Cass County Democratic Party Chair Sherry Toelle reports the organization will hold its Fundraiser and Silent Auction next Saturday, September 9th, 2017, at The Venue (307 Walnut), in Atlantic. Doors will open at 5 PM with a full dinner starting at 5:30 PM. Cost is $25 per person or $40 per couple. Invited guests will begin speaking at about 6 or 6:30 PM.

Toelle says “The reason we are holding a fundraiser and inviting folks to attend, we hold several drives throughout the year to give a hand up to Cass County residents who are vulnerable and need assistance. We also provide voter education and sponsor several community events during the year. Funds are needed to keep those programs active. We encourage others to join us and to participate in this event.”

The Silent Auction will be open at no cost to the public from 3-4 PM before being opened to those attending the Fundraiser. However, those attending the fundraiser event will have the last bid on items. The items being auctioned include a quilt; baskets of hair and/or beauty supplies; historical newspapers; books; gift cards to Lowe’s, Applebee’s, Bass Pro Shop, and Home Depot; baked goods; political memorabilia; calligraphy artwork; a Historic Trails doll; fixings for an organic Thanksgiving dinner; a Harley Davidson coffee mug; and other items too numerous to mention.

Keynote speaker is Jason Kander. Jason was a military intelligence officer in Afghanistan before he served two terms in the Missouri House of Representatives, and was then elected to the Missouri Secretary of State’s office in 2012. Kander is the president of Let America Vote, which he started  in February, 2017 to fight back against proposals across the country that make it harder for eligible voters to exercise their constitutional right to cast a ballot. He is also a CNN contributor.

All Democratic candidates for the 2018 Governor and US Congressional races have been invited as well as candidates for the Secretary of State, State Auditor, and Agriculture Secretary positions.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest early Saturday of a Kansas man on drug charges. At 2:16am Deputies with the Fremont County K9 Unit responded to a call of a stranded motorist attempting to flag down vehicles near the 15-mile marker of Interstate 29 northbound.

The motorist, Stephan Anderson, age 27 of Lenexa, Kansas was found be in possession of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.

Anderson was placed under arrest and is being held at the Fremont County Jail on $1,300 bond.

w/ Chris Parks

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The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests on Friday evening.

At 6:19pm Deputies arrested 26-year-old Nicholas Allen Philby of Red Oak at the intersection of Highway 34 and L Avenue. Philby was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance.  He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.  Deputies were assisted by the Montgomery County K-9 Unit.

At 7:37pm Montgomery County Deputies arrested 34-year-old Kyle Anthony Zeigler of Red Oak in the 100 block of West Coolbaugh Street. He was arrested on a valid arrest warrant for Theft 5th Degree. Zeigler was booked in to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 cash only bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 4:30 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa man has been acquitted in the death last year of his infant son inside a sweltering car. Television station KCCI reports that Judge Michael Huppert on Friday found Lance Williams not guilty of child endangerment, neglect and abandonment. The judge said the state failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Williams acted in either a knowing or reckless manner in the June 2016 death of the 6-month-old boy.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – The owner of a gun that a 4-year-old boy used to kill himself in Iowa last year has pleaded guilty in the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa says 30-year-old Daniel Henriksen pleaded guilty Friday to a federal count of possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of marijuana. Prosecutors say Jayden Choate found Henriksen’s loaded gun on June 17, 2016, and accidentally shot himself in the head.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Eleven soldiers and two helicopters from the Iowa National Guard are expected spend approximately two weeks in Texas to help out in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The Guard says two CH-47F “Chinook” supply helicopters would deploy Friday along with soldiers from Boone, Davenport and Johnston units. Texas requested the aid under agreement between all 50 states, two territories and Washington, D.C., to assist one another in times of crisis.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Cedar Rapids authorities say a man who entered a city building in Cedar Rapids with a gun has been arrested and charged in the incident. Police say 42-year-old Russell Jay Howard was arrested Friday after he was released from a hospital. He’s been charged with carrying weapons and unauthorized possession of an offensive weapon. Police say Howard carried a sawed-off shotgun into the City Services Center on Aug. 23.

Officials with the Monsanto Fund, Friday night, presented Atlantic Community School District officials with a ceremonial check for $25,000. The funds are from the “Grow Rural Education” program, that allows eligible farmers to nominate their local public school district for grants to help enhance STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education. Since 2011, the program has given over $9-million dollars to rural school districts.

Once nominated, school districts submit applications to compete for $10,000 or $25,000 grants to help fund projects that enhance their STEM curriculum. Schuler Principal James Northwick and 5^th Grade Teacher DeLana Harris applied for the grant, which will be used by the District to create a Science Lab for Schuler Elementary School.

Schuler Principal James Northwick and 5th Grade Teacher DeLana Harris receive a ceremonial version of a $25k check from Monsanto sales reps.

In general, the grants are used to help improve test scores, but more importantly, according to Monsanto officials, they’re getting kids to think bigger about their tomorrow. Other school area districts that were nominated and are receiving Grow Rural Education grant funds, include:

The Coon Rapids/Bayard Community School District: $10,000 for Equipment Allocation for Student Motivation, Innovation, and Experimentation;  And The Mt. Ayr Community School District: $10,000 for Science Investigation Using Virtual Reality (3D) Technology.

A woman whose job with the U-S Army Corps of Engineers has made her both famous and infamous during many stressful times is leaving her post. Jody Farhat, the Corps’ Chief of the Missouri River Basin Water Management Office, is retiring today (Friday) after 34 years on the job. Farhat notes she’s seen some very difficult challenges as the Corps responded to extreme flooding or devastating drought conditions.

“I think I managed through those rough times knowing that the Corps has done our job the best that we could,” Farhat says. For example, the Corps — and Farhat — came under intense criticism during the floods of 2011 when high water on the Missouri River swamped cities and towns all across western Iowa and from North Dakota all the way to Missouri.

“The work that we do really does impact people,” Farhat says. “Trying to be very empathetic with folks and letting them know that we do understand that what we do impacts their lives and their livelihoods.” The Corps works to maintain an even, level flow of water in the Missouri River basin and in its reservoir system, but it’s often a difficult balance, trying to allow for snowpack in the Rockies and heavy rains versus long droughts. Farhat says she always tried to be as open as possible about river operations.

“It’s been a great honor for me to have worked for the Corps,” she says. “I believe that the Corps is a great institution and we really are focused on service to the public. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.” Farhat says she isn’t going to another job. She’s retiring and plans to stay in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area.

(Radio Iowa)

The family of an Atlantic woman who passed away in March as the result injuries she suffered during a Dec. 2016 accident in Nebraska, has established a nursing scholarship in her name. Cindy Harlan Breen, the daughter of Joan and Keith Harlan, says the Joan Harlan Memorial Nursing Scholarship was established “In honor of all the exceptional nursing care” she received while being treated for her injuries.

A memorial fund for nursing scholarships in her name will be administered through Iowa Western in Atlantic. Friends of the family and community members are invited to contribute to the Joan Harlan Memorial Nursing Scholarship.  Donations under the endowment program can be in any amount. All funds will be submitted to Iowa Western Community College Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax deductible entity.

The demand for nurses is a growing issue.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of registered nurses will increase ­ 16 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all other occupations. Access to a high-quality, local nursing education program is vitally important to Southwest Iowa and, according to Iowa Western Atlantic Center Director Ann Pross, they are “Proud to provide excellent medical training” for their students.

Students pursuing a nursing career, through coursework at Iowa Western, may apply for the Joan Harlan Scholarship funds by completing and submitting the application to Iowa Western by November 15.   The scholarship application is available online at www.iwcc.edu.

IWCC scholarship review committee will make recipient selection(s) on all applications according to scholarship criteria established by the Harlan family.  The amount awarded to each student will depend on the number of qualified applicants. The scholarships will be for classes starting Jan 2018, and students from Atlantic and the surrounding Cass County area may qualify. As designated by the Harlan family, all funds from this effort will be used only for students enrolled in the nursing program at Iowa Western Community College.

For additional information, please contact Ann Pross, Iowa Western Cass County Center director at 712-243-5527.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa Department of Human Services Director Jerry R. Foxhoven on Friday announced that he has appointed Jerry A. Rea as superintendent of the Glenwood Resource Center.

Iowa has two resource centers that provide a full range of active treatment and habilitation services to individuals with severe intellectual disabilities. The resource centers, at Glenwood in southwest Iowa and Woodward in the north-central part of the state, support individuals to live safe, successful lives in the home and community of their choice.

“Dr. Rea has vast experience overseeing operations at a state hospital and serving individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental health needs,” said Foxhoven. “He is committed to offering an array of supports and services to individuals with the most severe disabilities.”

Dr. Rea will begin his duties the week of September 11, 2017. He brings to the Glenwood role 13 years of experience as superintendent at Parsons State Hospital and Training Center in Kansas. Prior to that, he was the program director/manager at Parsons from 1991 to 2004.  In addition, from August 2013 through August 2015, Dr. Rea served as the superintendent for both Parsons and the Osawatomie State Hospital and Rainbow Mental Health Facility.

He also recently served as an Adjunct Research Scientist at the University of Kansas and an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Wichita State University. He is the lead author of many publications on services for individuals with developmental disabilities, and has presented his research at conferences across the United States and Canada.

Dr. Rea was awarded a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in child development and child psychology in 1996. He also holds a master’s degree in special education from the University of Kansas, and a bachelor’s of science in psychology from the Oregon College of Education.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Dr. Rea to Iowa, and are confident his years of operations and research experience will benefit the more than 200 Iowans Glenwood Resource Center serves, and the service system as a whole,” said Rick Shults, administrator of Mental Health and Disability Services for Iowa.

LE MARS—After looking for the cause of a fish kill in a small stream west of Le Mars Thursday afternoon, DNR traced the source to a local industry that uses ammonia as a refrigerant. Officials said the spill appears to be cooling water discharge from Wells Blue Bunny’s north plant. Normally the storm water discharge would not have ammonia in it, but DNR found elevated levels of ammonia below their discharge pipe.

There were several hundred dead minnows and chubs in the unnamed creek, but no obvious issues in the nearby Floyd River. The DNR recommends children and pets stay away from the creek near the ball park south of Highway 3 for at least 24 hours.

Ken Hessenius, supervisor of the Spencer DNR office, said Friday “This is a reminder to everyone that what you pour down a storm sewer or into a street goes directly to a creek and not to the wastewater plant. Some household chemicals which are flushed to sanitary sewers can be harmful to wastewater treatment plants. So be careful what you pour down the drain—sanitary or storm sewer.”

The DNR will continue to look for and verify the spill source, and send water samples for laboratory analysis. DNR fisheries staff were conducting a fish kill count today (Friday).