The Cass County Board of Supervisors have approved an agreement with the bargaining unit representing the County’s Secondary Roads Department. The action, which came during the Board’s meeting today (Friday) inAtlantic, essentially cleans-up the language in the agreement, and doesn’t make any monetary or policy changes. 

The Board also approved the abatement of taxes on a nuisance property belonging to the City of Anita since November, 2012. Auditor Dale Sunderman said the taxes amounted to $230. The Supervisors also approved the assignment of a County held tax sale certificate of purchase, to the City of Cumberland. Sunderman said in July 2012, the City acquired possession of the west half of Lot1 in block 14. The City decided it also wished to acquire an adjacent property that belonged to the same owner, inLot2 of block 14. Sunderman says the property had acquired last year had a total $108 in taxes due. The newest property has 3.5-years worth of taxes due, or $644.

Cass County Treasurer Tracey Marshall said the County is better-off giving the certificate and property to the City in exchange for the taxes being paid and the County abating $300 worth of those taxes. Part of the agreement stipulates the City of Cumberlandwill proceed to get both properties in the City’s name because they have been up for sale long enough, that they can immediately apply to have a tax sale on those properties. Once the City applies, it takes 90-days for the process to run its course.

The Board Friday also approved a 6-month agreement with Solution, LLC. for licensed County software code support and information technology services. The agreement will cost the County an additional $50 per month.  In other business, Supervisor Gaylord Schelling, members of the County Public Safety Committee and representatives with the City of Atlantic will take a tour next week of the former Sitel building at 1206 southwest 7^th Street. The tour is part of a fact-finding mission pertaining to the possible relocation of the County’s Communications Center to a building outside of the courthouse. No action will taken during the tour on approving the site. The tour begins at 9-a.m. Thursday, June 6^th, and will likely include other members of the Board of Supervisors, as well.

The Clarinda Police Department is requesting help from the public in solving a recent rash of residential garage burglaries & vehicle break-ins. Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports for about the last 30 days, there have been a significant number of such crimes. Brothers says items ranging from power tools, electronic devices and miscellaneous, personal and household items, are being stolen.

He says that his officers have followed up on numerous leads and continue to do so, but no arrests have been made in connection with the burglaries and break-ins. The Chief asks that people keep a watchful eye on their neighborhoods and immediately report any suspicious activity to the police. He also requests that anyone with information regarding the person(s) responsible for committing these crimes contact the Clarinda Police Department at 712-542-2194. Information that leads to an arrest and indictment is eligible for a cash reward from the Page County Crimestoppers fund.

Brothers also reminds Clarinda citizens to keep their vehicles locked and either remove valuables from the vehicle or keep the valuables out of sight. He advises property owners to use exterior lighting at night such as motion sensor lights, and to keep garage structures locked and secured, and keep shrubbery around the property trimmed. Brothers also reminds citizens to let their neighbors know when they are going to be away and ask them to keep an eye on your home while gone.

(8-a.m. News)

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson….

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A 2- or 3-year-old boy has been injured in a fall from a second-floor apartment window in Council Bluffs. Police say the boy fell through a screen at the Featherstone Apartments. He was taken to an Omaha, Neb., hospital, for treatment of a possible head injury. His name and condition haven’t been released.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

NEW HARTFORD, Iowa (AP) — Emergency management officials have told residents of New Hartford to be prepared to evacuate as water begins to run over the top of a gravel road that serves as a levee protecting the northeast Iowa community. Ridge Avenue holds back Beaver Creek on the west side of town. The 500 residents of New Hartford have been told to prepare to evacuate if the levee breaks. If it does, officials say they’ll have about 90 minutes to get everyone out.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials in Johnson County have ordered a mandatory evacuation of two rural neighborhoods due to high waters from the Iowa River. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office yesterday ordered residents of Riverview Estates and the Izaak Walton League area to leave their homes. Utilities to the Riverview Estates neighborhood have been shut off.

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) — Stormy weather caused significant problems in the western Iowa city of Onawa, blowing down trees and damaging buildings. Onawa Mayor Bob Skelton told the Sioux City Journal newspaper that strong winds damaged many trees. National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Fobert says damage apparently was caused by a thunderstorm and not a tornado.

LE GRAND, Iowa (AP) — Officials have lifted a boil advisory issued on Tuesday for the small city of Le Grand in central Iowa. The state Department of Natural Resources says test results yesterday of water samples taken earlier in the week showed the water was safe to drink.

The National Weather Service says thunderstorms that passed through Atlantic Thursday night caused some tree damage and produced some pea-sized hail. The Cass County Emergency Management Agency told the Weather Service winds estimated at 45-miles per hour caused a 5-inch diameter tree limb to break in Atlantic at around 9:30-p.m.   Pea-sized hail was observed here at the KJAN Studios as well, at around that same time.

There were no other, immediate reports of damage in Atlantic. In Montgomery County, Emergency Management officials said G Ave between Hwy 34 and Old Hwy 34 was closed for a few hours late Thursday evening, due to a power line falling over the roadway west of Red Oak. The road was re-opened at around 11:15-p.m.

Two people were arrested Thursday in Montgomery County. Sheriff’s officials say 50-year old Bryan David Messerly, of Ft. Dodge was arrested late Thursday morning on drug charges, following a traffic stop on Highway 34 about 5-miles west of Red Oak. Messerly was charged with Possession of Marijuana with the intent to deliver, and Possession of Methamphetamine and Heroine/3rd offense. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 bond.

And early Wednesday afternoon, 21-year old Kiley Brian Caron, of Red Oak, was arrested on reckless driving and criminal mischief in the 2nd degree charges, following a traffic accident with a house on 150th Street in rural Red Oak. Officials say Caron was found in the east ditch of Highway 48 near 160th Street, at around 1:50-p.m. Caron was being held in the jail on $5,000 bond.

(Used during 5-p.m.  news)

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County are asking for the public’s help in identifying the person or persons responsible for an incident of vandalism, in Villisca. Authorities say at around 12:20-p.m. Thursday, they received a report about two wooden picnic tables that had several boards broken. One of the tables was flipped over. The incident happened in the shelter area of the Enarson Elementary School Park, in Villisca. It occurred sometime between 4-p.m. Wednesday and 6-a.m. Thursday. If you have any information about the crime, call Montgomery County Crimestoppers at 1-800-432-1001.

(Used 5-pm News, 5/30/13)

Iowa’s long winter and recent spring rains can really take a toll on homes, especially older ones with aging roofs, siding or windows. If your house is in need of essential repairs this spring USDA Rural Development has low-interest loans and grants available to help eligible families make needed improvements. Loans have a fixed interest rate as low as one percent and typically may be repaid over a term of 20 years. An abundant amount of loan funds is available to assist rural Iowans.

Grants are available to help applicants who are 62 or older, and who cannot repay a loan, remove health and safety hazards or to make the home accessible for a disabled family member. Bill Menner, USDA Rural Development State Director in Iowa, said the loans and grants help eligible families make needed repairs that they otherwise couldn’t afford.  Through this program a family can get a $3,000 loan that has a monthly payment as low as $13.80.

Examples of eligible projects include repair/replacement of storm doors, windows, steps, furnaces, water heaters or roofs. Funds can also be used for insulation, electrical, plumbing, septic and water systems, and to provide accessibility for persons with disabilities. Homes repaired with these funds must be located in communities of less than 20,000 people or in rural areas.

To be eligible for a repair loan, the family applying must own and live in the home to be repaired, lack personal resources to pay for needed repairs, have a good credit history, limited assets and have repayment ability. To qualify for assistance household income must fall under income limits for the county and household size. For most counties, a one-person household must have an adjusted income of $20,950 or less, and a two-person household must have an adjusted income of $23,950 or less. Limits increase for larger household sizes.

Along with loans and grants to repair homes, USDA Rural Development has two low-interest, no-down-payment loan programs to help eligible families purchase new homes. In most cases a family of four with an adjusted annual income of up to $74,050 may qualify for the agency’s guaranteed home loan program. If that same family of four’s adjusted annual income is less than $47,850 they may also qualify for a direct loan from the agency. These income limits increase in communities located near metro areas.

Homes can be existing or new construction. Existing homes must be structurally sound. Also, the property cannot have any income-producing outbuildings. Residents in Adams, Audubon, Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Shelby and Taylor Counties are served by the USDA Rural Development office in Atlantic. For more information please call (712) 243-2107 ext. 4 or visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/ia.

(Press Release)