The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest on Monday of 18-year old Kody Hansen, of Atlantic, and 31-year old Jesse Westover, of Oakland. Hansen was arrested for OWI/1^st offense, while Westover was arrested for Driving While Barred. Both were booked into the Cass County Jail.

And, authorities say no injuries were reported following a fender bender in the Atlantic Hy-Vee parking lot last Friday night. Officials say a vehicle driven by Sarah Scott of Lewis, was backing out of a parking stall at around 8:35-p.m., when the trailer hitch on her vehicle hit the bumper and right rear quarter panel of a legally parked car owned by Keegan Pace, of Marne. The total damage to both vehicles amounted to just over $2,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Terry Branstad wants residents in every part of Iowa to have better access to broadband internet technology.  Branstad on Tuesday announced a new effort designed to improve broadband access and adoption across the state. Branstad says enhanced access will spur economic development, through business creation and by giving rural residents the ability to telecommute.

State officials note that Iowa ranks 11th out of 12 Midwestern states in the TechNet State Broadband Index. The index ranks states looking at household broadband adoption rates, network speeds available and the number of jobs that benefit from broadband technology. Branstad has asked a committee that works on broadband access to provide him with recommendations on how to build out broadband infrastructure and also to create a long-term plan for the state.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports six people were arrested over the Labor Day weekend and early this week. 44-year old Joseph William Rauber, of Omaha, was arrested early this (Tuesday) morning on 190th Street, and charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia He was being held in the Mills County Jail on $300 bond.

On Monday, 69-year old James Esley Stotts, of Glenwood, was arrested for OWI/1st Offense. His bond was set at $1,000, and, 33-year old Steven Stanley Bowser, of Bellevue, NE, was arrested and held without bond, on a charge of Domestic Assault.

On Sunday, 23-year old Christopher Wayne Sherrod, of Avoca, was arrested for Driving While Revoked. His bond was set at $1,000. Last Saturday, 21-year old Mackenzie Mae Steinman, of Glenwood, was arrested in Mills County on a charge of Public Intoxication. Her bond was set at $300. And, on Friday, 28-year old Brenton Charles Gordon, of Omaha, was arrested for Violation of Probation. He was being held in the Mills County Jail on $10,000 bond.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest Monday afternoon of 41-year old Ruben Basurto, Jr., of El Paso, TX.   Basurto, Jr. was taken into custody just before 5-p.m. on a charge of domestic abuse, after authorities were notified of an incident which had allegedly taken place in eastern Page County on Sept. 1st.

Basurto, Jr. was booked into the Page County Jail and held without bond under being seen by a magistrate. The incident remains under investigation.

An ethanol company has been ordered to cease construction of an ethanol truck-to-railcar transfer (or “transloading) station in Atlantic, because it did so without the City’s permission.

Outline of plans for a truck-to-railcar “Transloading station” in Atlantic.

City Administrator Doug Harris told KJAN News he found out about the matter on about August 23rd, when the City learned Poet Bio-Refining, LLC, began construction on what appeared to be some underground storage pits across the railroad tracks to the north of the Rock Island Depot. Harris said the issue was brought to his attention because the company had not asked for nor received a building or construction permit. He asked Zoning Administrator John Lund to issue a “Stop work order.”

Harris said City Attorney Dave Wiederstein has been in contact with the company, and a meeting has been set-up for this Thursday morning between the City, and the attorneys for both the company and the City, to try and find out what happened, and what options are available, but the City may not have any say in the matter, because of Federal case law. Harris says it’s important to know what they City can do about numerous trucks filled with ethanol coming to transfer their loads into Iowa Interstate Railroad tanker cars. He says “Obviously we have some public safety concerns, and also potentially the impact on our roads with that many tanker trucks going through.” He says they’re trying to get a better handle on what’s taking place, and what authority the City has, if any.

He says the City wants to protect the safety of its citizens and prevent the roads from being beaten up. Commerce Street would be heavily impacted. Harris says the company apparently plans to truck ethanol from its production facility to Atlantic, because of its potential tax credits. He says there may be some financial advantage for them to ship the fuel here, but what is being built and how it will be accessed is unclear, and raises a lot of questions.

Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees said he first learned of the plans for a transloading station nearly a year ago, when he received an e-mail from officials with Poet Ethanol Products in Wichita, KS. McNees said Poet plans to truck ethanol from its plant in Coon Rapids, and possibly Corning, to Atlantic. An e-mail from Rail Portfolio Manager Christian McIlvain said as many as eight railcars at any given time will be loaded at the transloading station, each of which will be equipped with track spill pans to serve as a spill containment. The company intends to transload fuel from tanker trucks into as many as 25 railcars, weekly. Physical movement of the cars will be handled by crews with Iowa Interstate Railroad.

McNees said he’s satisfied the company will have the proper safety precautions in-place when the stations are built. He said he’s more concerned about the tanker trucks getting into an accident in or near town. Doug Harris at least for now, it appears the City may be unable to stop whatever plans Poet has for their Atlantic facility. Those plans may also include the grading and placement of gravel on the City’s right of way off of Commerce Street south on Chestnut, toward the tracks.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office is asking for your help in locating a pickup truck stolen sometime late Monday night or early this (Tuesday) morning. Authorities say David Mellencamp of rural Clarinda, reported his grey 1993 Chevy 2500 pickup with Iowa license plate #785 ZBL was stolen from a farm residence at 2345 R Avenue. The theft occurred sometime between 8:30-p.m. Monday and 7-a.m. today (Tuesday). The keys were in the pickup.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 712-542-5193.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors are scheduled to hold their regular weekly meeting Wednesday morning at the courthouse, in Greenfield. On the agenda for their 9-a.m. meeting, is a report at 9:15 by Auditor Mindy Schaefer. Shaefer is scheduled to discuss: the Fiscal year 2013 report; Computer bids; the credit card policy, and abatement of taxes, along with related resolutions.

At approximately 9:30, the Board will hear from County Engineer Nick Kaufmann, with regard to: the signing of a Rolling Hills Wind Farm release form with Mid American Energy; the signing of a contract with Blacktop Service Co., for bridge approach work on County Road G-61, and the signing of a contract with Stabilt for work on South Townline Road and G-27.

w/ Ric Hanson

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w/ Ric Hanson

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