GLENWOOD, Iowa (AP) – State auditors say a former county official in western Iowa for years embezzled fees paid by residents renewing their vehicle registration. A report released Friday blames former Mills County Treasurer’s Office employee Tammy Gammon for taking $36,000 that should have been collected for government services.  The report says the theft dated back to 2005 and included more than 180 transactions. Auditors say Gammon would enter the vehicle registration information into a state database but later void the transactions and pocket the fees.  County Attorney Eric Hansen says the case is troubling because Gammon was hired in 2003 to replace another employee convicted of embezzlement. He says he’ll charge Gammon later Friday with ongoing criminal conduct, first-degree theft, misconduct in office and forgery.

A military funeral at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery this (Friday) afternoon will honor and lay to final rest the remains of 19 veterans and two of their spouses. The cremated remains had gone unclaimed by family members for years. The nationwide “Missing in America Project” arranged to have the remains properly buried after finding them at a Des Moines funeral home. Bill Lauchlan is the group’s Iowa coordinator. “We are going to honor these veterans in a way they should have been honored when they died, with a military funeral, military honors, give them the honor and dignity that we all were promised when we joined the service,” Lauchlan says. 

Those being honored today served in four wars, going back to World War one, and include eight Iowans from Ames, West Des Moines, Marshalltown, Traer, Guthrie Center, and Council Bluffs. Lauchlan says the group launched the nationwide project in 2007.  “We’re doing this in every state and we’re locating thousands of veterans who have been unclaimed, forgotten, sitting on shelves. Last year they buried six Civil War veterans in Missouri, so they’re there, and we just have to find them,” Lauchlan says.

Today’s ceremony is at two p-m. The Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Van Meter assisted with the interment of seven veterans in another ceremony back in 2009. For information on the Missing in America Project, visit their website at: www.miap.us.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday), appointed Kenny Harrison, to the Cass County Commission of Veterans Affairs. The Board had been set to appoint Steve Livengood, of Atlantic, to the post, but Supervisor Frank Waters mentioned Harrison’s interest in serving on the Commission. Livengood said he considered serving on the post to be “A duty,” but if someone else is willing to step forward to serve and “Get the duty done,” he wouldn’t object. The Supervisors appointed Harrison in an attempt to better balance persons in the County serving on Boards. Supervisor Chuck Rieken said a balance in representing other areas of the County is important, as is meeting the mandatory Gender Balancing as set forth by the State of Iowa. Rieken said Livengood is more than qualified to serve on the Commission, and he thanked him for his past service to our veterans. 

In other business, the Cass County Board of Supervisors approved a Resolution to approve the appointment of Audubon County Attorney Francine Andersen, as Deputy County Attorney for Cass County, during times when Attorney Dan Feistner is absent, or when a case presents a conflict of interest. Feistner said he and Andersen have a good working relationship, as these types of arrangements are not unusual between County Attorneys.

A local organization has been busy distributing funds to non-profit groups and organizations.

Chris Jimerson of the Atlantic Little League is receiving $500.00 (Photo courtesy Melanie Petty)

Melanie Petty, with the Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund, says they recently gave $200 to the Friends of Lake Anita group, for the annual fishing clinic held each week in June, $500 to the Atlantic Little League organization, to assist with coaching fees related to the Trevor Frederickson Baseball/Softball Clinics which are held each Spring, and $250 to the Cass County Fair Board, to help sponsor the Bull Ride at this year’s Cass County Fair. 

Josh Peach, representing the Friends of Lake Anita, is shown receiving $200.00

The Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund has donated over $35,000 back into the community in the past three-years.  The fund’s only fundraiser is the annual TFred Memorial Golf Tournament held each August.  This year’s tournament will be held on August 11^th at the Nishna Hills Golf Club.  Petty says they are still actively looking for hole sponsorships and silent auction items.

Shane Smith of the Cass County Fair Board is shown receiving $250.00

Contact Melanie Petty at 249-3696 if you are interested in help out.  Trevor, a 2006 graduate of Atlantic High School lost his life in an apartment fire in 2009.