No injuries were reported following a rollover accident Tuesday afternoon in Cass County. The Sheriff’s Office reports a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup owned and driven by 21-year old Tyler Allan Twaddle, of Cumberland, was southbound on Hwy 148 when Twaddle lost control on the rock shoulder, over-corrected. The pickup slid into west ditch before rolling onto its side. The accident caused a small fire, which was quickly extinguished. Damage to the vehicle is estimated at $3,500.

Iowa State Executive Director for USDA Farm Service Agency, John R Whitaker today (Wednesday), announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated eleven Iowa counties as part of a Secretarial Natural Disaster Designation.  Farm operators who have suffered major production and/or physical losses caused by drought beginning July 31, 2012 and continuing may be eligible for low-interest emergency loans.

A Secretarial Natural Disaster Designation has been issued for four Iowa counties as the primary disaster area.  These primary counties are:  Lyon, Plymouth, Sioux, and Woodbury.   Seven Iowa counties are contiguous to this designated disaster area, making these producers also potentially eligible for program based on this designation.  The contiguous counties are:  Cherokee, Crawford, Ida, Monona, O’Brien, and Osceola.  Harrison County is contiguous to a primary county in Nebraska.

The Farm Service Agency may make Emergency Loans to eligible family farmers which will enable them to return to their normal operations if they sustained qualifying losses resulting from natural disaster.  Physical loss loans may be made to eligible farmers to enable them to repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property, including livestock losses, essential to the success of the farming operation.  Examples of property commonly affected include; essential farm buildings, fixtures to real estate, equipment, livestock, perennial crops, fruit and nut bearing trees, and harvested or stored crops.  For production loss loans, the disaster yield must be at least 30 percent below the normal production yield of the crop, on a crop or crops that make up a basic part of the total farming operation.

Applicant must be unable to obtain credit from other usual sources to qualify for the Farm Service Agency Farm Loan Program assistance.  The interest rate for emergency loans is 2.25%.  Each applicant applying for credit will be given equal consideration without regard to race, creed, color, marital status, or national origin.

w/ Ric Hanson

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U-S Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Tuesday, announced that 106 projects in 29 states, Guam and Puerto Rico have been selected for funding to produce renewable energy and make energy efficiency improvements. Among them, in Adair, Meadow Ridge Wind Energy, LLC is receiving a guaranteed loan of $582,000, that will be used to purchase and install a 1.5 million kW wind turbine. The turbine is expected to generate 5.77 million kWh of electricity annually, enough to meet the annual electricity requirements of more than 500 homes. And, Cumberland Rose Wind Energy, LLC will receive a $582,000 loan for a similar project. The projects are located in the Greenfield and Atlantic areas.

Funding is made available through USDA Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which is authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill.

REAP provides grants and loan guarantees for agricultural producers and rural small businesses to reduce energy consumption and costs, use renewable energy technologies in their operations and conduct feasibility studies for renewable energy projects. For a complete listing of recipients today, click here: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/SupportDocuments/rdREAPRecipientsAugust2012.pdf.

Officials with the Red Oak Police Department report one person was arrested early this (Wednesday) morning, on drug charges. 50-year-old Kelly Jo Cave, of Red Oak, was taken into custody for allegedly being in  possession of methamphetamine and marijuana. Cave was taken into custody in the 100 block of East Hammond Street in Red Oak at around 12:45 a.m.  She was being held in the Montgomery County jail on $2,000 bond.

The Atlantic School Board Tuesday, gave its blessing for Atlantic Municipal Utilities to paint the school’s logo on a water tower located off of Bryn Mawr Drive. A local, private group of individuals is raising money for the effort.

Atlantic Community School District logo

Before AMU can arrange to have the Trojan head logo painted on the tower, they wanted to have the district’s blessing. Assistant High School Principal/Activities Director Josh Rasmussen said the group leading the effort to have the logo painted on the tower, has raised about two-thirds of the funds necessary to cover the cost. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein said he was somewhat surprised when he first came to town to see the logo wasn’t on a water tower, as many communities he’s been to have taken the step to show pride in their local teams. He said he knows Atlantic is firmly behind the school, and is pleased the group of private citizens have stepped forward to show support for Trojan/Trojann sports.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A 33-year-old Arkansas man has admitted distributing crack cocaine in northwest Iowa. Federal prosecutors say Jamaron Bingham, of Osceola, Ark., was convicted Monday in federal court in Sioux City. He admitted conspiring to sell crack cocaine in the Sioux City area from November 2010 through August 2011.  Bingham told investigators that he usually drove to Arkansas every two weeks to pick up 2 to 4 ounces of crack and return to distribute it for sale. His sentencing date has not been set. Bingham faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. He has a previous conviction for selling cocaine.

Sheriff’s Officials in Montgomery County are investigating incidents of burglary and vandalism in Grant. Authorities received a report Tuesday morning about an attempted burglary at The Hayloft, in Grant. When deputies arrived, it was determined someone had tried to pry open the front door of the business, using an unknown tool. Damage to the door was estimated at $100. Less than an hour later, the Montgomery County Communications Center received a report of Criminal Mischief having occurred at a residence in the 200 block of south U Avenue in Grant. Officials say someone cut a car tire belonging to a resident in the community. The damage was estimated at $85.

Anyone with information pertaining to those incidents are encouraged to call the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, or, Crimestoppers, at 1-800-432-1001.

(Used 5-p.m. Tuesday News)

A traffic stop early this (Wednesday) morning in Grant resulted in the arrest of a man wanted on a felony warrant out of Page County for domestic abuse assault, 3rd offense. Sheriff’s Officials in Montgomery County say 36-year old Adrian Ray Latham, of Clarinda, was arrested at around 12:35-a.m. in the 600 block of 2nd Street in Grant. Latham was transported to Villisca, where he was turned over to Page County deputies without incident.

A vehicle hidden behind a farm building in rural northwest Montgomery County Tuesday, turned out to have been stolen from Nebraska. Sheriff’s officials say the vehicle was towed and Nebraska authorities notified. The incident remains under investigation.