The Atlantic Police Department reports one arrest and several accident investigations took place over the past few days. On Monday (10/30), 18-year old Travis Osborn, of Atlantic, was arrested for 5th Degree Theft and Public Intoxication. Osborn was booked into the Cass County Jail. At around 7:35-a.m. today (Tuesday) Atlantic Police responded to an accident at 7th and Linn Streets. Vehicles driven by Carter Hoffman, of Atlantic and Tina Olson, of Audubon, collided when Olson was slowing to turn right onto Linn Street from eastbound 7th Street. Her vehicle was struck from behind by Hoffman’s vehicle, causing $2,000 damage altogether. Olson complained of whiplash, but was otherwise uninjured. Hoffman was cited for Failure to Maintain Reasonable/Proper speed.

Two accidents happened Monday, in Atlantic, just minutes apart. At around 3:32-p.m., and accident at 10th and Mulberry Streets occurred when a vehicle driven by Danielle Young, of Atlantic, backed out of a private drive and struck a vehicle on the passenger door, as the vehicle – driven by Danielle Meek, of Atlantic – was traveling east on 10th Street. Damage from the collision amounted to $2,000. The second accident at around 3:34-p.m. happened at the west driveway entrance to the Wal-Mart Store. A vehicle driven Shirley Johnson, of Atlantic, was southbound in the entrance, with a vehicle driven by Hanna Layland, of Atlantic, directly behind her. Authorities say Layland looked at another vehicle and when she looked back, saw Johnson’s vehicle had slowed. Layland tried to turn left to avoid hitting Johnson’s vehicle, but struck it in the left rear corner, causing $2,100 damage altogether.

At around 5:50-a.m. Saturday, a vehicle driven by Kasey Juhl, of Atlantic, was traveling south in the 1300 block of Chestnut Street, when he lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle hit a light pole, snapping it off. Juhl then left the scene of the accident. No injuries were reported. Damage amounted to $14,000. Juhl was cited for reckless driving, operating a vehicle without a registration card or plate, and driving or towing an unsafe vehicle.

And, at around 9-a.m. Friday, vehicles driven by Roger Denison, and Crystal Schelle, both of Atlantic, collided at 11th and Chestnut Streets. The accident happened as Denison was traveling north on Chestnut and Schelle was traveling east on 11th. The A-PD says she proceeded through the intersection after failing to yield, and was struck by Denison’s vehicle. Damage amounted to $4,500. Schelle was cited for Failure to Obey a Stop Sign.

Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones has announced the City of Atlantic has officially launched SeeClickFix, an app you can download to your mobile device to report issues such as debris in the road, junk piling up, or other eyesores and/or other matters, like pot holes. The program allows you to report issues that are routed instantly to the appropriate City personnel. You can then track the progress of your submission and receive feedback directly from City staff.

If you have not yet downloaded the SeeClickFix mobile app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store, you may do so at any time. You can also access the program directly from the City’s Website (coming soon). After you have SeeClickFix, comment or vote on an issue today! Don’t forget to share the news with your friends and neighbors.

Two people from Nebraska were arrested over the weekend in Mills County. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says 25-year old Taylor Joseph Hopkins, of Omaha, was arrested at around 10:37-p.m. Saturday for OWI/1st offense, following an accident investigation. Officials say Hopkins was traveling north on 221st Street when he came to a sharp corner. He told authorities he thought his 1998 Lexus was sliding in the turn before it went out of control, entered the west ditch and rolled over near Green Hill Farms. The car came to rest on its top. Hopkins denied being injured and refused medical treatment. Authorities say speed and alcohol impairment were the reasons for the crash. Hopkins admitted he had some mixed drinks earlier in the day, while attending a wedding. He was transported to the Mills County Jail where he was charged with OWI and Failure to Maintain Control. His bond was set at $1,000.

And, 20-year old Carolina Gallegos, of Omaha, was arrested at around 12:30-a.m. Sunday, of Possession of a Controlled Substance (PCS) and PCS in a Correctional Facility. She was being held in the Mills County Jail on $10,000 bond.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors continued today (Tuesday) with discussion about a possible ATV/UTV Ordinance. Their focus today was whether or not a fee should be assessed to register the machines, how much of a fee might be set, and what the money would be used for. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources requires new All Terrain and Utility Terrain Vehicle owners to register their machines with the County Recorder’s Office in the County where they are purchased, and the registration must be renewed annually. Both cost $17.75.

Cass County Recorder Mary Ward spoke with the Supervisors about whether they wanted an additional registration fee to be added specifically for the County. She says currently, Cass County only receives $1.25 out of the $17.75 for each registration that is processed and sticker that is handed out. Ward said some counties don’t have a special/additional fee, they just make sure the ATV/UTV owner/operator has a current registration sticker. Of those counties that do charge an additional fee to process the registration, it’s usually as much as $25.

Those fees are usually for producing another sticker and the time it takes to process them. Ward said they haven’t sold as many ATV/UTV stickers for the DNR as they used to. Part of that reason may be that people are paying online for their stickers. She said if the Board elected to impose another fee, it wouldn’t need to be anything more than $10. Cass County Auditor Dale Sundermen said the reason for a separate fee and registration would be so the Cass County Sheriff’s Office has ATV/UTV information on-hand for a variety of reasons, including making sure the machine is current on its license and registration, and that the operator is legally entitled to use it. That includes being insured.

No action was taken on an Ordinance during today’s (Tuesday’s) meeting. In other business, the Cass County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of a piece of equipment that mounts to a dump truck, and uses a hydraulic conveyor to place gravel on the county road shoulders where needed, to firm up the shoulders. It would make it safer for combines and other implements to move further off the side of the road, without risking a rollover accident. The device costs $18,500. Engineer Charles Bechtold said the device lays down the new material, and would replace an auger-driven machine that isn’t very accurate, and is problematic. The costs will come from the Secondary Roads budget.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — Organizers of a holiday donation drive in central Iowa say that after more than 60 years, this will be the charity’s final event because younger volunteers haven’t stepped up to take on the huge task. The Messenger reports that Operation Christmas in Fort Dodge is run by Church Women United. Program co-chair Ruth Reed says the group collects winter clothing, household items, Christmas decorations, personal hygiene products, toys, food and other gifts. The items are then given to needy families around Christmas time.

In recent years, about 500 families have been helped each year. Reed says she can’t continue running the operation, noting she’s now 81. The group will begin accepting donations on Nov. 14 and start taking applications from families on Nov. 27. Donations will be delivered Dec. 15.

Two people, a man and a woman were arrested at around 3-a.m. Monday, following a traffic stop near Yellowwood Road and 150th Street, in Audubon County.  The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports 32-year old Joseph Michael Billmeier, of Carroll, was arrested for Providing False Information to Law Enforcement, Driving While Suspended, Improper Use of Registration, No Insurance, and Open Container. His passenger, 35-year old Stacie Renae Schaefer, of Manilla, was arrested for Possession of Marijuana/3rd offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Both subjects were transported to the Audubon County Jail. Schaefer was released after appearing before the magistrate. Billmeier was being held in the jail on an outstanding warrant out of Johnson County. He was later released to the custody of Johnson County Deputies.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley says he sees no reason to delay next week’s Senate confirmation hearing for the northwest Iowan President Trump has appointed to be the U-S-D-A’s top science advisor. Sam Clovis worked on Trump’s presidential campaign for 15 months and The Washington Post reports Clovis was the “campaign supervisor” who urged a Trump campaign volunteer to meet with Russian officials. Grassley was asked this (Tuesday) morning if Clovis should withdraw as a nominee or delay the confirmation hearing. Grassley says, “Oh, gosh, I think it’s awful early for me to make a judgment about that from the standpoint that everything I’ve thought about Sam Clovis is his qualification for the job that the president appointed him to.”

Clovis, who ran for state treasurer in 2014 as a Republican, is now the White House liaison to the U-S-D-A. Clovis is scheduled to have his confirmation hearing before a Senate committee next week. Grassley says that process should move forward. “I’ve got great confidence in the special counsel approach and I’ll just let that work its way out,” Grassley says, “maybe not only on Sam Clovis, but on almost everything you might ask me about this.” Grassley told reporters in Washington, D.C. yesterday (Monday) that President Trump “should let the special counsel do his job.” Grassley indicates there’s no reason to cancel or delay Clovis’ hearing date but he’ll be following developments closely. “I think that one thing that would make a big difference to me is the extent to which Sam Clovis is committed to cooperating with the special counsel,” Grassley says.

Grassley issued a written statement on the special counsel’s investigation on Monday. Grassley said he and the other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will work “to ensure that the Justice Department and F-B-I are functioning free from inappropriate influence.”

(Radio Iowa)

The northwest Iowa who served as national co-chairman of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is reportedly the “campaign supervisor” who urged a Trump campaign volunteer to meet with Russian officials. Sam Clovis, a former Morningside College professor, was the host of a radio talk show in Sioux City. He ran as the Iowa G-O-P’s candidate for state treasurer in 2014 after losing to Joni Ernst in the U.S. Senate primary that spring. Clovis joined the Trump campaign payroll in August of 2015 and worked in Trump Tower after the Iowa Caucuses. The attorney Clovis has hired provided a statement to the Washington Post, saying Clovis was “being polite” when he told a Trump campaign foreign policy advisor in an email to “make the trip” to Russia “if it’s feasible.” That foreign policy advisor was George Papadopoulis. Yesterday the Special Counsel investigating Russian interference in the U.S. election revealed Papadopoulis had pleaded guilty to lying to the F-B-I. The attorney Clovis has retained told The Washington Post Clovis had no authority to prevent an American citizen from going to Russia, but the attorney says Clovis always maintained “no person could travel abroad as a representative of the campaign.”

Clovis is still part of the Trump team. He is currently the White House liaison to the U-S-D-A. He’s been nominated to be the U-S-D-A’s top science adviser and his confirmation hearing in a senate committee had been scheduled for next week. That hearing may be delayed or cancelled, though, as senators on the committee would likely ask Clovis about his role in the Trump campaign.

(Radio Iowa)