An incident at a group home in Red Oak Tuesday evening has resulted in a Red Oak woman being charged with arson. According to Red Oak Police Lt. John Bruce, officers were called to the Nishna Productions Home located in the 100 block of East Oak Street at around 5:35-p.m., Tuesday, after receiving a report a resident was setting items on fire in her room.

Officers located several burned pieces of paper and noted there was a mild smoke condition within the residents’ room. 18-year old Melody Marie Bentley, of Red Oak, was taken into custody without incident and charged with Arson in the 1st degree. She was transported to Montgomery County Corrections and held on $25,000 bond.

The Iowa Transportation Commission has approved more than $1.6 million in funding to support eight public transit projects, including one in Atlantic. The projects are funded under the state Public Transit Infrastructure Grant Fund. Eight projects were approved by the Commission, which will permit construction/improvement of facilities at five systems in Fort Dodge, Quad Cities, Atlantic, Sioux City and Des Moines. In Atlantic a $162, 240 grant will be used to construct a wash bay addition for the Region 13 transportation system.

The Public Transit Infrastructure Grant Fund provides state funding assistance to Iowa’s public transit systems for new or improved facilities to support their public transit services. State participation is limited to 80 percent and the balance must be matched from local sources.The Iowa General Assembly appropriates funding to this program on an annual basis.

Public transit service is available in all 99 counties. It provides more than 27 million rides a year getting Iowans where they need to go. Visit www.iowadot.gov/transitfor more information on Iowa’s public transit systems, and stay connected with Iowa Public Transit on Facebook

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office say three people have been arrested on drug-related charges. On Monday, 32-year old Kale Garrett Hardman, of Malvern, was arrested at the Mills County Courthouse on a warrant for Failure to Appear on a Possession of Drug Paraphernalia charge. His bond was set at $300. And, on Friday, 60-year old Teresa Ann Dillard was arrested on warrants for Theft in the 2nd degree, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Her bond was set at $6,000. That same day, 45-year old Tammy Lynn Haddock, of Plattsmouth, NE, was arrested on Possession of a Controlled Substance & Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, charges. Her bond was set at $1,000.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports also, the arrest on Friday of 27-year old Jacob Dale Bussing, of Council Bluffs, for Driving While Revoked. His bond was set at $1,000. 61-year old Patrick Allen Blanchard, of Pacific Junction, was arrested Friday for Theft in the 2nd Degree. Bond was set at $5,000.

On Saturday, 22-year old Linson Kell’i Sam, of Glenwood, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension and Operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent. Bond was set at $2,300. And, 22-year old Robert Raymond Long, of Omaha, was arrested for Public Intoxication. His bond was set at $300.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday morning, will discuss and possibly act on funding for a Geographic Information System  (GIS) position, and the hiring of a full-time GIS person. Cass County Assessor Brenda Nelson says she has received permission from the County Conference Board to hire an individual for the position, and has money in her current budget to pay for a GIS person. Nelson suggests other departments might be willing to chip-in and help pay for the position in subsequent years, as GIS is used in at least two other departments within the courthouse.

In other business, the Board will act on approving plans for a proposed improvement of the Secondary Road System Project for a reinforced box culvert on Boston Road over small creek. And, if ready, the Supervisors will discuss and approve entry into a 28-E agreement for Mental Health Regionalization.

Their meeting begins at 9-a.m., Wednesday.

Sheriff’s officials in Page County say no one was injured following a rollover accident Monday evening, near Clarinda. Authorities say 17-year old Kaleb Kuonen, of Maryville, MO, was driving a 2001 Ford pickup eastbound on 196th Street at around 5:20-p.m., when the vehicle slid off the road and into the ditch just before the curve to S Avenue. The pickup rolled onto its right side and onto the roof before coming to rest on the driver’s side.

Kuonen, and his passengers: 15-year old Shawn Beason, 16-year old Rodney Baldwin, and 18-year old Caleb Ennen, all of Clarinda, were wearing their seat belts and were not hurt. The truck sustained $5,000 damage during the crash. Kuonen was subsequently cited for Failure to Maintain control.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Tuesday) released information concerning recent arrests. Officials say 28-year old Jill Nichole Hanselman, of Boone, was arrested Saturday, on a charge of OWI 1^st Offense. Hanselman was taken to the Cass County Jail where she was released later that day on her own recognizance.

Last Friday, deputies arrested 38-year old Courtney Derrel Bennett, of Omaha, on a Cass County warrant for Robbery in the 1^st Degree. The warrant was issued in connection with the August 8^th armed robbery of the America’s Best Value Inn in Cass County. Bennett was being held at the Cass County Jail on $50,000 bond.

On Wednesday, August 7th, Cass County authorities arrested 47-year old Keli Sue Juhl, of Atlantic, after she turned herself at the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. Juhl had been wanted on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Simple Assault. She was released the same day on $300 bond. That same day, 26-year old Ashley Renee Dewitt, of Casey, was arrested on an Anita Police Department warrant for one count of Aiding & Abetting a Felony, one count of Aiding & Abetting an Aggravated Misdemeanor, and one count of Aiding & Abetting a Simple Misdemeanor. Dewitt was taken to the Cass County Jail where she was released the following day on $5000 bond.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office has released more information about an accident that took place Sunday night on White Pole Road (Highway 6), north of Lewis. Officials say a 1998 Chevy Blazer owned and driven by 20-year old Dillion Ray Sharp, of Atlantic, was eastbound on White Pole Road Sharp swerved to avoid a deer, causing the SUV to enter the north ditch, where it rolled over. Sharp, and three passengers in the vehicle: 15-year old Tyler Lee Sopcich,  of Atlantic; 19-year old Kayla Marie Case,  of Oakland,  and 17-year old Jamie Greubel,  were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital by Griswold Rescue.  Sopcich was later transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, by Mercy 3 Helicopter. Damage to Sharp’s vehicle is estimated at $4000. Officials say Sharp was cited with Failure to Maintain Control.

Officials in Harrison County report a Pottawattamie County man was flown by Life Net helicopter to a hospital in Omaha,  following a motorcycle accident late Saturday afternoon. Authorities say 34-year old Shawn Beu, of Council Bluffs, was traveling west on 335th Street on a 2010 Harley Davidson motorcycle, when he approached a right curve in the roadway near the intersection with Norwood Avenue and Norwich Road.

Beu took evasive action prior to entering the curve and lost the control. The bike left a skid mark in the center of the road on 335th Street and came to rest on the roadway along with the driver. The accident happened around 5:40-pm Saturday.

The Harrison County Sheriffs say Beu was transported to Creighton Medical Center by Lifenet for possible injuries. The motorcycle sustained $500 damage. No citations were issued.

The state’s largest general farm organization, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), today (Tuesday), launched the ANF Great Grocery Giveaway in partnership with the University of Iowa Athletics Department and Hy-Vee. The grocery sweepstakes invites Iowans to meet today’s farmers through video tours of their farms and register for a chance to win free groceries for a year worth $5,000.

Iowans can register for a chance to win by visiting www.americaneedsfarmers.org and taking virtual farm tours; each video they watch earns an entry in the ANF Great Grocery Giveaway while giving them an up close and personal look at five Iowa farm families.  Website visitors can register with each of the five farmers each day of the sweepstakes, which kicked off today, Farm Bureau Day at the Iowa State Fair, and runs until noon October 31st, 2013. The web-based farm video tours feature five diverse Iowa family farmers who grow corn or soybeans and raise pigs, beef or dairy cows.

David Rydberg, a cattle rancher from Essex, is one of the featured farmers in the ANF Great Grocery Giveaway. He says “We’re excited to be a part of this because as a family farmer, I believe in the value of transparency and education; most people who enjoy beef today don’t live on a farm, but they want to know how we farm, how we raise our animals and how we keep them safe and healthy.”

Following the sweepstakes, one lucky winner will be chosen at random for $5,000 in free groceries from their local Hy-Vee.