The Cass County Board of Supervisors approved a motion made during their meeting today (Wednesday) in Atlantic, that established 1^st Whitney Bank and Trust in Atlantic, as the source for a loan not to exceed $555,000, for the purpose of funding the northwest Sewer & Water extension project. The board is waiting on additional information before determining the exact amount of the loan necessary, and the means for which it will be paid back.

One option under consideration, is using the Local Option Sales Tax to repay the loan over a few years. The loan will be used to plan and carry out the construction of a water and sanitary sewer project in the Amaizing Energy Urban Renewal Area, located just north of Atlantic.

The board also approved a change in job classification for Secondary Roads Employee Mick Sager, of Atlantic, from Operator 1 to District Working Foreman.

Atlantic Police report today (Wednesday), 21-year old Tyler Lee Mills, of Atlantic, was arrested Tuesday. Mills was taken into custody on a warrant for Revocation of his probation. The man was booked into the Casss County Jail.

An arrest warrant has been issued for a Council Bluffs man who has been charged with 48-counts of theft in the second degree and one count of on-going criminal conduct. In the warrant issued July 27^th, the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s office says 45-year old Johnie Ray Adkins allegedly stole nearly 980 bushels of corn valued at more than $6,140, from Pheasant Ridge Farms. The theft is said to have occurred on or about February 18^th, 2011. The corn was recovered on March 30^th from the Bartlett Grain Company, in Council Bluffs.

Adkins is also accused of accepting payment for 47 loads of grain owned by Pheasant Ridge Farms. The loads were valued at more than $1,000 and less than $10,000. A count of ongoing criminal conduct against Adkins was the result of actions he allegedly committed on or about August 27^th, 2009 through February 9^th 2011. Officials say he took loads of grain and accepted payment for 47 loads of grain, owned by Pheasant Ridge Farms.

An investigation by Sheriff’s officials began after the owner of Pheasant Ridge Farms was informed by a trucker with a different company, that Adkins allegedly placed a load of grain in his own name at the Bartlett Grain Company, which is where the grain was supposed to be delivered, but the payment was to be delivered to the Dan Pederson, owner of the Pheasant Ridge Farms.

When Pederson confronted Adkins about the alleged theft, Adkins admitted putting two loads of grain in his own name and selling them to Bartlett Grain. Adkins offered to pay him for the loads, but Pederson refused. Pederson believed Adkins had taken more than the two loads in question, but was unable to obtain any information to substantiate that assertion. A subsequent subpoena of records from Bartlett indicated Adkins had sold nearly 124 loads of grain in his own name to Bartlett Grain, since August, 2001. The grain was valued at more than $310,000.

In an interview with investigators this past February, Adkins admitted he was going through financial difficulties, and had stolen multiple loads of grain from Pederson and sold them to Bartlett Grain. Adkins’ whereabouts are currently unknown.

When he’s taken into custody, he will be held in jail on $65,000 bond.

w/ Ric Hanson

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w/ Ric Hanson

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The city of Grant was recently named a Best Practices Member by the Iowa Municipalities Workers’ Compensation Association (IMWCA). In order to achieve this honor, Grant has shown commitment from the entire organization to adopt and implement rigorous safety standards that not only help contain workers’ compensation costs but ultimately benefit its overall operations.

The Best Practices program was developed to recognize and reward members for meeting “best practices” in the areas of underwriting, claims and loss control.

“As a risk pool, it’s important that each member does their part to keep workers’ compensation costs affordable for all members,” said Gerald Clausen, city manager for the city of Carroll and IMWCA board member. The city of Grant is unique in the fact that the city has only two part-time employees who represent the traditional workers’ compensation exposures on which IMWCA focuses. But the city also has an active volunteer fire department, which represents one of the largest risk exposures for IMWCA since under Iowa law the volunteers are considered employees “This recognition sets Grant apart as one that goes the extra mile to support the pool in these efforts.”

Before its August 1 council meeting Grant received a monetary award to be used to further enhance safety programs as well as a plaque acknowledging this outstanding achievement.

Most of Grant’s Volunteer Fire Department was present for the presentation, as the recognition especially highlights the safety programs in place with that department.

(IMWCA Press Release)

Police in Red Oak are investigating a reported residential break-in. Officials say someone entered the home of Ronald Lee Johnson Tuesday, and took several tools.

Among the missing items was three air-impact wrenches, a large tool box, several Craftsman wrenches, impact sockets and a pipe wrench.

Anyone with information on the burglary should is asked to contact the Red Oak Police Department at 712-623-6500.

The turnout was very low for a special, Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) election held in Casey and Stuart, Tuesday. A petition to hold a re-vote in those two communities, on a renewal of the penny sales-tax, was presented to the Adair County Board of Supervisors in mid-May, following a County wide-vote held earlier that same month.

None of the 10 possible voters in Casey turned out for the election, and only 75 out 465 possible votes were cast in Stuart, where the measure passed by a vote of 55-to-20. The total voter turnout, including absentees, was just under 16-percent.

If voters in Stuart had failed to renew the tax, the city would have been out about $42,000 in annual revenue, while the City of Casey stood to lose just $650. In Casey, proceeds from the tax would have been directed toward the street repairs and improvements. In Stuart, the monies will be directed to the General Fund.

An extension of the seven-year Local Option tax will go into effect beginning January 2012, in Stuart, Adair, Bridgewater, Fontanelle, Orient, and Greenfield.

Results from the Aug. 2nd. Special Election…..

City of Casey:   Yes         No                      Voted Polls        possible             %

2 NE Casey             0              0                              0                            10               0.00%

Absentee                0              0

Total                         0              0

City of Stuart

2 NE Stuart          55            17                            72                        465              15.48%

Absentee               0                3                             3                                                  4.%

Total                      55            20                            75                         475              15.79%

CRESTON, Iowa – Aug. 2, 2011 – The second phase of a bridge replacement project on Iowa 25 south of Guthrie Center requires reducing the current lane width limit restrictions to 12-feet-6-inches in the open lane beginning Thursday, Aug. 11, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Creston construction office.

Traffic signals will be used to move traffic through the construction work zone. The completion date for this project is early November.

CRESTON, Iowa – Aug. 2, 2011 – Road construction work will reduce Iowa 25 to one lane between U.S. 34 and Union County Road H-24 near Creston beginning Thursday, Aug. 4, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Creston construction office.

A 16-foot lane width restriction will be in place in the open lane. Flaggers and a pilot car will be used to control traffic during the closure. The roadway will return to normal traffic patterns when workers are not present. This project will be completed Aug. 8.