A national survey by an Iowa marketing firm finds Americans place a high value on family but to maintain good familial relationships, they want to keep politics off the table this Thanksgiving. Doug Jeske, president of the Meyocks (MEEKS) Group in West Des Moines, says the presidential election two weeks ago was so divisive, many families are placing a ban on all political discussions, especially during dinner.

“The popular vote was split very closely and it was a really strong, contentious and bitter campaign,” Jeske says. “Americans would like to sit down and appreciate what they’re thankful for but they really don’t want to upset each other with conversations about politics right now.” Family remains central to Thanksgiving, far outpacing food, football and Black Friday, but to keep family a blessing, Jeske says many of us will chose to avoid conversations that might change our feelings toward family members.

While the survey found politics are strictly off-limits during many holiday celebrations, almost as many respondents said “money” is another forbidden subject. “Americans in particular are pretty private about their finances,” Jeske says. “They either don’t want to be doing too well or too poorly so they just prefer to keep those things to themselves especially — or even — with other family members.”

Nearly a quarter of Americans -do- still expect to talk politics this Thanksgiving. Jeske notes, there is no correlation between those willing to talk politics and whether alcohol is served with the meal. Many of us were taught that politics and religion are two topics you should never discuss in polite company and Jeske says the survey did also ask about that other taboo, religion.

“We asked whether Americans typically say a prayer before the holiday meal,” Jeske says. “One thing that may be surprising is that Americans were equally likely to say a prayer if they were sitting down for Thanksgiving in an urban environment as they were a rural environment.” The survey found 56-percent of respondents always say a prayer before the Thanksgiving meal, 27-percent sometimes say a prayer and 17-percent never say a prayer. The survey also found 96-percent of Thanksgiving dinners will feature turkey and about 40-percent will feature a “kids table,” though about a third of time there’s a kids table, adults sit there, too.

(Radio Iowa)

There’s just one section of the state that’s still behind in completing the corn and soybean harvest. The latest U-S-D-A crop report shows that southwest and south central Iowa still have approximately eight percent of the corn crop and five percent of their soybean crop to harvest. The report says the harvest is virtually complete in most other areas of the state, with 98 percent of the corn out of the fields.

That puts the corn harvest — which had lagged behind for awhile due to weather — two days ahead of the five-year average. Iowa’s ag secretary says it looks like farmers are going to set records for yields and total production of corn and soybeans once all the numbers are in.

(Radio Iowa)

State Auditor Mary Mosiman says she doesn’t see much of an impact from a three-year old state law that was designed to crack down on embezzlement in Iowa’s small towns. The state auditor is now conducting surprise inspections for 600 small towns once every eight years. “I’m gonna say we haven’t seen any reduction. When people want to commit fraud they figure out a way to try and do it,” Mosiman says.

The law was passed because of an increase in small town embezzlement and a general lack of oversight. Mosiman says doing the checks and then publicizing it when they find something wrong has helped in some ways. ” We’ll put out a fraud on a small city and we’ll get calls from another city to walk through procedures with them — so there is some benefit,” according to Mosiman. She says the threat of surprise inspections is sometimes not enough to stop someone.

“There are some frauds that have been taking place for a decade or longer. So, once they get involved in it it is hard for them to turn back,” Mosiman explains. The auditor says a handful of towns have received a second follow-up visit. She says some small cities are surprised that the state is taking their bookkeeping practices seriously.

(Radio Iowa)

Officials with the Council Bluffs Police Department say federal search warrants were executed today (Tuesday) at several locations in Omaha and Council Bluffs. The warrants were executed by agents and investigators with the FBI’s Task Force. The nature of the warrants were not revealed, and officials say no comments will be released until documents have been filed with the court, as part of the public record.

Authorities say warrants were executed at the following locations in Council Bluffs:

• Two warrants executed on Tenth Avenue, Council Bluffs.
• Avenue B, Council Bluffs.
• South 19th Street, Council Bluffs.

Additional warrants were executed at the following locations in Omaha:
• North 15th Street, Omaha.
• North 93rd Street, Omaha.
• Rees Street, Omaha.
• South 39th Street, Omaha.
• North 111th Plaza, Omaha.
• South 48th Street, Omaha.

DAKOTA CITY, Neb. (AP) – A 45-year-old Iowa man has been found guilty of vehicular homicide in the crash deaths of three people in northeast Nebraska. Online court records say Christopher Cox, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, pleaded no contest to three counts last week in Dakota County Court. He’s scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 4.

Authorities say Cox’s car ran off U.S. Highway 20 west of Jackson on June 9 and struck a concrete creek barrier. He told officers he swerved to avoid hitting a deer.

Two of his passengers died at the scene: 57-year-old Connie Fauzae and 9-year-old Espinoza Lara, both of Council Bluffs, Iowa. A third passenger died later at a Sioux City, Iowa, hospital: 10-year-old Jose Lara, also of Council Bluffs. Cox was treated for minor injuries.

The Harlan Police Department reports three men from Nebraska were arrested Sunday, following an investigation into threats they allegedly made to a woman in Harlan.  Following a traffic stop, 27-year old Carlos Roberto Fonseca Triminio,18-year old Samael Steven Lopez Duran, and 18-year old Jose Joaquin Sagura Mendez, all of Omaha, were taken into custody and transported to the Shelby County Jail. Each was charged with Possession of a controlled substance, Possession of drug paraphernalia, and Prohibited acts penalties.  In addition, Fonseca Triminio was charged with violation of a no contact order and open container passenger.  Lopez Duran was charged with open container driver and failure to have a valid driver’s license.  Sagura Mendez was charged with open container passenger.  31-year old Amber Larsen, of Harlan, was charged with violation of a no contact order.

Harlan Police said also, on Nov. 19th, 20-year old Brandon Henderson, of Harlan, was arrested after Officers were called to a disturbance in the 1500 block of 7^th Street.  Henderson was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with domestic abuse assault and disorderly conduct.

Last Friday, Harlan  Police responded to the 700 block of 9^th Street for a subject who allegedly had kicked in the door and stolen a phone, keys, and a baseball bat.  As a result of the investigation, complaints were filed with the Shelby County Clerk of Court charging 25-year old Michael Tremayne, of Harlan, with burglary 2^nd degree and trespass.

And, last Thursday, 50-year old Derrick Kaldenberg, of Harlan, was taken into custody when he was seen by officers coming from behind private property.  Kaldenberg was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with trespass, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of prescription drugs.

The Griswold School Board, Monday night, approved a draft Request For Proposal (RFP) for the services of an architectural firm, with regard to the possible construction of an Elementary School Building addition to the Middle School High School Building, in Griswold. The Facilities Committee had earlier asked the Board to consider hiring an architectural firm so the Committee can get a better idea of the costs associated with the construction option.

Superintendent Dr. Dave Henrichs, told KJAN News RFP’s have been sent out to various firms. Their resumes or qualifications is due back to the District by Dec. 19^th.

(As said: The Committee consisting of Board Members, the Administration, the Business Manager and a member of the Facilities Committee, will meet Dec. 20^th and select which firms they want to interview. Those interviews will take place January 5^th.)

The Committee will then recommend to the Board, the hiring of one of the interviewed architectural firms. The firm will put together a schematic plan of what a new building would look like, as well as help the District engage the community, with the intent of going forward with a bond referendum.

(As said: Henrichs wants to be clear “No decision has been made to build this building. We’re just getting all of our ‘ducks in a row,’to make sure that’s the right choice.”)

If the building is constructed, all Griswold School District facilities would be located in Griswold. In other business, the Griswold School Board elected Heather Pelzer as Board President. Rod Peterson will continue to serve as Vice President. And, the Board approved a change in next month’s school calendar, to accommodate a special sporting event for basketball players.

The boys and girls basketball teams have been invited to participate in the Jennie Edmundson Shootout Dec. 16^th at the Mid-America Center, in Council Bluffs. The girls game begins at 2:30, the boys game at 4. The Board was asked and approved an early dismissal Dec. 16^th, at 1-p.m.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman was arrested Monday in Shenandoah, on a valid Page County warrant for Drug Distribution to Persons Under 18, & Harboring a runaway minor. 23-year old Victoria Diane LeeAnn Kimbro-Johnson, of Shenandoah, was unable to post the $25,000 bond, and was transported to the Page County Jail where she was being held pending future court appearances.

Victoria Diane LeeAnn Kimbro-Johnson

The CAM School Board, Monday night, reluctantly approved the resignation of their Talented And Gifted (TAG) Program instructor, Ksenia Zhbanova. Superintendent, Dr. Casey Berlau told KJAN News their decision wasn’t an easy one.

(The Board will now look to find a replacement for the position.)

Zhbanova, who has been with the CAM District for about four-years, recently got married. Since her husband accepted a job in Mississippi, she requested the Board release her from her contract in January, so she can be with him. Ksenia has indicated a willingness to help find her replacement to finish out the year.

In other business, the Board approved a bid from the Massena Telephone Company to replace the High School and Elementary School phones, which have been down the entire semester. Dr. Berlau says also, if you have ever wanted to own a school bus, you’ll have the chance to buy one or two.

(An ad requesting bids will be in the local paper, and the Board will approve any bids received during their meeting next month.)

Iowa’s drunk driving policies are among the worst in the country, according to a new report from Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The report gives Iowa one-and-a-half stars out of five for its various laws and efforts to deter and arrest impaired motorists and keep them from repeating the offense. Frank Harris, MADD’s director of state government affairs, says only two states scored lower. Harris says, “Iowa needs to take action to improve their drunk driving law as it’s lacking some key countermeasures, specifically, utilizing ignition interlocks or in-car breathalyzers for all drunk drivers, as well as tying in the use of ignition interlocks with any type of driving privileges post-drunk driving arrest.”

The interlock device is wired into a vehicle’s ignition system and a convicted drunk driver must blow into the device in order to start the vehicle. If they have a measurable amount of alcohol in their system, the vehicle won’t start. A state report this week found almost one-third of the fatal crashes in Iowa this year were alcohol-related and Harris says it’s clear, something needs to change.

“The state needs to give law enforcement more tools to fight drunk driving by allowing for law enforcement to do what’s called a sobriety checkpoint,” Harris says. “Thirty-eight states plus DC utilize sobriety checkpoints. The goal of a sobriety checkpoint is not necessarily to catch a drunk driver but to deter somebody from driving drunk in the first place.”

He says such checkpoints are proven effective in reducing drunk driving deaths by 20-percent. No states got a five-star rating this year. Michigan got one star and Montana only got a half-a-star. Part of Iowa’s one-and-a-half star rating comes from the state’s administrative license revocation law. “There’s a process upon arrest where someone’s license can be taken away but the issue with that is, 41 states have laws like this and they’re very effective and Iowa’s one of them,” Harris says, “but the problem is, Iowa doesn’t utilize ignition interlocks immediately following a drunk driving arrest.”

He says the average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before a first arrest. Last year, the MADD report says Iowa had 78 drunk driver-related deaths and 937 alcohol-related crash injuries, as well as 9,028 D-U-I arrests. The report, “Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, 2016 Report to the Nation,” is being released as the country begins holiday celebrations that mark a deadly period of drunk driving crashes. Nationwide last year, 973 people were killed in drunk driving crashes between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, which is nearly 10% of all drunk driving crashes for the year.

(Radio Iowa)