lacking in detail” and need to be fleshed out in the months to come.

King says his advice NEXT YEAR to Trump would be against running as an independent candidate, but King says “tactically” — at this phase in the campaign — it “is a good position” for Trump to refuse to promise to only run as a Republican. “Being where he is in the polls, I think it would be foolish for him to rule out a third-party run because of this: he’s at the top of the polls, so why should he be making decisions on what he might do if he doesn’t win the nomination from the Republican Party?” King ask. “Furthermore, some of the efforts on many in the party will be to try to marginalize Donald Trump. Well, if they push him…the fear that he might run as a third-party candidate tends to restrain those who might marginalize him.”

King made his comments Wednesday during taping of the Iowa Public Television program, “Iowa Press” that will air Friday night.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Red Oak and Creston say no injuries were reported following separate accidents, Wednesday. In Red Oak, a pickup traveling east on E. Maple Street at around 9-p.m., approached the intersection with N. 4th Street, when the driver, 16-year old Mario Lepe-Garcia, of Red Oak, failed to stop or yield. When he continued through the intersection, the pickup hit a car driven by 23-year old Shane Adams, of Red Oak. Damage from the collision amounted to $7,000. Officers cited Lepe-Garcia for Failure to obey a stop or Yield sign.

And, an accident in Creston just after 1-p.m., Wednesday, caused $7,200 damage, but again, no one was injured. Officials say a pickup driven by 60-year old Michael Norman, of Afton, was backing out of parking stall and failed to yield the right of way to an SUV also parked in the lot. The owner of the SUV was not identified. No citations were issued.