An event scheduled to take place next Monday night at the Treynor Community Center, will benefit a member of the American Legion Post in  Treynor, who was critically injured last December. According to the Omaha World-Herald, the benefit fish fry for Jerry Lustgraaf will be held from5- to 7-pm Monday at the Community Center, located at 11 West Main Street. The cost is $8 per person.

Lustgraaf, who was the driver of a tow truck, went to help a motorist who had gone into a ditch during an ice storm on December 3rd. He was outside of his truck when he was hit by another vehicle. Lustgraaf was released from the hospital in late January, and while he continues to recuperate at his Treynor home,  it will be months before he can return to work. All of the  proceeds from the benefit fish fry Monday night will go to Lustgraaf’s family, to defray his injury-related expenses.

Anyone with items to donate can contact Post 725 Adjutant Ken Koehler at 712-487-3813.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman said Tuesday, Gronewold, Bell, Kyhnn & Company P.C. CPAs have released an audit report on Cass County. The report shows the County had local tax revenue of $22,858,378 (roughly $22.86-million) for the year ended June 30th, 2011, which included $1,414,745 ($1.4-million) in tax credits from the state.

The County forwarded just over $16.26-million of the local tax revenue to the townships, school districts, cities and other taxing bodies in the County. The County retained $6.59-million of the local tax revenue to finance County operations, which is a 14.5 percent increase from the prior year. Other revenues included approximately $5.38-million from the state, including indirect federal funding of $837,755, and direct federal funding of $725,657, charges for service of $364,599, and $160,970 for the use of money and property.

Expenditures for County operations totaled nearly $11.94-million, which is a 9.1 percent decrease from the prior year. Expenses included slightly more than  S4,16-million for roads and transportation, $1.9-million for mental health, $1.85-million for public safety and legal services, and just over $1.07-million for administrative services.

A copy of the audit report is available for review in the office of the Auditor of State and the County Auditor’s office.

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education held a special, closed session Tuesday night.

Becky Oliver (Photo from School District's website)

When the session concluded and the open session resumed, the board voted to terminate the employment of  Food Service employee, Becky Oliver, who worked at the Washington Elementary School. No reason was announced for the termination.

A program designed to help people cope with loved ones’ destructive behavior is opening a chapter in Omaha/Council Bluffs, the first chapter in either Nebraska or Iowa. Under the 12-step Families Anonymous program, only first names are used. The local organizer, Sally, says F-A helps people deal with the impact brought on by the problems of others.  She says, “Anyone who is concerned about relatives or friends who abuse drugs or alcohol or any substances.” Sally says anyone who has a friend or family member struggling with an addiction knows how this has a ripple effect and impacts many lives.

F-A was founded in 1971 by a group of parents in California. Sally learned about Families Anonymous when searching for a group to help her. She’s been associated with a person with an addiction for about three years and says she started attending meetings on-line.  “In my particular situation, once I began working the 12 steps and began working on me, I began to be able to handle situations very differently by reacting to them differently,” she says. “It changed my life. I feel like I’m getting back to who I was before.” While the group is called Families Anonymous, she says it isn’t exactly set up for smaller children. Sally says, “It’s not something you would probably want to bring a child to but anybody in their teenage years or older would be someone who would able to work the steps appropriately and benefit from the program.”

The local chapter will meet every Wednesday night at 6:30 at Methodist Hospital in Omaha. There are about 225 regular F-A meetings in the U-S and in more than 20 countries.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa says 58-year old David Andrew Stump, of Glenwood, was sentenced today (Tuesday) in United States District Court in Council Bluffs, to 36-months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Stump will serve 2-years of supervised release once his term in prison is completed. He’s also required to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim Fund.

His conviction was the result of a June 1st, 2011, a State of Iowa search warrant executed at Stump’s residence in Glenwood, by local law enforcement officers. Seventeen grams of actual methamphetamine was found, along with small amounts of other drugs and indications drugs were being distributed.

On August 3rd, 2011, while Stump was on release pending trial on the first charge, local
officers executed a second search warrant at Stump’s residence. As a result of the search, local officers seized 6 grams of actual methamphetamine and other indicators of drug distribution.

A federal indictment was returned against him on August 24th, 2011. On December 6th of that year, Stump entered a guilty plea in federal court to one of the two counts of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The case against him was investigated by the SouthWest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, the Mills County Sheriff’s Department, and the Glenwood Police Department. It was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. This year, the theme is Stand Up for Children!  The Cass County Child Abuse Prevention Council is asking the community for its assistance.  Council Facilitator Kristen Templeton says they are collecting new and unused items for the  Family Crisis Support Network, a nonprofit domestic abuse prevention assistance center and West Central Community Action, a nonprofit agency assisting families with clothing, food, heat assistance and other resources.

The council has set up displays and drop off points at four businesses in Atlantic: the Cass County Memorial Hospital; the HyVee & Fareway grocery stores; and, Mahle Engine Components.  Beginning Monday, April 2nd, CCCAP Council members will begin gathering donations for each agency.  The wish lists will be available at each drop off location.

A copy of the list can be found by clicking on this image:

Cass Co. Child Abuse Council's "Wish List"

Cash donations are not being requested at the drop off points. Donations will be accepted through Thursday, April 12th.

After the donations have been collected, the business who collects the most items will finish out the month displaying the 100 “Pinwheels for Prevention”and a banner spreading the word about protecting children.

The Atlantic Police Department reports 51-year old Jimmy Joe Misner, of Atlantic, was arrested Monday. Misner was taken into custody on two Cass County warrants for Failure to Appear for a Child Support Contempt Hearing. Misner was being held in the Cass County Jail.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says two California men were arrested Monday on drug charges, after deputies stopped their vehicle for speeding, and found 15-pounds of marijuana. Sheriff Jeff Danker told the Omaha World-Herald the van the men were in was pulled over on Interstate 80 eastbound just south of the exit to Highway 6, at around 2-p.m., Monday.

Deputies detected the odor of marijuana and following a search of the vehicle, located the pot in a duffle bag stored in a floorboard compartment. 34-year old Justin Quayle and 21-year old Andrew Walton, both of Santa Rosa, CA, were taken into custody on charges of Possession with the Intent to Deliver, Prohibited Acts, and Violation of the Drug Tax Stamp.

The men were being held  in the Pottawattamie County Jail on $5,000 bond each. Danker said two pit bulls in the van were turned over to Pottawattamie County Animal Control.