The Cass County Board of Supervisors will hold their weekly meeting Thursday morning, in Atlantic. During their 9-a.m. session, the board will act on setting the dates for hearings on a proposed Cass County Illegal Dumping Ordinance. 

When the Board met April 11^th, the subject of improper disposal of solid waste was discussed. Officials say improper ‘dumping’ of solid waste (appliances, garbage, etc) in roadside ditches and elsewhere is an ongoing problem in Cass County, and an Illegal Dumping Task Force has been formed to work on the problem.  Cass County Landfill Manager Wendy Wittrock told the board, and stressed to the public via the media, that illegal dumping is ‘wrong’ and the public need to report incidents of illegal dumping. Wittrock said during the April meeting, that the organization Keep Iowa Beautiful may help deter the crime, by setting up cameras in known problem areas. The County’s current “Disposal of Solid Waste” ordinance says that improper disposal of solid waste is a simple misdemeanor and upon conviction, subjects the violator to imprisonment not exceeding thirty days or a fine not exceeding $100.00.  

In other business, Steve Livengood, with the Cass County Public Safety Commission,  will discuss the Commission’s ongoing efforts toward relocating the Cass County 9-1-1 Center, and will request a letter of support to that effect, from the Board of Supervisors. The 9-1-1 Center is currently located in the basement of the Courthouse.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce says the Carson & Barnes Circus, “The Biggest of the Big Top shows,” will bring its all-new show for 2012 to the Atlantic Airport on Highland Road in Atlantic on Monday, June 11th. One of the last of the great American traveling big top circuses, the Carson & Barnes performers will hold two shows, at 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm. Tickets are now on sale at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, 102 Chestnut Street and online at BigTopShow.com. A portion of sales will benefit the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce’s programs and events.

Celebrating its 76^th year the Carson & Barnes Circus has been traveling the nation since 1937. While the show has changed over the decades, what remains is a solid two-hour show that features classic circus acts, daring high-wire feats and the antics of dozens of clowns. But aside from the clowns, the prancing horses and high-IQ dogs, the biggest stars of the show are the elephants. Advance tickets are available now at the Depot, 102 Chestnut Street, and online at BigTopShow.com.

Prices range from $16 Adult, $8 Child at the gate on the day of the performance to as little as $10 Adult, $6 Child when purchased in advance using a discount coupon. Coupons are available locally or can be downloaded from BigTopShow.com or by visiting www.Facebook.com/CarsonBarnesCircus. Get complete ticket information online at BigTopShow.com or BoletosdeCirco.com. For more information or questions call the Chamber at 712.243.3017 or email chamber@atlanticiowa.com.

w/ Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (8.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

w/ Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Authorities in Montgomery County are investigating recent incidents of thefts in the Red Oak and Stanton areas. Sheriff’s officials say they received two reports Tuesday. One of the incidents occurred sometime between Saturday and Monday, south of Red Oak. A white & yellow 2012 Cub Cadet GT-2100 lawn tractor and black 1995 H&H Dovetail trailer were reported stolen from Dickel Outdoor Power, just off of Highway 48. The trailer with Iowa license plate number 3544HB is valued at $3,000, while the lawn tractor was valued at $4,000.

The second incident occurred in the 500 block of Thorn Street, in Stanton. Officials say the victim reported someone removed two center caps off the rims of her 1999 Ford F-250 pickup truck, and damaged an aluminum door on the inside of her 2000 Kiefer-built horse trailer. The loss was estimated at $350 altogether.

Anyone with information about either of those crimes, is asked to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 712-623-5107, or Montgomery County Crimestoppers at 1-800-432-1001.

Funeral services will be held next Tuesday afternoon in Fontanelle, for a 3-year old boy who died Sunday afternoon, when a tree fell on him as he was playing hide and seek with his stuffed animals under the tree in his family’s back yard. Nathan “Tader” Hutt died instantly from injuries he suffered when a huge Maple tree fell over and landed on top of him. The accident happened at around 12:45-p.m. His mother Alisha, made the call to 9-1-1.

Fontanelle Police Chief Pat Henry told the Des Moines Register that it had been windy that day. Too windy, for the old tree, which was basically hollow, with only about five inches of wood remaining around the edges of the trunk. Henry said the tree looked fine from the outside, and there was no way to tell it was so internally weak.

Funeral services for Nathan Hutt will be held 3-p.m. Tue., June 5th, at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fontanelle. Memorials may be directed to the Nathan Hutt memorial fund in care of the First National Bank, 311 5th Street, Fontanelle, Iowa 50846.

The latest campaign disclosure reports show there’s a lop-sided fundraising race between Tom Latham and Leonard Boswell — the two incumbent Iowa congressmen who’re running against one another in November. Republican Congressman Tom Latham had nearly two-million dollars in cash in his campaign account by May 16th. That was a deadline day for reporting fundraising totals. It’s six times more than Democratic Congressman Leonard Boswell had. Boswell had about 300-thousand dollars in his campaign account by mid-May.

Democratic Congressman Bruce Braley of Waterloo raised about 100-thousand dollars since April 1st. Congressman Dave Loebsack, a Democrat from Iowa City, raised about 13-thousand more than that. But former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack, the Democrat who plans to challenge Republican Congressman Steve King in November, raised more than Braley and Loebsack combined. Her haul in the six-week period was 230-thousand dollars.Congressman King, however, is a more aggressive fundraiser than he has been in the past, collecting nearly 373-thousand dollars during that six-week period. King had about a million dollars in his campaign account by mid-May. Vilsack had about 144-thousand less.

Two Republicans face off in June’s primary to win the G-O-P nomination to challenge Braley in November. Loebsack faces a Democratic challenger in the primary who hasn’t set up a campaign website or raised enough money to require disclosing his donors. And two Republicans are running in the second congressional district for the change to run against Loebsack in November.

(O. Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic Police Department reports two people suffered only minor injuries during two accidents over the Memorial Day weekend. Friday afternoon, a moped driven by Nicholas Behrens, of Atlantic, collided with a vehicle driven by Brian Farley, of Atlantic, as Behrens was traveling northbound in the alley east of Walnut Street. Officials say Behrens was approaching the 100 block of East 4th Street at around 1:45-p.m., at the same time Farley was traveling east on Walnut. As Farley’s vehicle passed the alley, it was hit in the side by the moped. Behrens complained of minor injuries, but refused transport to the hospital. He was cited following an investigation, for Failure to Yield Upon Entering a thru roadway. Damage from the accident amounted to $1,000.

The second accident happened at around 1-p.m. Saturday, at 5th and Plum Streets in Atlantic. Officials say a vehicle driven by Dana Heidt, of Atlantic, was travel east in the 11-hundred block of East 6th Street, and while proceeding to turn left onto the 500 block of Plum Street, his vehicle was struck in the side by a bicycle. The bike’s rider, Brenda Zimmerman, of Atlantic, complained of minor injuries, and was transported by Heidt to the Cass County Hospital for treatment. No citations were issued. Damage from the accident amounted to $100.

In other news, the Atlantic P.D. reports 21-year old Jesse Leeper, of Audubon, was arrested Saturday on a charge of OWI/1st Offense. Leeper was booked into the Cass County Jail.

Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Kansas said today (Tuesday) Mid-America Pipeline Company, LLC and Enterprise Products Operating LLC (Enterprise), of Houston, Texas, have agreed to pay a civil penalty of more than $1 million to the United States to settle violations of the federal Clean Water Act related to three natural gasoline pipeline spills near Onawa, Iowa, as well as in Kansas and Nebraska. 

As part of a consent decree lodged today in U.S. District Court in Omaha, Neb., and in addition to paying the $1,042,000 civil penalty, the companies have agreed to undertake various measures aimed at reducing external threats to their pipeline, enhance their reporting of spills, and spend at least $200,000 to identify and prevent external threats to the pipeline involved in the spills. 

MAPCO owns and Enterprise operates the 2,769-mile West Red Pipeline, which transports mixed natural gasoline products between Conway, Kan., and Pine Bend, Minn. The settlement resolves Clean Water Act violations related to three spills, including one which occurred along the pipeline on August 13th, 2011. During the incident, a rupture happened near Onawa, which caused the discharge of approximately 818 barrels of natural gasoline directly into the Missouri River.  

In addition to the proactive inspections and outreach efforts, the settlement also requires MAPCO and Enterprise to spend $200,000 to relocate, cover, lower or replace pipeline segments; install new remote shutoff valves; install new physical protections such as fences or concrete barriers; and install other new equipment, structures or systems to prevent spills from reaching navigable waters. 

The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval.