Police in Red Oak are investigating the theft of a garden tiller. Officials received a report this (Tuesday) afternoon from Jeremiah Binns, that someone stole his red, rear tine tiller with a 196-CC Viper Engine. The machine was taken from a garden located at the corner of North 8th Street and East Nuckols Street, in Red Oak.

Binns reported also, that a tarp covering the tiller was taken. He estimated the loss at approximately $600. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Red Oak Police Department at 712-623-6500.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Tuesday), released a report on the most recent arrests. On Monday (July 29th), deputies arrested 29-year old Nickalas Dean Orstad, of Griswold, on a charge of OWI 2^nd Offense (Aggravated). Orstad was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following day on his own recognizance.

On Saturday, July 27th, 41-year old Travis William Templeton, of Griswold, was arrested on a charge of Serious Assault. Templeton was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on $1000 bond.

Arrested last Friday (July 26th) in Cass County, was 26-year old David Alan Campbell, Jr., of Oakland, and 45-year old Michael Lee Clason, of Marne. Campbell was arrested on a charge of OWI 1^st Offense. He taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on his own recognizance. Clason was arrested on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear for Child Support Hearing. He was being held in the Cass County Jail on $2000 cash bond.

On July 25th, Cass County deputies arrested 28-year old Tyanna Karee Lungren, of Atlantic, on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Failure to Appear on a ticket for Driving While Suspended, and a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Lungren was taken to the Cass County Jail where she is being held on $10,750 bond.

On July 24th, the Sheriff’s Office charged 53-year old Dennis Wayne Toepfer, of Atlantic, with Delivery of a Controlled Substance (Meth) (C Felony). Toepfer is being held at the Cass County Jail on an Atlantic Police Department Charge for Theft 3^rd Degree. His total bond for both charges is $50,000.

On July 22nd, 22-year old Scott Nathaniel Belew, of Audubon, was arrested in Cass County on a warrant for Failure to Appear to Serve Time. Belew was held at the Cass County Jail until his owed time was served.  On July 19th, 54-year old Roger Allen Ericksen, of Lewis, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Violation of Probation. Ericksen was taken to the Cass County Jail where he is being held on $10,000 bond.

And, on July 17th, 24-year old Johnny Lee Kirchner, of Atlantic, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Kirchner was taken to the Cass County Jail where he is being held on $5000 bond.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Iowa and Nebraska health officials say a prepackaged salad mix is the source of a cyclospora outbreak that sickened more than 178 people in both states. Public health officials from both states announced their findings on Tuesday. Outbreaks of the same illness have been reported elsewhere in the U.S., but it’s not clear if prepackaged salad mix is also linked to those. Cyclospora is a rare parasite that causes a lengthy gastrointestinal illness.

Nebraska officials say the salad mix came through national distribution channels. It included iceberg and romaine lettuce, along with red cabbage and carrots. Local health departments are working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to identify exactly where the contamination originated in the food production chain and where the product was distributed.

Authorities in Iowa are asking for the public’s help in locating a man wanted on several arrest warrants.

Troy Laufenberg

Troy Alan Laufenberg of Monona,is wanted for Child Endangerment (Class D Felony), Possession with Intent to Deliver (Class D Felony), Possession of a Controlled Substance (Serious Misdemeanor), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Simple Misdemeanor).

The charges are a result of the collection and analysis of evidence seized during the execution of a search warrant on July 19, 2013 at the home of Troy Laufenberg and Emily Voshell.  The pair lived at 103½ E. Center Street in Monona, Iowa.   Officers were initially called to the residence on July 15 on report of an injured child.  That child remains hospitalized.

Laufenberg’s whereabouts however are unknown at this time. If you can assist officers in locating Laufenberg, please contact DCI Special Agent Mike Krapfl, 563-599-4239. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, and Monona Police Department are investigating.

A man from Glenwood suffered injuries to his arms, but was not transported to the hospital, following a motorcycle accident Monday morning, about 2 miles southwest of Glenwood. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says Cody Weddon was traveling east on Highway 34 at around 7:25-a.m., and was slowing to make a right turn into the Mile Hill Lake parking lot, when his 2013 Honda motorcycle hit some loose gravel and went out of control, ending up on its side.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) – Faced with slumping enrollment, the University of Northern Iowa is considering discounting tuition for students from neighboring states.  UNI President William Ruud says a tuition discount program for entire states or regions could help lure more students to the Cedar Falls campus, which is projected to have an enrollment this fall of 11,800 students. That’s the school’s lowest total since 1989.

The Des Moines Register reports the Iowa Board of Regents would need to approve such a plan. UNI experienced a drop in student enrollment after a major overhaul last year to close a $5 million budget gap. That included eliminating low-enrollment academic programs, cutting faculty staff and shuttering the Malcolm Price Laboratory School, a popular teacher training hub.

Gov. Terry E. Branstad today (Tuesday) ordered all flags in Iowa be flown at half-staff from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thursday, August 1, 2013, in honor of Iowa native, retired Col. George “Bud” Day. Day’s funeral will be on Thursday, August 1st, in Shalimar, Florida and he will be buried at Barrancas National Cemetery at Pensacola Naval Air Station.

Flags will be at half-staff on the State Capitol Building and on flag displays in the Capitol Complex, and upon all public buildings, grounds, and facilities throughout the state. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.

Col. George “Bud” Day (IA Aviation Museum/photo)

Gov. Branstad said “Bud Day loved this country and its people, and we are all better off as a result of his service. Bud Day was a hero to all, a friend to many and will be an inspiration to generations in the future.” He said also “I hope all Iowans will join me in recognizing this man and his extraordinary, unique career and contributions to his country.”

While flying a combat mission over North Vietnam, Day was shot down Aug. 26, 1967, captured by the North Vietnamese Army and spent five and a half years as a prisoner of war. During his captivity in North Vietnam, Day and U.S. Sen. John McCain were cellmates at the Plantation and Hanoi Hilton prison camps. Day was released from captivity in March 1973 and retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1977.

Upon military retirement he moved to Florida, where he began a law practice that focused on advocating for veterans’ issues. Over the course of his 35-year military career, Day earned more than 70 awards for combat, including the nation’s highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in Vietnam. At the time of his death, Day was one of the nation’s most highly-decorated service members.

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman is reminding residents of the County that the deadline to file nomination papers for the September 10th, 2013 school board elections in Cass County is this Thursday, August 1^st. All offices are four year terms. (The list of school board offices can be found below)

Sunderman says also, that City Elections in Cass County will take place on November 5^th. Nomination papers for the various open offices must be filed with your City Clerk by no later than September 19^th. Nomination papers may be circulated at any time. Information on how to become a candidate for elected city office can be found on the Iowa Secretary of State’s website (http://sos.iowa.gov/elections/cities.html).

In Cass County, the following offices will appear on the ballots for the respective cities on Nov. 5^th, 2013….

In Anita: 3 At Large Council Seats (4-year terms); In Atlantic: Mayor, Council Wards 2 and 5, and the At Large seat (all 4-year terms); In Cumberland: Mayor (2-year term), and 3 At Large Council seats (4-year terms); In Griswold and Lewis: 2 At Large Council seats in each City (4-year terms); In Marne: Mayor (2-year term) & 5 At Large Council seats (2-year terms each); In Massena: Mayor (2-year term) and 2, 4-year term At Large Council seats; and in Wiota: Mayor (2-year term) & 3 At Large Council seats (4-year terms).

In Cass County, Iowa the following offices will appear on the ballots for the respective school districts on September 10, 2013:
Atlantic Community School District

Two At Large local directors, who are nominated and elected at large (Minimum of 50 signatures are needed for nomination) Incumbents: Kristy Pellett & Josh McLaren, both from Atlantic.

CAM Community School District

One North District, one South District local director and one At Large local Director: The nominees must live in the respective districts. They are nominated and elected at large (Minimum of 23 signatures for nomination).

North District Incumbent: Chuck Kinzie, of Anita. South District Incumbent: Gary Dinkla, of Massena. At Large local director Incumbent: Nick Kauffman, of Adair.

Griswold Community School District

One District 3 and one District 4 local director: Nominees must live in their respective districts. They will be nominated and elected by district (Minimum of 10 signatures for nomination, each.)
And, two At Large local directors, who will be nominated and elected at large (Minimum of 25 signatures for nomination).

Because the Griswold School Director District Plan has changed from seven local director districts to four local director districts and three directors elected at large, the incumbents of the new districts are not known.  The following four current directors’ terms will expire in 2013: Robert Peterson, of Elliott; Scott Peterson, Elliott; Steve Baier, of Griswold; Tom Moore, of Griswold.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will decide during their meeting Wednesday morning, on whether or not to suspend for 30-days, a cigarette/tobacco permit for Hansen Valley Oil. In addition, they’ll discuss and act on a grant application by Cass County Emergency Medical Services to the Iowa Department of Public Health, following a presentation by EMS representative Karen Reason.

In other business, the Board will act on renewing a contract with Cass County Mental Health/General Relief Coordinator Teresa Kanning, as a follow-up to a performance review held during their meeting last week.

Their meeting in the Supervisor’s board room at the courthouse in Atlantic, begins at 9-a.m., Wednesday.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – State Sen. Mike Gronstal says he won’t seek the Democratic nomination for governor and instead will focus on maintaining a Democratic majority in the Iowa Senate. Gronstal made his announcement Monday night in Council Bluffs and then issued a news release repeating his decision Tuesday.

Gronstal, the majority leader who has represented Council Bluffs in the Legislature since 1983, acknowledged previously he was considering running for governor. Republican Gov. Terry Branstad hasn’t announced whether he’ll seek re-election, but he’s been raising money and hiring campaign workers.

Gronstal says his decision was difficult because of what he called, “Governor Branstad’s poor leadership and lack of results.”  Cedar Rapids state Rep. Tyler Olson is seeking the Democratic nomination, and Democratic state Sen. Jack Hatch, of Des Moines, is considering a run.