The Cass County Board of Supervisors met Wednesday, in Atlantic. During their meeting, the board heard from Supervisor Frank Waters, who sits on a review committee tasked with recommending changes to the County’s indigent burial policy. Waters said the committee proposed three changes to the current policy: Add a cremation alternative with maximum contribution $1,500; change the maximum payable amount for a burial to $2,000; and set the maximum costs for a grave opening at $550.  The proposal was taken under advisement. 

The Supervisors also approved a livestock confinement facility Construction Evaluation Resolution, which is required by Iowa Code. Only counties that have adopted a construction evaluation resolution are allowed to submit to the Department of Natural Resources an adopted recommendation to approve or disapprove a construction permit application regarding a proposed confinement feeding operation structure. The move makes it possible for those same counties to contest the DNR’s decision regarding a specific animal confinement facility application. 

Auditor Dale Sunderman says by adopting a construction evaluation resolution the board of supervisors agrees to evaluate every construction permit application for a proposed confinement feeding operation structure received by the board of supervisors between February 1, 2012 and January 31, 2013 and submit an adopted recommendation regarding that application to the DNR. The evaluations will be conducted and graded using the master matrix created by Iowa Code, but their recommendation to the DNR may be based on the final score on the master matrix or may be based on reasons other than the final score on the master matrix. 

And, the Cass County Board of Supervisors heard from the head Librarians in all six city libraries in the county (the Cass County Library Association). They reported on the services provided by those libraries, and requested that the current annual county funding of $60,600 be maintained for Fiscal Year 2013. The request was taken under advisement.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following a rollover accident which occurred just before 8-a.m., west of Red Oak. Officials say a car driven by James Laughlin, of Red Oak, was traveling west on 200th Street, when he lost control of the vehicle due to a snow and ice packed road surface. The car, a 2000 Chevy Cavalier, entered a ditch and rolled onto its right side. A report on the extent of damage to the car was not available.

Authorities in Atlantic say no citations were issued after a non-injury accident Wednesday evening.  According to the police department, vehicles driven by David Crum and Ramon Smith, both of Atlantic, collided at around 5:15-p.m. Wednesday, as Crum was traveling south on Walnut Street and Smith was eastbound on 7th Street. Smith attempted to stop for the red light, but the vehicle slid into the intersection and hit Crum’s vehicle, causing a total of $3,500 damage.

Atlantic Police report also, 50-year old Robert Atkinson, of Atlantic, was arrested Wednesday, for 5th degree theft. He was brought to the Cass County Jail and held pending a court appearance.

Omaha, NE. (AP) — Families in Mills County who were affected by this year’s flooding along the Missouri River may be able to get as much as $1,000 from the American Red Cross. The Loess Hills Chapter of the Red Cross is offering the money to flood victims.

Julie Chavez says she hopes her family will qualify for the Red Cross money, because they were unable to get help from FEMA. Chavez says her family’s home was surrounded by floodwaters in June, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.

The U-S Army Corps of Engineers released massive amounts of water from dams located along the Missouri River earlier this year, to deal with heavy rains and above-average snowmelt, causing record flooding in Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri.

The Iowa State Patrol this week recently got caught up on their accident reports after last week’s snow event. One of the reports they released late this week was with regard to a serious injury accident which occurred last Thursday, December 1^st. Officials say 41-year old Jimmy Stringer, of Casey, suffered incapacitating injuries during a collision between his SUV and a car, and was flown from the Guthrie County Hospital to a hospital in Des Moines. The accident happened about 1.5-miles north of Adair at around 4:35 p.m., December 1^st. The Patrol says 28-year old Christina Funke, of Adair, was traveling south on Frontier Road when the passenger side tires of her 2006 Chrysler Sebring dropped off the west edge of the pavement. Funke over-corrected, sending the car across the center line of the road, where it hit a 1998 Chevy Tahoe driven by Stringer, head-on.

Officials say the air bags deployed in Funke’s vehicle as it continued into the west ditch. The woman was not injured, but Stringer was ejected from his SUV as it rolled into the east ditch. The vehicle ended-up landing on its wheels. Both vehicles were totaled, and a fence owned by Sam Carney, of Adair, was damaged during the crash. 

Funke was cited for failure to maintain control and driving on the wrong side of a two way highway. Stringer was cited for failure to wear safety belts.