Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Roger Herring says he plans to meet with local skateboard enthusiasts Saturday morning. During a meeting of the Park and Rec Board Monday evening at the City Park outdoor shelter, Herring said improvements to the skate park at Sunnyside Park should be completed soon, after much time and effort. He said “It has been a very involved project.” Herring said 18 4×10 sheets of skate park quality wood, each with 54 screws, half of which are stainless steel have arrived, and are scheduled to be assembled by the end of this week. In addition, protective surfaces have been applied.

Herring attributed progress on the project to the fact his staff have not had to do much mowing due to the dry conditions. Roger said he plans to meet with all skaters and/or their parents this Saturday, to talk about the skaters’ their responsibility in seeing to it that vandalism is curbed. He says the meeting will likely take place at 10-a.m. Saturday. He will tell the skaters and their parents about the liability issues, and that they need to take pride in the facility and “police it.”  Herring says if they make it through this fall without any damage being perpetrated to the park, he will likely make a commitment to buying some more pieces for the park, to replace missing and/or damaged and removed components.

He says also, a new sign with the rules and regulations will be placed at the site. Herring will go over those rules during the meeting Saturday, and persons who normally use the park, will have to sign-off on a form acknowledging they understand those rules. Additional details concerning Saturday’s meeting will be released within the coming days. Herring says there’s a whole different group of persons using the park, and the number of people using it is up as well, from last year.

The Red Oak Police Department report 23-year-old man was arrested late Monday night for violating his probation, and on drug charges. Mike Andrews Lawson, Junior was taken into custody at around 10-p.m.  He was charged with Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia, in addition to the probation violation. Lawson, Jr., was being held in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on $5,000 bond.

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) – A 33-year-old western Iowa man has been given 10 years in prison for twice arranging to have someone shoot him in attempts to gain sympathy from his ex-wife.  Darren Hieber, of Mapleton, pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy and two counts of solicitation for the shootings. Prosecutors dropped other charges in exchange for the pleas. Hieber was accused of persuading Brady Chapman, an employee at Hieber’s trucking business, to shoot him in a leg on Feb. 5. Hieber told police he’d been shot by a burglar.   Hieber also was  accused of hiring Joseph Roberts and Timothy Culley, both of Omaha, Neb., to shoot at him on March 8 in Mapleton. No one was injured in that incident.  Roberts, Culley and Chapman have been given probation.

The Harlan Police Department, Monday afternoon, released a compilation report on arrests and incidents which occurred over the past couple of weeks. Most recently, 50-year old Dale Noll, of Harlan, was arrested Friday, on a charge of OWI. Last Thursday, 16-year old Zachary Gross, of Earling, was cited for being a minor in possession of tobacco, after officers with the Harlan P-D were called to the high school. Gross was cited for the offense, and subsequently released.

Last Wednesday, officers with the Harlan Police Department arrested 24-year old Steven McCord, of Carson, on an active Shelby County warrant charging him with Violation of his Parole. McCord was brought to the Shelby County Jail.

On Tuesday, a Missouri Valley resident filed a complaint with the Shelby County Clerk of Court, charging Shelly Hulsebus with the theft of a gold necklace. The item was said to be valued at $4,000. On August 13th, 42-year old Brian Knudson, of Manilla, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant charging him with assault. And, on August12th, 15-year old Stephen Lancer, of Harlan, was taken into custody on Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Interference with official acts, charges. The teens was transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs.

Officials with the Cass and Audubon County Community Foundations remind residents in those respective counties, that September 1st is the deadline for groups and organizations within either county, to apply for grant monies through the online fall grant application process. In Cass County, $21, 380 is available from the combined Lawrence and Mary Turner-, Griswold Community Development- and Triumph Endowed Funds. Only organizations in Cass County are eligible to share in those funds.

In Audubon County, a total of $32,180 is available from the combined Audubon Masonic Association-, Audubon State Bank/Stephen Garst- Leon and Iva Milliman-,the Charles and Kathleen Manatt-, Fred and Evelyn Nissen-, and the Merle and Norma Petersen- Endowed Funds. Only organizations providing services in Audubon County are eligible to share those grant funds.In both counties, all completed applications will be considered at the Iowa Community Foundations’  Board meeting, with notification of results by the end of October.

More information and the grant applications can be found online. Cass County non-profit groups and organizations can surf to www.iowacommunityfoundations.org/casscef.  Groups in Audubon County simply need to change the words following the slash (/) mark to auduboncef. Additional information can be obtained by calling your respective Community Foundation Chairman. In Cass County the chair is Nicholas Hunt (243-5485), and in Audubon County Brett Irlmeier is the Chair (563-2644). Grant application specific questions may be directed to Dennis Nissen at 1-800-794-3458.

Two southwest Iowa men were transported to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha Monday night, following a rollover accident northwest of Malvern. The Iowa State Patrol says 46-year old Robert Gene Ryan, of Shenandoah, was flown by helicopter to the hospital after he was ejected from a 1994 Mazda pickup truck. The vehicle was traveling west on Highway 34, when it entered the south ditch and crossed 288th Street, before rolling over. Another man in the vehicle 29-year old Lyle Francis Stogdill, also from Shenandoah, was transported by Malvern Rescue to Creighton. Neither man was wearing a seat belt. The accident happened at around 10:50-p.m. Officials say it’s not clear which man was driving the vehicle. The accident remains under investigation.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A terrorism charge filed against a Sioux City man over comments he made on his Facebook page has been dismissed. Woodbury County prosecutors say Gabriel Rodriguez wrote suicidal and homicidal-themed messages between Aug. 2 and Aug.9. According to court documents, Rodriguez asked if he needed to “shoot up a mall before people understood.”  Assistant County Attorney Terry Ganzel says there was insufficient evidence to meet the legal requirement of the crime in order to prosecute Rodriguez.

Ganzel says words that don’t constitute a true threat are protected under the First Amendment. He says there isn’t enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Rodriguez made “true” threats and, even if they were, that the act was “imminent.” Rodriguez’s attorney didn’t immediately comment.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County say three people were arrested Saturday on drug charges. 19-year old Tiffany Danielson, of Tabor was arrested during a traffic stop on Highway 275, and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs. Her bond was set at $2,000. 20-year old Joseph Muellner, of Randolph, was arrested Saturday morning, for Possession of a Controlled Substance. His bond was set at $1,000. 42-year old Adrian Lapour, of Omaha, was also arrested Saturday in Mills County, for Possession of a Controlled Substance. His bond was set at $5,000. And, 47-year old Dennis Villhauer, of Corning, was arrested Saturday in Mills County, for 1st offense OWI. His bond was set at $1,000.

It’s not clear whether they were all connected with last Friday’s “Knotfest” in Mills County, but sheriff’s officials said today (Monday), that six people were arrested, three of them at the concert site. Taken into custody at the Mid America Motor Plex near Pacific Junction, was: 23-year old Bradley Hawkins, of LaVista, NE; 48-year old Kenneth Schonher, of Omaha, and 24-year old Justen Logen, of Council Bluffs. Hawkins was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Schonher was arrested on a warrant out of Monona County for theft in the 5th degree, and Logen was arrested for Possession of drug paraphernalia. Their bonds were set at $1,000, $500, and $300 respectively.

There were three arrests last Friday, near Pacific Junction: 21-year old Anthony Schovanec, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $1,000; 29-year old Jeremy Hogue, of Pacific Junction, was arrested for Public Intoxication. His bond was set at $300; and, 29-year old Robert Riley, of Pacific Junction, was arrested Friday for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond was set at $300. Most of those who were arrested, were taken into custody late Friday evening.