COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Guthrie County man was sentenced in Council Bluffs federal court, Tuesday, for making a False Statement to the State of Iowa. 53-year-old Kendall Dean Kipp, of Yale, was sentenced to three years of probation. He was also ordered to pay a $9,500 fine and perform 180 hours of community service over a three-year period. According to court documents, Kendall pleaded guilty to the charge on December 16, 2021.

Kipp submitted falsified documents to the State of Iowa concerning the quality of water produced for the residents of the City of Yale. This violated the provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act and, in turn, the False Statement statute. “As a certified drinking water operator, the defendant was entrusted not only with ensuring compliance with our environmental laws, but with the health and safety of the community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Cate Holston of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in Lenexa, KS. “His actions betrayed that trust, and today’s sentencing demonstrates that EPA will pursue and hold accountable those who intentionally violate the law.”

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Criminal Division of the Environmental Protection Agency and The Iowa Department of Natural Resources investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa.

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Firefighters from Atlantic responded to a structure fire this (Tuesday), at W. 7th and Locust Street. The blaze in the three-level rental property owned by Pat McCurdy, was home to eight people in separate apartments. It was reported just before three-p.m.  Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel says it was a difficult fire to fight because of where it was in the building.

Mutual aid was called for and received from the Griswold, Lewis, Marne and Anita Fire Departments, who provided much needed personnel. They switched-off with crews battling the interior fire, due to the heat.

Cappel said crews were inside for no more than 30 minutes at a time. It takes another 30 minutes to get them cooled down with water and a special cooling vest for those who were overheated. The Cass County Fire Association and others brought cold, bottled water to the scene. At one point in the afternoon, fire trucks sounded their horns, warning those inside the home to evacuate due to fears the roof would collapse.

About a block of 7th Street in each direction was blocked off while crews battle the blaze. As of 6-p.m., crews were still on the scene. No injuries were reported, but it’s thought a couple of cats were lost to the smoke and flames. There were very few people inside when the fire broke out.

Chief Cappel said it’s too early too determine what may have started the blaze, although initial speculation was that it was electrical in nature. He said it appears the fire started on the northwest corner of the house, because that’s where the heaviest smoke was upon firefighters’ arrival. In addition to the aforementioned fire fighters, Atlantic Police, Cass EMS, Cass County Emergency Management Director Mike Kennon, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and the Cass County Drone were on the scene. The drone was piloted by Deputy Ben Bartholowmew, who provided information to the fire department on any unseen hotspots and trouble areas.

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(Radio Iowa) – Nominations are now being accepted for Iowa’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin for 2022. Kelsey Sutter, spokeswoman for the Iowa Pork Producers Association, says the program is in its 20th year and it’s easier than ever for Iowans to nominate a favorite.  “Go to our website, iowapork.org, and there’s a drop down list of hundreds of restaurants in the state of Iowa,” Sutter says. “Of course, if you don’t find the one that you’re looking for, there’s a simple way to click and add another restaurant to that list. It should take seconds to nominate your favorite tenderloin in the state of Iowa.”

Iowans are encouraged to go online and submit entries for their favorite restaurant. “We get hundreds of restaurants nominated through this process,” Sutter says. “Last year, we had around 6,000 nominations come through the website for over 500 restaurants.” Nominations are due by June 6th. Sutter says the judges will spend the summer dining out at the 40 restaurants with the most nominations, five in each of the state’s eight districts.

Richard and Angela Buman with their winning 2021 tenderloin. (IPPA photo.)

“Spreading it out across our eight districts really allows us to make sure the entire state is captured. Rural communities have just as much of a chance as our larger cities in the state of Iowa,” Sutter says. “That’s going to give us our top 40, and then we’ll spend the summer as an organization with our members across the state, judging the top 40.” That will be further narrowed to the top five which will all be visited in secret by the panel, with the winner being announced in October.

Last year’s winning pork tenderloin was at Victoria Station in Harlan.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Sentencing will take place in Atlantic at 9-a.m. on June 6th, in the case of an Atlantic man initially charged of Attempted Murder and Willful Injury-Causing Serious Injury. After originally pleading not guilty by reason of self-defense in April, 19-year-old Michael Gehling has made a plea agreement with prosecutors, that dismisses the Attempted Murder charge.

Gehling will be sentenced instead on the Willful Injury charge alone. Gehling was accused of stabbing a man during the late night hours of April 3rd. His trial was to have taken place June 28th. His guilty plea was filed with the court on May 6th.

As previously reported, Gehling had been arrested without incident on April 4th, following an investigation that began with a 9-1-1 call about a man who had a stab wound. Officers learned the incident happened in the area of 6th and Pine Streets.

The victim (whose name was not released) was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital (Cass Health), in Atlantic, and was later transported to the UNMC in Omaha, for treatment of serious injuries.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Harlan Police Department Tuesday (today) reported four arrests from over the past week. Two people were arrested Monday (May 9th), following a traffic stop, in Harlan: 19-year-old Jayden Halbert Christian Fleming, and 25-year-old Madisyn Alyssa Hansen, both of Harlan, were taken into custody. Each was charged with Violation of a No Contact Order.

Authorities say 22-year-old Madison Marie Hansen, of Elk Horn, was arrested following a traffic stop on May 7th. She was charged with Driving While Suspended. And, on May 2nd, Harlan Police arrested 34-year-old Paula Kathryn Koester, of Harlan, for Theft in the 5th Degree.