Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report a man wanted on a Cass County warrant for Driving While Suspended, was arrested early this (Thursday) morning, in Elliott. 25-year old Timothy Alan Brown, of Elliott, was arrested a little after midnight, and turned over to Cass County deputies. Brown was being held in the Cass County Jail on $300 bond.

Montgomery County Deputies report also, the arrest of 23-year old Dylan Keith Thessen, of Bellevue, NE.  Thessen was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond.

The leaders of Iowa’s largest businesses are optimistic about the state’s economy in the coming six months. That’s according to Elliott Smith, executive director of the Iowa Business Council, which conducts a quarterly survey of its members. “I think we’re seeing a nice, little bit of optimism expressed by business leaders,” Smith said. “All of our metrics moved forward in a positive way. Sales, capital spending, and employment all improved.”

The survey for the second quarter of 2016 shows 90-percent of the business CEOs expect steady or increased sales over the next six months and 95-percent anticipate steady or increased capital spending levels. All of the numbers improved compared to the I-B-C’s first quarter survey. “We’re glad after last quarter, when numbers dropped a little bit…that was an aberration instead of trend,” Smith said.

Eighty-five-percent of the business leaders expect hiring levels to remain steady or rise over the next six months. Smith says the next survey, three months from now, could be even better if things improve for businesses tied to agriculture. “The one sector that remains challenged, and it’s been that way for a number of quarters now, is the ag sector. We are seeing commodity prices starting to rise ever so slightly and hopefully that trend accelerates a little bit,” Smith said.

The IBC’s Overall Economic Outlook Survey Index for the second quarter rose to 62 — five points ahead of the first quarter (57) but five points behind this time last year (670). The Iowa Business Council is comprised of the top executives of over 20 of the largest businesses in the state, the three Regent university presidents, and the president and CEO of Iowa’s largest banking association.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Supreme Court is instituting a hiring freeze after approving a budget for the Judicial Branch for the new fiscal year that begins July 1st. Court spokesman Steve Davis says the nearly 179 million dollar budget approved for the courts is the same amount as last year, but does not include any money for the more than five million dollars in negotiated salary increases and health insurance costs. Davis says the hiring freeze will take care of some of the deficit.

“That’ll save about three-point-two million of the shortfall and then another 834-thousand savings is expected from keeping judicial vacancies open for about six months. And there will be additionally one-point-four million dollars in savings through reductions in travel, furniture purchases, office supplies and postage,” according to Davis. He says there are some 70 open positions in the court system right now that won’t be filled.

“It won’t be as noticeable as say a court closure day where the clerk’s office is close,” Davis says. “But there will still be less staff, and holding the jobs open won’t stop the work from coming into the courthouse.” Davis says the public will notice the difference.”It could cause delays, and there’ll be juvenile court officers who potentially will have less contact with the juveniles in most need of supervision, and the public will feel it that way,” Davis says. He says this year’s appropriation does not include a pay increase for judges, and says judges and magistrates have received one pay raise since 2008.

(Radio Iowa)

A traffic stop Wednesday afternoon in Page County led to the recovery of property stolen from various locations in Clarinda. The Page County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy stopped a vehicle driven by 25-year old Keith James Land, of Yorktown, at around 1-p.m., in Clarinda. Land was subsequently arrested for driving while barred. He was transported to the Page County Jail, and held on $2,000 bond.

Keith James Land

During the arrest of Land, stolen property was found in the vehicle. The property was from a burglary that occurred in the city of Clarinda, in the last week. The Page County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Land’s residence 301 Jefferson in Yorktown, during which more stolen property was located and seized.

The Page County Sheriff’s Department worked together with the Clarinda Police Department in solving the crime. More charges are pending against Land. Authorities say anyone with information about the burglary is asked to contact the Clarinda Police Department 712-542-2194 or the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 712-542-5193.