The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department reports the arrest Thursday night of a man on alcohol-related charges. 45-year old Ronald Lee Borem, of Villisca, was arrested at around 10:15-p.m. on a charge of public intoxication, following an incident in the 300 block of east 5th Street, in Villisca. Borem was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond.

Two Nebraska men were apprehended early this (Friday) morning after they wrecked their vehicle near Crescent, Iowa after allegedly robbing a motel in northern Cass County. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports that at 11:40-pm Thursday, the America’s Best Value Inn located at intersection of Interstate 80 and U-S Highway 71 was robbed by a lone black male who displayed a firearm and demanded money. The suspect left with an undisclosed amount of money. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office and Atlantic Police Department responded to the scene.

Based upon information from the initial investigation, the Cass County 911 Center was able to alert area law enforcement officers in southwest Iowa of the description of the vehicle and suspects. At approximately 12:05-am, an Iowa State Patrol trooper located the suspect vehicle near the Minden exit on Interstate 80 and initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle fled, continuing west onto Interstate 680 at speeds near 130mph. The suspect vehicle then proceeded south on Interstate 29.

A Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputy was able to successfully deploy stop-sticks at the 62 mile marker of Interstate 29, partially disabling the vehicle. The suspects then attempted to enter Nebraska but failed to negotiate the Interstate 29 and 680 interchange and driver lost control and the suspect vehicle rolled several times in the median. The two occupants of the vehicle required extrication from the vehicle and were transported to area hospitals for treatment of their injuries.  Troopers said the passenger was partially ejected from the vehicle and suffered critical injuries.  The driver is expected to be OK. Charges are currently pending on the two occupants of the vehicle, who are from Omaha. The driver of the vehicle had several felony warrants out for his arrest.

The same suspects were allegedly involved in an incident which occurred in Stuart, prior to the Cass County robbery. Information on the incident in Adair County is currently not available.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in its investigation, by the Atlantic Police Department, the Iowa State Patrol, Audubon County Sheriff’s Office, Council Bluffs Police Department, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri Valley Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Omaha Police Department Gang Unit, Omaha Police Helicopter Able One, Council Bluffs Fire Department and the Crescent Fire Department.

(updated post 8:50-a.m.)

Unless the Atlantic City Council decides otherwise, the Cass County Fair Board will be required to pay a nearly $3,100 building permit fee for the construction of a new Cattle Barn on the Cass County Fairgrounds. The Board had requested the fee be waived, and the City Council, during its meeting this past Wednesday, voted to turn the matter over to the City’s Personnel and Finance Committee.

Clockwise, from left to right: Kathy Somers, Committee Chair; Councilman Steve Livengood; City Administrator Doug Harris; Councilman Shawn Shouse.

That Committee Thursday evening took no action on a recommendation to approve the request, citing no way to fairly and equitably apply the current Ordinance to the Fair Board’s request, and the unprecedented nature of the request.

Committee member and City Councilman Shawn Shouse asked if perhaps the Board of Adjustment could possibly waive a building permit fee. City Administrator Doug Harris said that board can only waive what they are authorized to waive, such as variances. Harris said the Board has discretion to make mittimus changes in requirements and there is nothing in the ordinance that spells out the exact fees, but the City Council has the power to make “mittimus adjustments.”  He said if it’s done hap-hazard and at will, however, it opens the door to all ordinances being open to interpretation.

Shawn Shouse said, and the Committee agreed, that regardless of which non-profit agency asks a building permit fee to be waived, there is no way or logical justification for it, unless the ordinance is re-written to better define how fees are to be assessed. The Committee tabled discussion on reworking the current building permit fee until a separate, Ad Hoc committee can be formed to gather input on how best to improve the ordinance, which has not been revised in about 10-years and the fees for which building permits were issued, was based on 30-cents per square foot.

In other business, the Personnel and Finance Committee discussed, but voted against a proposal to move parts of City Hall and/or the Police Department into the former Sitel building on Southwest 7th Street. The discussion focused on the fact a great deal of money has already been spent on renovating the current City Hall, and it would be more cost effective to make the building more handicapped accessible, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Committee Chair Kathy Somers said the current building has the potential to serve the needs of the City, if some changes are made, such as moving the current Council Chambers to the upper floor auditorium and using the additional space created for offices and/or much needed storage space. Other issues, such as garage and parking space, are factors that can also be addressed by making less costly modifications to City Hall instead of purchasing the Sitel building, according to the Committee. The only advantages to moving into the building, it was noted, was full-accessibility, and better parking.

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