(Red Oak, Iowa) – A man from Page County was arrested this (Friday) morning in Montgomery County, after he turned himself-in. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 25-year-old Bryce M. McKinnon, of Clarinda, was wanted on a warrant for Public Intoxication. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 cash bond.
(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – An accident Thursday night in Council Bluffs left one person seriously injured and another facing charges. Council Bluffs Police say the collision between a motorcycle and an SUV happened at around 9:27-p.m., near S. 24th Street and 23rd Avenue. Authorities report a 2017 Grom motorcycle operated by 18-year-old Kaden Desantiago, of Council Bluffs, was eastbound on 23rd Avenue, when a 2003 Chevy Tahoe driven by 24-year-old Bryce Smith, of Council Bluffs, made a left turn in front of the cycle.
Following the crash, Kaden Desantiago was transported to an area trauma center with life threatening injuries. Police say alcohol is believed to have been a contributing factor in the crash. Charges against Bryce Smith are pending completion of the investigation.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call the Council Bluffs Police Department at 712-328-4948.
(Radio Iowa) – Parts of Iowa may see temperatures in the 90s this weekend, but it’ll be a whole lot chillier in the eastern Iowa arena where the new season in the ancient sport of curling is getting underway. Kari Kozak, events coordinator for Cedar Rapids Curling, says their club is hosting what’s known as the CedarSpiel Tournament starting this (Friday) afternoon and running through Sunday. “We are having about 100 people coming in this weekend, so 21 teams, and we have teams coming from 11 different states, as far away as Oklahoma City, and Bismarck, North Dakota,” Kozak says. “Every state that touches Iowa, there’s somebody coming in from, as well as a little bit farther than that away as well.” Organizers of the event call curling a lifelong sport, with club members in their pre-teens through their 70s.
“We are open to spectators coming. We usually have a few show up and it is a free event,” Kozak says. “Anyone who likes it is more than welcome to come down and watch, just be sure to pack something warm because it does get a little cold in the Icehouse.” The sport of curling reportedly began on the frozen lochs and marshes of Scotland during the early 1500s. The modern version still involves sliding large stones across the ice toward targets, and while it may look easy, Kozak assures there’s an abundance of skill involved. It’s also a great workout.
Photo via Cedar Rapids Curling on Facebook.
“It’s the sport that is fun and easy to learn but it’s hard to master,” Kozak says, “and it always surprises people that it’s 150 feet from the area where you throw it to the area that has the bullseye, which we call the house. It’s actually quite a long ways away.” CedarSpiel opens this afternoon at 4 at the ImOn Ice Arena in Cedar Rapids, with the tournament championship at noon on Sunday. If you’re curious about the sport, a “Learn to Curl” event is planned there on September 12th.
Learn more at: cedarrapidscurling.com
(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports six arrests occurred over the past week. There were three separate arrests on Thursday, Aug. 10th:
Two arrests occurred Wednesday, in Mills County:
And, on Monday, Mills County Deputies arrested 31-year-old Dillan Michael Jones, of Glenwood, for Domestic Abuse Assault and Child Endangerment. Jones was being held without bond, in the Mills County Jail.
(Stuart, Iowa) – Officials with the Stuart Fire Department posted on social media this (Friday) morning, that emergency crews responded at around 12:07-a.m., to a semi tractor-trailer rollover accident. They reported the situation involved “A very long and extensive extrication, due to the damage that was sustained during the accident.”
Stuart Fire thanked Stuart Police, the Menlo and Dexter Fire Departments, Adair county EMS, and Adair county sheriff Department, for assistance at the scene. Additional details were not immediately available.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – Nomination papers for persons interested in becoming a member of the Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education, are available in the High School, at the office of Board Secretary/Director of Finance, Lisa Jones. During Wednesday’s School Board meeting in Atlantic, 2023 School Board President Laura McLean said there are three seats up for election on November 7th.
The seats carry a four-year term in office. Board Secretary Lisa Jones said nomination information and packets are available now, for anyone wishing to have their name on the ballot.
Laura McLean extended an invitation for prospective candidates to contact her with any questions they may have.
As mentioned, the first filing date to file nomination paper is August 28th. The filing deadline is September 21.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – Firefighters in Atlantic will be posted around the Atlantic City Park in downtown Atlantic, Saturday, asking for donations to the MDA’s (Muscular Dystrophy Association’s) “Fill the Boot” campaign. Pedestrians, motorists, customers and others passing, are asked to donate when they see a firefighter in their turnout gear, this Saturday, from 10-a.m. until 2-p.m., during AtlanticFest. 
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — NOTE: this story contains graphic details. Some readers may find disturbing.
Council Bluffs police said a man was arrested this week for torturing his dog. 29-year-old Marshon Johanson, a convicted felon in Nebraska who was not allowed to own a handgun, was charged with animal neglect resulting in serious injury or death, animal torture and felon in possession of a firearm. According to online court records, Johanson, of Council Bluffs, remains held in the Pottawattamie County Jail on a $7,000 cash-only bond. His preliminary hearing was set for August 18th.
According to KETV CBPD animal control officers was called to a home near 34th and Avenue G around Aug. 7th for a man who was bitten by a dog and, in return, shot the dog. Police said they were told it may have happened weeks ago.
A court affidavit said Johanson believed it was around the Fourth of July that the dog bit him, he hit it in the chest with a pick-style axe weapon causing an injury, then got the gun and took the dog to the basement to try and shoot it to death.
CBPD said the man who answered the door of the home was uncooperative when they went to check the welfare of the dog. Witnesses told police the man was bitten two weeks before the call, and the dog was shot but alive in the home.
Officers and animal control said they got a warrant to search the home and tried to serve it on Aug. 9.
CBPD said an unrelated person and their 3-year-old child were at the home on Aug. 9, and allegedly, the 3-year-old tried to touch the dog, possibly at the site of the gunshot wound, and the dog bit the 3-year-old. Police said the owner then hanged the dog after the child was bit, and as officers showed up to serve their warrant, they found the dog hanging from rafters in the basement.
According to an affidavit, Johanson had adopted the dog around four months ago, and it had bitten him in the past. The court document said Johanson admitted to dragging the dog to the basement. Officers found the handgun, as well as the dog hanging from a rope in the basement.
The court document said Johanson told them it took 45 minutes to successfully kill the dog by hanging it. Johanson is a convicted felon in Nebraska and is not allowed to own a handgun.
(Washington, D-C) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is beginning to issue cost-share assistance payments through the Emergency Grain Storage Facility Assistance Program (EGSFP) for approved and funded applications that have met the requirements for partial or final payment. FSA first announced $20 million for this program in March to help producers affected by eligible disaster events from Dec. 1, 2021, through Aug. 1, 2022, that damaged or destroyed large commercial grain elevators in eight Midwest states. Due to the high volume of program applications received, FSA has amended the original Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) to increase the initial funding amount for EGSFP to $80 million in cost-share assistance.
The unprecedented outbreak of tornadoes and derechos impacted numerous counties in Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Tennessee. Significant damage or destruction to local, commercial elevators left many grain producers with limited storage capacity for harvested commodities and with no or limited marketing options. This support is being made available under the Commodity Credit Corporation, which allows USDA to act quickly to help agricultural producers navigate significant and unpredictable challenges.
Even with the $80 million in support for EGSFP– quadruple the original funding allocation – this program will not be able to meet the needs of many producers who are still experiencing storage deficits due to these disaster events. For this reason, FSA has secured an additional $40 million in reallocated CCC funds to provide much-needed help to producers and is exploring options outside of EGSFP to do so. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.
To be eligible for EGSFP, producers must have both:
• Eligible grain production.
• Demonstrated a need for additional on-farm grain storage in an affected county impacted by an eligible disaster.
Approved EGSFP applicants who meet the requirements for payment will receive cost-share assistance for the construction of new or renovated grain storage capacity and equipment required to meet drying and handling needs to support the orderly marketing of commodities in counties affected by these disaster events. FSA will not be able to approve and fund all eligible applications that have already been received by FSA even with the increase in initial funding. Therefore, the original application deadline has been modified to Aug. 7, 2023. For additional information on eligibility and payments, please refer to the initial NOFA for EGSFP that was published in the Federal Register on March 16, 2023.
EGSFP Payment Calculation
For applications that have been approved and funded, FSA is using the producer’s self-certified cost of additional on-farm grain storage capacity or drying and handling equipment multiplied by the producer’s share of grain to determine the program payment amount. This amount is multiplied by the cost share rate of 75% or 90%. An eligible producer who certifies that they are socially disadvantaged, limited resource, beginning and veteran farmer or rancher by filing form CCC-860 Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification with FSA will receive the higher 90% cost share rate.
Assistance for Producers Not Funded Through EGSFP
Producers in the geographic impact area who applied for EGSFP and do not receive funding through EGSFP will be contacted by FSA. In the meantime, for producers who may be interested, FSA’s Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSFL) can provide low-interest financing for eligible producers who may not qualify for EGSFP but need on-farm storage capacity. FSA is also currently reviewing FSFL policies to determine whether certain flexibilities can be made, or waivers granted, to further reduce FSFL financial obligations for producers in need of immediate grain storage.
FSA will announce planned additional assistance in the coming weeks. To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center.
(Des Moines, Iowa) – Atlantic FFA Advisor/Ag Instructor Eric Miller reports that on the first official day of the Iowa State Fair, Thursday, members of the Atlantic FFA Chapter continued to earn awards with their projects. The day began with Claire Schroder and her rabbits in the FFA Rabbit Show. In class 2 FFA Pin of Three Fryer Rabbits, Schroder placed 2nd earning a Purple Ribbon. She continued the show earning 3 Blue Ribbons along the way. Schroder said, “I think showing rabbits was a great way to experience my first year showing at the Iowa State Fair. Everyone is very helpful, and they know what they are doing. I encourage and support everyone to show rabbits at the state fair if they can!”
Claire Schroder
In the FFA Breeding Beef Show, three Atlantic FFA members participated. McKenna Sonntag placed 1st in her class, earning a Purple Ribbon and was in the running for Champion Simmental Beef. Brock Henderson also competed in the Simmental division earning a Blue Ribbon. Lola Comes also earned a Blue Ribbon in a very competitive Angus division. (Photos are courtesy Eric Miller)
Brock Henderson
Lola Comes
McKenna Sonntag
Finally to wrap up the day, Taylor McCreedy picked up right where she left off on Wednesday and continued her winning ways. McCreedy began the competition by placing 2nd in Western Riding, 4th in FFA Trail Class and was named Overall Halter Horse Champion. McCreedy, having won several divisions already, was also named Reserve Champion High Point Individual FFA Horseman.
Taylor McCreedy
In total points Taylor McCreedy and Colton Becker were named Reserve Champion FFA High Point Chapter. After the show McCreedy said, “The Iowa State Fair has always been my favorite place to show and to experience this type of success makes it even more special. FFA has provided me with some amazing experiences and I have made a lot of great friends through competition! I owe the FFA program a lot.”
Atlantic FFA members wrap up the week with the FFA Commercial Swine Show, FFA Photography and FFA Farm Crops results today (Friday). Next week several FFA members will also compete in the FFA Dairy Goat Show.
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