DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Storms erupted over eastern Nebraska and western and central Iowa, Wednesday, with reports of strong winds, hail and rain. The National Weather Service says storms that developed Wednesday afternoon may have produced a funnel cloud near Howells in Colfax County. No damage or injuries were reported. In Saunders County, hail covered the ground near Morse Bluff. Hail and heavy rain were also reported in the Carroll area, including some half-dollar sized amounts just at around 2:10-p.m. Scranton had quarter-sized hail fall at around 2:40-p.m.

Elswhere in Iowa, winds of up to 70 miles per hour caused some property damage and scattered power outages in Fremont County, near Sidney, Farragut and Shenandoah, as those areas were hit by strong winds between 6:30 and 7:15-p.m. Hail and torrential rain were reported in the Des Moines area. Tree limbs were down in the metro and its suburbs, with minor hail damage to cars. Some intersections were also flooded from heavy rain.

The Chair of the Cass County Democratic party says labor officials and Democratic Party leaders will be speaking to voters who attend the Cass County Democratic Party Fundraiser on Tuesday, August 14^th at the SS Peter & Paul Parish Center in Atlantic. Sherry Toelle says  the event, billed as an evening of “food, fun and political discussion,”  will start at 5-p.m. with the program beginning at 6:30 pm. Congressman Leonard Boswell, Sue Dvorsky, Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party and Ken Sagar, President of Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO will address current political issues and policies. The event is open to the public. The admission charge is $25.

A potential problem with stray and feral cats in Atlantic has resulted in some City leaders putting out a call for volunteers and donors to become involved in a trap, neuter and release program, similar to one that’s found significant success in Walnut.

Kathy Humann, center-left, addresses the City of Atlantic Community Protection Committee.

Kathy Humann, Director of the Western Iowa Feral & Homeless Cat Program, Incorporated (Wifcap), spoke about the program in front of the City of Atlantic’s Community Protection Committee, Wednesday evening. Humann said she started to realize there was a problem with stray and feral cats in her community about five-years ago, when one showed up on her property. It wasn’t long she says, before the number of stray cats began to grow exponentially. Last Summer she says, the stray cat population was very high in Walnut, so she decided to do something about it.

She says she found out about the Trap, Neuter and Release program on-line. It’s accepted by the ASPCA, Humane Society and other such organizations, and Humann says “It’s a known solution to keep your feral cat community controlled. She says there will always be stray and feral cats in any community. The problem she says, starts with pet owners not spaying or neutering their animals.)
Humann says stray and feral cats pose a risk to the community, because they get into gardens, garbage and other areas on properties. They can spread disease and fleas, as well. She says they generally come out at night. After Humann and some helpers purchased their first trap, she says they “Hit the ground running,” and immediately captured 10 cats.

She said they realized that they couldn’t fund the program on their own, so they formed a non-profit, 501-C-3 organization in February, 2012. Now, she says they’re very active on Facebook, and on the internet in general. Donations have come in from all over the country, and the program has received grants, as well. It costs about $60 for every cat they take in, to be spayed or neutered. The service is performed at a discounted rate by a local veterinarian in Walnut. The vet also notches the cats’ left ear, so that they are recognizable. Humann says they call it the “Spa Treatment.”

The cats are vaccinated against worms and rabies so they no longer pose a risk to the community, and feeding stations are set-up for them to go to once they are released. Humann says the program wouldn’t be a success in Walnut, or potentially in Atlantic, without dedicated, passionate people, who want to work with cats. She says it doesn’t take that many people to do, but the community and City Council needs to be behind the effort, in all departments. She says that means the “shoot the cat” attitude some people have needs to be replaced with one that supports the Trap and Release program, because research shows exterminating the cats doesn’t work.)
Humann says it costs the taxpayers about $150 each time an Animal Control officer tries to capture and hold a stray cat and or euthanize them. She says it costs her organization about $25 less, and the taxpayer doesn’t foot the bill. Donors to the program help to pay those costs. Councilman Steve Livengood said it’s not the Council’s job to institute such a program, but he strongly encouraged volunteers and donors to step forward, to create a similar trap, spay and release program in Atlantic, under the guidance of Wifcap.

For more information, call Steve Livengood at 243-5445. Leave a message and your phone number if he’s not available to take your call. Other information can be found at www.wifcap.org, or on Facebook at www.facebook/wifcap2.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety say ten bridges across Iowa will be dedicated late this summer and early fall, in memory of the ten Iowa State Troopers who have died in the line of duty throughout the State Patrol’s 75 year history. Members of the public are invited to attend these bridge dedications, starting with the Oran Pape Memorial Bridge today (Aug. 9th). The ceremony honoring Pape will take place at 10-a.m., at the Iowa DOT shop, in Tipton. The bridge honoring him is located on Interstate 80 westbound, traversing the Cedar River at mile marker 265.

Other ceremonies will be held: August 22nd, in Coralville, to honor Trooper Allen Nieland and Harold DeGear; Sept. 10th, in Indianola, in honor of Trooper Mark Toney; Sept. 26th in Cedar Rapids, in memory of Trooper Charles Whitney; Sept. 27th, in Des Moines, in memory of Trooper Marvin Vanderlinden; Oct. 18th, at State Radio near Lewis, in honor of Troopers Lance Dietsch & Stan Gerling; Oct. 20th, in Red Oak, in memory of Trooper Harold Klinkefus; and, on Oct. 23rd in Denison, in honor of TrooperRalph Garthwaite.

Trooper Pilot Lance Dietsch and Trooper Stanley Gerling were killed in an airplane accident on June 30th, 1989, southwest of Atlantic. The pair had been searching for an elderly man who had wandered off, and were about to call off the search when they troopers located him in a soybean field. They began to circle the area when the plane made a sudden turn and crashed vertically into the ground. Troopers Dietsch and Gerling were the first aircraft fatalities since the addition of the Patrol Airwing in 1956. A sign in their honor will be placed near the Indian Creek Bridge on Highway Six, west of Lewis.

The loss of Iowa State Trooper Mark Toney in September, 2011, was a reminder of the daily dangers that law enforcement officers face and the importance of recognizing the sacrifice made by those killed in the line of duty. In light of this tragic event, current and past members of the Iowa State Patrol began working through lobbyist and former State Trooper John Flannery to reach out to the Iowa Legislature and the Department of Transportation and gain approval to designate a memorial bridge near the site where each Trooper had fallen. With the support of State Legislators, DOT, and County Board of Supervisors the plan was approved and ten bridges were selected to be named in honor of the Troopers.

The costs of the signs were covered by the Iowa State Troopers Association, Supervisor’s Association and the Retirees Association. More specific information about each of the ceremonies and locations of the bridge signs can be found at: http://www.dps.state.ia.us/commis/pib/Releases/2012/08-08-2012_BridgeDedicationSched.htm

One person was killed Wednesday afternoon in Jasper County, after a pickup collided with a car, which then struck a pedestrian. The Iowa State Patrol says 24-year old Steven G. Hall, of Atlantic, was driving a 2012 Dodge Ram truck westbound on Interstate 80 about two-miles east of Mitchellville, when he ran into the back of a 2002 Dodge Intrepid, driven by 29-year old Kathleen Eckert, of Newton. Following the impact, Eckert’s car hit 23-year old Adam J. Baumert, of Des Moines, who was on the road removing debris. Baumert died at the scene. The accident, which happened at around 1:05-p.m., remains under investigation.

Des Moines, IOWA — The State Fire Marshal reminds Iowans two-thirds of the state remains under a burn ban.  (A chart of the affected counties can be found at http://www.dps.state.ia.us/fm/main/burnbans/index.shtml) In the KJAN listening area, that includes Cass, Audubon, Pottawattamie, Mills, Montgomery, Madison, Carroll, Crawford, Fremont, Page and Taylor Counties. Shelby County is not included in a burn ban, but the County is under a HIGH FIRE DANGER alert.

With this in mind, State Fire Marshal Ray Reynolds is offering more information on the most common questions submitted to his office on camp fires, community fireworks shows, and issuing citations for violations of a burn ban.

Law enforcement and fire officials have issued citations throughout Iowa for violations of Iowa code 100.40.  Violating a state issued burn ban is a simple misdemeanor requiring an appearance in court.  Reynolds says they have received “Several calls from fire and police agencies asking about issuing citations to violators of the burn ban.” He says it’s his goal to warn Iowans that this is not the time to burn, so they aren’t faced with a citation.  Reynolds said however, that “We haven’t seen such lengthy burn bans or such dry conditions for some time,”  so he anticipates more citations in the coming weeks.

He offered some common sense advice during burn bans:
1) In many places, camp fires are permitted if supervised and contained in an enclosed area with brick, metal, or grate lining to prevent fires from escaping the confines of the fire pit.  Again, direct supervision is the key!  Even if you think the fire is extinguished when done, add water or sand to be sure. Be sure to check with your local fire department as some cities or counties may not permit open recreational fires during a burn ban.
2) Community fireworks are permitted with added safety precautions.  Things like wetting a hillside or establishing a fire watch with extinguishers are good preventative steps.  However, cities and fireworks blasters hold 100% of the liability for fires.
3) The fact a person wants to burn brush and has years of experience burning brush doesn’t necessitate open burning.  Very few controlled fires are necessary or required.  If a permit has been issued by the local fire chief, all fire prevention precautions should be implemented to prevent a controlled fire from becoming uncontrolled.

State Fire Inspector Dan Wood said “We are asking for people to use a little common sense when striking the match. “he adage, ‘Only you can prevent forest fires.’ holds true especially with these dangerously dry conditions, ” according to Wood.

The number of vegetation fires in the first six months of 2012 has exceeded all of the grass fires for 2010 and has nearly reached the 2011 year end total.  You can learn more about vegetative fires from Iowa’s fire reporting data.

If citizens have questions on the issuance of a burn ban in a region of the state, they can visit the State Fire Marshal Website to identify the local authority requesting the burn ban in that area.

The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest this (Wednesday) morning, of 22-year old Justin Jacobs, of Atlantic. Jacobs was taken into custody on a charge of Public Intoxication/2nd offense. He was booked into the Cass County Jail and held, pending a court appearance.

Police in Clarinda report one person was arrested following an altercation Tuesday night at an apartment complex. 37-year old Robert Jeffrey Stevens, of Clarinda, faces a misdemeanor charge of Disorderly conduct, after authorities were called to the Parkview Apartments at around 11:15-p.m. following a reported “Fight in Progress.” Stevens was brought to the Page County Jail and held on $325 bond, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

The Clarinda P.D. reports also, 71-year old Ray Emerson Hoffman, of Blanchard, was arrested Tuesday afternoon on a misdemeanor charge of 5th degree theft, after he was caught allegedly stealing an item from the Hy-Vee Food Store in Clarinda. Hoffman was detained by employees until police arrived. He was later released on a Personal Recognizance bond, pending a court appearance that was set for August 29th.

OKOBOJI, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a Colorado woman has drowned in West Okoboji Lake in northwest Iowa. The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office says officers responded to a report of a drowning a little after noon on Tuesday.  The victim has been identified as 46-year-old Jennifer Galagher, of Denver.  She’d been swimming the night before and went missing Tuesday morning. The sheriff’s office says a family member found Galagher under a dock. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday) voted unanimously to include on the ballot for the November General Election, a Public Measure that would, if approved by the voters, allow for the appointment of township officers (namely the Township Clerk and Trustees) by the Supervisors, rather than by election. A Victoria Township official asked the Board to consider placing the Measure on the ballot. Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman said Iowa Code allows the Supervisors to place the Public Measure on the ballot. The last time it came up for a vote in some of the townships, was two-years ago.

Currently, only four townships have their officers chosen by election. They include Benton, Edna, Union and Victoria. If, during the election, any of those individual townships fail to approve the measure, the procedure for electing their officers would remain unchanged. The Measure must be approved by a majority of voters in each township. 12 townships within the county have their officers selected by appointment, through the Board. A template for the Resolution approved by the Supervisors was put together by ISAC (The Iowa State Association of Counties).

The Supervisors also voted to award a tuckpointing contract for the courthouse and jail, to Karr Tuckpointing, LLC, in Vinton. Karr’s bid for tuckpointing the courthouse was $70,972, with the correctional facility an additional $13,171, for a total of $83,268. The contract will not include a sealing treatment, until more research can be conducted by the board, on the need for the substance. The use of water repellent/sealer was bid separately by both Karr and Schoonover Tuckpointing. The contract will also stipulate that work will not begin on the project until the Spring of 2013.