Representatives of non-profit agencies and organizations in Shelby County have received more than $33,200 in grants from the Shelby County Community Foundation. SCCF Chair Gene Gross, said with his most recent round of grants, the Shelby County Community Foundation has distributed nearly $1.4 million in grants and scholarships over the last 14 years.

Recipients of the grants include:
City of Defiance – $2500 – for use at the Defiance Walking Park
City of Elk Horn – $2000 – to renovate or retrofit the old fire station to convert into Fitness
Center
City of Harlan – $2000 – Fire Department Heavy Rescue unit
Concerned, Inc – $2000 – Purchase and install surveillance equipment and access control
For main facility doors
Country Care Center Corp. – $1500 – Add 2 automatic door opening systems to front and rear
Entrances
Danish Mill Corporation – $2500 – Site prep, foundation-laying, lighting, fencing to move
And restore historic scale model of a Danish Village
Friends of Harlan City Parks – $6,010 – Replace unsafe playground equipment that was
Removed from Jaycees Swimming Pool Park
Harlan Little League – $5000 – Construct concrete walkways between fields, build new
Backstops and renovate restrooms
Irwin Fire Department – $800 – IV fluids warmer for ambulance
People for Earling – $2000 – Two new signs with lighting and landscaping
Shelby County Community Outreach – $2000 – refrigerator and small kitchen appliances
For use at fundraisers
Shelby County Conservation Board – $1500 – provide a boat dock
Shelby County Historical Society – $2500 – Funding to create a storage and preservation
Facility by remodeling a portion of the current building
West Central Community Action – $900 – freezer for food pantry

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A prosecutor has amended charges against a Sioux City couple for the death of their 2-month-old son. The Sioux City Journal reports that 27-year-old Michael Williams and 24-year-old Rebekah Williams-McCarthy now are both charged with child endangerment resulting in the death of a child, child endangerment resulting in bodily injury of a child and three counts of neglect of a dependent person. The baby, Leonard Williams, was taken to an emergency room on April 29. An autopsy showed that he died of malnutrition and dehydration.

His father originally was charged only with neglect and had pleaded not guilty. The charge of child endangerment resulting in bodily injury is new for Rebekah Williams-McCarthy. She, too, has pleaded not guilty.

Firefighters from Anita and Wiota responded to a reported structure fire early this (Thursday) morning. Anita Fire Chief Josh Peach says the call about the fire at 409 Chestnut Street was dispatched at around 1:40-a.m.

Peach says when they arrived the structure, a small outbuilding, was already fully engulfed in flames and the flames were in danger of spreading to a nearby garage with a vehicle inside. Firefighters were able to knock down the flames before they spread, though. Another vehicle parked nearby, was “scorched”, according to Peach.

The fire, he said, appears to have been electrical in nature. No injuries were reported. Crews from Anita were on the scene for about 90-minutes. The approximately 12-foot by 12-foot outbuilding was declared a total loss, along with a walk behind mower, a work bench and air compressor that were stored inside.