United Group Insurance

Cass County (IA) man arrested on a warrant in Red Oak

News

June 4th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Cass County was arrested on a warrant at around 5:47-a.m. today (Tuesday). Authorities say 42-year-old Justin Michael Strong, of Griswold, was arrested in the 1800 block of Highway 48, on a warrant for Failure to Appear on original charges of Assault/displaying a weapon, Reckless Use of A Firearm, Interference with Official Acts, and for being a Felon in control of a firearm.

Justin Strong was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $10,000 cash-only bond.

Cass County Master Gardeners Host Tour of Local Gardens on June 23

Ag/Outdoor, News

June 4th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Cass County Master Gardener group say they are excited to host walking tours of 4 private gardens in Atlantic, Sunday afternoon, June 23rd. The garden walk will feature four unique garden spaces for participants to explore at their leisure and gain inspiration for their own gardens, while enjoying a variety of garden styles and designs. Gardens will be open for touring between 2-6 PM and may be visited in any order. Highlights from featured gardens included sun and shade gardens, custom garden décor, antique themed garden areas, unique seating areas and paths, pollinator gardens, perennial beds and more! Follow the Cass County Master Gardeners on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CassCoMG for sneak peeks of featured garden spaces leading up to the day of the tour.

The walk is coordinated by the Cass County Master Gardeners, but is open to everyone interested in gaining some gardening inspiration. Tickets for the walk are $10 each, with all proceeds going to support local Master Gardener projects and activities. Tickets are available now for purchase at the Cass County Extension office, and a registration form can also be found on the Cass County Extension website at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. Tickets should be presented at each location for admission. A map of the tour locations and description of each garden is on each ticket purchased. Additional tickets may be purchased at any of the four locations on the day of the event.

A tour stop on the 2023 Garden Walk

For more information about upcoming Master Gardener activities in Cass County, or to learn about becoming a Master Gardener, visit https://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/master-gardener-program, call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, or email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardener Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu. In addition, you are invited to follow the Cass County Master Gardeners at their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CassCoMG to keep up with local events and tips for gardening!

Winterset settles in a wrongful arrest case

News

June 4th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

WINTERSET, Iowa [KCCI] — The City of Winterset will pay a man $86,000 to settle a wrongful arrest case. Ryan Elgin sued the city, claiming his civil rights were violated. Officer Logan Camp pulled Elgin over for a traffic stop in 2022. Elgin was charged with OWI and child endangerment despite passing a breathalyzer test. The charges were ultimately dismissed.

KCCI reports that in Elgin’s lawsuit, he claimed Officer Camp falsely represented that Elgin’s urine tested positive for a controlled substance. Camp was never placed on administrative leave and is still active in the department.

The city of Winterset told KCCI that it can’t comment on the settlement at this time.

Glenwood Police report, 6/4/24

News

June 4th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports one arrest took place on Monday, June 3rd. 25-year-old Jordan Salmons, of Glenwood, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. Salmons posted a $300 bond before being released.

Grassley delays signing GOP letter to oppose Biden funding, nominees

News

June 4th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst joined a group of conservative colleagues in vowing to retaliate against the Biden administration for last week’s guilty verdict in former President Trump’s trial. At least 11 Republican senators have signed a letter so far, promising to do things like oppose President Biden’s political and judicial appointees, and to oppose administration requests for funding increases for anything not directly related to security and public safety. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley was asked Tuesday if he’d be signing the letter, too. Grassley says, “I have to say that not at this point, but what you said the letter said, I don’t find too much disagreement with.”

The letter was written by Senator Mike Lee of Utah and says: “The White House has made a mockery of the rule of law and fundamentally altered our politics in un-American ways.” Grassley says he needs to carefully review the letter before climbing on board. “I’m a strong one, as you know, not to use the appropriations process — not getting done on time — as an excuse for shutting down the government, or letting the government shut down,” Grassley says, “and I want to know what the authors of the letter think of that point of view.”

The letter was also signed by senators including: Tim Scott, Marco Rubio, Roger Marshall and Josh Hawley, saying “…we are unwilling to aid and abet this White House in its project to tear this country apart.”

Guthrie County Jail: May inmate report

News

June 4th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) –  Guthrie County Sheriff’s Deputy/Jail Administrator Jesse Swanson, Monday, said May was a slower than normal month for processing jail inmates. Swanson said “We have had some turn around on staffing and we have been training new jailers. We processed 63 inmates through the facility during the month. We held 28 out of county inmates for different periods of time. We brought-in $22,420 from holding out of county inmates, including a female that we held for 24 days who paid for her jail stay on a Pottawattamie sentence.”

You can see the individual Guthrie County Jail population, summary and billing reports through these links:

May 2024 Billing

May Average Population

May Monthly Summary

Heartbeat Today 6-4-2024

Heartbeat Today, Podcasts

June 4th, 2024 by Jim Field

Jim Field visits with Market Manager Maria Miller about the opening of “Produce in the Park” season.  The first weekly event in the Atlantic City Pak is Thursday, June 6 from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm.

Play

Greenfield Fire Dept. operating out of a donated pole barn following tornado damage

News

June 4th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

GREENFIELD, Iowa [WHO-TV] – The Greenfield Fire Department is back in business thanks to the temporary donation of a pole barn. The structure was needed after a tornado damaged the department’s building on May 21st. Other departments covered for the unit, not only in the city of Greenfield, but several townships around that part of Adair County following the May 21st tornado. Fortunately, several of the Greenfield fire units were out storm spotting when their building was damaged. When they saw the tornado, they scrambled to get out of the way. One of the fire trucks was able to make it back to the station.

(Left) – The Greenfield Fire Station sustained damage in the May 21st tornado that devastated the community of Greenfield (right).

After the storm, when it became obvious the fire station was still standing but not usable, the team began to look for a new place to park the fire equipment. While crews are currently operating out of a donated pole barn,  firefighters say they have all the gear they need, and their trucks are in good shape.

Officials hope to build a new fire station, and they say people can support that effort through the Greenfield Fire Department Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit, the fund for which has been set up in-town through First National Bank. Donations can be mailed to the Greenfield Fire Department Foundation PO Box 146 in Greenfield, Iowa, 50849.

A GoFundme account has also been established to help four Greenfield Firefighters who lost their homes to the May 21st tornado.(Photos via the Adair & Guthie County EMA Facebook page)

Search continues in SE Iowa for missing swimmer

News

June 4th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

OTTUMWA, Iowa [KCCI] — Emergency responders in Ottumwa continued to search the Des Moines River and embankments, Monday, for swimmer who went missing Sunday. KCCI says the Ottumwa Police Department received a report around 4:30 p.m. Sunday about a missing man who had last been seen swimming in the river. The man – whose name was not released – had been in the river earlier in the day with a group of people near the Highway 34 overpass bridge near to Ottumwa’s JBS plant.

A search began Sunday night, and personnel from the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office, the Ottumwa Fire Department, the Eldon Fire Department and the Iowa DNR continue to search the river and embankments.

Onawa man’s murder trial set for Jan., 2025

News

June 4th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

ONAWA, Iowa (KTIV) – A Northwest Iowa man being charged with the death of his wife has had his trial scheduled for 2025. KTIV in Sioux City reports court documents show Jamie Allen, who is facing one count of first-degree murder, has a jury trial scheduled for Jan. 28, 2025. Allen has already pleaded not guilty to his murder charge and has waived his right to a speedy trial.

His charge stems from a shooting that took place May 10, 2024, at a home in Onawa. According to Iowa’s Division of Criminal Investigation, after authorities arrived at the residence, they found Jamie Allen’s wife, Stacey Allen, dead from a gunshot wound.

Court documents state “On May 10, 2024, at approximately [5:40 p.m.], Jamie Lee Allen having malice aforethought, willfully, deliberately, and with premeditation killed his wife, Stacey Maria Jean Allen with a firearm, outside of their home.”