The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous, recent arrests. Among them, was 30-year old Phillip Michael Houston, of Harlan, who was taken into custody after Shelby County authorities informed Pott. County that Houston had been arrested on a valid Pott. County warrants for Driving While Barred and OWI/1st Offense. Houston was booked into the Pott. County Jail. Sunday evening, 35-year old Raymond Andrew Kerns, of Quimby, was arrested for OWI/3rd or subsequent Offense, after an Iowa State Patrol Trooper pulled over Kerns’ vehicle. An investigation determined Kerns was under the influence of a Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulant. And, early Sunday morning, 42-year old James Victor Ayers, of Carson, was arrested for OWI/1st offense and cited for Driving While Suspended, after a Deputy observed Ayers’ vehicle swerving over the road.

Late Saturday night, 32-year old Cory Ross Smith, of Elliott, was arrested for OWI/1st Offense, Carrying a Concealed Weapon and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, after he was pulled over on Highway 92 at 510th Street, for not having a rear license plate light. The deputy noticed the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, and Smith handed over a marijuana pipe to the deputy. He also had a .22 caliber long rifle in the vehicle.

Saturday evening, 36-year old Ryan August Dunn, of Little Shute, WI., was arrested at a motel in Avoca, for Child Endangerment resulting in bodily injury and interference with official acts. Authorities say deputies responded to a disturbance at the motel at around 5-p.m., and determined Dunn had assaulted his 8-year old son, by grabbing him by the neck and pushing him to the ground. While deputies were questioning Dunn, he allegedly became irritated and aggressive towards law enforcement. Dunn pulled away from a Deputy while being escorted to the patrol vehicle and failed to obey several commands. He was finally ordered to the ground and placed under arrest.  Authorities says Dunn’s mother, 59-year old Roxanne Dunn, of Colorado Springs, CO., was arrested for Interference with Official Acts, after she failed to comply with Deputies’ instructions, was screaming and recording the incident on her cell phone.

Early Saturday morning, an Oakland teen was arrested for OWI/1st offense and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The unidentified teen was driving a 1999 Jeep Cherokee when he was pulled over at around midnight, for allegedly running a stop sign at the intersection of Oakland Avenue and Highway 59. Two marijuana pipes and a marijuana grinder were taken into evidence.

At around 4:30-p.m. Friday, 25-year old Gary Allen Schultz, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Domestic Assault with intent and/or use of a weapon, Interference with Official Acts, and Violation of a No Contact Order. Schultz was taken into custody following an assault on his girlfriend that allegedly occurred at a residence on McPherson Avenue, in Council Bluffs. No injuries were reported. A knife was seized as evidence in the case.

And, at around 4-p.m., Friday, 19-year old Ethan Ray Rankin, of Oakland, was arrested near his home following a traffic stop. Rankin was wanted on a warrant for misuse of identification to acquire alcohol.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development report $622 million was invested into rural Iowa in 2016, providing housing opportunities for thousands of rural Iowans while also supporting a wide variety of job-creation and community-improvement projects and activities.

In the KJAN listening area, project and/or communities receiving USDA Rural Development loan and grant funding in 2016 include:

• The City of Wiota – $2 million to assist with essential improvements to its municipal water system.
• The City of Adair – $2.3 million to replace existing water mains, install a reverse osmosis treatment system and other improvements to the water system.

Bill Menner, USDA Rural Development State Director in Iowa, said “Our focus is on the viability of rural communities and areas which are so important to our state and nation. USDA Rural Development funding continues to have a dramatic impact all across Iowa. Since 2009, we have invested nearly $5 billion on essential public facilities, small and emerging businesses, water and sewer systems, and housing opportunities for Iowa families.”

For more information about finance programs available through USDA Rural Development, please call (515) 284-4663 or visit the agency’s web site at www.rd.usda.gov/ia. USDA Rural Development has 11 offices across the state to serve the 1.7 million Iowans living in rural communities and areas.  Among the office locations is the Area Office in Atlantic.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports 4 arrests over the last week. Last Friday night, 53-year old Patrick Russell Darling, of Greenfield, was arrested by Greenfield Police for Simple Assault and Simple Domestic Abuse Assault, after he allegedly elbowed a woman in the nose, causing her nose to bleed a bit due to her having had a nose ring on the side of her nose. He also allegedly struck his wife in the face, causing pain but no visible injury. Patrick Darling was released the following day on his own recognizance.

27-year old Alexander O’Dell Hicklin, of Des Moines was arrested Thursday morning, in Adair County. He was taken into custody at around 8:10-a.m. by an Iowa State Patrol Trooper, on charges of Driving Under Suspension, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a Prescription Drug Violation, and OWI/2nd Offense. Hicklin was pulled over on Interstate 80 after the Trooper noticed a blue Dodge truck that was driving erratically eastbound near the 70 mile marker. When the truck stopped at Exit 86, Hicklin got out and looked at the rear tires.

A further investigation resulted in him being found in possession of a controlled substance, numerous syringes, a pop can and spoon used to take methadone pills. A bottle of prescription pills was found in the passenger side door of Hicklin’s vehicle, which he allegedly tried to hide in the Trooper’s squad car as he was being handcuffed. Hicklin was released from custody Thursday afternoon, on $2,000 bond.

And, as previously mentioned, 31-year old Derek Eugene Ueligger, of Creston, was arrested Jan. 4th by Adair County Sheriff’s Deputies in connection with a double fatal crash near Orient, last November. Euligger was being held in the Adair County Jail.

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports a Public Hearing will be held next week on the designation of a 2017 Cass County Agribusiness Urban Renewal Area, and on a proposed Urban Renewal Plan and Projects. The Hearing will be held Jan. 18th at 8:45-a.m., at the Cass County Courthouse.

The hearing is on the question of designating as the 2017 Cass County Agribusiness Urban Renewal Area (the “Urban Renewal Area”), pursuant to Chapter 403, Code of Iowa, the property situated in Cass County, Iowa described as follows:

Certain real property situated in Cass County, Iowa bearing the following Cass County Property Tax Parcel Identification Numbers as of January 1, 2017:

• Parcel ID: 180001556001000 – 3.55 acres;
• Parcel ID: 250000488001005 – 13.29 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000488001006 – 50.87 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000488004011 – 2.25 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000488004012 – 8.95 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000522001006 – 1.93 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000523002003 – 3.17 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000533001001 – 2.81 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000533001002 – 0.24 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000533001003 – 1.04 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000687003002 – 6.08 acres
• Parcel ID: 250000754001002 – 3.60 acres Parcel ID: 250000754003002 – 4.41 acres; and
• All of the right-of-way of Echo Road from and including its intersection with Olive Street on the east and continuing west to and including its intersection with Buck Creek Road; and
• All of the right-of-way of Buck Creek Road from and including its intersection with Echo Road on the north and continuing south to and including its intersection with Glacier Road; and
• All of the right-of-way of Glacier Road from and including its intersection with Buck Creek Road on the east and continuing west to the paved segment of Glacier Road.

(A More detailed description of the parcels is available from the Cass County Auditor’s Office) The subject matter of the public hearing will also include a proposed urban renewal plan (the “Plan”) and project for the Urban Renewal Area identified above, pursuant to Chapter 403, Code of Iowa, a copy of which plan is on file for public inspection in the office of the County Auditor.

The general scope of the proposed Plan, as more specifically described therein, includes the following:

• Increasing the tax base and promoting economic growth in Cass County by encouraging commercial, industrial and agribusiness development.
• The Plan authorizes certain initial urban renewal projects to be undertaken in the Urban Renewal Area consisting of (i) providing tax increment financing support to Elite Octane, LLC in connection with the planning, design and construction of an ethanol plant (the “Development Project”);
• and (ii) using tax increment financing to pay the costs of constructing certain road and greywater sewer system improvements necessary for the development of the Development Project.

At the hearing any interested person may file written objections or comments and may be heard orally with respect to the subject matter of the hearing.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A retired Iowa judge says a fraud charge filed against her former colleague appears to be “blatant retribution” for her efforts to criticize and sue the state. Retired Administrative Law Judge Bonny Hendricksmeyer says Susan Ackerman’s prosecution is a “malicious use of the criminal justice system” designed to give the state an advantage against Ackerman’s civil claims.

She says authorities must investigate whether their former agency, Iowa Workforce Development, is pushing the case to discourage employees from pursuing remedies for mistreatment. Ackerman surrendered last month on a felony charge alleging she lied on insurance forms to give her adult daughter health coverage. The state fired the 15-year judge over the same allegation two years ago.

Ackerman has denied criminal wrongdoing, saying she received permission from a human resources employee before making the change. Months earlier, Ackerman helped expose pressure that Workforce Development’s director was putting on judges to favor employers over workers in rulings on unemployment benefits. Hendricksmeyer also spoke out but had already retired.

Ackerman’s union is challenging her termination, and she’s filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the state.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Cass County Board of Supervisors will hold a Public Hearing Wednesday morning, in Atlantic, with regard to a change in zoning classification. The change affects parcels of land in sections 29, 31 & 32 of Pymosa Township, and section 6 of Grove Township, and pertains to a rezoning of the area from Agricultural to Light Industrial, for the Fagen Farms/Elite Octane ethanol plant project.  The hearing begins at 8:30-a.m., and will be followed by action on approving the zoning change.

The Supervisors will also act on allowing or disallowing family farm credits and to approve Ag land credits, in accordance with Iowa Code.

Police in Creston report the arrest Friday evening, of 37-year old Lela Ann Churchwell, of Creston. Churchwell was taken into custody at a residence in the 300 block of N. Pine Street, on a Union County Warrant. She was later released after posting $1,000 bond.

Creston Police said also, a resident in the 500 block of W. Buckeye Street reported last Wednesday night, that her purse containing her wallet, ID cards, medicines and other items, was taken from her car while it was parked in her driveway.  The estimated value of the stolen property is approximately $22.  It’s not clear when the theft occurred.  And, late Friday morning, a resident of the 1000 block of Cottonwood Street, in Creston, told authorities money was taken from his room while he was in residence. The loss was estimated at $143, and again, it’s not clear when the incident took place.

The area’s top news at 7:05-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Officials in Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa, are taking different approaches toward handling an expected infestation of an ash tree-killing insect. The Omaha World-Herald reports Omaha plans to treat up to 5,000 of its 11,000 ash trees and to remove the rest.

In Council Bluffs, officials plant to treat most of the 1,260 ash trees on city property, then evaluate the situation in 10 years. Crews removed 30 unhealthy trees last year and treated 200 trees. Workers will treat about 1,000 trees this spring.

At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, workers will treat about 10 percent of the 368 ash trees on campus. Officials must take action because of the emerald ash borer. Since being found in 2002 in Michigan, the insect has killed millions of trees across the country.