Cass County Youth Coordinator Shelby Williams said today (Friday), “Cass County 4-H Clubs would like to invite the public to attend their annual 4-H Mardi Gras carnival on Sunday, March 5th.”  Williams said also “Mardi Gras includes fun, food, & carnival-type games for kids of all ages. The event is scheduled from 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic. We are so excited to offer many activities for families.”

Activities this year include: Family Mardi Gras Photo Booth, Ring Toss, Dessert Walk, Sponge Throw, the ever popular Youth Council Mardi Gras Jail, Bucket Pong, boot toss and much more! Several clubs will also be selling snacks for attendees to enjoy, including a Walking Taco Stand, cookie decorating station and pop floats to go.

The Youth Action Committee and Youth Council are sponsoring this county-wide event and would like to invite all Cass County families to come out and join the fun. It is intended to be a low cost, family-friendly event for everyone in the county. Williams stresses that “You don’t have to be in 4-H to attend. “all are welcome!”

Admission is $.50 a person and tickets cost $.10 each. Each 4-H club determines how many tickets to charge to play their game. All proceeds from this event go to the 4-H clubs, Youth Council, and the Cass County 4-H Program.

(Update 12:20-p.m.) Two men from Union County were arrested late Thursday night on drug charges. Creston Police say 22-year old Danny Eltino Guzman and 19-year old Norskuski Philanda Rivers, Jr., both of Creston, were taken into custody at around 10:20-p.m. The pair were arrested after officers were called to 1000 W. Montgomery in Creston, for a report of possible drug activity at that location. After gaining entry into the home, authorities found a large quantity of marijuana and cash, in plain view. They seized approximately 246 grams of marijuana and $2,515 in cash.

Guzman and Rivers, Jr. face a charge of Possession with the Intent to Deliver/Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp. Guzman faces an additional charge of Interference with Official Acts. Both men were being held in the Union County Jail on $5,000 bond, each.

A state audit shows a former employee of the Iowa Veterans Home (IVH) in Marshalltown is blamed for the disappearance of hundreds of dollars in popcorn sales. Angie Snyder resigned from the I-V-H in July of last year, shortly after being placed on administrative leave when it was discovered money from popcorn sales had not been deposited for nearly two-and-a-half years. State Auditor Mary Mosiman says Snyder failed to keep any records of the deposits she claimed she made.

“Our report identified an estimated $1,800 of popcorn sales which were not properly deposited during this former administrative assistant’s employment,” Mosiman says. The $1,800 estimate is based on previous sales prior to Snyder’s appointment to the job in October 2014. Mosiman says it’s possible even more money and gifts went missing during Snyder’s time at the I-V-H. “A number of the other collections and donations — such as gift cards, phone cards, and stamps — were not properly safeguarded and were therefore susceptible to loss. Because sufficient records were not available, it was not possible to determine if these types of items were handled improperly for personal purposes,” Mosiman says.

The auditor’s report has been shared with Marshalltown Police, the Iowa DCI, the Marshall County Attorney’s Office, and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. The Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown has roughly 565 residents and 965 employees, according the IVH website.

(Radio Iowa)