The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Office of Motor Vehicle Enforcement (MVE) will be participating the Operation Safe Driver week, an effort by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance to bring attention to motor carrier safety issues. The one week enforcement and educational blitz concentrates MVE’s efforts on detecting unsafe driving behaviors by both commercial motor vehicle drivers and other vehicle drivers operating around CMVs in an effort to combat the number of deaths and injuries from crashes.

The Iowa DOT’s MVE officers will concentrate enforcement activities on behaviors including: following too close, lane change violations, speeding, seat belts, and cell phone use. This targeted enforcement will take place on the following interstates, U.S. and state highways:

Monday, Oct. 17 –  Des Moines Metro I-80/35 corridor, along with I-35 including the Bevington work zone
Tuesday, Oct. 18 – Davenport area on I-80 , I-280,  and I-74,
Wednesday, 19 –  Cedar Rapids to Iowa City on I-380, U.S. 30,  U.S. 151, and Iowa 13
Thursday, Oct. 20 Council Bluffs area on I-80 and I-29
Friday, Oct. 21  Sioux City area on I-29 , U.S. 20, U.S. 75, and the Iowa 520 bypass
Operation Safe Driver holds activities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico to increase enforcement of traffic, seat belt, unsafe driving, speeding, and cellphone laws. The focus of the program is to improve driver compliance and increase the awareness to the public about safe operations around commercial motor vehicles. CVSA in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration along with law enforcement and the industry believe Operation Safe Driver is an effective tool in reducing crashes with and around Commercial Motor Vehicles.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors plan to ask the former city clerk for the small western Iowa city of Casey to pay more than $2 million in restitution as part of her sentence for mail fraud and malicious use of fire. Dorothy Dillinger entered a plea agreement in May admitting she lit the City Hall building on fire in August 2014, the night before state auditors were to arrive to investigate missing money she’d taken and used for personal expenses since 2009.

Dillinger, who is 61, served as the city clerk for 30 years. Her sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 21. Prosecutors in documents filed Friday seek five years in prison and $2.2 million to pay for rebuilding City Hall and replacing contents including tax returns, tools, city maps and a Santa suit.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce and the Atlantic Volunteer Fire Department have partnered together to create the 2nd Annual Firemen’s Picnic before the Firemen’s Parade this Saturday, October 15th. Ouida Hargens, Chamber Executive Director, said “The goal is to bring the community downtown early to shop their favorite businesses, enjoy a BBQ meal and stay for the Annual Parade.”

The picnic begins at 4 p.m. The meal is $7 and includes a BBQ sandwich, baked beans, chips and a drink. The Atlantic BPO Does will be offering desserts for a free will donation. Entertainment for all ages will be available throughout the picnic Face Painters, Bounce Houses, Bags, Scavenger Hunt, Photo Booth and a helicopter landing will be at the picnic along with performances by Sheltered Reality and the Pleasant Green Baptist Church Marching Saints.

Sheltered Reality is a non-profit organization that dedicates itself to being a youth-oriented project, where youth members use music and education as a way to reach out to audiences, motivating them to advocate for those in need, especially children and families. The Pleasant Green Marching Saints is a youth ministry that is designed to bring youth together and teach them about Christ. Their award winning ministry allows the youth to express themselves through dance and drum corp. Their ages range from 3 years old to 20.

Following the picnic at 6 p.m. you can watch the Firemen’s Parade from Chestnut Street. To be a part of the parade, please begin line up at 4 p.m. at 3rd & Olive Street. There will be volunteers there to direct you where to go. The Firemen’s Picnic is presented by: Atlantic Volunteer Fire Department, Atlantic Locker Service, First Whitney Bank, W&S Appliance, Berg Electric, Nishna Valley Credit Union and the Atlantic Community Promotions Commission.

For more information on the Firemen’s Picnic & Parade or a full list of activities, please visit www.atlanticiowa.com.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Villisca resident on Friday.  At 11:55am Deputies arrested Kelsi M. Kling of Villisca on a charge of Burglary 3rd Degree. The charge stems from an incident that occurred at a residence on 5th Street in Villisca.  Kling was arrested in the 600 block of 6th Street in Villisca and taken to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held on $5,000 bond.

Former Iowa Democrat Senator Tom Harkin will be in Atlantic and Carroll, Saturday, stumping on behalf of Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton. Harkin will join “Hillary for Iowa” volunteers to kickoff “Weekend of Action” events across the state. During the planned events, community leaders, grassroots organizers and volunteers will canvass their neighborhoods to discuss the election and try and secure early votes. The event in Atlantic begins at Noon, Saturday, and takes place at the Cass County Iowa Together Officer (511 Chestnut St.).  The event in Carroll is at 3-p.m, and will be held at the Carroll Iowa Together Office (210 E. 5th St.).