The Severe Weather season may seem to be far-off, when we’re still in the grips of Winter, but the National Weather Service (NWS) is setting up programs to provide interested persons and those who need a refresher course, Storm Spotter Training. The Adair/Guthrie County Emergency Management Agency reports Storm Spotter Training will take place March 20th, from 7-until 9-p.m., in the Menlo Community Building (in Menlo). Instructors from the NWS will be on-hand to provide you with information on how to identify potential, and actual severe weather events.

Previously, we told you a Storm Spotter Course will be held 7-p.m. Feb. 25th, in the courtroom at the Cass County Courthouse, in Atlantic. All of the training sessions are open to the public. No appointments or reservations are needed.

Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Deter Motor Company, in Atlantic, have announced the recipient of the 2018 ATHENA Award. Dr. Elaine Berry, provider at Cass County Health System, was recently presented with the prestigious award that is given to leaders, women and men, across the professional sector.

Dr. Elaine Berry. 2018 ATHENA Award recipient

The ATHENA Leadership Award, developed through a grant from W.K. Kellogg Foundation, identifies eight distinct attributes that are reflective of women’s contributions to leadership: living authentically, learning constantly, advocating fiercely, acting courageously, fostering collaboration, building relationships, giving back and celebrating. These personal traits are more intuitive to women and combined with the strongest aspects of traditional leadership, prepare women to be successful leaders in the 21st century. Atlantic is one of the few communities in Iowa with an active ATHENA Leadership group, with 17 women currently making up the local group.

Pictured: Dr. Elaine Berry with past ATHENA Leadership Award Recipients Dolly Bergmann, Heather McKay, Kathie Hockenberry, Carole Schuler and Judy Marnin.

Dr. Berry, it was noted, has spent her entire professional career mentoring young people interested in the medical field. Whether it was a junior high, high school or college student, or someone who has already begun their medical training, she never misses an opportunity to encourage and teach. Most of her days off are spent at the health system, attending meetings, working to improve the EMR system, catching up on paperwork, checking patients’ test results and caring for patients who just can’t wait another day.

In addition to her formal mentoring, Dr. Berry has impacted young people, particularly young women she encounters every day. As a female physician who has successfully balanced a challenging, rewarding career while raising three children and being a supportive, involved farm wife, she sends the message that other women can achieve their dreams, too. In a society where young women are less likely than their male counterparts to pursue careers in the STEM fields, Dr. Elaine Berry sets a shining example of what is possible.

Over 7,000 recipients around the world have been honored with the ATHENA Leadership Award since the program launched in 1982. Nominees must meet each of the following three criteria:

• Demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in their business or profession
• Provide valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in their community
• Actively assist women in achieving their full leadership potential

Locally, past winners include: LaVon Eblen, Judy Marnin, Leanne Pellett, Denise O’Brien, Margaret Slepsky, Glenda Farrier, Carole Schuler, Jan Kinnison, Janell Hansen, Ann Pross, Wendy Richter, Dolly Bergmann, Pat Markham, Lanette Plambeck, Kathie Hockenberry, Dr. Tressa Wilcox and Heather McKay.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce began partnering in 2001 with Deter Motor Company, to provide the community with the prestigious Athena Award.

Officials with the Page County Sheriff’s Office today (Wednesday), said a woman was arrested at around 11:30-a.m. Friday, following the theft of a vehicle. Jasmine Jade Wilcoxen, of Clarinda, was arrested on a Class-D felony Possession of Stolen Property charge, soon after the Page County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a suspicious person / vehicle parked in a residential drive, northwest of Clarinda. Personnel from the Sheriff’s Office arrived and made contact with a woman, later identified as Wilcoxson.

Jasmine Jade Wilcoxen

During the investigation, Wilcoxson said she had stolen the vehicle from an apartment complex in Clarinda, and was on the way to a residence in the Tabor area, but stopped at the residence where she and the vehicle were located. Wilcoxson and the resident of the driveway had never met before. Wilcoxson was taken into custody and transported to the Page County Jail where she being held on a $5,000 cash-only bond.

(Radio Iowa) — Republican Congressman Steve King will face a primary challenge if he seeks a 10th term in the U.S. House next year. Republican State Senator Randy Feenstra of Hull announced this (Wednesday) morning he will run for congress in the fourth congressional district. Feenstra, who called King “caustic” in a written statement, was first elected to the state senate a decade ago. Feenstra says the fourth district “doesn’t have a voice” in Washington right now because of King’s “sideshows and distractions.” The district has a significant Republican voter registration edge, but Democrat J.D. Scholten came within about 11-thousand votes of defeating King in November.

Republican Governor Kim Reynolds, who won the district by 18 points, said after the election that King has to decide whether he wants to be in congress or do something else. Last week, King announced he’d hold town hall meetings in each of the district’s 39 counties — a practice King had suspended after complaining “paid protesters” were disrupting his events. King has drawn rebukes from fellow Republicans over the years. A key House Republican publicly condemned King’s behavior in late October, saying it’s important to “stand up against white supremacy and hate.”

Feenstra has been the Sioux County Treasurer and the city administrator in Hull. He’s currently teaching at Dordt College in Sioux Center.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowans will start the process of filing their taxes in a few weeks and one expert says he’s seeing more significant changes in the tax code this season than in the past 40 years. Creighton University accounting professor Tom Purcell says one big change relates to home equity debt. Purcell says if you have a home equity line of credit, for example, you can’t write off the interest anymore. “The home equity debt rule has changed and you can no longer get the deduction for home equity,” Purcell says. That reduces the tax incentive for home ownership.

Other changes include raising the standard deduction and the amount of child tax credits, the suspension of personal exemptions, and changes to withholding amounts on employee pay. On the plus side, Purcell says some new taxpayers in Iowa will find they don’t need a C-P-A to complete their simplified returns. “Some entry-level people might just realize they can do this for themselves, it’s not that hard,” Purcell says. “You get a W-2, that’s all you’ve got, you’re not going to claim itemized deductions, you don’t have to worry about dependency exemptions and personal exemptions, you can be done in 20 minutes.”

He says entry-level taxpayers, and those who itemized in the past who will now claim the standard deduction in 2018, should self-prepare using an electronic filing service which can be free through the IRS. Many other Iowans may be in for a surprise if, due to changes in federal withholding, they haven’t withheld enough. “It’s very possible that some people will be under-withheld, which means when they file their tax return, they might have to write a check to the IRS,” he says.

A federal report estimates 30-million Americans aren’t withholding enough money from their paychecks and will owe the IRS money when they file for 2018 this year. For Iowans who find they aren’t withholding enough, Purcell recommends they revise their W-4 forms with their employers.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A March trial has been scheduled for an Illinois resident accused of killing a man in southeast Iowa. Des Moines County court records say 29-year-old Antoine Spann, of Dalton, Illinois, was scheduled to go on trial Tuesday, but a judge granted him a delay . The new starting date is March 12. He’s pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony for the death of 26-year-old Demarcus “Peanut” Chew. Chew was shot to death Sept. 10, 2017, in a car outside the home of his mother in Burlington.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Finance Authority lobbyist fired for retaliating against a colleague who reported sexual harassment allegations against their boss has been awarded unemployment benefits. Administrative Law Judge Nicole Merrill ruled Monday that Wes Peterson’s conduct was “merely an isolated incident of extremely poor judgment” that didn’t disqualify him from collecting unemployment.
Peterson, the agency’s government relations director, was fired Sept. 27 following an investigation into sexual harassment by fired director Dave Jamison. The report portrayed Peterson as a Jamison sidekick who witnessed him grabbing a colleague’s breasts at a bar in 2016.

Peterson yelled at the woman during a call after Jamison was fired last March, demanding to know whether she was among those who complained to Gov. Kim Reynolds and warning he’d falsely claim he was too drunk to remember the groping. He later texted an apology, saying he feared he’d become “collateral damage.” Merrill says the evidence supports Peterson’s claim that he was calling the woman as a friend about a stressful work situation and didn’t understand his actions could be considered retaliation.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report a man found slumped over his steering wheel in Oakland was arrested for OWI/3rd or subsequent offense and Driving While Barred, Tuesday afternoon. 28-year old Jan Palubjak. of Oakland, was taken into custody just before 3-p.m., in the vicinity of Oakland Avenue and N. Highland Street, and booked into the Pott. County Jail. And, 21-year old Nicole Paige Myers, of Oakland, was arrested on drug charges at around 3:50-a.m. today (Wednesday), following a traffic stop at US Highway 6 and Pullen Avenue.  Myers was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance (a pill bottle with 12.3-grams of marijuana), Unlawful Possession of Prescription pills (3 Alprazolam pills and 1 morphine sulfate pill), and possession of drug paraphernalia (2 glass pipes).

Tuesday morning, a man being held in the Pott. County Jail on burglary and theft charges, was presented with a warrant out of Nebraska, for being a Fugitive from Justice. 26-year old Jessie LD Smith, of Omaha, was read the warrant and returned to the custody of Corrections Staff.

DENISON, Iowa (AP) — A western Iowa city council has approved returning three top employees to their jobs. Denison City Manager Terry Crawford, City Clerk Lisa Koch and Fire Chief Cory Snowgren were put on administrative leave Dec 18. The council voted Tuesday night for their return to duty Wednesday. The mayor and council members have declined to explain why the three were put on leave, saying it was a personnel matter.

The attorney for Crawford and Koch says there was miscommunication between the three employees and the mayor about a piece of training equipment for the fire department. Mayor Jared Beymer says the investigation isn’t finished yet.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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