(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the withdrawal of U-S forces from Afghanistan should not be rushed. “Whatever Trump or Biden wanted to do on reducing the number of troops or pulling out, they should have never set a date,” Grassley says. President Trump’s Administration negotiated an agreement in early 2020 that called for a withdrawal by May 1st of this year.

This spring, President Biden said the withdrawal would happen by September 11th, but in July Biden moved up the timeline to the end of August. “The president is commander in chief and I hope that he does not have an automatic deadline of August 31, so that we leave Americans over there that could be taken hostage,” Grassley says, “and that we would leave SIVs over there that could be executed.”

Afghans being granted Special Immigrant Visas — S-I-Vs — worked with the U-S government or the U-S military over the past two decades. Grassley says he believes the Pentagon should have come with a withdrawal plan that gradually flew Americans and allies out of Afghanistan.  “It seems to me common sense would dictate…you’d do all that without letting the enemy know what you’re doing,” Grassley says. “…Any artificial deadline would lead to sure death for a lot of people that don’t deserve it.”

Grassley says it was a big mistake for President Obama to release five Taliban prisoners from Cuba in a swap for an American hostage AND for President Trump to agree to a prisoner swap of five-thousand Taliban for about a thousand people the Taliban were holding. Grassley, a Republican, voted against the Gulf War in 1991, but supported the resolution authorizing the Bush Administration’s push into Afghanistan after the September 11th attacks.

The Harlan Police Department reports one arrest was made recently and a few citations were issued. Last Thursday, 18-year-old Daija Suzanne Buttry, of Harlan, was cited for driving while suspended following a traffic stop. On Friday, 41-year-old Anthony Sherman Davis, of Persia, was arrested following at traffic stop. Davis was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with driving while suspended and no proof of insurance.

On Saturday, Selena Elizabeth Gomez Argueta was cited for driving while suspended following a traffic stop. And, on Monday, 34-year-old Heather Kay Scheffler, of Harlan, was cited for driving while suspended following a traffic stop.

There was also one accident to report. On Tuesday (Aug. 24th) vehicles driven by Mallorie Messinger and Shirley Schaben, both of Harlan, collided at 12th and Durant Streets in Harlan. The accident happened when both vehicles, a 2014 Dodge Durango driven by Messinger, and a 2012 Ford Fusion driven by Schaben, met in the middle of the intersection at about the same time.

The SUV was turning east from North 12th Street onto Durant, while the Fusion continuing eastbound on Durant. As Messigner was making the turn, the Fusion accelerated from the stop sign and struck the front driver’s side wheel of the SUV, causing disabling damage to both vehicles.

Des Moines – The Iowa Department of Corrections reports Chadwick Eugene Trader, convicted of Burglary 2nd Degree and other charges in Polk County, failed to report to the Fort Des Moines facility as required yesterday.  Trader is a 42-year-old white male, height 6′ 0″, and weighs 211 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on 5/27/21.  Persons with information on Trader’s whereabouts should contact local police.

Chadwick Trader

The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will hold a Special Meeting Wednesday afternoon, in the Schuler Media Center. During the 4-p.m. session, the Board will review the strategic plan & discuss district goals for the 2021-22 school year. They will also act on Open Enrollment Applications, and two resignations:

• Megan Mewhirter, Middle School Special Education Paraeducator
• Kerri Denison, English Language Learner (ELL) Paraeducator.

They will also act on Contract Recommendations for:

• Stephanie Kloewer, Bus Monitor
• Monte Dressler, Bus Mechanic/School Bus Route Driver
• Chris Kennedy, Substitute Car Route Driver & Preschool Bus Monitor.

The meeting will be viewable live on YouTube.

(UPDATED) (Radio Iowa) – The State Education Department says 64 schools will receive federal coronavirus funding for mental health services. The Department’s Bradley Niebling says there are a variety of services. “For example, school-based mental health services, things like behavioral health screenings, therapy,” Niebling says. He says the money can also be spent on training for teachers. “Youth mental health and child mental health first aid training,” he says. “So those trainings help educators learn how to identify students who may have some mental health needs going on, and how to refer them for additional help. And finally, districts can use those dollars for suicide prevention training, helping raise awareness around the issues and reducing the stigma around getting help for suicide prevention.”

Niebling says the need for these types of training and programs has increased. “We’ve seen across the country a rise in mental health need for students. Things like isolation, anxiety, depression — and that’s certainly the case here in Iowa as well,” according to Niebling. “So these dollars are really aimed at providing additional help to schools as they try to meet the additional needs that students have had as a result of the pandemic.” He says they had 130 schools apply for the grant funding. He says they made sure the applications met the review criteria to get the money.

Niebling says there is a ten-day appeal period for those schools who did not win a grant, and then the money will go out to the schools. Locally, grants were awarded to…

District Award*

Lewis Central $184,000

Underwood $70,000

Woodbine $38,000

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office, today (Tuesday) proudly announced the graduation of Jacob Reynolds from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy’s 298^th Basic (Training) Class.  The commencement was held August 20^th, 2021 at the Valley Church in West Des Moines.

(Left to right) Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren, Deputy Reynolds, and Chief Deputy John Westering.

Deputy Reynolds (Photos courtesy the Cass County Sheriff’s Office)

During the ceremony Reynolds was recognized for his shooting proficiency, earning the Top Shot award or the award for the graduate with the highest shooting scores.  Jacob is a 2016 graduate of Griswold High School and currently resides in Griswold.

(Radio Iowa) – State Representative Christina Bohannan, a University of Iowa law professor, has launched her campaign for one of Iowa’s seats in the U.S. House today (Tuesday). Bohannan, a Democrat, is from Iowa City — currently in the second congressional district and represented by Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa, who won by a six-vote margin last year. “A legislator represents everyone in their district, not just the people in their own party,” Bohannan told Radio Iowa this morning. “and I am very excited to get out and meet all the people and listen their stories and their experiences throughout the district, so that I can give them the very best representation for the people.”

There’s a possibility when new district lines are redrawn for the 2022 election that Iowa City and Ottumwa won’t be in the same district. Bohannan said new district maps will be a consideration later on. “But right now, I’m just eager to get started and I’m excited,” Bohannan said. “I’ve talked to lots of people throughout the district and I’m getting a lot of support. I think this is going to be a great campaign.” Bohannan, who is 50, defeated an incumbent Democrat in a primary last year and was elected to the Iowa House last November. Bohannan said she’s running for the U.S. House because too often she sees families struggling.

Christina Bohannan. (Bohannan campaign photo.)

“I grew up in a very small rural town in a trailer park. My dad and mom never finished high school and my dad was a construction worker…Unfortunately, he got sick…His health insurance got cancelled and so when that happened, it was devastating,” Bohannan said. “…In America, if people work hard, they should get a fair shot and they should not have everything taking away from them just because of one bad break like getting sick or getting Covid.” Bohannan said the “bickering” between the two parties has to stop if big issues are going to get resolved. “All that noise and confusion and extreme party politics is really hurting the country,” Bohannan said.

Miller-Meeks issued a written statement, saying Bohannan will seek “more, not less, government control” over Iowans’ lives and personal liberties. Miller-Meeks specifically mentioned Bohannan’s vote against the bill that bans mask mandates. She also criticized Bohannan’s vote against increased penalties for rioting in Iowa.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors have unanimously passed a Resolution of Financial Support for the Adair Community Center project. Their action came during a regularly scheduled meeting this (Tuesday) morning. The resolution calls for the County’s commitment of $5,000 as part of a local match to construct a new Community Center. The funds are contingent upon the City being approved for a Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant. The maximum grant amount is $250,000. Adair County Board Supervisor Chair Steve Shelley read the Resolution as presented.

The resolution will be included in the grant application to indicate support for the project. The deadline for the City to turn in its grant application and proof of community support, is August 27^th. Adair Mayor John Larsen says to-date, the City is close to raising the required 65-percent amount of funds for the local match.

The City of Adair has been without a Community Center for the past several months after the old building was sold to accommodate a new Dollar General store. The City completed moving a house from a lot at 4^th and Stuart Streets, and the site prepared to become the Adair Community Center. The current site was chosen because it is centrally located and has access to adequate parking. The new building will be constructed with steel.

In other business, the Adair County Board of Supervisors approved an application for one floodplain permit, and the issuance of a separate permit. They approved a liquor license renewal for the Greenfield Golf and Country Club. They also approved the Board Chair signing Right-of-Way contracts for the Lakeview culvert project.

The Board discussed the speed limit on Lakeview Drive, south of Highway 92. Inside the Greenfield City limits, speed along the road is limited to 35 miles per hour. Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman suggested a speed limit for the County’s portion of the road the Board will likely vote on next week.

Kauffman provided an update as well, on various Secondary Roads Department projects,

And, he said their new motor-grader arrived on Monday.

Officials with the Atlantic Police Department report 33-year-old James Erickson, of Atlantic, was arrested Friday on Cass County warrants. The warrants were for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Meth; Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia, and Reckless use of Fire or Explosives. Erickson was booked into the Cass County Jail. Also arrested Aug. 20th, was 34-year-old Clara Mohr, of Harlan, and 46-year-old Kelli Templeton, of Atlantic. Mohr was arrested for Public Intoxication. Templeton was arrested for OWI.

On Aug. 21st, 30-year-old Devin Gardner, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Failure to Appear. And, 34-year-old Jeffrey Knight, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI.

All five subjects remained in the Cass County Jail, according to the latest jail roster issued on Aug. 23rd.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Harlan City Council last week, approved a recommendation to purchase a K-9 from the Iowa State Patrol. Their action came during a special session on Friday.  City administrator Gene Gettys said the funds are there from donations and savings but they will need to amend the budget to reflect that.  In May, the Harlan Police Department announced the passing of their K9 Jax.  Jax was assigned to Officer Tim Pederson and was certified in Tracking-Trailing and Narcotics.