Saying “It’s time for the courts to take animal abuse seriously,” animal welfare advocates have written a letter to the Cass County Attorney, asking him to prosecute to the full extent of the law, a Marne man charged in the shooting of a dog that strayed onto his property last year. Lin Sorenson and Becky Fetters of the Des Moines based St. Francis Foundation for Pets have requested that Cass County Attorney Dan Feistner recommend to the judge that he enforce the law and sentence 56-year old Charles Collins Cutler to a minimum of 30 days in jail, and for him to pay $6,250 in fines , along with restitution to the pet’s owner.

Cutler faces an Aggravated Serious Misdemeanor charge of Animal Abuse, and a Serious Misdemeanor charge of a Reckless Use of a Firearm, in connection with the shooting of a dog which strayed onto his property on December 24^th, 2012. Cutler pleaded not guilty to both charges. His trial, which was to have been held last month, was instead continued until April 16th, and will be held in Cass County District Court. Cutler’s request for a change of venue, was denied.

According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began when a dog owned by 23-year old Stacy Ernat from Denver, CO, was shot when it strayed onto Cutler’s property. Ernat told authorities her chocolate Labrador “Wrigley,” was playing with a relative’s dog in the church lot adjacent to Cutler’s residence, when the dog ran onto his property and was wounded by a shotgun blast fired from a distance of 30-to 40-feet. The dog was treated, but succumbed to injuries, at the Atlantic Animal Health Center.

The animal welfare group says “It is time for the prosecuting attorney and the judge to demonstrate how serious the courts take animal abuse and to let other animal abusers know that this behavior has severe consequences.” 

With the weather changing from winter to spring, the Iowa Department of Transportation says it’s gearing-up for the road construction season.  The DOT says it’s poised to tackle construction work in every corner of the state. Depending on the remaining outcomes of bid lettings through June, officials say the Iowa DOT will have let out to bid approximately $600 million in Primary Highway System construction work during the 2013 calendar year. Iowa’s counties and cities will also be setting up work zones in many areas in an effort to improve Iowa’s transportation system.

In the KJAN listening area, there are numerous projects that will be getting underway. They include…

Interstate 29 in Pottawattamie County…

• Where I-29/I-80 from the Missouri River bridge in Council Bluffs,  eastward  approximately 3 miles, to the Lake Manawa/South Expressway interchange will undergo grading, paving and bridge construction work. Through traffic will be maintained. Single lane closures may occur during off-peak hours.

• I-29 from north of Council Bluffs to the Missouri Valley (U.S. 30) interchange will be resurfaced at several locations. Through traffic will be maintained in a single lane.

• I-29 will be reconstructed from south of Council Bluffs to the Mills County line. One direction of travel will be constructed at a time, with traffic maintained in a two-way, two-lane operation.

Interstate 80 in Cass County…

• The eastbound I-80 bridge over Indian Creek at milepost 50 (west of the Marne interchange) will be replaced. Traffic will be maintained in a two-lane, two-way operation in the westbound lanes.

Interstate 80 in Adair County…

• The eastbound I-80 bridge over Middle River at milepost 85 (west of the Greenfield interchange) will be replaced. Traffic will be maintained in a two-lane, two-way operation in the westbound lanes.

The Atlantic City Council Wednesday night tabled a motion to enter into a closed session after the legality of the session was questioned, and a group of citizens spoke out on the matter. At issue, was the perceived notion the closed session would be with regard to City Administrator Doug Harris. Harris came under fire during a council meeting held March 20th, during which local developer Don Sonntag claimed Harris intentionally worked behind the scenes to derail a housing development project.

Sonntag had sought the Council’s approval of an application for $250,000 in Tax Increment Financing funds from the City, which he said would have helped to bankroll a $2.1-million housing development on the City’s southern edge, but he pulled his application at the March 20th meeting. During tonight’s (April 3rd) City Council  meeting, prior to the public forum, Mayor Dave Jones said an editorial in the local paper that the closed session would be with regard to Harris’ future with the City, was only speculation, and “not quite right.”

When asked whether the person who was the perceived target of the closed session had asked for the session, as required under the Iowa Open Meetings Law, Mayor Jones said the individual had not done so. City Attorney Dave Weidersteen then recommended the closed session be tabled. That was because a member of the media in attendance at the meeting provided Weidersteen with a copy of the Law, which specifically states an employee whose performance is being discussed must request a closed session.

Councilman Dana Halder was not happy with the fact the closed session was tabled because of media and public speculation on the intent of the session. He said “It’s funny that everybody knows what this is supposed to be about. I’m the City Councilman, and I don’t.” Assuming the closed session would have been about Doug Harris, a number of members of the community spoke during a public forum, in support of Harris, including business owner and Atlantic resident Barb Jorgensen, who said Harris has been a watchdog for the taxpayers of the City, and the Council should not be out to get him. Councilman Halder said “I don’t think anybody has implied or said that Doug Harris’ job is in jeopardy.” Jorgensen said “It very much shouldn’t be,” because “he’s doing a bang-up job.” Halder agreed.

Mayor Jones indicated the council would hold a closed session at its next regular meeting in two weeks to address any issues it may have, with Harris.

The Adams County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) reports a free screening of the movie “Dirt!” will be held in May, in Corning. The movie, which was inspired by William Bryant Logan’s acclaimed book Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, “Dirt!,” The Movie, takes a humorous and substantial look into the history and current state of the living organic matter that we come from and will later return to. It takes place at 7:30-p.m. May 3rd, in the Corning Opera House (800 Davis Ave, Corning, IA).

According to SWCD Technician Blake Anderson, the movie will be held in celebration of Soil & Water Conservation Week, and is hosted by the Adams County Soil and Water Conservation District along with the Adams County Rural Development Committee, Conservation Districts of Iowa, and the Southern Iowa Forage and Livestock Committee.

Concessions will be available.  If you need accommodation, please contact Blake Anderson, by calling 641-322-3116.

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Creston Construction Office report bridge construction work on eastbound Interstate 80 over Indian Creek, between Pottawattamie County Road M-47 (exit 46) and Cass County Road M-56 (exit 51), 2 miles east of Walnut, will begin Monday, April 8th, weather permitting.

During the project traffic will be operating in a two-lane, two-way traffic pattern in the westbound lanes of I-80 in order to get over the bridge. The open lanes will have a 16-foot width lane restriction in place. The project is expected to be completed by late July.

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles and wear seat belts.

Police in Atlantic report a Walnut man was arrested on a theft charge, Tuesday. 39-year old Donald Hanna was charged with 4th degree Theft (shoplifting). Hanna was brought to the Cass County Jail and held pending an appearance before the magistrate.

Nearly three dozen children are abused every day in Iowa and the month of April is set aside to raise awareness about the problem. Sara Welch, spokesperson for Prevent Child Abuse Iowa, says many communities will be taking part in activities to highlight what residents can do to support prevention efforts. “Throughout the state you’ll see people planting pinwheel gardens, you’ll see family resource fairs, and you’ll see people just trying to engage the community in this effort,” Welch said.

The month of April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. According to the most recent data available, just over 11,700 kids were abused in Iowa in 2011. That was down slightly from 2010. The organization Prevent Child Abuse Iowa has been in existence since 1975. “We are currently in 95 counties throughout Iowa providing services such as crisis care nursery and parent support groups,” Welch said. “We’re doing parent development — where an educator is going into the home and actually working with the family and helping them connect with resources and monitor their child’s development.”

Some of the organization’s special events planned this month include a “family night” at the Science Center of Iowa in Des Moines on April 12 and $5 tickets to an Iowa Cubs game on April 29.  “For all those events, we’re going to be handing out pinwheels – which, for us, is a symbol of the happy childhood that every child deserves. We’re going to have parenting information, community resources, and we’ll just providing a lot of fun activities for families and getting the community out to show their support,” Welch said.

Here in Cass County, as we mentioned in a report last month, the Cass County Child Abuse Prevention Council will hold community “Lunch and Learn” sessions from Noon until 1-p.m., on April 11^th and 25^th, at the Atlantic Public Library. The April 11^th program will be presented by Sarah Herzberg, with Southwest Iowa Mental Health. It’s entitled “Raising children in a violent world,” and includes a free reading program, for children ages three and older. The April 25^th program “Children learn what they live,” will be presented by Billie Jo Clausen, from the Green Hills Area Education Agency.

More information about Prevent Child Abuse Iowa is available at www.pcaiowa.org or by calling 1-800-CHILDREN.

(Radio Iowa/KJAN News)

The Iowa DNR says the annual “Prairie Chicken Festival” will be held at Grand River Grasslands Bird Conservation Area, two miles west and one mile south of Kellerton, in Ringgold County, on April 6th. Viewing will begin before dawn and last until the birds diminish their courtship dancing and booming, around 9:30 a.m.

Prairie Chickens have been reintroduced to the area and each spring their courtship dances occur where their booming calls resonate across southern Iowa hills and valleys. The site provides a wildlife viewing platform, and spotting scopes and binoculars will be available.

“It is really quite a show and something that was lost to the Iowa landscape during the 1950s,” said Pat Schlarbaum, with the DNR’s Wildlife Diversity Program. Coffee and light breakfast foods will be available.

For more information, contact Ringgold County Conservation Board Director Kate Zimmerman at 641-464-2787.

Council Bluffs officials are unveiling plans for a two-week celebration this summer to debut the community’s newest attraction. Larry Foster, director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, says the massive River’s Edge Park will open on Memorial Day weekend to much fanfare — and all events are free. “We’re showing concerts and movies and soccer and sports activities and family things,” Foster says. “It’s a real facility actually for the entire Midwest.” The event is being called Loessfest, after the region’s rolling Loess Hills. The string of entertainment will kick off May 25th with a free concert by The Beach Boys. “We have a great product,” Foster says. “We have a great place. We have a great river. We have a great park. We’re going to have a great series of events to open it up.”

There will be several more concerts, sporting events and entertainment for the celebration, running from Memorial weekend through June 8th. A unique, interactive light display will debut on May 25th on the park’s five-acre Great Lawn. The permanent display, entitled Rays, is a half-million dollar installation, an eight-minute light show that repeats on the hour and half-hour. This is the first Loessfest, what’s planned to be an annual event.

(Radio Iowa)

w/ Ric Hanson

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