Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon says a conference being held next week will bring officials from across southwest Iowa to Atlantic. The Region 4 Preparedness Conference, which takes place March 6^th and 7^th at the Cass County Community Center, is being held to build and sustain partnerships among disciplines, meet training and workshop requirements, and identify specific needs, issues and solutions to challenges faced by those who deal with emergency situations. That includes Public Health, Hospital, Emergency Management, Fire, EMS, and Law Enforcement officials, the National Guard, Elected Officials and State Partners.

Kennon says the 1^st day involves a training and exercise planning workshop for Counties, a working lunch, and a training and exercise planning workshop for regional partners. The second day will feature various presentations and a panel discussion from people in Missouri who had to deal with a devastating tornado. He says representatives with the National Guard will speak about their capabilities in responding to an emergency, and, officials from Joplin, Missouri will speak about their experiences, challenges and hurdles, following last year’s killer tornado. The Joplin panel includes those associated with law enforcement, fire, EMS, elected officials, and others. Meals provided during the conference are free. 

To register, go to www.safeguardiowa.org, click on the “events tab” and then look for the registration link.

An Audubon man was arrested Tuesday in Atlantic, on a charge of Domestic Assault while Displaying a Dangerous Weapon. The Atlantic Police Department reports 29-year old Joseph Zaiger was taken into custody and held in the Cass County Jail pending an appearance before the magistrate. 

The P-D also reports 28-year old Megan Rieck, of Atlantic, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of Simple Assault. Rieck was cited for the offense and released. And, 29-year old Bridget Barnholdt, of Atlantic, was arrested Tuesday as well, for Prescription Fraud or Deceit, and Prescription Fraud by Impersonation. Barnholdt was being held in the Cass County Jail pending a court appearance.

A former Perry man who was set to stand trial Tuesday in connection with a fatal 2009 crash in Guthrie County, will instead make his appearance in court in May. A judge has continued the trial for 30-year old Thomas Dugan until 9:30-a.m. May 15^th in Guthrie County District Court. A Pre-trial conference in the case is set to take place April 30^th.

Authorities allege Dugan was behind the wheel of a car that went out of control and crashed in rural Guthrie County on August 24^th 2009. The crash killed a passenger in the car, 28-year old Adam Anderson, of Bagley, and resulted in Dugan suffering critical injuries. Both men were ejected from the vehicle, which rolled end-over-end multiple times before coming to rest in a soybean field.

Charges of vehicular homicide, reckless driving and drunken driving were filed against Dugan in February of 2011, after DNA tests indicated he was the driver of the car. Prior to the test results, authorities couldn’t determine which man was behind the wheel.

When it gets underway in May, Dugan’s trial is expected to last about four days.