One person was transported to a hospital in Des Moines Wednesday, following a single-vehicle accident on Interstate 80 in Adair County. According to the Iowa State Patrol, 35-year old Benjamin Mark Newton, of St. Paul, MN, was taken by Stuart Rescue to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, after the 2000 Chevy Blazer he was driving left westbound I-80 near the Greenfield Exit and entered the north ditch, spun around and came to rest facing east, in the ditch. The accident happened at around 9:30-p.m.

A fire at an apartment complex in Harlan Wednesday night gutted the building and left about a dozen people homeless, but no major injuries were reported. One person did however, suffer from smoke inhalation. The blaze at 707 Durant Street, broke out just after 6-p.m.

Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen told our sister-station KNOD in Harlan, that seven area fire departments were called to help control the flames, including Atlantic (which sent its aerial unit and six firefighters), Avoca, Defiance, Earling, Elk Horn, Kirkman and Westphalia. Bissen said the fire began on the east side of the 1st floor, and quickly spread to the rest of the house. The main reason the fire spread so quickly he said, was because of the age of the building. “This old of a structure you deal with a balloon type structure so there isn’t a break in between floors.” The building, which is located very near the Harlan City Hall, is 102-years old.

Bissen said he thinks there were about 5 tenants inside at the time. , Authorities said the dozen occupants in the apartment building were temporarily relocated to the Settle Inn in Harlan. Volunteers with the American Red Cross provided food, clothing and additional shelter, as needed.

Monetary donations and clothing items can be delivered to: Terry Irwin at 608 Dodge Street in Harlan; West Central Community Action on the east side of the square in downtown Harlan; or, the Town and Country Credit Union 1414 Chatburn Avenue in Harlan.

(All photo’s are courtesy the Harlan Newspapers)

Harlan Apartment Fire Video 11-28-2012

(Video Courtesy Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees)

The Page County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday, that charges are pending against a Clarinda man, as an investigation in underway into the neglect of cattle in rural Page County. Sheriff Lyle Palmer says the investigation, which remains ongoing, began Saturday, following a report of animal neglect at 2773 X Avenue. During the course of the investigation over a period of several days, authorities consulted a veterinarian, who determined 17 cows, 1 bull and 15 calves, which were located on property owned by Kiel Martin Brittain, of Clarinda,  were severely malnourished.

The animals were seized. Additional information will be released by authorities when charges are filed.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday, that an Essex man wanted on a warrant out of Adair County, was arrested Tuesday at the Pierce Creek Campground. Officials say 36-year old Daniel Elmer Bright was wanted for Failure To Appear on a traffic charge. Bright was brought to the Page County Jail and was unable to post a $2,000 cash bond. He was held in the jail until deputies from Adair County could arrange for him to be transported to the jail in  Greenfield.

A public hearing will take place Friday afternoon in Atlantic, with regard to the approval of a “Contract for Private Development” agreement between Cass County and Fagen (Fay’gen) Farms, for their acquisition of property in the County, for the purpose of securing a developer to construct a second generation bio-fuels facility, renewable energy facility, or agricultural related facility on the site. The hearing takes place at 1:30-p.m., during a meeting of the Cass County Board of Supervisors, and will be followed by a vote on the matter a little bit later on during the afternoon session.

In other business, the Board is expected to discuss the Amendment of a Zoning Ordinance with regard to Permitted Uses within Districts, such as Light and Heavy Industrial , and an Amendment of the Division/Subdivision Zoning Ordinance.  They will also act on remove certain parcels from Amaizing Energy ‘Urban Renewal Area/TIF district’, and they discuss, as well as possibly take action on, the re-location of the Cass County 911 Center from the center of the jail to the third floor of the Cass County Courthouse.

If approved, the 911 Center would move into space currently occupied by the Cass County 911 Director and Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator. The move would result in the assignment of the former Cass County Conservation Board offices to the Cass County Public Safety Commission and Cass County Emergency Management Agency for use as administrative offices and the assignment of the two small offices currently used by Juvenile Probation and the Cass County Engineers Office, for renovation into one room, to be used as an equipment and server room for the Cass County 911 Center.

The Supervisors are also expected to vote on pooling funds with regard to the County’s role in the State’s Mental Health Regionalization process. They may also discuss an update of the Cass County Division/Subdivision Ordinance.

An SUV stalled on railroad tracks in Crawford County Tuesday night, was struck by a train, but no one was injured. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the 1998 Ford Explorer, driven by 57-year old Lonny Lee Kolln, of Dow City, was left on the railroad tracks after it stalled out. An eastbound Union Pacfic train hit the SUV broadside at around 10:35-p.m. Tuesday, but Kolln was able to jump to safety prior to the impact.

No injuries were reported after a semi hauling a load of lime rolled over this (Wednesday) morning, just west of Atlantic. According to reports, the rig was traveling west on the Marne Road (Highway 83), when it went out of control on the curve just east of Highway 173, and rolled onto its side. The driver of the semi was transported by a private vehicle to the Cass County Memorial Hospital to be checked for possible injuries.

Atlantic Fire and Rescue, Atlantic Police, deputies with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa State Patrol Troopers assisted at the scene of the crash, which was reported a little after 10-a.m.  Additional details are currently not available.

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad will visit a business in Atlantic Friday afternoon. His noon stop at Plastic Professionals at 1501 Owner Avenue marks the completion of his 99 county Iowa tour that began January 4th in Des Moines. Afterward, Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds, will hold the Annual Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the West Terrace of the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines. On Saturday, the Governor will address the 125th Anniversary of the Iowa Veterans Home Celebration at the Veterans Home in Marshalltown.

A former Council Bluffs/Lewis Central High School Spanish teacher received a 5-year suspended prison sentence and was ordered undergo a sex offender treatment program at a residential treatment center. According to Omaha television station KETV, 30-year old Daniel Pantoja was also ordered to serve a two-year term of unsupervised probation, for sending inappropriate text messages to a female student.

A female student told authorities that Pantoja sent her a picture of a nude man whose genitals were covered. She says he also asked the girl to send him a picture of her wearing shorts and a sports bra.  Pantoja resigned from his teaching job when confronted with the evidence. Authorities said the student eventually agreed to send Pantoja a photo of herself in exchange for a better grade in the class.

Pantoja turned himself in to authorities in February.