Governor Terry Branstad visited Denison this morning (Tuesday) to talk with local officials about the looming closure of a major employer in Denison. Earlier this month, Tyson Foods announced it would close of its beef slaughter plant in Denison, eliminating 400 jobs. “It’s a set back, but we also want to look at it as an opportunity to diversify the economy and to get more job opportunities for the people who are losing their jobs at Tyson,” Branstad said. Branstad says he’s optimistic many of those who’re losing their job can land a new one in Denison.

“We have Quality Foods announce that they’re going to be adding about 200 jobs here in Denison,” Branstad said. “There’s a job fair and there’s about 80 different businesses that are looking at hiring people, so the community’s doing all it can and the state is partnering with them to make people aware of the job opportunities that are available here and the retraining and other opportunities to keep people here.” Tyson is offering its Denison workforce jobs at Tyson plants in the Nebraska cities of Lexington, which is a four hour drive away from Denison, and Dakota City, which is about 90 minutes away.

“Many of these people don’t want to leave Denison,” Branstad says, “and we want to show the fact that there are good jobs available and there’s also state programs for retraining and those sorts of things that can help keep them in the area.” For example, Branstad expects “significant growth” to continue in the ethanol industry and he points to the ethanol plant in Denison run by The Andersons Ethanol Group.

“Last year I proposed a bio industrial tax credit. It passed the House twice, but didn’t pass the Senate,” Branstad said. “We’re very hopeful that’ll pass next year. We’d be the first state in the country (to have it). I talked about that at the World Bio Conference in Montreal. There’s a lot of interest and excitement, companies from all over the world to looking at that as an incentive to locate here in the state of Iowa.” Branstad says it’s “critically important” that the state provide incentives to capital-intensive businesses like the biofuels industry.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office issued a report today (Tuesday), detailing numerous, recent arrests. On Monday (Aug. 24th), deputies arrested: 32-year old Sean Patrick Gifford, of Atlantic, on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear. Gifford was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $25,000 bond; 52-year old Henry Lewis DeGraw, of Bridgewater, was arrested on charges of Felon in Possession of a Firearm (A Class-D Felony) and Driving While Revoked (Serious Misdemeanor). DeGraw was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains on $5,000 bond. And, as the result of a traffic stop on August 24th, Cass County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 19-year old Jordan Thomas McElroy, of Sioux Falls, SD, on a charge of OWI 1st Offense (Serious Misdemeanor). McElroy and a passenger, Joshua Lawrence Hawley-Giannini, were each also charged with Possession of Marijuana (Serious Misdemeanor) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Simple Misdemeanor). Both men were taken to the Cass County Jail where they remain held on $1,000 bond each.

On Saturday, Aug. 22nd, deputies in Cass County arrested: 23-year old Vincent Gene Bernard Helton, of Lawton, OK, on a charge of OWI 1st Offense. Helton was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on his own recognizance. And, 54-year old Jeffrey Charles Dory, of Anita, was arrested on one count of Driving While Barred (Aggravated) and three counts of Driving Under Suspension (Simple). Dory was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on $2,000 bond.

On Friday (Aug. 21st), 25-year old Mykel Allen Thoren, of Stanton, was arrested in Cass County on charges of Driving While Barred (Aggravated) and Possession of a Controlled Substance (Serious). Thoren was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $3,000 bond. And, 33-year old Juan Manuel Anaya Mendez, of Atlantic, was arrested on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Violation of a No Contact Order. Anaya Mendez was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on $300 bond.

On August 20th, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested 37-year old James Matthew VanScoyk, of Council Bluffs, on charges of Driving While Barred (Aggravated) and Driving While Revoked (Serious). VanScoyk was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on $3,000 bond. And on August 19th, deputies arrested 30-year old Trel Curtis Peterson, of Massena, on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Peterson was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 bond.

The Council Bluffs Police Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying a man that was involved in a shooting at the Council Bluffs Walgreens store early Monday morning.  Surveillance photos of the man and the SUV have been released by the CBPD in hopes of gaining more information.

The man in the photos was a passenger in a dark colored SUV that was involved in the shooting incident. No one was injured and the victim of the attempted shooting was identified.  If you have information regarding the identity of the man or information on the incident, please call 328-STOP. Callers can remain anonymous and
your tip could be eligible for a cash reward.

The Audubon Police Department announced details Tuesday on two recent arrests.

On Monday, August 17th the Audubon Police Department arrested 31-year-old Donovan Eugene Harris of Boone. Harris was arrested for Trespassing and transported to the Audubon County Jail to await an appearance before the magistrate.

On Tuesday, August 18th the Audubon Police Department arrested 22-year-old Joseph Andrew Riesberg of Audubon. Riesberg was arrested for Driving While Suspended and released on promise to appear.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce announced on Monday that it is partnering with the Atlantic High School to start a Silver Cord Program in Atlantic. The Silver Cord Program is a graduation incentive program that promotes volunteerism in the Atlantic area.

Under the program guidelines Atlantic High School seniors who volunteer a minimum of 200 hours throughout their high school career will graduate with a silver cord and be eligible for a $500 scholarship provided by the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce.

“We are so excited to partner with so many great organization to get the program started. Our goal is to educate as many volunteer based organizations as we can so the program can be a huge success,” Ouida Wymer, Executive Director of the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Atlantic Chamber will introduce the program at an educational meeting on Wednesday, August 26th at 12:00pm at the Rock Island Depot (102 Chestnut Street). The meeting is meant to introduce the program to civic organizations and answer questions about the program.

The meeting is open to any civic organization in the area and organizers are requesting groups to RSVP to the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712-243-3017 or chamber@atlanticiowa.com