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.

The Harlan City Council held their first meeting of the month Tuesday afternoon, in the Council Chambers. During the meeting, City Administrator Terry Cox reported to the board, that the “Today in America” TV show hosted by Terry Bradshaw, is interested in highlighting the City of Harlan during a segment called “Best Place to Raise a Family”. Cox said there’s been good discussion between the producers of the show and himself. He said he expects a phone call next Tuesday, August 14^th, to further discuss the segment.

Cox said the city of Harlan would have to pay $19,000 for the 5 minute video to play 20 times. Mayor Gene Gettys said in the last ten days, conversations have “moved very quickly” and that Harlan “clearly fits the mold” of a place to raise a family.

In other business, the Harlan City Council approved the extension of the downtown upper story/façade grant program to include an extension of one-block off the square perimeter and to allow the merchants to apply for both the upper story and façade grants. The matter was discussed last week during a Personnel and Finance meeting. The Committee opted to bring the subject to the Council for a decision.

Also during the Committee meeting, City Administrator Terry Cox requested a motion to extend the $1,000 purchase price of the lots located in the G.H. Christiansen subdivision to expire on June 30^th, 2013. The Harlan City Council on Tuesday approved the extension.

Mayor Gettys read an Ordinance was to add no parking signs on the north side of Victoria Street from the west side of the driveway at 1632 Victoria Street west to 19^th Street, in Harlan. The council finalized the ordinance. A second ordinance pertained to an amendment to the usage charge in chapter 99, with regard to water usage.

The addition states monthly user charges will be based on water usage for the previous month. Also to be in effect, an annual operational maintenance rate increase of 3% each year thereafter, both changes to be effective January 1^st, 2013. It was only the 1^st reading only of the ordinance, and has not been finalized.

w/ Chris Parks

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Atlantic (KJAN studios the official weather reporting station) = .15″ thru 7-am.

Harlan (Ray Book/NWS spotter)=.77″

Unofficial amounts (various spotter reports):

At the “Valley” (Hwy 71, S.  of I-80 in Cass County)= .25″; Shenandoah = .78″; Clarinda= .69″; Audubon= .55;  E. of Oakland=.45″; Massena=.4″; South of Avoca=.3″; Exira=.25″; Red Oak=.15″

Bid letting is set to take place early next year in Mills County, for the construction of a new, combination jail/law enforcement center. The project received the green light Tuesday night, when voters in the County approved a $6.4-million dollar bond issue.

Unofficial results from the Mills County Auditor’s Office show the bond issue referendum received just over 69-percent of the affirmative vote, 987-Yes to 441-No. A 60 percent super majority was necessary in order for the bond issue to pass. A previous bond issue for a new jail in Mills County was rejected by the voters nearly 5-years ago.

The new facility will be built on nearly three-acres of land next to the Mills County Engineer’s Office on Railroad Avenue. Supporters of the project said a new jail was necessary to replace the current facility, which was built in 1915, and no longer meets state inspection requirements.

Firefighters from Anita and Wiota were called to the scene of a structure fire early this (Wednesday) morning. Dispatch reports from the Cass County Communications Center at 3:38-a.m. indicated a machine shed or garage was on fire, near the intersection of Highway 148 and White Pole Road, or Highway 6, on the south side of the road. No other details are currently available.

An Atlantic teen and a passenger in his vehicle were injured during a rollover accident Sunday evening on the north side of town. According to officials with the Atlantic Police Department, a vehicle driven by 18-year old Tyler Doll, of Atlantic, was headed south on North Chestnut Street at around 6-p.m, when it went out of control on the curve heading east on Commerce Street. The vehicle rolled onto a fire hydrant, sustaining $5,000 damage. Doll, and a passenger in the vehicle, were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, for treatment of their injuries. Police cited Doll for Failure to Maintain Control and operating a vehicle with an expired license.