The Harlan Municipal Utilities, Thursday, approved another change order to the new Water Treatment Plant. In a regular board meeting, the HMU board heard from Dale Sorensen of Veenstra and Kimm, Inc. on the change order and complete schedule. The change order had four additions and four subtractions amounting to an increase in the contract by slightly more than $15,340. With regard to the completion schedule, Sorenson told the board the contractors are a little behind schedule, but are doing great work. He said the Water Treatment Plant was originally scheduled to be up and running by June 19th, 2013. However, the start-up date has been moved to June 24th and the project completion is July 15th.

Sorensen said even after the completion, they will still need to work the bugs out. He said “Basically the plant will be automated. There are always bugs in the programming. Once we get the plant running in hand then switch over to automatic and what happens we have some problems. What I’ve experience it takes about 6 months to get the wrinkles out of it.”

The board did mention the contractor could face some liquidated damage penalties but those are unlikely to be charged by HMU. In other business, CEO Darrel Wenzel reported to the board on the new Collective bargaining agreement. He said the contract was a fair outcome. The new contract had very minimal changes to it including salary wages. Wenzel again mentioned the possibility of drought conditions at the water wells.

Officials at HMU recently took a lot at 3 of the wells and compared them to the drought in 2002. Wernzel said “In 2002, well number 2 was down 26 feet. Currently well number 2 is at 24 feet 9 inches. So we are 1 foot one inch above what we were in 2002. We are sitting pretty well. Well #3 was at 23 feet 2 inches, currently it’s at 22 feet. Well #4 the water was at 23 feet 6 inches. Currently the well is at 21 feet 8 inches.”

No board action was taken but Wenzel did say HMU is monitoring the situation every week.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says two men were arrested early this (Friday) morning, following a chase that began near Neola. 31-year old Jeffrey A. Haines, of Council Bluffs, and 40-year old Allen S. Belback, of Neola, were taken into custody and charged with Possession of a Stolen Vehicle. Haines, who was identified as the driver of the vehicle, was also charged with Eluding and Reckless Driving, while Belback, who was a passenger, faces an additional charge of Interference with Official Acts.

Authorities say at around 1:50-a.m., a deputy on patrol noticed a vehicle at the Kum and Go Store at 298th and Sycamore Road in Neola. He also observed the driver was acting suspiciously. When he ran the vehicles’ license plate through the communications center, the deputy was informed the plate did not match the vehicle’s description.

The deputy attempted to stop the vehicle, but it took off northbound on 285th Street, with speeds reaching 80-miles per hour as it entered the City of Neola. As the vehicle was pursued through town, the driver attempted to elude officers by driving through a back yard of a residence at 407 Bardsley, but the vehicle became stuck in the snow.

A short foot pursuit began, with both suspects being taken into custody.

Officials with the Cass and Audubon County Sheriff’s Offices are asking for the public’s help in their investigation of a couple of burglaries. The incidents occurred Thursday, Feb. 28th, during the daylight hours. Both took place at residences located within about one-mile off of Highway 148, between Exira and Massena. Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren told KJAN News an inventory of what was stolen was not immediately available, but there’s generally a common theme. He says they’re usually after TV’s and jewelry.

McLaren said they really don’t have a whole lot of information to go on right now. He says if you have had contact with anyone asking for help or directions at their residence on Thursday, please call the Audubon or Cass County Sheriff’s Office. McLaren says it’s hard for authorities to believe the thieves stopped at both residences, and no one was home. He says “We’ve gotta think they’re knocking, asking for stupid directions,” or some stupid ploy, like asking for a pond the person could fish in. He said they will break into a home if no one answers the door. If they are home, they will come up with a nonsensical excuse for knocking on the door.

A bill discussed at the statehouse Thursday would set new sentencing guidelines for juveniles convicted of first degree murder. It’s in reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in June that mandatory life sentences without parole are unconstitutional for those who committed first degree murder as juveniles. Elizabeth Reynoldson is with the Iowa Bar Association, which drafted a bill that would give district courts two options.  “Sentence a juvenile to either life without the possibility of parole or life with the possibility of parole after serving 45 years,” Reynoldson said. The Association of County Attorneys is also behind the bill. Supporter say it gives the courts two clear options. Representative Mary Wolfe, a Democrat from Clinton, was the only one of the three representatives at Thursday’s hearing who voted against moving the bill forward.

“Juveniles have not had the opportunity to actually form into whatever adult it is that they’ll be,” Wolfe said. Wolfe is especially concerned that the measure gives the courts the option to still sentence juvenile to life without parole. Under the Supreme Court ruling, Wolfe believes life without parole should be rare. “They’re so bad that it’s clear that this person…they’ll never be able to be rehabilitated,” Wolfe explained. Deputy Attorney General Thomas Miller said he appreciates hearing from those who know the criminals serving time, but he added there is voice missing at the table.

“I’ve been involved in a number of these cases, and I’ve maintained contact with the surviving relatives of murder victims and one of the things that affects them the most adversely is the lack of finality they see in our criminal justice system,” Miller said. The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee expects the bill to eventually make it out of the full Iowa House. A bill in the Senate would allow parole after 25 years. Back in July, Governor Branstad commuted the punishment of 38 inmates to 60 years in reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Critics say that still amounts to life in prison.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa Gov. Branstad today (Friday) announced his appointments to fill Iowa’s boards and commissions. The appointees’ term begins on May 1st, 2013.

Among the appointees from western Iowa, is:

(Board or Commission and area appointee)….

Early Childhood Iowa State Board

Tracy Erlandson, Onawa

Economic Development Authority

Theodore Crosbie, Earlham

Iowa Great Places Advisory Board

Barbara Determann, Early

Massage Therapy Board

Christina Michael, Earlham

Mental Health and Disability Services Commission

Richard Crouch, Malvern

Mental Health Risk Pool Board

Eugene Meiners, Templeton

Natural Resources Commission

Phyllis Reimer, Crescent

Board of Nursing Home Administrators

Karol Dammann, Manning

Board of Podiatry

Denise Mandi, Winterset

School Budget Review Committee

Gina Primmer, Council Bluffs

The Audubon County Community Foundation is issuing a reminder to students, that the deadline for submitting applications for the Exira Lions Club/Harold and Beverly Ann Godwin Endowed Scholarship is March 31^st.  The Fund will award one scholarship for $1,000 and is open to any high school senior from the Exira-EHK School District pursuing a two or four year degree, full-time, at any accredited vocational/technical or educational institution or a college or university.

Applicants are asked to complete the application form; submit a copy of your current transcripts as directed in the scholarship’s fact sheet.  Scholarship applications are available from your guidance counselor.

Officials with the Cass County Community Foundation have announced that applications are currently being accepted for the Dustin McCurdy Endowed Scholarship Fund.  The McCurdy Scholarship provides two scholarships of approximately $500 each to high school seniors from Cumberland Anita Massena High School (C-A-M).

Applications are available from your high school guidance counselor.  Applications are due to your guidance counselor no later than March 31^st.   The scholarship was created to honor the memory of Dustin McCurdy, a Broadcasting major who died from cardiac arhythmia due to an overwhelming viral infection in January 2001, during his Senior year, while attending college at Northwest Missouri State University, in Maryville.