Medivac Ambulance and Atlantic Fire and Rescue were called to eastbound Interstate 80 at mile marker 56 this afternoon, for a two-vehicle accident. According to dispatch reports, the accident happened at around 12:56-p.m., when an elderly male suffered from a seizure. The man was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital. One of the vehicles involved in the accident was a mid-size U-Haul truck, which was seen deep in the south ditch.

No other details are currently available.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A Dubuque woman has been given probation for stealing from the same relative her mother is accused of victimizing. Dubuque County court records say 18-year-old Anna Billmeyer was sentenced last week to two to five years of probation and ordered to pay restitution. She’d pleaded guilty to theft. She also was given a deferred judgment, which allows Billmeyer’s conviction to be removed from court records if she fulfills her probation terms.

Her mother, 54-year-old Kathryn Billmeyer, pleaded guilty April 15 to theft and dependent adult abuse. Her sentencing is scheduled for June 24.
Prosecutors say Kathryn Billmeyer used her aunt’s money to make more than $48,000 in purchases from November 2016 to May 2018. Kathryn Billmeyer held a power of attorney and had control of her aunt’s accounts.

Prosecutors say Anna Billmeyer used the aunt’s credit card to buy nearly $1,600 worth of items.

Former Texas Congressman and current Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke will bring his campaign tour to southwest Iowa and Atlantic this weekend. O’Rourke is expected to arrive at Sunnyside Park’s Camblin Addition Shelter at 1:30-p.m. Sunday, May 5th, for a “Town Hall with Beto O’Rourke in Atlantic”. The event venue will be open at 1-p.m.

Former TX Congressman Beto O’Rourke

O’Rourke began his political career volunteering for several campaigns in Texas, before serving as a city councilman in his home town of El Paso, from 2005 to 2011. He then served three terms in the US House of Representatives until 2017, when he decided to run for the US Senate. He gained national attention during that election, when he set a record for most votes cast for a Democrat in Texas history.

O’Rourke is also a businessman and entrepreneur, having started his own internet services and software company, still run by his family in El Paso. His campaign has four main themes: immigration reform, health care, climate change, and fixing the political system.

O’Rourke and his wife Amy have three children, and reside in his home town of El Paso, TX.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports deputies responded at around 10:40-p.m. Friday, to a complaint of suspicious activity at a Page County Park known as Pierce Creek in the west camping area.  During an investigation, a 17-year old male juvenile was cited for Possession of Alcohol by persons under legal age (under 18 years old). The male was later released to his mother. 19-year old Gavin Allen Sickler, of Clarinda, was arrested and charged with Possession of a controlled substance, Possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of Alcohol by persons under legal age (18, 19, & 20 years old). Sickler was transported to the Page County Jail and later released on $1,300 bond, pending future court proceedings.

Authorities say two people were injured in a motorcycle vs. deer accident late Friday evening, about two-miles east of Harlan. The Harley Davidson motorcycle being driven by 51-year old Chad Petersen of rural Harlan, was westbound on Highway 44 when Petersen pulled out to pass a vehicle that was also westbound. His cycle struck a deer in the eastbound lane. Both occupants of the motorcycle were ejected from the vehicle. Petersen was transported to Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan for treatment of numerous serious injuries. His female passenger, 47-year old Jill Wensel, of Logan, was flown to an Omaha hospital by medical helicopter. The motorcycle was considered a total loss.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The governor has appointed judges to fill two openings on the Iowa Court of Appeals. A news release sent Monday from her office said Gov. Kim Reynolds selected Sharon Greer and Judge David May. Greer lives and practices law in Marshalltown and is a law college graduate from the University of Iowa. She replaces Christopher McDonald, whom the governor named to the Iowa Supreme Court earlier this year.

May, who lives in Polk City, received his law degree from Drake University. He’s a district court judge in District 5, which includes Polk County and Des Moines. He replaces Judge David Danilson, who retired.

One person was arrested following an investigation into an argument early this (Monday) morning, in Council Bluffs. Authorities say Roberto Daniel Gonzalez was arrested following a brief foot pursuit. Officers were dispatched to the 400 block of S. 1st Street at around 1:25-a.m., following a call about someone arguing. As they approached the scene, officers noticed a suspicious male and asked him about the disturbance. The suspect (Gonzalez) spoke with them briefly, before fleeing on foot.

As Officers pursued him, Gonzalez was allegedly reaching into his pocket. He was ordered numerous times to remove his hand from his pocket, but would not comply. Gonzalez was then tased by the officer and taken into custody without further incident. A bag he threw during the chase was recovered, and contained methamphetamine. Gonzalez was charged with Eluding, Possession of Meth with the intent to deliver, and interference with official acts.

In an update to our earlier reports, the National Weather Service in Valley, Nebraska, said today (Monday), that the Hancock Weather Transmitter (KZZ-52) will continue to be out of service for anywhere from 12-to 14-weeks, possibly longer, while they wait for repair crews to assess the damage to the Hancock Tower and related components that send out the Emergency Alert System tones your weather radio receives during times of severe weather or other emergencies. The facility was knocked-off the air this past winter due to icing. Officials say the stability of the tower must be assessed before they can look at other critical components. The transmitter covers parts of six area counties and all of Cass County.

That means unless you are signed-up for the Cass County Emergency Notification System, you will have to be extremely weather aware during this severe storm season. Signing-up is free and easy, and you can select the types of alert(s) you want to receive and how you want to receive them (voice, text or e-mail). You can select any or all communities in Cass County for your warning area, as well. And, you can indicate if anyone at your residence has special needs (Such as: Assistive devices, bedridden, blind/vision impaired, Deaf/hearing impaired, limited mobility/wheelchair user, and if the person uses an oxygen machine/cylinder).

To sign-up, go to the Cass County Emergency Management page  http://www.atlanticiowa.com/county/county-departments/emergency-management/ and click on the Alert Iowa! link. If you have any questions or need help, call Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon at 712-254-1500,

The Cass County Board of Supervisors are set to act on approving a joint agreement between Cass and Montgomery Counties, with regard to Cass Co. Engineer Charles Bechtold. Last week, the Board tabled action of Bechtold serving as the Interim Engineer in Montgomery County because he was out of town and not able to discuss the proposal. Bechtold would continue to serve as the full-time Cass County Engineer if the agreement is approved. He would only serve Montgomery County until they are able to hire a full-time person for the position.

In other business, the Board will act on approving the first amendment to the Child Support Staffing Contract (Child Support Recovery Office serving seven counties), incorporating the program budget for State Fiscal Year 2020. The Board meeting takes place 9-a.m. Tuesday (April 30), in the Supervisor’s Board Room at the Cass County Courthouse.

(Radio Iowa) — An Iowa State University study explores the changing attitudes of Iowa voters in recent presidential elections. Ann Oberhauser, an I-S-U professor of sociology and director of Women’s and Gender Studies, says there was a big shift between the majority of Iowa voters picking Democrat Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 to backing Republican Donald Trump in 2016. “We’re interested in more local and county level aspects of that,” Oberhauser says. “We tuned in on morality as an explanatory factor. Race, ethnicity is also explanatory and some other social indicators, such as education.”

The study found white, rural voters without a college education were more likely to switch from voting Democrat to Republican. There were some researchers who suggested economic factors may have played a larger role in the decision, but she says that does not appear to have been the case. Oberhauser says it will be interesting to see how Iowans vote in 2020 with the Caucuses and the general election. “That makes it really exciting, right? It keeps us in business,” Oberhauser says. “With all of this and Iowa being the first primary caucus, for the last 30-40 years even, it’s been a focus. Some people have issues with that but that’s the way our system works.”

The study found Iowa had more counties flip from Democrat to Republican than any other state in the last presidential election. Oberhauser says it’s curious when so many rural, predominantly white counties that supported Obama for two straight election cycles made a dramatic shift to get behind Trump.  “Iowa is becoming much more diverse in its population, particularly in urban areas and larger populated areas, but also in some of these rural areas,” Oberhauser says. “As the demographics change in this state, we might begin to see more shifts in some of these attitudes and in looking ahead to 2020.”

The study is being published in The Sociological Quarterly.