(Toledo, Tama County, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety, today (Tuesday), said the 2022 Tama County Grand Jury has concluded the Wilfong Homicide Grand Jury Inquiry. After undertaking an investigation of the matter, the Grand Jury declined to return an indictment. On October 28, 2021, at approximately 7:27 PM the Office of the Tama County Sheriff received calls reporting gunshots had been fired near the residence at 1001 Station Street in Chelsea, Iowa.

Several law enforcement agencies from the surrounding area responded and upon arrival, observed 28-year-old Dewey Dale Wilfong, III, displaying a handgun toward others in a threatening manner. A standoff escalated to the point Wilfong discharged the firearm he possessed.   A Deputy Tama County Sheriff fired one round from his service weapon, striking Wilfong in the upper torso.

Wilfong was transported to UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, where he was pronounced dead.  The Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Investigation was called in to conduct an independent investigation into the shooting.

A copy of the refusal to return an indictment with the name of the foreperson redacted is attached. Document 

(Griswold, Iowa) – When the Griswold School Board met Monday evening, they received a report (as usual), from Superintendent Dave Henrichs, who spoke about the State of Iowa’s proposed 2.5 percent increase in SSA (State Supplemental Aid) to schools, as mentioned in Governor Reynolds’ “Condition of the State” address, last week. Henrichs said that’s not adequate for schools, and it creates an issue with negotiations between the District and the Teacher’s Union.

He says currently, if the Union and District cannot agree and it goes to arbitration, the increase will either be the CPI or 3%, which ever is less. That is only for base pay. Typically, schools and unions settle on a total package basis, which includes FICA, IPERS and insurance.

The problem, he says, “Will be compounded even more for districts that have a decrease in enrollment.” The Griswold School Board, he said agreed that there’s been multiple years in a row when education has been underfunded. He stressed, that the proposal is not a “Done deal,” at this point in time.

In other business, the Board set Feb. 10^th at 6-p.m., as the date and time for a Special Board meeting.work session.

And, they approved the 2022-23 school calendar, which is very similar to the current year. The Board also discussed matters pertaining to the baseball field and Middle School Gym. He said upgrades to the baseball field are expected to cost around $70,000, while the Middle School Gym floor project will cost about $90,000. During the Board’s meeting in February, they will act on changing the district’s policies to align with Iowa Code as far as bidding rules are concerned. Then in March, they’ll get the ball rolling on those two projects.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report one arrest, and two incidents of theft and/or vandalism, both of which occurred on Monday (Jan. 17). Authorities say a man reported to Police Monday, that his backpack was missing from the Quality Inn, in Creston. The backpack contained his wallet, a pocket knife, ear buds and a phone charger. The loss was estimated at $200. And, a man reported that a bench/tombstone was damaged at the Graceland Cemetery in Creston. The damage was estimated at $3,500.

Creston Police said also, 62-year-old Martin Dennis Kelly, of Creston, was arrested at his home last Friday. He was charged with Harassment in the 1st Degree – Threaten Forcible Felony, and Possession of a Controlled Substance/2nd offense – Methamphetamine. Kelly was being held in the Union County Jail on a $4,000 cash or surety bond.

Area News from Ric Hanson.

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(Red Oak, Iowa) – Red Oak Police report the arrest on Monday, of 29-year old Amanda Joy Williams, from Red Oak. Williams was taken into custody in the 2300 block of Eastern Avenue, on a Montgomery County Warrant for Harassment in the 3^rd Degree. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300.00 cash bond.

A criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are being warned to look over their credit card statements during this first month of the new year as there may be charges for unwanted subscription services. Consumer protection advocate Michael Domke says many people agree to sample services for an introductory fee and don’t realize they’re being charged every month — or that the price went up. “You may have signed up for online streaming service two or three years ago when it was a good deal,” Domke says, “and it’s auto-renewing and you’re not even recognizing that that fee has increased annually.”

The fine print can sometimes be tricky, and Domke says you also might have signed up for a subscription without even realizing it. “Even myself, I’ve fallen victim to that, thinking I was just signing up to explore something and next thing I know, there’s a monthly fee on the credit card,” he says. With so much click-bait on social media outlets, Domke says it’s very easy to get duped into paying — or overpaying — for an app or service these days.  “I think people would be surprised how many times they may sign up for that free trial, and either forget to cancel it or went past the trial,” he says, “or started paying for something they didn’t realize they were gonna get into.”

Domke says to go through your credit card and bank statements, line by line, to make sure you’re not paying for something you don’t use or don’t want.

(Radio Iowa) – The Lakeside Casino near Osceola was recently fined 20-thousand dollars for an underage gambling violation. Information presented at the Racing and Gaming Commission meeting last week said the minor was able to get on the gambling floor and gamble after using a picture on a cellphone. Lakeside General Manager, Damon John. “I just want to say that this is unacceptable to us, and it is a situation that we take very seriously,” John says.

He says they took action to correct the breach. “The employee in question was immediately and concisely retrained to ensure that when they do ask a guest for an I-D they are doing so in accordance with our S-O-P to make sure that I-D is an appropriate and approved I-D,” he says. John says the casino also took action against the minor and a companion. He says they contacted local law enforcement to make sure the minor was charged and the minor and adult companion were permanently banned from the casino.

The violation happened in August.

(Des Moines, Iowa) — Positive COVID-19 tests are on the rise again in Iowa after dipping slightly late last week. The Iowa Department of Public Health reports 36,731 positive tests in the last seven days, up from 33,502 at the last report on Friday. The state’s 14-day positivity rate has climbed to 24.3%, up from 23.5% on Friday.

IDPH reports virus hospitalizations have decreased from 998 on Friday to 953 Monday. Of those hospitalized with COVID-19, 68.4% are unvaccinated, while 77.1% of those listed in intensive care with the virus are unvaccinated.

The number of long-term care facilities reporting a virus outbreak in Iowa climbed from 50 to 56 since Friday.

(Radio Iowa) – Advocates are raising concerns about regulatory changes that would increase staff-to-children ratios in Iowa child care centers. House Republicans have drafted a plan to let one employee oversee up to eight two-year-olds. The president of the Iowa Child Care Coalition says it would lead to more staff burn-out and turn-over, which ultimately would harm the brain development of two-year-olds. “You are going to significantly stress them, which leads to additional behavior problems,” she says.

A child care task force assembled by Governor Reynolds recommended raising the staff-to-child ratio in day cares as one way to increase the number of available child care slots without hiring additional workers. Janee Harvey, a Department of Human Services administrator, says under current law, the ratio is one worker to a maximum of six two-year-olds. The agency is proposing a more modest increase of one staff member for up to seven two-year-olds. “There is a high level of biting among that age, which does create risk to other kids,” she says. “That is not a good situation.”

And Harvey says many two-year-olds are not yet potty trained, creating a greater need for staff in a room of two year olds. The agency is proposing one day care worker be allowed to oversee up to 10 three year olds. House Speaker Pat Grassley says the proposals are options, not requirements, and part of a broader conversation about addressing workforce issues.

“I think we’re in a position where we have to be putting all of the options on the table…whether it’s child care, housing, attracting people to the state,” Grassley says. “We need to have to have these kind of hard conversations and find out what we really think the long term solutions and part of that plan is going to be.”

Grassley made his comments during an appearance on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.

(updated) (Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Board, Monday night, approved a contribution of $4,000 toward the $12,000 cost of a study designed to move forward on getting a Splash Pad at the Sunnyside Pool and other renovations/remodeling at the pool. Prior to approving the funds, the Board heard from Quality of Life Committee members Brigham Hoegh (Cass County Wellness Coordinator), and Dave Chase (with Nishna Valley Trails), who said there were numerous members from various groups who comprised the committee that spearheaded the 2021 Cass County “What people want and Need” study, which covered several areas, including Physical and Outdoor Recreation. Chase says..

That’s where the studies come in, and Chase said “those studies don’t come cheap.” The committee, he said, is asking everyone with a stake in the endeavor, “to kick-in a little bit.”

Chase said the Nishna Valley YMCA “has provided the leadership to call meetings and get the ball rolling, but it’s gotta be a community effort.” Chase said those persons who sat-in on the committee were asked to go back to their respective organizations and ask if they can kick-in something for the studies. He included himself and the NVT group as part of the funding stream. The YMCA he said, he agreed to chip-in $6,000. Parks Board member John Krogman, speaking via video conference, said he hopes others kick-in on the study or later, when the projects are ready to come to fruition.

Parks Board Chairperson Jolene Smith agreed.

Other sources of funding could possibly include the Community Promotion Commission (CPC), Cass County Community Foundation and various grant opportunities. Parks and Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen said in discussions with City Administrator John Lund, it was clear having the Parks & Rec Board chip-in for the study wouldn’t impact the department’s projects planned for this year or next year.

The second phase study will specifically focus on how to raise funds for the project itself, once the price tags have been established. The total cost of both studies is estimated to be $33,000. The Parks and Rec Board will contribute additional funds in the upcoming Fiscal Year, once the funding streams come together.