WASHINGTON (AP) – The Food and Drug Administration says a Mexico farm linked to an outbreak of severe stomach illnesses in two states can resume operations because no food safety violations have been found there. The number of people sickened around the country has topped 600.

The FDA said Tuesday that Taylor Farms de Mexico could resume operations after investigators found conditions there “in accordance with known food safety protocols.” The firm shut down voluntarily after its salad mix served at Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants was linked to 242 cyclospora infections in Nebraska and Iowa. Similar illnesses in 20 other states were never definitively linked to the farm.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is working with Texas to try and discover the source of more than 250 cyclospora infections there.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest today (Tuesday), of 28-year old Joshua Dean Cooney, of Villisca. Cooney was taken into custody at around 9:30-a.m. on a Montgomery County warrant for Failure to Appear on an original charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance. He was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail, with a bail forfeiture hearing slated for September 9th.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest this (Tuesday) morning, of an Underwood man on alcohol-related charges. 29-year old Luke Michael Larson was arrested following a traffic stop on Interstate 29 near mile marker 37, at around 6:15-a.m. Larson was charged with OWI/2nd offense. His bond was set at $2,000.

Monday evening, Mills County deputies arrested 28-year old Brett Allen Coyle, of Glenwood, for allegedly violating  a protective order, and on a warrant out of Pottawattamie County for Failure to Appear. His bond was set at $5,200.

The Audubon City Council, Monday evening, tentatively set September 9th at 7-p.m. as the date and time for a public hearing on the sale of a City owned vacant lot, and decided to add more properties to the sale. City Clerk Lora Hansen told KJAN news the lots are located at 202 Washington Street, one at the corner of Broadway and Pacific, another lot on Pacific, and one on south Golden Street.

The Council also approved a request from the Audubon High School Student Senate for the September 27th Homecoming Parade route, which is the same as it was last year. And, they heard from resident Paul Walther, with regard to the trimming of trees by volunteers. Hansen says during a previous  meeting, the Council decided against have volunteers trim trees because of liability issues.

Walther is one of the persons who has traditionally volunteered to trim trees. Walther asked if he could get rid of volunteer trees which have emerged in the prairie area of Bluegrass Park, but that falls under the control of the Parks and Recreation Board. Hansen said Walther will be placed on the agenda for the next meeting of the Board, where the matter will come up for further discussion.

The Council also discussed, but took no action on a request for the installation of a sidewalk. Hansen said recent outside remodeling efforts at the grade school included removing the old playground and installing a new one, as well as new fencing. On the west side of the fence, a sidewalk was installed that reaches a dead-end.

The City was asked to finish the sidewalk, but because it would be placed on private property, is not the City’s responsibility. And, since a side walk is already located on the other side of the street, Hansen says the City cannot require the property owners on the dead-end side to install a walkway.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports 7 arrests over the past week. Last Thursday, 53-year old Daniel Joseph Camerlinck, of Thurman, was arrested on a charge of Criminal Mischief in the 5th degree. On Wednesday, 27-year old Benjamin Wayne McQueen, of Farragut, was arrested for 2nd degree Theft.

On Tuesday (8/20), 23-year old Sierra Lucinda Dragoo, of Tabor, was arrested on a Pottawattamie County warrant after she failed to appear for her arraignment hearing on an original Possession of a Controlled Substance charge. She has plead not guilty and posted a $5,000 bond. Trial is set to begin on September 4th. Also arrested August 20th, was 46-year old Deborah Anne Dovel, of Northboro. She was charged with Driving Under Suspension.

51-year old Timothy Allen Cook, of Hamburg, was arrested Aug. 19th, for Driving Under Suspension. That same day, 22-year old Matthew John Mabe, of Malvern, was arrested for Possession of drug paraphernalia and having no insurance, and, 41-year old Darren Barclay Young, of Tabor, was arrested on a Mills County warrant for Failure to Appear on an original charge of Driving While license denied or revoked. He later posted a $2,000 bond

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The state is offering a one-time deal to people who have been dodging Iowa taxes on motor homes.  The Des Moines Register says the offer includes paying the initial registration fee of 5 percent of the purchase price and a penalty of 10 percent of the fee.  If the tax evaders don’t do that by Oct. 23, they could face fraud charges and fines equal to 75 percent of the fee that was evaded.

A law passes this past spring is aimed at keeping Iowans from registering luxury motor homes in Montana, where out-of-state residents legally can set up a shell company and register a motor home there. Montana doesn’t charge general sales taxes.