The Audubon County Sheriff’s Department says an Exira man was arrested late Wednesday morning. 19-year old Dilan Seth Olesen was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant out of Audubon County, and charged with Revocation of his Probation. Olesen posted a $5,000 bond that same day, and was released from the jail. Olesen had been sentenced to one-year of probation in July, 2011, after entering a written plea of guilty to a charge of OWI/2nd offense.

The City Council in Walnut will hold its first meeting of the year this evening. On their agenda, are two requests for possible business incentives, and discussion with regard to: Solid Waste Disposal; The Fire Department (including a review of the Fire and Ambulance Dept. budgets); the City’s Housing Rehabilitation Program; and, a recommendation for the replacement of a person on the Zoning Commission. The Walnut City Council will also hold a review of the State Audit Report,  hold discussion about the budget and a review of the Library budget, and act on other, annual administrative matters. The meeting begins at 5-p.m.

Food banks are already dealing with a rise in demand and a drop in donations but troubles are compounded for the Food Bank for the Heartland. The non-profit group, serving western Iowa and eastern Nebraska, was targeted by thieves. Spokesman Brian Barks says they recently moved to a new building in Omaha and discovered vandals ripping into the air conditioning and heat units at the old building. Barks says, “It was during the inspection, prior to the closing of the building, that it was discovered that all of the copper had been ripped out of a number of the units on the roof of the building.” Repairing the damage may cost 90-thousand dollars. Barks says they are hoping insurance will pay for the damage but have a back-up plan in place.

Barks says, “That money would be going into our endowment fund but if we do have to pay it out of pocket, that money will be going to pay for new units.” No arrests have been made. The Food Bank for the Heartland serves 93 counties in Nebraska and Iowa, distributing nine-million pounds of food a year though more than 300 food pantries, emergency shelters, after-school programs, senior housing sites and rehabilitation centers. Learn more about the charity at: “www.omahafoodbank.org”.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

Iowa Congressman Tom Latham today (Wednesday) commended the U.S. Department of Transportation’s decision to award Iowa an emergency relief grant of more than $37.4-million to repair roads damaged by historic flooding in 2011 along the Missouri River. Latham, Chairman of the U.S. House Transportation/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee, announced the grant after Iowa officials filed a request for the emergency relief earlier in 2011.  

Latham said throughout the summer he saw firsthand the flood damage in western and southwestern Iowa and spoke with the Iowans whose lives were disrupted by the disaster. He says “The flood dealt serious damage to the transportation infrastructure that is critical to the flow of commerce in western Iowa.  This emergency relief funding is absolutely necessary to help repair and rebuild these roads and highways and restore certainty to Iowa’s local economies.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Michele Bachmann is quitting the Republican presidential campaign, saying she’s “decided to stand aside” in the wake of her sixth place finish in the Iowa precinct caucuses. Speaking deliberatively at a news conference in Des Moines, Bachmann said she had “no regrets” whatsoever and said she ran her race with integrity and will continue to fight for the causes she emphasized on the campaign trail.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors will hold a Special Session Thursday morning, at the courthouse in Greenfield. During the 9:30-a.m. meeting, the Board will hear from Cass-Adair County Engineer Charles Marker, with regard to Fiscal Year 2013 requests for: the Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management (IRVM) Program; Road clearing and Weeds. The Board will also discuss Tax Increment Financing (TIF), and Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) Projects.

A man arrested in Taylor County is lucky to be alive, after tests showed his Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) was three and one-half times the legal limit for intoxication in Iowa. According to the Lenox Police Department, 30-year old Clint A. Auger was arrested at around 6:40-p.m., Tuesday, after authorities were called to the Parking lot of Cheese’s Grocery store, in response to an intoxicated male.

Officials say Auger, who refused to provide an address where he lived, was found to be in possession of two half-consumed bottles of Vodka. Following a preliminary breath test, which indicated his blood alcohol content was at .298, Auger was arrested and transported to the Taylor county jail on a charge of public intoxication.

An Atlantic man was arrested last week on assault charges. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says 23-year old Joseph Donald Fredericksen was arrested Dec. 29th, and charged with two counts of Serious Assault on a Police Officer. Fredericksen was also charged by Atlantic Police with Theft in the 5^th Degree, Interference with Official Acts, and Public Intoxication/2^nd Offense, in connection with events which took place on the 29th. He remains in the Cass County Jail, with bond was set at $2500 on all charges. 

The Sheriff’s Department says also, a 17-year old juvenile male was cited in Juvenile Court on a felony charge of Possession with the Intent to Deliver/Marijuana, following a traffic stop Saturday (Dec. 31st), on I-80 in Cass County. And, on Sunday (Jan. 1st), deputies with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested 21-year old Joshua Brock Edwards, of Cumberland, on a charge of OWI 1^st Offense. Edwards was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on his own recognizance.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports that as the result of an anonymous tip received on December 28th, and a subsequent check on a rural party, 14 people were cited into magistrate’s court for Possession of Alcohol Underage. Among those cited was: 20-year old Mackinze Marie Anstey, of Cumberland; 19-year old Jaxson D. Armstrong, of Anita; 19-year old Angela Whitney Arp, of Massena; 19-year old Paige Holland Dinkla, of Massena; 18-year old Laura Lee Beth Dolch, of Atlantic; 18-year old Taylor May Dorsey, of Anita; 19-year old Delbert Franklin Dale Halcomb, of Dallas Center; 19-year old Shay Dean Kaufman, of Anita; 19-year old Tanner Stuart Runyan, of Massena; 18-year old Preslee Ann Sisler, of Anita; 19-year old Kelsey May Smith, of Anita; 18-year old Makaye Diane Smith, of Anita; 19-year old Alex C. Stork, of Atlantic, and 20-year old James Dylan Swanson, of Marne. In addition, one juvenile male was also cited into juvenile court for being a Minor in Possession of alcohol.