A traffic stop at around 9:50-p.m. Wednesday in Clarinda, resulted in the arrest of a local man on drug charges. Officers arrested 47-year old Charles Thomas Harmsen, of Clarinda, after discovering drugs in a vehicle being operated by Harmsen during a traffic stop at 22nd & State Street. Harmsen was arrested for driving on a suspended license, possession of methamphetamine and possession of marijuana. Harmsen is currently being held in the Page County Jail on $2,500 bail.

Police reports have been submitted to the offices of Page County Attorney Carl M. Sonksen for review regarding the filing of formal charges.

Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones and the City Council, Wednesday evening, commended a group of young ladies for their volunteer efforts during the Veteran’s Day meal last Saturday.

(He said while he was out at Hy-Vee, they did a great job serving Veterans. The same was said for the event held last Friday at the Middle School.))

Atlantic Girl Scouts appear before the City Council (11/15/17)

Their initiative was part of “Operation Barnabus,” and was just one of many ways they continue to serve the community.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The city of West Des Moines has paid $450,000 to a man who spent more than 10 days in jail charged for a sex abuse crime he didn’t commit. The Des Moines Register reports that the city reached the settlement with Matthew Rodrigues in August. As part of the agreement, the city says Rodrigues was arrested “due to a case of mistaken identity.”

Police were called to a motel on April 29 after a woman reported being sexually assaulted in her room. Rodrigues says he was arrested simply for being at the motel and having darker skin, like the assailant. Rodrigues was held in jail until May 9, when another man, Salvador Junior Pineda, was arrested and charged. Pineda is now serving a seven-year prison sentence for the assault.

ALTA VISTA, Iowa (AP) — Trial has been set for next year for the father of a 4-month-old baby whose maggot-infested body was found in a swing in his family’s Alta Vista home. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that trial for 28-year-old Zachary Paul Koehn has been scheduled for Jan. 3 in Chickasaw County. Koehn and 20-year-old Cheyanne Renae Harris, both of Alta Vista, have each pleaded not guilty to child endangerment and first-degree murder charges in the death of their son, Sterling Koehn.

Authorities say deputies and medics called to the couple’s apartment on Aug. 30 found Sterling dead in the swing. A medical examiner found maggots in his clothing and skin that indicated he hadn’t had a diaper change, bath or been removed from the seat in over a week.

Iowa smokers are being urged to try and quit just for today (Thursday) as part of the 40th annual Great American Smokeout, in hopes they may be able to quit for a week, for a month, and for good. Brian Ortner, a spokesman for the American Cancer Society, says giving up cigarettes and other tobacco products can bring almost immediate results, in addition to the long-term improvements in health. “Within 20 minutes, there’s benefits to their body,” Ortner says. “Their heart rate and their blood pressure drop, which is a great thing and it keeps going as you continue without that cigarette or that tobacco, the positives that happen.” It’s often helpful for smokers to tell those around them they’re trying to quit but he says the important thing is to make an effort. Ortner says, “One of the keys to quitting the habit of smoking tobacco or even chewing tobacco is finding a date or making a plan that fits your need.”

If today isn’t “the” day, he suggests setting a date to quit and sticking to it. Ortner says he quit on Christmas Eve nine years ago and remains a non-smoker. The Smokeout effort began as a statewide initiative in California in 1976 and went nationwide the following year and Ortner says we’ve seen four decades of progress. “There’s been dramatic changes, obviously, in the way the public views tobacco advertising and its use,” Ortner says. “Now, many places are smoke-free because of the efforts of this campaign and others across the country.”

Lung cancer is Iowa’s top cancer killer. There were more than 2,400 new lung cancer cases diagnosed in Iowa last year and nearly 1,800 deaths.  More info. online at: www.cancer.org/smokeout

(Radio Iowa)

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling nearly 49,000 trucks worldwide to fix a fuel tank problem that increases the risk of a fire. The recall covers Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 3500 trucks from 2011 through 2015 with two fuel tanks. Documents posted Thursday by the U.S. government say that the low-fuel-level sensor in the front tank can stick, causing the rear tank to over-fill the front tank. That can make the front tank expand and touch the drive shaft, possibly causing a hole and a fuel leak.

GM says it has no reports of fires or injuries from the problem. Dealers will replace the rear tank fuel pump, update software and inspect the front tank. Owners will be notified starting Dec. 18 with parts available for repairs in February.