w/ Ric Hanson

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Residents of Adair County and Guthrie Counties have a new option for receiving emergency announcements. Bob Kempf, Emergency Manager for both counties, said the system, which is designed to get emergency messages to the public in a quick and effective manner, has already by used twice over the past few months. He told KJAN News they used it this past week for the Boil Water advisory in Stuart, and again a couple of months ago with a Boil Order in Fontanelle.

According to Kempf, when the Boil Order was issued in Stuart last week, the system made 1,200 calls to residents within 5-minutes. Kempf says he’s spent four years testing options and researching companies offering the service needed. Last year, the EM Commissions selected Global Connect of Mays Landing, NJ, and have been working hand-in-hand with the firm to “go live” with emergency notification in both counties. He says it costs about $7,700 per year for both counties combined, which allows officials to send messages to as many groups as possible, with unlimited usage. While the system is expensive for the Counties, Kempf says the 1^st National Bank of Fontanelle and Greenfield are helping to defray costs by pledging $500 per year, but additional sponsors needed.

Signing-up to get your landline and/or cell phone registered for the announcements, is very simple. You can go to www.guthriecounty.org or www.adaircountyiowa.org. Click on the link to the emergency management page at either website and then on the emergency notification signup link. Fill out the form and press submit, your information will be registered within a few business days.  He says if you don’t have internet access, forms will be made available at City Halls in each county community and at the two County Auditor’s offices, and libraries. You can also call Kempf at 641-332-3030 and let him guide you through the registration process.

There is no cost to sign-up, and the information is owned by the two counties. Since it is proprietary, no company or person can sell it to a third-party vendor. The system stores and uses the contact information according to street address. It will not recognize Post Office Boxes or Rural Route addresses.

In the event of a localized emergency, your local street address will integrate with the notification system’s mapping capabilities. If you have any questions, you can call the Adair & Guthrie County Emergency Management Agency at (641) 332-3030.30.

The Iowa Department of Transportation says it has added a new service to its online services portal, myMVD, that allows suspended and revoked drivers to pay civil penalties that are due online. According to Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Division Director Mark Lowe, “Iowa law imposes a civil penalty when a person’s driving privilege is suspended or revoked. This civil penalty must be paid before the person’s driving privilege may be reinstated. This new online service allows suspended and revoked drivers to see whether they owe any civil penalties and how much they owe, and to pay the civil penalties by credit or debit card without making a trip to a driver’s license location.”

Persons who are suspended or revoked can find out exactly what they owe by going online, anytime to the Iowa DOTs myMVD website at https://mymvd.iowadot.gov. Just enter the required personal information and select the “Payment of civil penalties” option. That’s it. The information will be presented for viewing.

The service lists all civil penalties owed in the order they were incurred and identifies the sanction that triggered the civil penalty. Persons who owe multiple civil penalties can elect to pay all civil penalties owed or can choose to make partial payments until paid in full. The service requires that partial payments cover the full amount of at least one civil penalty and applies the payments in the order the civil penalties were incurred. A $1.50 service charge for credit and debit card processing costs is added to the payment.

Civil penalties are typically in amounts of $50, $100, or $200, depending upon the age of the person that incurred the civil penalty and when the civil penalty was incurred. Iowa law provides that civil penalties collected by the Iowa DOT are transmitted to the Treasurer of State, who deposits the money in the juvenile detention home fund.

The Iowa DOT reminds people to not be fooled by imitation websites that appear as though they can help you renew your Iowa driver’s license, change your address, get your learner’s permit or replace your license online. There is no other website that has the ability to do these things. Any money that you pay to these look-alike websites will not result in you receiving any of these services. The DOT says you should trust ONLY the Iowa DOT’s myMVD website.

Authorities in Montgomery County report the arrest over the weekend of a Henderson man on a fraud charge. 19-year old Tyler Allen Dittus was taken into custody by Red Oak Police Saturday evening, on a charge of Forgery. Dittus was brought to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center, where he was being held on a $5,000 bond.

The City Council in Audubon is expected to act this (Monday) evening, on setting March 11th at 7-p.m., as the date and time for a public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Budget. The move will follow a review of the proposed budget.

The Council will also hear from a representative with the Region 12 Council of Governments (COG), about the “Safe Routes to School” program, and afterward, act on a resolution adopting the SRS plan and approve an application to the Iowa Dept. of Transportation for the program.

The meeting begins at 7-p.m. in the Audubon City Hall.

The five members of the Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will hold a work session this evening at the high school. During their 7:30-p.m. meeting in the Media Center, the Board will discuss the Atlantic High School Building Leadership Team (BLT), the budget, and Capital Projects. No action on those matters is expected to take place during the work session.

Arraignment hearings will be held this morning in Cass County District Court, for three men facing Willful Injury and Going Armed with Intent charges, associated with a stabbing that occurred late last month. 18-year old Bryce Baker, 21-year old Austin Nelson, and 23-year old Mykel Thorn, all of Atlantic, are scheduled to appear in court on the felony charges.

The charges are connected to the stabbing of 43-year old Robert Leslie, of Atlantic, during the early morning hours of January 28^th. Police responding to the vicinity of 1011 Birch Street after receiving a call about a fight in progress, found several subjects in the area, and fleeing the scene. Soon thereafter they discovered Leslie, suffering from puncture and slashing wounds. He was hospitalized, but has since been released.

Two of the suspects were taken into custody at the scene, while the third was arrested later, following the execution of a search warrant at 900 Hickory Street, in Atlantic. Baker and Thoren were released from custody on $15,000 bond each, last Thursday. Nelson bond was set at $15,000. All three are scheduled to appear for their trials on March 26^th.

A storm will arrive Tuesday morning in southern Iowa and lift northeast during the day.

Forecast graphic from the National Weather Service in Des Moines (2/25/13)

Moderate to heavy snowfall is still expected across the southeast half of the state with the heavier totals in the southeast and over Missouri. High pressure over the northern Plains may reduce some of the storms snowfall over the region and a slight shift in the track may also cause some adjustment in snowfall amounts. Even with those uncertainties strong north winds will cause blowing snow and reduced visibility over the southeast and portions of central Iowa. Interested persons are urged to check the latest forecasts today and tonight.

Nominations are now being accepted for the title of “Iowa’s Best Burger.” The award is handed out each year to one restaurant by the Iowa Beef Industry Council and Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. Iowa Beef Council spokesperson Michelle Baumhover says judging from past winners, the key may be keeping the burger basic. “I know when we’ve reviewed the judges’ comments, that’s what comes to the top…when it’s a really high quality burger, you don’t need a lot of additives,” Baumhover said.

Last year’s winner of the Iowa’s Best Burger contest: The Coon Bowl Burger.

The Coon Bowl, a diner and bowling alley in Coon Rapids, won last year’s competition. Co-owner Cindy Heydon noted they don’t mix anything into the half-pound burger, not even salt. Nominations for this year’s contest will be accepted through March 10. The top 10 restaurants that receive the most nominations will be announced on March 25. “Then we turn the contest over to an anonymous panel of judges who will go out and try the burgers,” Heydon said. “They will select a burger based on presentation, appearance, taste and safety – making sure it’s at that ‘medium’ 160 degrees.”

The 2013 winner of Iowa’s Best Burger contest will be announced on May 2. In addition to The Coon Bowl last year, previous winners of the award were The Rusty Duck in Dexter (2011) and the Sac County Cattle Company in Sac City (2010).
More information about the contest rules and how to submit a nomination is available at: www.iabeef.org

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police say a 12-year-old Des Moines girl who went missing after her mother drove her to school earlier this month has been found safe.

Missing 12-year old girl found Sunday night, and the suspect in her disappearance.

Officials say18-year-old Sergio Lopez faces two counts of third-degree sexual abuse and is jailed without bond in Polk County. He’s also charged with violating a no-contact order involving Karina Rodriques-Resendiz . Lopez was wanted for failing to appear in court on one of the sexual abuse charges.

The girl went missing after her mother drove her to school February 8th. She was found Sunday in a house on southeast 9th Street in Des Moines. Authorities brought her to Mercy Medical Center around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, and Lopez was arrested Sunday night. Police had said in announcing the girl’s disappearance that they believed she was with Lopez.