Authorities in Lenox report a Taylor County man was arrested today (Tuesday) on a charge of 1st degree arson. According to the Lenox Police Department, 25-year old Christopher Cameron, of Clearfield, was arrested at his parents home. The arrest comes as a result of a joint investigation by the Lenox Police Department and the State Fire Marshalls Office related to the fire that occurred on November 6th, 2011, at the Lenox Motel.

An initial investigation the night of the fire conducted by the Lenox Police Department found inconsistencies relating to the cause of the fire. As a result the State Fire Marshall’s Office was contacted to review those findings.

Cameron was subsequently arrested after making an admission about the cause of the Motel fire and 3 other fires. Additional charges are expected to be filed by the Fire Marshall’s office. Cameron is currently being held in the Taylor County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert says residents of Earling, Panama, Portsmouth and Westphalia should be aware 1380th Street is closed for a bridge replacement project that is expected to last about three-weeks. The bridge is located over an unnamed tributary of the Mosquito Creek, just west of Highway 191, between Elmwood Road and Highway 191.

Seivert says the bridge will be replaced with a culvert. Area residents who may have questions about the project can call the Shelby County Engineer’s Office at 712-755-5954.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says Green Valley State Park (near Creston) will be closed Nov. 19th and 20th, for its annual special deer hunt.  Green Valley will re-open to the public on Nov. 21st. The Green Valley State Park deer hunt is limited to 30 hunters using only muzzleloaders to harvest up to 60 antlerless deer.  Hunters have already registered and will receive two antlerless tags each, redeemable only during the special hunt at the designated areas and specified dates. Additional DNR staff will be on hand to patrol the park boundaries during the event. 

Alan Carr, Park Ranger at Green Valley says “This hunt helps to manage the deer population in the park.  We have had seven successful hunts and expect this hunt will go as well as previous hunts.  Hunters are required to attend a special safety meeting before the hunt where we explain the reason for the hunt, discuss the rules and identify the park boundaries.” Carr said the park hunt has shown to be a successful management tool for state parks. 

“We are attempting to maintain a balance in the deer herd for the people who want to see deer when they come to park and for our neighbors who may want a smaller deer herd.” He says “The hunt will probably remain an annual event with the number of deer targeted for removal changing based on the population estimates.”

Hunters have been allowed to harvest up to 60 antlerless deer, the average harvest for the past seven years has been just over 40 deer. For questions, contact the park office at (641) 782-5131.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Tuesday) approved the final payment application for the northwest Water and Sewer extension project. Snyder and Associates Engineer Dave Sturm said the project came in slightly over budget, but only because of extra surfacing rock needed to restore driveways and roadways in the area.

The intent of the project is to spur new business and industry development in the vicinity of the defunct Amaizing Energy ethanol plant located off of Glacier Road northwest of Atlantic, by providing water and sewer lines to prospective clients. The original cost of the project was $482, 141. The final contract price tag amounted to $483, 223, or about $1,100 over the contract price. That also included extra boring and a change out, for a connection line.

The county is paying for the project with tax increment financing on a recently constructed ADM grain bin, in addition to the Local Option Sales Tax. The Local Option Tax will gradually be paid back as revenue from the wind turbines in the county and other sources, allow.

Atlantic Police report 43-year old Dana Cisar, of Atlantic, was arrested Monday. Cisar was booked into the Cass County Jail for Driving Under Suspension and Non-Payment of Iowa Fines.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A former federal union official who embezzled $33,000 is asking a judge to show leniency. Ann Kelly, former treasurer-secretary of the American Federation of Government Employees in Council Bluffs, has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. The retired federal railroad inspector used union funds between 2002 and 2007 to make payments to personal credit cards and write checks to family members. The charge carries up to 20 years in prison, but Kelly’s attorney is asking a judge to impose a term of probation during Wednesday’s sentencing in Des Moines. Her attorney says Kelly’s theft was motivated to help her family out of financial crises that included her son having cancer and her husband having business failures. He says Kelly cashed out her retirement savings to repay the money.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County say a Minnesota man remained in jail Monday following a high speed chase and crash Saturday afternoon. 31-year old Matthew Stewart, of Duluth, MN, faces numerous charges, including reckless driving, speeding, and eluding. He was being held in the Pott County Jail on $2,000 bond. 

Sheriff Jeff Danker says a deputy attempted to stop the SUV Stewart was driving on I-80 at around 3:30-p.m. Saturday, after clocking the vehicle at 115-miles per hour. The 2012 Chevy Traverse left the interstate and traveled along several city streets before Stewart lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over near the intersection of 320^th Street and Idlewood Road, a little over 5-miles east of McClelland. No injuries were reported.

The Atlantic City Council will discuss and possibly act on several matters during their meeting Wednesday evening. The Council will hold the second reading of an ordinance pertaining to a Minimum Maintenance Code for residential properties. At their meeting on November second, Councilman Kern Miller suggested the ordinance, which is intended to curb the proliferation of dilapidated and dangerous properties, would not be enforceable. City Administrator Doug Harris will inform the Council that the City Attorney feels it can be enforced, through the City’s Municipal Infraction Code, so that violations can be subject to fines and other penalties.

Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green will speak at the meeting, with regard to the possible conversion of Public Safety radios from the current analog system to a digital system being considered by Cass County. The new system is being considered by the County, because there is the potential for loss of communication in certain parts of the County, due to the implementation of narrow-band requirements. If the County switches to the P-25 system, Green says would not be possible for the P-D, County and Fire Departments to communicate with one another over the radio. The system would cost the City a little more than $42,000. Green says if the P-D is forced to switch systems, that cost should be paid by the County.

The Atlantic City Council is also expected to consider and possibly act on the awarding of bids for property at 706 Walnut Street, and, a Resolution setting the date of December 7^th, for the disposition of City-owned parcels of land near the intersection of Olive and Commerce Streets, and east of the Schildberg Recreation Area Lake number 2.

The meeting begins at 5:30-p.m.