Fremont County Sheriff’s Department said today (Friday), deputies discovered a one-vehicle accident near the intersection of 220^th St and 230^th Avenue. A deputy with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office observed a 2004 Mazda RX8 partially submerged in the drainage ditch located east of the intersection of 220^th Street and 230^th Ave.

An investigation determined the driver of the vehicle, 18-year old Dustin Rutledge, of Sidney, was westbound on 220^th Street when he lost control of his car, which entered the north ditch.  The vehicle traveled in the ditch along the creek bed, struck a culvert and came to rest in the drainage ditch. The car was a total loss. Rutledge was not injured, and left the scene prior to law enforcement arrival.

Alcohol is not believed to be a factor, seatbelts were in use, and authorities say charges are pending.

Authorities in Montgomery County said Thursday that a Villisca man was arrested that day on a charge of 2nd Degree Sexual Abuse. The arrest of 30-year-old Robert Dumler was the result of an investigation involving officials with Project Harmony and the Iowa Dept. of Human Services that began May 2nd. Dumler was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $25,000 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

Authorities in Fremont County, Wednesday, arrested a man in connection with an investigation into an incident involving a gun that took place Monday morning. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says 25-year old Todd Michael Guiser, of Tabor, was arrested for Reckless Use of a Firearm and Child Endangerment.

Todd Guiser

An investigation determined that during the early morning hours, Monday, Guiser negligently discharged a round from a .357 revolver, inside his apartment at 204 Orange Street, in Tabor. The bullet struck a child’s Pack ‘n Play and lodged in the floor of the apartment. It was also determined that an infant was in the home, sleeping in a room adjacent to where the shot was fired.

Guiser was being held without bond pending an initial appearance with the Magistrate.

The Griswold Community Center was the site for a candidate forum that lasted slightly more than 90-minutes, Thursday night. Persons running for the County Board of Supervisors offices in Cass County were on-hand to introduce themselves, their position on certain issues, and to answer questions from the audience, in advance of the June 7^th Primary.

Among those candidates running for a seat on the Cass County Board of Supervisors, are: District 1: Republicans – Steve Green, Dave Jones, and Dale Retallic; District 4: Democrat – Dana Kunze, and Republicans – Rocky Anderson, Ryan Askeland, Steve Baier, Todd Hansen, Nick Hensley, and Barry Moore; District 5: Republicans – J. Ford Lillard, Bernard Pettinger, and Frank Waters.

There were only a few questions asked from the audience. They covered topics that included grants for County improvements, fracking and the impact on water quality, and what the candidates thought were their top issues of concern.

With regard to the latter, candidates for the Board of Supervisors in District 1 were the first to respond. Steve Green said his main focus would be to make sure the County entities (Cities/governments), work together toward a common goal of solving issues. He said often times, the individual cities are in the “What’s In It For Me?” mindset. He said “We need to pull together, and we need to roll-up our sleeves, innovate, think outside the box, and come up with solutions to our county-wide issues. All of them.”

Dave Jones said from what he’s gathered, the top issue is infrastructure, especially with regard to the condition of county roads and the damage caused by heavily loaded semi’s. Dale Retallic said “We need business. We need jobs. We need young people to stay in Cass County…to come into [the County]. I’ve seen it many times, where we are in a slow death because we are turning into a retirement village/retirement county. We need young people to make this county work.” The rest he said, will fall into place.

District 5 candidates’ responses include: From Bernard Pettinger, who suggested running tile lines across the soft spots on county gravel roads to eliminate “soft spots.” J. Ford Lillard agreed with Dale Retallic, that roads are a problem, but bringing young people into the county and retaining them, is key to building the base for investments in roads and other issues.

Among the District 4 candidates….Ryan Askeland said jobs is one of the reasons he’s running. “I’m scared to death in the next 10-to 20-years we might lose our school district….we need to develop the jobs to keep the enrollment up for us to keep the smaller and bigger schools going.” Barry Moore and Steve Baier both said economic development is important, but finding ways to stop “exporting” our young people after they graduate, is vital. Baier said creating a new means to incubate start-up entrepreneurs in the County will bring technologically minded young people here.

Rocky Anderson said “Quality, affordable housing,” will bring and keep people …especially young people…in the county. Todd Hansen said economic development is a good way to start, to circulate money and grow the communities, which will in-turn sustain the infrastructure. Nick Hensley said lower taxes will be his focus.

And, Dana Kunze said what’s needed is a consortium of nearby counties to get students trained nearby in vocational areas. He said the schools themselves don’t have enough political pull with colleges like Iowa Western to make them want to partner with local schools under “Our terms, because it’s our tax money that makes that entity work. When they don’t want to partner with us, there’s something wrong.”

Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation said Thursday, a new detour will begin Tuesday, May 24^th for motorists in Council Bluffs on westbound I-80 exiting at I-29 and U.S. 275/Iowa 92 (Exit 47) (weather permitting). Motorists will need to exit at South Expressway (Exit 3) if headed to U.S. 275/Iowa 92. (See attached map for detour) I-80 eastbound traffic will still be able to exit at U.S. 275/Iowa 92 (Exit 47) until late summer.

In addition to the detour, I-80 westbound to I-29 southbound traffic will shift to a new two-way configuration with northbound traffic beginning just north of the U.S. 275/Iowa 92 interchange. Traffic will shift back to the existing I-29 southbound lanes just south of the interchange.

Motorists should expect additional traffic shifts and detours over the summer and early fall as construction crews work to finalize the I-29 and U.S. 275/Iowa 92 interchange reconstruction. If you would like more information about detours and traffic impacts visit the program website, www.CouncilBluffsInterstate.IowaDOT.gov.

Iowa DOT is in the process of reconstructing I-80, I-29 and I-480 in the Council Bluffs metropolitan area. This comprehensive interstate redesign will modernize the highway system and improve mobility and safety of approximately 18 miles of interstate. Motorists are encouraged to allow for extra travel time while this interstate improvement takes effect.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Sioux City police say a woman stole over $30,000 from her disabled father. Officials say 37-year-old Diane Davis-Sattizahn was arrested Tuesday and faces first-degree theft and dependent adult abuse charges.

Court documents say she was the financial caretaker of her father, who lives in a retirement home and has Parkinson’s disease. Police say she didn’t pay for his medication or care between December 2014 and January 2016, which put him $50,000 in debt.

She is also accused of stealing $30,000 from his bank account during that time.

The Atlantic Parks and Rec Department is kicking off the summer with free family fun. All young families are invited to come to the “Sunnyside Summer Block Party” on Friday, June 3rd from 5 pm to 9 pm at Sunnyside Park. Seth Staashelm, Assistant Director of Atlantic Parks & Recreation, says “We have great parks in Atlantic, and we want families to get outside and use them! We know that it can be hard for young families to find inexpensive activities for the whole family to enjoy – and we’ve designed this event with that in mind.”

The event will include live music, space for kids to dance, games and activities, playing at the playground, face painting, and more. A free-will donation dinner will be prepared by the Kiwanis club, and the activities will be located near the Kiwanis Kiddie Korral and the brand-new picnic shelter.

Staashelm says “We recently completed this beautiful new shelter, as well as updating some of the equipment and grounds around it. A new fire pit, like the one at the Camblin Addition, was also recently installed.”

Atlantic Parks & Rec Asst. Dir. Seth Staashelm

The Parks & Rec Department is also exploring other events for the families to encourage use of Atlantic parks. For more information about Atlantic Parks & Rec, visit their website at http://www.atlanticiowa.com/atlantic/city-departments/parks-recreation/ or follow them on Facebook.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The economy remains sluggish in rural areas of 10 Western and Plains states. The monthly survey of rural bankers released Thursday shows the overall remains in negative territory even though it increased slightly. The index increased to 40.9 in May from April’s 38.2.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, says weak grain prices and farm values continue to weigh on the economy in rural areas. On the survey indexes any score below 50 suggests that factor will decline. The farm equipment sales index remained exceptionally weak at 10.7 in May, just below April’s 11.1. Farmers are delaying major purchases because of the environment.

Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County, today (Thursday), arrested 37-year old Kimberly Ann Briggs, of Clarinda. Briggs was arrested at the Page County Courthouse in the District Court room, on a Page County Warrant for Probation Violation. The warrant stems from an original Page County Case.

Briggs was in the court room and had been involved in a court case prior to being arrested. She was being held in the Page County Jail on $2000 bond.

Kimberly Ann Briggs