Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman says Gronewold, Bell, Kyhnn & Co. P.C. CPA’s have released an audit report on Cass County. The report shows the County had local tax revenue of $27,373,415 (just over $27.37-million) for the year ended June 30, 2015, which included $1,883,681 (in excess of $1.88-million) in tax credits from the state.

The County forwarded $19,742,372 (over $19.7-million) of the local tax revenue to the townships, school districts, cities and other taxing bodies in the County. The County retained $7,631,043 (a little more than $7.6-million) of the local tax revenue to finance County operations, a 10-percent increase from the prior year.

Other revenues included $5,998,610 (nearly $5.6-million) from the state, including indirect federal funding of $2,211,102, ($2.2-million) charges for service of $342,440, and $206,426 for the use of money and property. Expenditures for County operations totaled $14,886,048 (almost $14.89-million), a 2.9 percent increase from the prior year. Expenses included $4,287,370 (nearly $4.3-million) for roads and transportation, $1,692,259 ($1.69-million) for mental health, $2,411,136 ($2.41-million) for public safety and legal services, $1,166,542 (nearly $1.17-million) for capital projects, and $1,291,705 (slightly more than $1.29-million) for administrative services.

A copy of the audit report is available for review in the office of the Auditor of State and the County Auditor’s office.

ANAMOSA, Iowa (AP) — A 71-year-old inmate serving time at a maximum-security prison in Iowa has died of natural causes. The Iowa Department of Corrections says Carroll Duane Calhoun died Monday while in hospice care. Calhoun died of natural causes due to the final stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Hospice workers found that Calhoun had stopped breathing and officials with the Jones County Coroner’s Office later pronounced him dead.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections report an inmate who escaped from a Council Bluffs Work Release Facility over the weekend, was taken into custody today (Tuesday). 58-year-old Michael Rae was arrested in Carter Lake. He’d been reported missing on Saturday. Rae was brought to the Pottawattamie County Jail and held.

Rae was serving a 10-year sentence for second degree robbery when he absconded from work release.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa lawmakers have reached a compromise over how much the state should spend on additional funding for K-12 education for the upcoming fiscal year. Lawmakers from the Democratic-majority Senate and Republican-controlled House voted in a special committee Tuesday for legislation that would increase spending for K-12 schools by 2.25 percent for the next academic year.

A man from Cass County was sentenced Monday to prison, for violating the terms of his probation associated with a guilty plea on a drug charge. 37-year old Joshua James Mullen, of Atlantic, will serve a term of imprisonment not to exceed 30-years, at the Iowa Medical Classification Center in Oakdale.

Mullen was originally sentenced to 30-years in prison in July, 2014, after he plead guilty to Manufacturing a Controlled Substance/2^nd or Subsequent Offense. He was subsequently placed on a formal probation for two-years, but that was later revoked after he repeatedly violated the terms of his probation. Mullen appealed, but lost. His original sentence was then reinstated.

One person was killed, two other were injured during a head-on collision Tuesday morning in Crawford County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a passenger in vehicles, 61-year old Asuncion Guzman Ramos, of Denison, who was not wearing a seat belt, was flown by LifeNet helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where she later died.

Two other women, 30-year old Naomi Rachelle Zavala, and 46-year old Michaela Sanchez, both of Denison, were injured and transported by ambulance to the Crawford County Hospital. The Patrol says both were wearing their seat belts.

The accident happened at around 6:15-a.m. on Highway 59, about one-third of a mile north of Highway 141 east, south of Denison. Officials say a 2003 Suzuki Vitara driven by 28-year old Ruben Ramirez, of Omaha, was traveling north on Highway 59, when the vehicle went off the road onto the east side gravel shoulder. The car came back onto the road and crossed the center line into oncoming traffic, hitting a 2003 Oldsmobile Alero, head-on. The driver of that vehicle was identified as 41-year old Marilu Nava, of Denison.

The Suzuki then rolled onto its passenger side and came to rest on the road. The Oldsmobile came to rest in the west ditch.

An investigation to a reported fight-in-progress Monday morning in Guthrie Center, led to one person being arrested on several charges, including those related to illegal drug activity. Guthrie County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the scene in the 300th block of Prairie Street in Guthrie Center at around 10:10-a.m., Monday.

Following an investigation, Rick A. Berrigan, of Guthrie Center, was arrested for Disorderly Conduct and Witness Tampering. While booking Berrigan into the jail, a small amount of marijuana was located on Berrigan. He was subsequently charged with Introduction of Contraband Into a Detention Facility and Possession of Marijuana 1st Offense.

A search warrant executed at Berrigan’s residence at 303 Park Ave., resulted in additionally charges that include Possession of Marijuana 1st Offense, Possession of Methamphetamine 1st Offense and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Berrigan appeared before the Guthrie County Magistrate on March 22nd and was ordered held on $500 bond. He later posted bond and was released.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Democratic-controlled Senate has passed a bill that would allow a person to carry a loaded firearm while operating or riding a snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle. The Senate voted 43-4 Tuesday in support of the legislation, which would allow such a person to carry a loaded firearm whether it’s concealed or not. The Senate added additional language that would create rules for gun owners who are on their private land and those who are not on such property.

The Republican-majority House passed the bill 78-20 in February. The changes in the Senate mean the legislation will be sent back to the House before it can reach Gov. Terry Branstad’s desk. The legislation is one of several gun bills under consideration this session.

Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green, today (Tuesday), wants citizens of the community to be aware that last week’s test of the Outdoor Warning System (Tornado sirens) resulted in the discovery that one of the sirens, located in the area of 5th and Spruce Streets, was not working. Green says repairing the siren is not possible due to the age of the siren and parts no longer being available.

A new siren has been ordered, but it’s not expected to arrive for at least eight-weeks, due to the volume of sirens typically ordered at this time of year from communities across the country.

Between now and the time the replacement siren arrives, Green says authorities want the public to be aware of the options they have with regard to staying safe in an emergency:

1. If you have computer access, navigate to the Cass County home page on the web (www.atlanticiowa.com/county). Near the bottom of the page is a link entitled ALERT IOWA. Click on the link and follow the instructions to sign-up for emergency alerts on your phone (land-line) or cell phone. You can also elect to receive text messages, depending on the option you choose.
2. For smartphone users, there is an app distributed by the Red Cross that alerts you to warnings issued by the National Weather Service for the Atlantic Zip Code. The app also has other important uses in case of a Tornado Emergency. This app is free, and you can find it by going to your App Store and searching for American Red Cross Tornado.

Finally, in the event of a true emergency, Atlantic Police will have an officer in the area with instructions to run his or her cruiser siren in conjunction with the other emergency sirens in town. The Police Department will NOT, however, be running the Police Siren for weekly drills or for the Statewide Tornado Drill, on Thursday.