Four Harlan Firefighters returned home this week following a deployment to Idaho to help battle wild fires. Jason Wickizer, Shelby County Emergency Management Operations Officer, said a crew of 4 firefighters, including himself, was called by the forester in Idaho to help with some local fires. He says before reaching Idaho, the crew saw action in Utah at a fire called the Millville fire. “Once we went there, they broke us away and sent us over to Idaho for a fire. We started our travel on the 11^th of August and headed to Idaho and we assisted with the initial suppression of the Placer fire that was threatening Idaho City.”

He says the area they were had seen major damage from past fires. “We could see fire scars that took 45 minutes to drive through where you could see no living trees in both directions to the horizon. So hundreds of thousands of acres of trees gone from past fires.”

Along with Wickizer, Harlan Firefighters Chad Kroger, Brent Kiesel went out to Idaho and Andrea Syrstad was deployed to Alaska to work on fires as a paramedic. Wickizer says all the members who were deployed had the same training except Syrstad has paramedic training. “She has responded out as a paramedic twice and then she went out and assisted on Hurricane Sandy as a type two firefighter. Yes she has those paramedic skills and there sought after.”

He says one other member of the Harlan Fire Department is still out on deployment. “That’s Jordan Saunders and he is out in Montana for a fire. He is qualified as a fire fighter one trainee. He was working with a sawyer, so using a chainsaw and falling trees on a fire for a twenty person type 2 IA crew out there.”

Wickizer said the lack of communication; clean clothes and missing his family are the most difficult things while out on the mission. All the firefighters out on deployment are gaining quite the experience which he says really benefits the department when they return. “So when you look at the experiences they get, if we are ever caught off or deal with a devastating event, these folks will have experience in something similar and put those skills to use to benefit the residents of Shelby County.”

Wickizer’s crew, minus Saunders, was out west for 18 days.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

A North Sioux City company that provides customer management and financial services to clients is adding 75 new jobs. Alorica site director, Mike Freeman, says the new employees need to have light computer skills. “They are not technical in nature, really geared toward accuracy and attention to detail, and great customer service,” Freeman says. Alorica already employs 700 people and would like to grow that number to one-thousand. Freeman says the new jobs will get them closer to their goal.

He says the area is seeing a lot of good expansion and they are happy to be able to add to that. People interested in the jobs can stop by the company, or go on-line to Aloricajobs.com.

(Radio Iowa)

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Wednesday of 53-year old Mark Daniel Dormer, of Audubon. Dormer turned himself-in to authorities, after a warrant was issued for his arrest in connection with an incident which occurred at the Audubon County Jail on August 4th. Dormer was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, 3rd offense, and 2 counts of Possessing Contraband. He was released after posting bond, and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 9th.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports four people were arrested over the past week and a-half. On Tuesday (Aug. 27th), 26-year old Ashley Renee Dewitt, of Casey, was arrested after she turned herself in to the Cass County Jail on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Dewitt was released later that day on $1000 bond.

On Sunday (Aug. 25th), deputies arrested 23-year old Shane Michael Suhr, of Anita,  on charges of Aggravated Domestic Assault and Obstruction of Emergency Communications. Suhr was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on his own recognizance.

The Sheriff’s Office says 19-year old Kameron Nicholas Burg, of Atlantic, was arrested August 21st, on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Burg was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on $1000 bond.

And on August 19th, 48-year old Tab Norman Rasmussen, of Exira, was taken into custody on a District Court charge of Failure to Appear (Child Support). Rasmussen was brought to the Cass County Jail where he was held for seven days per District Court.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Tuesday morning of Remo Cortez Bennett.

Remo Bennett (Cass Co. S/O photo)

The 25-year old Council Bluffs man was taken into custody on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Robbery 1^st Degree, in connection with the August 8 armed robbery of America’s Best Value Inn in Cass County. Bennett was being held at the Cass County Jail on $50,000 bond.

Courtney Bennett (Cass Co. S/O photo)

His brother, 38-year old Courtney Derrel Bennett, was arrested August 11th, also on a charge of Robbery in the 1st degree.

Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert reports a section of road between Tennant and Persia is currently closed for regrading. The closure affects County Road F-58, between Dogwood and Elmwood roads, in the 400 block of Shelby Township, Section 6.

The road will be closed for about one week. Local emergency responders and residents should plan to find an alternate route while construction is underway.

(9-a.m. News)

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers is reminding motorists that an aggressive traffic enforcement project is currently underway through September 8^th.  Brother says his officers are issuing numerous citations for failure to wear seat belts, speeding & failure to obey stop signs.

He says authorities across Iowa are out in-force, in an effort to make sure motorists drive safely and obey all traffic laws.  City, county and state police are participating in the annual nationwide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” crackdown on drunk driving. The crackdown, which will include high-visibility enforcement throughout Iowa, began August 26th.

The effective nationwide drunk driving crackdown will include high-visibility enforcement and will be supported by national paid advertising, creating a comprehensive campaign to curb drunk driving in August and through the Labor Day holiday weekend.