The Shelby County Supervisors have approved a proposal to move the Shelby County courthouse computer services to the Emergency Communication Center. In a regular this (Tuesday) morning, Shelby County Auditor Marsha Carter said the move has been planned for the last several years.

“We’ve talked about how we did phase 1 with racks set up in preparation of moving our servers over there so this is nothing new. We have been putting money aside, at least 3 years to do the project. I finally talked to them and said let’s get this done. We talked about it at budget time. It is something that needs to be done. We need upgrades to our servers so in the process we will upgrade everything we can so we have everything where it should be when the move is complete.”

The Supervisors have been saving $50,000 per year for the last three years for the project. The current courthouse equipment is stationed in the basement of the courthouse which Carter said has the potential to be a problem. “We’ve been looking for a bunker type place. If there was a tornado and knocked the building down, right now they are not in a weather proof or secure place. We’ve had seminars on it and we need to be prepared.”

Carter went on to say that the equipment would be in jeopardy if a water main or large rainstorm came in as the equipment is on the floor. The cost of the project will be over $200,000 with the purchase of new equipment. A representative from Heartland Technologies was at the meeting and stated there will not be a lot of down time during the move as the company will work at off hours and overnight. The completion date is tentatively set for June 30^th.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest last Friday of a Malvern man wanted on a warrant for Sexual Abuse in the 3rd degree. 26-year old Jeffrey Scott Greene was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, where he was being held on $10,000 bond. That same day, 42-year old Hope Rae Blevins, of Avoca, was arrested at the Lancaster County, NE., jail on a warrant for a Probation Violation. Her bond was also set at $10,000.

And on Sunday, 19-year old Joshua Udo Lambert, of Glenwood, was arrested in Mills County on a charge of Criminal Mischief in the 4th degree. His bond was set at $1,000.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County report also, a man from Council Bluffs was transported to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs, following an accident Monday morning on 195th Street at the intersection with Eastman Road. Tristan Nolan, of Council Bluffs, was driving a 2006 Jeep west on Eastman Road and approaching the intersection when he failed to stop at the stop sign. A northbound semi driven by Robert Mattox, Sr., of LaVista, NE swerved to miss the Jeep, but the SUV struck the semi and left the road before hitting a utility pole and coming to rest in a ditch. The semi came to a stop on the roadway.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says a chase that began with a reported break-in at a rural Hastings residence Sunday night, ended early Monday morning with the suspect taken into custody on numerous charges, including attempted murder. Sheriff Eugene Goos said Tuesday, 33-year old Myron Lee Brandon, of Pacific Junction was located by an Iowa State Patrol aircraft at around 12:10-a.m., Monday. The man had been hiding in a brushy area about 50-yards from an abandoned pickup truck he allegedly used to ram twice a law enforcement vehicle. Brandon was charged with Felony Eluding, Attempted Murder, Criminal Mischief and 3rd Degree Burglary. He was being held in the Mills County Jail with additional charges pending.

The incident began at around 8:52-p.m., Sunday, when Mills County Dispatch received a 911 call with regard to the break-in of a rural residence. The home’s owner was following a black Ford F-150 pickup believed to be used by the suspect in the burglary. A Sheriff’s Deputy observed the vehicle near the intersection of Lambert Avenue and 380th Street, and engaged in a pursuit.

During the chase, the suspect’s vehicle entered a farm field located north of Lambert Avenue on 325th Street. At about 10:24-p.m. the pickup rammed the deputy’s SUV, disabling it. After the deputy exited his vehicle, the pickup intentionally hit the rear of the SUV where the deputy was standing. In fear for his life, the deputy fired 5 shots into the pickup, which continued on and hit a grain auger and barn before leaving the property.

After the pickup was found abandoned along the north side of the railroad tracks, a ground search for the suspect involving deputies with the Mills, Montgomery, Cass and Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Offices as well as officers with the Glenwood Tabor and Red Oak Police Departments, was conducted. Brandon was taken into custody without incident. No law enforcement personnel were injured during the incident.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A bill to legalize medical marijuana has been introduced in the Iowa Senate, but supporters say it will not advance this year because of a lack of bipartisan support.  Democratic Sen. Joe Bolkcom, of Iowa City, says he needs both Republicans and Democrats from the state House and Senate to support the bill. So far, he says the GOP members have shown little interest in publicly endorsing the legislation.

Under the measure, patients with certain medical conditions could obtain medical marijuana if they got a prescription from a physician and receive authorization from the state. Parents of children with epilepsy spoke in favor of the bill at a news conference Tuesday, saying that in other states children with similar conditions had found relief taking marijuana in an oil form.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Legislation to boost Iowa’s minimum wage has earned preliminary approval in the state Senate. A bill that would gradually increase the minimum wage in the state to $10.10 an hour won backing in a Senate subcommittee Tuesday. But supporters in the Democratic-majority Senate said there is no Republican interest in the effort. That means the bill may have a tough time advancing in the GOP-controlled House.

Currently, the minimum wage in Iowa is $7.25 an hour. Supporters of the bill argued it would help low-income families and would reduce dependence on public benefit programs. Business groups opposing the bill said it could mean that employers would fire workers or reduce their hours.

Democratic Sen. William Dotzler, of Waterloo, said he’d be open to amending the bill to win Republican support.

Police in Harlan report the arrest on Monday of 18-year old William Stanton, of Harlan. Stanton was taken into custody after officers responded to a report a possible overdose. He was brought to Myrtue Medical Center and, after being medically cleared, was transported to the Shelby County Jail on charges of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs.

The H-PD reports also, 48-year old Rosemary Yoder, of Harlan, was arrested Sunday, after officers responded to a reported domestic disturbance. Following an investigation, Yoder was brought to the Shelby County jail and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault.

Members of the Elk Horn-Kimballton School Board met Monday evening in Elk Horn. Superintendent Dean Schnoes said they voted to approve a contract with Jessica Larsen for the Junior High Track. Schnoes said the Board discussed but took no action on the 2014-2015 School Year with regard to whether to base the amount of education on 1,080 hours or the traditional 180 days.

He said they’re leaning toward 1,080 hours because it gives the district more lee-way when it comes to severe weather situations, and because that’s the way most districts in the area of leaning toward implementing their calendars. He says both the Exira and EHK Boards are in favor of the hourly schedule. The new “Super Board” will take a look at the proposal and finalize it a later meeting.

Schnoes said also they’re working on negotiations with teachers for the upcoming school year. And, in his report to the Board, Schnoes discussed the “Rural School Advocates of Iowa,” who lobbies for its member schools in the legislature. He said a similar effort was attempted several years ago, to make sure legislators in the State were aware rural schools “Are still a lot of your backbone for what goes on in the State of Iowa,” and that “Those people are going to be important as education moves along in the years to come.”

RSAI works to ensure students in rural schools receive a “Fair, equal and quality education.” Dues for the organization run $1,000 and serves to lobby legislators on behalf of rural schools to securing adequate resources, both academic and financial, in order for the quality of education to be sustained, and for maintaining local control through the flexibility and authority of locally elected school boards.

The CAM School Board met Monday evening in Anita, and set April 14^th at 6:30-p.m. as the date and time for a public hearing on the Early Start date for the 2014-2015 School Year. Board Secretary/Business Manager Linda Edwards said the Board will also hold a hearing and discuss the 2014-2015 budget during the same meeting.

Edwards said the Board also approved renewal of a contract with Richard Strittmatter as the Driver’s Education Instructor, along with a Five-dollar increase in the  fee he’s paid, which brings his fee to $200 for the Summer. The driver’s education fee for students remains unchanged from last year, at $250 per student, or $195 for those in the Free and Reduced Program.

In other business, CAM School Board approved a 2015 student trip (for Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors) to Washington, D.C. The next step is for sponsors to gather information and prices from a tour company. If the price is affordable, that may include a side trip to New York City. And, the Board approved the retirement of Middle School English Teacher Jan Waddell and North Elementary teacher Gabe Baughman.

w/ Ric Hanson

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