A two-vehicle, non-injury accident Monday morning about four-miles northwest of Clarinda may have been caused in-part, by sun glare, tall corn and an overgrowth of grass or weeds. The Page County Sheriff’s Department says vehicles driven by 32-year old Joshua Bolton, of Clarinda, and 30-year old Patsy Orr, of Villisca, collided at the intersection of M Avenue and 180th Street, at around 8-a.m., Monday.

Sheriff Lyle Palmer said Bolton was traveling south on M Avenue in a Ford pickup, while Orr was traveling east on 180th Street in a Chevy Monte Carlo. Bolton told authorities that as the vehicles approached the intersection at the same time, he couldn’t see Orr’s car, because of overgrowth in a ditch, and a field of corn. Orr told deputies she couldn’t see Bolton either, because of glare caused by the rising sun, and the field of corn. Neither driver was cited after their vehicles collided, causing a total of $3,500 damage.

Continued excessive heat across Iowa not only raises concerns about heat-related illnesses, it also makes food-borne illnesses, like salmonella, more likely due to improper food handling. The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reminds Iowans that hot weather makes it even more important to ensure food is properly transported, cooked and stored.

IDPH Medical Director, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk says especially during warm weather, food safety begins at the grocery store. “When shopping, buy cold foods like meat, poultry and dairy products last, right before checkout. Plan to drive directly home from the grocery store so the food doesn’t sit in a hot car any longer than necessary. You may also want to take a cooler with ice or insulated grocery bags to transport perishables home – especially if your drive home is more than half an hour.” Once home, place cold foods like meat, poultry and dairy products in the refrigerator right away.

A good rule to remember for food safety is to keep cold food cold and hot food hot. Whether in your car or on the picnic table, illness-causing bacteria can grow in many foods within two hours and during the summer heat, that time is cut down to within one hour. When planning on eating outdoors, keep meat and poultry refrigerated until ready to use. If using a marinade, marinate the food in the refrigerator, not on the counter or outside. When cooking on the grill, cook the meat thoroughly –  then keep it hot until served, either by moving it to the side of the grill rack, or in an oven set at around 200 degrees. Keep cold food cold when outdoors by nesting the serving dishes in bowls of ice, or by keeping the food in a cooler until ready to eat.

No matter what the weather, it’s always important to wash your hands before and after handling food. In addition, always keep your kitchen, dishes and utensils clean, and always use one plate for raw foods and another for cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination. For more information on hot weather food safety, visit www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Barbecue_Food_Safety/index.asp.

No injuries were reported following two separate accidents Monday, in Atlantic. The Atlantic Police Department says the first accident took place at around 10-a.m., at the intersection of 14th Street and Roosevelt Drive, when vehicles driven by Larry Reimer and Stacey Mauk, both of Atlantic, collided, after Mauk failed to yield. The crash occurred as Reimer was traveling east on 14th Street, and Mauk was traveling south on Roosevelt Drive. Mauk was cited for Failure to Yield upon entering a through highway. Damage from the accident amounted to $3,000.

The second accident happened at around 12:10-p.m., when Michelle James, of Atlantic, became distracted as she was traveling south in the 11-hundred block of Plum Street. Her convertible left the road and hit a light pole, before hitting a moped parked in a yard at 1107 Plum. Damage to the moped, owned by Richard Ryan, was estimated at $800. The City of Atlantic light pole also sustained $800 damage during the mishap. James’ vehicle sustained $3,000 damage. No citations were issued.

Natalie Smith (photo courtesy Danish Immigrant Museum)

Officials with the Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, say Natalie Smith, who graduated in May from the Museum Studies program at New York University in New York City, has begun her one-year position in the museum’s collection department under the supervision of Angela Stanford.  Smith said the internship is a unique opportunity for her to be immersed in artifacts pertaining to one cultural group while gaining additional experience interacting with a historic house collection. 

She says through her engagement with the museum and the community, she hopes to learn how present day Elk Horn and the surrounding area were influenced by the settlement of Danish immigrants.  Smith will be tasked with inventorying and cataloging the entire collection of 1200 artifacts in the Museum’s 1908 Victorian home known as Bedstemor’s House.  By the end of the summer of 2013, the object inventory will be completed.  After that, museum staffers will complete the photos and archival and library materials, giving them a 100% collection inventory.

The Iowa State Patrol has released more information on three-vehicle crash that caused several people to be sent the hospital Monday morning, in Pottawattamie County. The Patrol told the Omaha World-Herald, that 18-year-old Alexandra Peterson of Neola, and 16-year-old Victor Pano-Guijardo of Omaha, were critically injured and flown by  Lifenet Helicopter to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha. Among those transported by ambulance to hospitals in Council Bluffs, was 38-year-old Cornelio Santos-Bautista, 29-year-old Genaro Ortega and 42-year-old Mario Cardonia-Donis, all of Omaha. Officials say 25-year-old Malory White, of Treynor, was also injured in the crash. She was taken to the hospital by a private vehicle.

Authorities say five vehicles traveling east on Highway 6, just  east of Council Bluffs, were at a standstill when the lead vehicle attempted to make a left turn onto northbound Hunt Avenue, at around 7:25-a.m. Peterson, who was driving a Honda Accord, failed to stop and veered left, but clipped the rear end of a Mazda, driven by White. The Accord then came to rest in in the westbound lane of Highway 6, where it was hit broadside on the driver’s side door by a Honda Odessy van, driven by Santos-Batista.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Cass County Board of Supervisors have a full agenda for their meeting Wednesday morning, in Atlantic. Their meeting begins with a couple of tuckpointing proposals, followed by action on awarding a tuckpointing contract to either Schooner or Karr Tuckpointing. The Board will also act on an abatement of tax on properties owned by the City of Atlantic, and on an Iowa Negotiation Services contract for an Employee Handbook update, and/or negotiation services/human resources consulting.

In  other business, the Supervisors will act on approving a Resolution calling for a change in the interest rate on a loan for the Valley Business Park property. In addition, the Board will hear a quarterly activity report from Cass County Veterans Affairs, and a Secondary Roads Department update. Afterward, they’re expected to take action on approving the final payment to Murphy Heavy Contracting for the bridge replacement project over Turkey Creek on 620th Street.

The meeting begins at 9-a.m.

Sheriff’s officials in Adams County say a Prescott man was arrested Monday. 47-year old David Adsit was taken into custody after deputies were called to a residence in rural Prescott following a reported domestic altercation. Upon further investigation, Adsit was arrested on a felony charge of Domestic Assault/3rd or subsequent offense, felony assault on a Peace Officer, and Violation of a No Contact Order. Adsit was brought to the Adams County Jail, where he was being held without bond. Officials say additional charges are currently pending.