Police in Council Bluffs are investigating the robbery of a payday loan/cash advance business. Authorities say just before 4-p.m. Wednesday, a man entered the Check into Cash store located at 3424 West Broadway. The subject approached an employee of the business, displayed a small handgun and demanded cash. The suspect left the store on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. The employee was uninjured.

As of 9-p.m. Wednesday, there were no surveillance photos of the suspect available. The suspect is described as a light skin black male wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and dark pants. Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to contact our Criminal Investigation Division at 712-328-4728 or CrimeStoppers at 712-328-STOP (7867)

Residents of Atlantic are being urged to clean-up their properties to make the City more presentable and encourage civic pride. Last month, Councilman Dana Halder pleaded with the community to get rid of junk around their properties such as old couches in alleys and yards, tires, and other trash.

During Wednesday night’s City Council meeting, Halder said the interest in following through on that request was so high, a City-Wide clean-up is tentatively planned to take place next month. Halder said the dates for the event are June 1st through the 3rd. He said “We’re asking the citizens of Atlantic to help us with this. We’re not really at this point planning on coming around and picking up everything out of your front yard. We’re asking you to bring it to a certain location (to be determined).

Halder said the frustration he expressed during the last meeting is being felt by many around the community, who are tired of seeing junky properties. He said “This is our way of helping you take some pride in Atlantic and clean things up and keep ’em cleaned up. We’re gonna give everybody a chance to get rid of this stuff.”

Anything recyclable will be recycled. There will be a charge to dispose of tires. Halder warned you shouldn’t miss out on this chance to get your property spruced up, because after this event, the Ordinance will be enforced. If the City has to come clean-up your property, there will be a $100 surcharge plus $75 per hour. “There are couches, beds, and mattresses in people’s yards. I am sorry it’s ridiculous. I go back to Atlantic pride, it has disappeared and we need to get it back.”

Halder said also they will be looking for volunteers to help out with the clean-up. More information will be available in the days ahead.

A woman from Atlantic appeared before the City Council Wednesday evening to ask that a portion of the City Ordinance pertaining to livestock within the City Limits, be amended to allow chickens. Jill Scarf, who lives in the 12th and Cedar Street area of Atlantic made the request. Under the current ordinance, poultry is listed as one of the types of animals not allowed in the City.

Scarf said there many benefits to having chickens, and they help to produce food security for lower income families. She said also their are health benefits to have chickens locally raised. Scarf addressed the issue of smell, by saying she doesn’t want to see large flocks in the city, just a few per family who want to raise them in a properly confined area.

Another concern is noise. She said chickens aren’t that noisy. “Most hens just cluck or feed quietly throughout the day, and then when it gets dusk, they go to sleep at night.” She said even if a rooster crowed at sunrise, it would not be as noisy as some dogs who bark in town. Scarf said many cities in Iowa and across the county are allowing chickens, while others are considering the matter.

According to a report in the Des Moines Register, the City of Des Moines allows up to 30 chickens on residential properties anywhere in the city with several conditions, including distance and cleanliness standards. Johnston allows two chickens on properties larger than a half-acre. Windsor Heights allows two chickens on any residential property. Ankeny, Altoona, Urbandale and Waukee do not allow chickens in residential neighborhoods.

The public’s interest in raising chickens saw an increase during the Bird Flu crisis, when prices for poultry and eggs spiked. The City Council didn’t seem to object to the idea of allowing chickens, and agreed to forward the matter to the Community Protection Committee for discussion and a recommendation.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening, paid tribute to the men who serve as volunteer members of Atlantic Police Department Reserves and liaison officers. Mayor Dave Jones presented the group of 10 who were at the meeting, with a Distinguished Service award for their dedication, and exceptional professionalism displayed during the numerous 2016 programs in which they gave back countless hours to the citizens of Atlantic.

(2nd from the left) Atlantic Police Chief Dave Erickson, and members of the Police Reserve Unit

Jones said the Reserves won the Donald H. Mackemann Outstanding Unit Award from the Iowa State Reserve Officers Association. It was the sixth time the group had won the award since the Reserve Association was established in 1974.

The ISROA Award was presented last month during the organization’s 45th Annual Conference and Business meeting in West Des Moines. Atlantic Police Chief Dave Erickson spoke of the training, dedication and services provided by the volunteer Reserve members, not to mention the children’s and family programs they help to run. He said on average, most of the Reserves donate at least 300 hours per year to the City.

Erickson said the award wouldn’t be possible, “Without the good citizens of Atlantic donating money which we can take and turn back into the community for programs to take care of youth and the citizens of Cass County. A special thanks to everybody that donates. It’s greatly appreciated  from the bottom of our hearts for all the support we get.”

In addition to the Unit Distinguished Service Award, two Atlantic Reserve Officers received Certificates of Appreciation and a plaque from the Mayor and Police Chief, for Officer Robert “Bob” McHugh, for 20-years of volunteer service, which is more than 5,000 hours.

Reserve Officers McHugh (Left) and Hackwell (right)

Officer Jeff Hackwell received a similar certificate and plaque for his 10-years of service. And, the Mayor presented Chief Erickson with an award for his 20-years of service protecting the community.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad has indicated he will sign a trio of controversial bills Friday that were hotly debated during the Iowa Legislative session.

One bill would prohibit most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy in Iowa. It would take effect immediately on enactment. The ban was criticized for not allowing exceptions for rape, incest or fatal fetal anomalies. Abortion-rights groups have indicated they will file a legal challenge to fight the restrictions.

Another bill would require voters to show identification at the polls and reduce the state’s early voting period, which advocacy groups say will suppress voter turnout. The ID requirement will go into effect in 2019.

The final measure would cap payouts to patients in some medical malpractice lawsuits, though a jury may override the cap in some instances.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood are suing to block a measure set to be signed into Iowa law this week that would impose a three-day waiting period on women seeking abortions.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Polk County District Court seeks an emergency injunction to block the waiting period that would go into effect immediately upon being signed by Gov. Terry Branstad. Branstad says he’ll sign it Friday morning.

The ACLU and Planned Parenthood said Wednesday in a joint news release that the measure will interrupt already-scheduled abortion appointments and that some of those women could be near the point in which they can longer induce abortion through medication. The lawsuit says that would force them to have a surgical abortion or carry the pregnancy to term.

The names of four officers killed in the line of duty will be added to the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial in Des Moines, Friday morning. Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds will be on hand for the ceremony near the Oran Pape State Office Building (215 E. 7th Street), in Des Moines. The ceremony begins at 10-a.m., and the public is invited to attend.

Among the names being honored is:

• Special Agent Thomas P. Griffin with the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, who, along with another detective, were checking an area of railroad tracks in Des Moines where frequent thefts had taken place as trains staged out of the switching yards. Agent Griffen saw two men stealing items from a boxcar and ordered them to halt. Both men fired at him with a .32 caliber handgun. They were later arrested and convicted of murder before being sentenced to life in prison for the crime, which happened Nov. 15th, 1923.
• Sgt. Shawn Glenn Miller – West Des Moines Police Department. Sgt. Miller was on-duty returning home from testifying in an ongoing case at the Dallas County Courthouse on Aug. 3rd, 2016, when a vehicle turned in front of Miller’s motorcycle. He died at the scene of the subsequent collision.
• Officer Justin Scott Martin -Urbandale Police Department. Officer Martin was gunned down as he sat in his Police Cruiser on Nov. 2nd, 2016. He was struck several times and died instantly.
• Sgt. Anthony “Tony” David Beminio – Des Moines Police Department. Sgt. Beminio was the second victim of the same lone gunman who also claimed the life of Officer Martin.  He was ambushed and struck several times while in his fully marked Police vehicle, and later died at the hospital.

If you are unable to attend the ceremony, the Iowa Department of Public Safety asks that you take time, especially during National Police Week, May 15-21, to thank current peace officers for protecting and serving your community.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office would like the public to reacquaint themselves with an old scam with a twist that’s been going around. Authorities say a victim of the recent scam received a voice mail from someone identifying themselves as an IRS worker and stating the victim owed back taxes and needed to get it resolved. Because the victim knew it was a scam, he didn’t return the calls.

Subsequently, the victim received a call that showed on the caller ID as “County Sheriff’s Office”, which he answered. The individual on the other end of the line claimed to be with the county sheriff’s office and that the sheriff’s office had been made aware that the victim had received calls from the IRS and needed to return those calls and get the situation taken care of.

The victim returned the call to the persons claiming to be with the IRS, who told him he was delinquent on his taxes and for security reasons they didn’t want his bank account info and instead wanted prepaid debit cards. Unfortunately, the victim fell prey to this scam and lost $1,900.

Officials want you to know, that Sheriff’s Offices are not linked to the IRS in any way and will never be contacted by the IRS to make contact with individuals by the IRS’s request. It is quite easy for scammers to make their contact numbers appear to be coming from somewhere or someone else on caller ID. Protect yourselves and your loved ones and share the information.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Cass County, Monday, arrested a man on an assault charge. Officials said today (Wednesday), 39-year old Richard Lee Wegenke, of Lewis, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. Wegenke was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $300 cash bond.

NEWARK, Del. (AP) – Authorities say four police officers in Delaware were injured while trying to arrest an Iowa man.  New Castle County (Delaware) Police said in a statement today (Wednesday), that officers responded Tuesday to a report of a man soliciting door to door in Newark with a gun in his bag and stopped 22-year-old Dion Brown of Newton, Iowa. Police say when officers tried to take Brown into custody, he fought them.

Police say Brown bit one officer and struck another and a stun gun had little effect on Brown. Officers from other agencies helped subdue Brown. Police say Brown and the injured officers were treated at a hospital and released.

Police say they didn’t find a gun in Brown’s bag. He’s charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, resisting arrest and criminal mischief.