(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors held their 2024 Organizational meeting this (Tuesday) morning, followed by their regular Tuesday session. During the organizational meeting, the Board elected to retain Mike Olson as Board Chair, and Charla Schmid as Vice-Chair. They also decided to continue holding their meetings every Tuesday at 8:30-a.m.  In other action, they designated the Red Oak Express as the Official County Newspaper. The Board opted not to include the Villisca Review as a secondary source for publication of County business. The Supervisors set the 2024 County Employee’s Holiday Schedule, and named Supervisors to serve on numerous committees.

During regular business following the reorganization, the board unanimously approved a new resolution for this year regarding bridge embargoes per Iowa Code. Chair Mike Olson said the move comes primarily to allow for enforcement of the weight limits on the county bridges put in place by the county engineer. Every bridge in Montgomery County is legally embargoed whether it’s 40 tons or below.  Per Iowa law, the embargoed bridge restrictions apply to any implements pulled by farm equipment such as grain carts and wagons, semi-trailers, and manure tanks. The limitations will remain in place until a county engineer certifies that said limitations have been resolved.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports four people were arrested over the past few days on separate warrants. On Dec. 31st:

• 61-year-old John Micheal Hudson, of Hastings, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and on a warrant for Assault with Intent-Serious Injury. His bond was set at $3,000.
• 36-year-old Clayton Shane Gieck, of Glenwood, was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Bond set at $5,000.
• And, 46-year-old Rebeka Marie Cantu-Sosa, of Council Bluffs, was arrested Dec. 31st, on a warrant for Failure to Appear on an original charges that include Possession of a Controlled Substance and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $25,000.

On Dec. 28th, 21-year-old Tabitha Marie Rae, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in Mills County on a Pottawattamie County warrant for FTA on charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance-Methamphetamine & Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree. She was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

In other activity, Agri-Valley Farm Management, LLC, of Silver City, reported to the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, an incident of Theft in the 2nd Degree. The report was filed Dec. 27th.

Des Moines, Iowa (KCCI) — It’s a new year, and that means new laws are in effect across the country. In Iowa, among the laws that went into effect on January 1st:

House Files:

HF 655 includes miscellaneous changes to the Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. According to the legislature, the “act rewrites almost every section” of the Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. It was a bill for an act providing for business organizations, including limited liability companies, providing penalties, and including effective date provisions. It was formerly known as HSB 207. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds on June 1.

HF 688 concerns “the state rulemaking process and related matters pertaining to agency functions.” It was formerly known as HSB 81. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Reynolds on May 3. Rulemaking procedures and related matters, known as division 1 in the piece of legislation, take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Senate Files:

SF 565 will implement changes surrounding taxation, specifically changes in the administration of tax law by the Department of Revenue. It relates to state and local finance and the administration of the tax and related laws by the Department of Revenue. It makes changes to the Iowa Educational Savings Plan and the First-Time Home Buyer Savings Account Program. It also has changes related to tax filing status and tax withholding. Come Jan. 1, taxpayers will be required to use the same filing status for Iowa individual income tax purposes as the taxpayer used for federal individual income tax purposes for tax years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2023. It was formerly known as SSB 1148. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Reynolds on June 1.

SF 496, which bans some books from school libraries and forbids teachers from raising LGBTQ+ issues, was supposed to take effect Jan. 1. But a federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked key parts of the controversial education law. Judge Stephen Locher’s preliminary injunction halts enforcement of the law, which was set to take effect in the new year but already had resulted in the removal of hundreds of books from Iowa schools. The law, which the Republican-led Legislature and GOP Gov. Reynolds approved early in 2023, bans books depicting sex acts from school libraries and classrooms and forbids teachers from raising gender identity and sexual orientation issues with students through the sixth grade. Locher blocked enforcement of those two provisions.

Van Meter, Iowa (KCCI) — Police in Van Meter say a motorist was arrested Monday morning after the vehicle they were driving plowed into the Casey’s General Store in Van Meter. The convenience store is closed until inspectors can confirm the building is safe. Police haven’t confirmed what charges the driver will face. They say no customers were inside when it happened. No one was hurt.

(USDA FSIS) – Ground beef patties packaged December 22nd at a plant in Coal Valley, Illinois and sold to restaurants, hospitals and other institutions in Iowa and three other states are being recalled. The concern? Possible e-Coli contamination. The patties from Valley Meats were distributed frozen, in boxes. The recall involves approximately 6,768 pounds of raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

The raw ground beef items were produced on December 22, 2023. The following products are subject to recall [view labels]:

• 12-lb. box package containing “ANGUS GROUND BEEF PATTIES” with product code 1208PL, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, Use By 01/15/2024, and time stamps between 7:36:38AM to 08:00:48AM.
• 16-lb. box packages containing “ANGUS GROUND BEEF PATTIES” with the product code 1253PL, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, Use By 01/15/2024, and time stamps between 7:25:50 AM to 08:00:36AM.
• 28-lb. box package containing “Ground Beef Patties” with product code 72287, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, Use By 01/15/2024, and time stamps between 12:44:00PM to 12:54:32PM.
• 28-lb. box packaging containing “Ground Beef Patties” with product code 72287, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, Use By 01/15/2024, and time stamp 1:02:55PM.
• 24-lb. box packaging containing “Ground Beef Patties” with product code 72284, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, Use By 01/15/2024, and time stamps between 1:10:09PM to 1:10:17PM.
• 13.5-lb. box packaging containing “GROUND BEEF PATTIES” with product code 1103, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, Use By 01/15/2024, and time stamps between 1:41:55:55PM to 1:57:53PM.
• 20-lb. box packaging containing “GROUND BEEF” with product code 8515, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, and time stamps between 1:16:24PM to 1:31:15PM.
• 40-lb. box packaging containing “GROUND BEEF” with product code 8020VP, Run No. 3356GRDB, date code 231222, and time stamps between 1:34:54PM to 2:00:49PM.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 5712” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to distributor locations in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan for further distribution to restaurants and other institutional users.

Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps 2–8 days (3–4 days, on average) after exposure the organism. While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5-years old and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in institutional or restaurant refrigerators or freezers. Restaurants and institutions are urged not to serve these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.