The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Thursday), approved a 28-E agreement for Cooperative Law Enforcement services with the Cities of Anita and Griswold. The agreement means a Deputy from Cass County will provide coverage to each respective community, at a cost for both cities $60,000 each. The hours each deputy will work remains the same in both communities. The Board also approved an increase in the number of deputy sheriff positions from seven to eight, in order to cover the County’s commitment in providing law enforcement protection. The Fiscal Year 2014 budget will be amended later to fund the position through June 30^th, 2014. Receipts from the cities will be used to fund the deputies’ salaries and vehicle costs.

In other business, the Board received an update from County Engineer Charles Marker, with regard to various, on-going Secondary Road and Bridge projects. Marker also addressed complaints and comments he’s received from residents in the County, with regard to why more rock isn’t being applied to the gravel roads which are in need of work following the drastic changes in the weather. He said some of the calls he’s received are from people wondering why their property tax dollars aren’t getting things done sooner.

His answer is that there are 650-miles of rock road in Cass County. Property taxes provide the department with slightly more than $1.55-million dollars. The County pays $10.60 per ton for rock at the quarry. The minimum amount applied to a given road is 300 tons per mile. Marker said he would need $2-million property tax dollars to rock all the roads in the County each year. That figure does not include snow removal, salaries for the employees, hauling and blading.

He said the County can only afford to put rock on the gravel roads once every seven-years, he acknowledged, that more needs to be done more often, but there’s not enough money. Marker said that’s why people are seeing a gradual deterioration of rock roads. It’s because they can’t put on enough rock on the roads given the funds available. He said he’s lucky to be able to rock the roads every three-years, with a minimum coating of rock.

He said his district road crew foremen are keeping an eye on the roads in their area, and are working to repair and maintain the worst roads as they become problems, as best as possible.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Thursday) voted to approve a $5,000 contribution to the City of Lewis towards its efforts to have a Freedom Rock painted. The Board voted four-to-one in favor of the contribution, with Board Chair Mark Wedemeyer voting against it. Wedemeyer proposed having the County contribute $2,500, and he wanted to see more effort made by the City of Lewis to raise funds for the project before additional funding is granted. The County’s contribution will come from the Local Option Sales Tax proceeds.

Individuals representing the City of Lewis’ Economic Development group asked for the contribution, after explaining the costs involved and what’s been accomplished so far. Ray “Bubba” Sorensen and his family from Greenfield, are traveling the State of Iowa to put paintings uniquely individual to each location, on rocks acquired by various cities. Sorensen is of course, famous for his Freedom Rock painting in northern Adair County, as well as for the many murals he has painted on buildings throughout the State.

Matt Klein said they have received a 15,000-pound boulder, which was donated for the project, and put in-place on the northeast corner of the East Park, in Lewis. Klein said the project, which will represent the entire County, will cost an estimated $8,000 altogether. He said the Board of Tourism is excited by the project, which is expected to bring visitors not only to Lewis, but other communities in Cass County as well.

Klein said the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce has already had inquires about where the rock is located, even though it hasn’t been painted yet. The City of Lewis has made a down payment to Sorensen in the amount of $1,000. A concrete pad for the rock will be poured to support the 8-foot tall, 4 ½-foot wide boulder. Klein said while the City is on a waiting list to have the rock painted, having the County’s support behind the project could bump the project up on the list, in front of other Counties who want the work done, but have yet to find a boulder.

Klein said a final design for the painting has not yet been selected by Sorensen, but he has the final say in what will best represent the County. He said Sorensen will hold a town hall meeting to gather input from the communities before he comes up with the design.

No timetable has been established for when the rock will be painted, as fund raising efforts are in the planning stages, and there are several communities on the list who are ready to have their rocks painted. Shelby, Adair, Adams and Ringgold Counties already have their rocks painted. Sorensen will be touring the State over the next few Summers, working on the commissioned projects. For more information about the locations and counties that have applied for a Freedom Rock painting, go to http://www.thefreedomrock.com/tour/.

The Atlantic Police Department says no injuries were reported following an accident Wednesday afternoon at 7th and Plum Streets. Officials say vehicles driven by Amanda Gustafson, of Elk Horn, and David Dressler, of Anita, collided at around 4:35-p.m., as both vehicles were headed west on 7th Street and approaching Plum. The accident occurred when Dressler slowed for traffic in front him after going through the stop light, and Gustafson hit him from behind. Dressler was cited for Failure to Obey a Traffic Signal. Damage from the accident amounted to $2,000.

w/ Ric Hanson

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A cold front will move across the state today, reaching central Iowa by late in the evening, and southeast of Iowa later tonight. Thunderstorms will develop along the front today with some severe weather possible late this afternoon and early evening. Cooler weather will overspread the area for the weekend with highs in the upper 60s to mid 70s. Lows will be in the 40s to mid 50s, with a few upper 30s in the north Saturday Morning.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Strong storms passing through western Iowa early this (Thursday) morning have caused damage in some locations. The National Weather Service in Des Moines says a trained spotter in Audubon reported winds gusting up to 60-miles per hour caused large tree branches to snap and fall four-miles east of the Audubon Airport, and some shingles were blown off a roof. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for parts of Audubon, Cass, Adair and Guthrie Counties, just before 6-a.m.

Police in Red Oak report the arrest of two people on separate charges, Wednesday. Officials say a little after 9-p.m., 17-year old Jacob Ryan Ballard, of Red Oak, was arrested in the 400 block of East Oak Street, on charges of Aggravated Assault and Disorderly Conduct. The teen was subsequently released to the custody of his parent.

At around 3:25-p.m., Wednesday, police in Red Oak arrested 21-year old Cody Dean Johnson, of Red Oak, on a charge of Burglary in the 3rd degree. Johnson was taken into custody near the intersection of North 2nd and Cherry Streets. His bond was set at $5,000.

Red Oak Police say they are also investigating two reports of theft. At around 7:15-p.m., a Red Oak resident reported a person or persons unknown took his black mountain bike with silver decals. The incident occurred in the 2400 block of North 8th Street. The bike was valued at $550. Earlier Wednesday evening, an Emerson woman reported to Red Oak Police someone took her son’s black I-POD with neon green colored case, from the Red Oak YMCA. The device was valued at $400. Anyone with information about either theft incident is asked to call the Red Oak Police at 712-623-6500.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

CRESTON, Iowa (AP) — A longtime manufacturing plant in southern Iowa plans to close its doors and lay off nearly 80 employees. Gits Manufacturing says it will shut down its Creston headquarters and move development staff to an Urbandale location. Mayor Warren Woods said yesterday that the company sent him a letter this week with the news. The affected positions will be cut in five stages between November and June 2014.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa City is expanding free Wi-Fi in its downtown area. The City Council approved a plan Tuesday night that will let Internet service provider South Slope Cooperative Telephone Company mount equipment atop the Iowa City Public Library that will expand the area of free wireless access.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — People with disabilities will have an easier time boating on a popular Des Moines lake thanks to new equipment installed with help from volunteers. A ceremony was held yesterday to dedicate the EZ Launch system at the docks at Gray’s Lake Park.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The name of an adult care worker in eastern Iowa will be removed from the state’s dependent adult abuse registry after the Iowa Court of Appeals concluded the state failed to prove the worker engaged in a negligent act. The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals had found Meria Burrage committed dependent adult abuse on a 95-year-old woman who had called for help. The woman complained that Burrage grabbed her arm, causing a large bruise.

The Atlantic City Council Wednesday, passed the second reading of an ordinance entitled “No Parking Zones,” on U-S Highway 6 (7th Street), in front of the Casey’s General Store/KFC Restaurant, and suspended the rules before approving the ordinance on the third and final reading. During their last meeting, the Council requested input from the store owners on whether or not trucks parking along the highway created a traffic obstruction, that the Iowa Department of Transportation had alluded to earlier.

City Administrator Doug Harris said the affected businesses confirmed the DOT’s assertion. He said the manager of the Caseys store told him trucks parking along the highway creates a problem for their patrons trying to exit the parking lot, because they block motorists’ view of the highway. The manager was supportive of the No Parking rule.

The DOT said in a letter to the City that trucks parking along the shoulder also cause damage to the area, which results in increased maintenance costs. Councilman Steve Livengood hinted the DOT may be willing to pave the shoulder, or at least put in more effort to maintain it, if it was deemed a No Parking area.

In other business, City Administrator Doug Harris announced a rough section of Highway 6 (7th Street) in Atlantic, will get a makeover next construction season, courtesy the Iowa Department of Transportation.  He said a section of the road from Olive Street east, to just east of Burger King, will receive a full reconstruction during the 2014 construction season. That means a complete replacement of the concrete, not just the shoulders or an asphalt overlay. The project is expected to cost well over $1-million.