The Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency is offering a FEMA course called Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) on Saturday from 9 AM to 1 PM at the Fire Training Center in Council Bluffs at 3405 South 11^th St.  CERT was started in 2003 by the Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency.  Pottawattamie Emergency Management Office Specialist Eva Fisher says they have a class every 1-2 years that teach disaster preparedness for individuals.  She says they keep a database with volunteers and train 15-20 people each 20 hour class.  Last year they helped in the EOC with phones because of the flood.

Iowa Farm Service Agency State Executive Director John R. Whitaker announced that preparations are being made to issue Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Direct and Counter Cyclical Program (DCP) payments.   The annual rental payments for CRP and the direct payments for DCP, are generally made in October and will begin after FSA receives the authorization to issue payments.

“Payments are considered timely when they are issued within 30 days of the authorized date,” said Whitaker. “Many people are not aware of the amount of work that goes into ensuring the payment process goes smoothly.  Our offices know in years such as this, these funds support the agricultural economy and responsible stewardship of America’s production acreage.”

Many variables will go into this year’s payment process.  “Producers who were part of the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) review may need to file these and others forms before payments can be issued,” added Whitaker.   While the AGI review is one example of how payments are affected, producers who signed up for emergency haying and grazing will see their annual payment reduced by the acreage that was hayed or grazed, if this was not prepaid.

Whitaker added that, producers who are affected by office consolidations should not see payments delayed due to this reason alone. “Our agency has taken steps to ensure that these payments will be generated at the same time that the rest of the state’s payments are issued.”

Iowa producers hold over 106,000 CRP contracts and approximately 154,000 DCP contacts in the state.

For more information on CRP, DCP, or other programs administered by FSA, contact your local FSA office or visit FSA’s Website at www.fsa.usda.gov/ia

–FSA Press Release

A New Market man was injured in a two vehicle crash Monday afternoon near Clarinda.

Shortly before 6 PM, the Page County Sheriff’s Office reports that 33-year-old Amy Wilmes of New Market was driving a 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan eastbound on Tahoe place, turning onto 210^th Street, which is a gravel road.  A 2000 Buick Lesabre, driven by 19-year-old Christian Nook of New Market was westbound on Tahoe Place.  Wilmes turned in front of Nook causing both vehicles to collide.  Prior to the crash another vehicle had just turned, causing dust to be blown from the gravel road.

Nook was transported to the Clarinda Regional Health Center by Clarinda EMS with unknown injuries.  Both vehicles sustained heavy damage from the collision.

A Villisca teenager faces an assault charge after an incident at Villisca junior high on Tuesday.

At about noon, a 14-year-old boy was arrested by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office after he allegedly assaulted a 12-year-old student at Villisca junior high.  The teen was charged with simple assault and released to a parent.

One woman and her three passengers were injured in a single vehicle accident in Fremont County Tuesday afternoon.

At about 2 PM, a 1995 Toyota Camry driven by 68-year-old Bettye Brown of Omaha was southbound in the right lane on on I-29 at mile marker five near Hamburg.  Brown drifted to the left lane and over corrected causing her to lose control of her Camry.  Brown’s Camry went off the road into the west ditch and rolled several times.  She was ejected from the vehicle.

Brown was air lifted by life net helicopter to Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha with non life threatening injuries .  Three other passengers in Brown’s vehicle were transported to Grape Community Hospital in Hamburg with non life threatenining injuries.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A Cedar Rapids man has been indicted on charges of a false Hepatitis B claim to FDA investigators. Luke Truesdell made his initial court appearance today and was released on bond. Authorities say he falsely told FDA investigators that a Hepatitis B carrier had bled into batches of a consumer product made by his former employer.

CENTERVILLE, Iowa (AP) – A fire has consumed one business in the Centerville town square and extensively damaged two others. Eyewitnesses said thick black smoke and flames could be seen 10 to 15 feet in the air after yesterday’s fire. The Centerville Fire Department sought help from six surrounding departments.

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Federal lawmakers from Iowa and other states along the Mississippi River are pressing to modernize the waterway’s system of locks and dams. They say upgrades are badly needed to handle barges that have gotten bigger over time. The busiest lock on the river — near St. Louis — was closed last week for emergency repairs.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A judge has ordered a survey of jurors to determine if pretrial publicity has made them too biased to decide the drug and assault charges against the father of one of two missing Iowa girls. The results will determine whether Daniel Morrissey can receive a fair trial in Black Hawk County. Morrissey is the father of Lyric Cook, who disappeared with her cousin, Elizabeth Collins.