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Harlan Police report, 6/23/21

News

June 23rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Harlan Police Department reports five arrests:

  • On June 22nd, 19-year-old Riley Joseph Hubbell, of Harlan, was arrested following the execution of a search warrant. He was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with assault.
  • On June 21st, 50-year-old David Allen Sampo, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop. He was charged with Driving While Suspended.
  • On the 18th, 19-year-old Madison Ann Parman, of Harlan, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault.
  • And, on the 16th, 39-year-old Jennifer Rose Miller and 38-year-old Elizabeth Grace Christo, both of Harlan, were both arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault.

$20 million in federal pandemic funds will establish Iowa Center for School Mental Health

News

June 23rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds is using 30 million dollars in federal pandemic relief money on three school-related initiatives. Twenty-million will be used for a new Iowa Center for School Mental Health at the University of Iowa to help train current and future Iowa teachers. Iowa Department of Education director Ann Lebo says over the past year, many schools saw increasing levels of anxiety and depression among their students. “Addressing these growing needs and ensuring students feel connected and supported is crucial to their overall wellbeing and academic achievement,” Lebo says.

Starting this summer, the center will provide all Iowa schools with crisis response services as well as face-to-face and online training for teachers. Another seven million in pandemic relief money will be used on child care and preschool programs in Council Bluffs public schools. Council Bluffs Vicki Murillo says the district will provide in-school child care for infants and toddlers. “We can demonstrate the effectiveness of high quality early childhood programming on kindergarten readiness of our young learners,” she says.  Part of the seven million will help pay for construction of a new early learning center on a vacant lot in the center of the Council Bluffs School District. “With the expanded preschool and new child care opportunities, nearly 200 more students every year will be better prepared to learn to their fullest,” Murillo says, “and be kindergarten ready.”

Three million in federal pandemic funds will be spent in the Waterloo district to improve reading and math skills in elementary students who’re struggling. Waterloo Superintendent Jane Lindaman says teachers will use proven methods to improve the achievement levels of minority students. “Prior to Covid-19, Waterloo Schools was focusing on a targeted plan to close the achievement gap for our students of color, Covid-19 exacerbated this gap and laid bare the inequities within our school district,” Lindaman says.

She says “Sometimes we attempt to explain achievement gaps as largely due to socio-economic disparities, but the truth is that even when a district controls for poverty and other differentiating factors, our white students still out-perform our black and brown students. These gaps are pervasive and they are persistent and we must fully commit ourselves to changing these outcomes.” Governor Reynolds says these pilot projects will be evaluated once the federal funding runs out to determine whether state tax dollars will be spent on the initiatives.

Unemployment rate moves up slightly

News

June 23rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The state unemployment rate increased slightly in May as more people entered the job market. The rate bumped up to three-point-nine percent in May from the three-point-eight percent in April. Iowa Workforce Development says the total number of Iowans in the workforce increased by 65-hundred, while the number of people with a job increased by five-thousand in May.

The unemployment rate one year ago in May during the height of the pandemic was eight-point-three percent.

Iowa Announces Additional Support For Child Care Providers

News

June 23rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(DES MOINES, Iowa) – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has announced additional support for child care providers across the state of Iowa including increased Child Care Assistance (CCA) rates, stipends to accelerate COVID recovery efforts, and enhancements to programs promoting educational opportunities for child care providers. Her office says the additional assistance will be critical for child care providers as the Governor’s Child Care Task Force continues to review and develop policy recommendations in advance of the 2022 legislative session.

The Governor says “Access to affordable child care is critical to Iowa’s sustained economic recovery from COVID-19. Keeping child care open during the COVID-19 pandemic was a central component to our targeted and balanced approach, and now through the Child Care Task Force we are working to ensure that quality child care remains available for working families across the state. As the Task Force continues its important work, we are announcing today interim steps to support our child care providers, and in turn, the children and families they serve.”

In an effort to further the State of Iowa’s support for child care workers’ pursuit of higher education, the Department of Human Services (DHS) will expand the T.E.A.C.H. and Child Care WAGE$ program statewide through Fiscal Year 2022. T.E.A.C.H. is a comprehensive scholarship program that provides education opportunities to the early childhood workforce. With a proven record of reducing turnover, the WAGE$ program provides education-based salary supplements to the early care and education workforce. To support those providers accepting federal Child Care Assistance, DHS has completed an updated 2020 Market Rate Survey, resulting in increased rates effective July 1, 2021. Currently, providers are being paid at a 2017 rate, and it is imperative that rates are increased to reflect the current market.

Lastly, DHS will continue to pay providers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic monthly stipends and unlimited absent days for CCA until August 31, 2021. Supporting child care providers through the summer will continue to stabilize child care for working families as Iowa continues on our recovery from COVID-19. DHS Director Kelly Garcia says “Our child care providers worked throughout the pandemic as a vital support to our larger workforce – even as others shifted to remote options. I am proud to offer child care providers continued support as they fulfill their critical role of caring for Iowa’s children and preparing them for the future.”

On March 10, 2021, Governor Kim Reynolds signed Executive Order 8, launching a new Child Care Task Force to develop a comprehensive strategy to address the child care shortage and barrier to work in Iowa. The task force, representing business, non-profit and community organizations, providers and local government, has been working vigorously and will complete their 100-day challenge in July 2021.

Red Oak man faces felony Involuntary Manslaughter & Burglary charges

News

June 23rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak) A Red Oak man was arrested Tuesday for Involuntary Manslaughter and Burglary 1st Degree, in connection with a reported “shots fired” incident that is alleged to have indirectly resulted in the death of a 41-year-old male. The incident took place at around 5:24-p..m.  Police Chief Justin Rhamy said Wednesday (today), 41-year-old Christopher Mickel Mattingly was arrested following an investigation. He was being held at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on a $25,000 cash-only bond.

Chief Rhamy said Red Oak Police were called to the 100 block of West Joy Street in Red Oak for a report of shots fired. Upon arrival of officers in the area, they were directed to a residence located at 103 E. Joy Street, where they located a man who was down in the back yard. Rescue was called to provide medical assistance. Also located in the back yard was another male that was exiting the residence. The second subject (Later identified as Mattingly) was placed into handcuffs and detained.

Officers then returned to the man laying on the ground, in order to provide any immediate medical assistance to that person. The subject on the ground complained of dizziness, but was not shot. Rescue arrived on scene and began providing medical treatment to the man on the ground. He was then transferred to an ambulance and transported to a medical facility. Unfortunately, according to police, the man entered into a cardiac arrest rhythm related to the initial incident and later succumbed to the cardiac arrest. His name was not immediately released.

Upon further investigation into the incident, it was determined Mattingly had gone to the victim’s house armed with a pellet gun, in an attempt to retrieve money that the victim allegedly owed Mattingly. Mattingly began using the pellet gun in an attempt to shoot out surveillance cameras that were on the outside of the residence. Police say once Mattingly arrived at the back door of the residence, he forced his entry by kicking in the door.

Police says it’s not clear what transpired once Mattingly entered the home, but they know that the 41-year-old male resident was able to exit the residence into the back yard where officers originally located him. Agencies assisting Red Oak Police at the scene, included the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Red Oak Fire Rescue.

Iowa COVID-19 update for 6/23/21: No additional deaths; Total Pos. cases top 404k

News

June 23rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Department of Public Health’s Coronavirus Dashboard, Wednesday morning, indicated there were 124 additional, positive cases of COVID-19 over the previous 24-hours, for a pandemic total of 404, 070. There were no additional deaths reported, which leaves the statewide total at 6,117. Deaths at Iowa’s Long-Term Care facilities since the start of the pandemic, amount to 2,372.

Long-Term Care (LTC) facility outbreak data is unchanged from Tuesday. Officials say there are a total of 26 positive cases among patients and staff at two facilities, and five persons who have recovered. For several days prior to Tuesday’s data, there were three LTC outbreaks. Iowa’s 14-day positivity rate edged-up slightly, to 2.1%. The seven-day positivity rate is up a bit, to 2.1%.

There are a total of 69 Iowans hospitalized with COVID. Health officials report 21 patients are in an ICU; 19 COVID patients were admitted to a hospital, and 12 patients are on a ventilator. In RMCC Region 4 (hospitals in western & southwest Iowa), there are two people hospitalized with COVID-19, one person was in an ICU. No one was admitted over the previous 24-hours, and there are no COVID patients on a ventilator in the area.

In the immediate KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County (since the beginning of the pandemic) and the total number of deaths (Since the beginning of the pandemic) in each county to date:
Cass, 1,478 cases; 55 deaths
Adair, 995; 32
Adams, 356; 4
Audubon, 553; 11
Guthrie, 1,317; 32
Harrison County, 1,937; 73
Madison County, 1,789 19
Mills County, 1,807; 24
Montgomery, 1,116; 38
Pottawattamie County, 12,367;174
Shelby County, 1,380; 37
Union County, 1,383; 35

Man found dead inside burned home near Batavia

News

June 23rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A 66-year-old man was found dead inside a burned home in southeast Iowa. Jefferson County officials say a “good Samaritan” called 9-1-1 just before 5:30 Tuesday morning to report a house in a rural area near Batavia was on fire. The house was fully engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived.

The resident of the home, David Headley, was located in the remains of the structure and an autopsy will be performed to determine his cause of death. Several surviving dogs were recovered from the scene of the fire.

Burn Ban issued in Audubon County

Ag/Outdoor, News, Weather

June 23rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Effective Noon today (Wed., June 23rd), a Burn Ban is in place for all of Audubon County. Audubon Fire Chief Tyler Thygesen, acting on behalf of all fire departments in the County, requested the ban be issued by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. The ban prohibits any open burning due to the fact conditions in the County are such that any such activity would constitute a danger to life or property.

No person in Audubon County shall engage in open burning in the County – except as specifically permitted by Iowa Code, until such time as Thygesen notifies the State Fire Marshal that the dangerous conditions no longer exist. Any violation of the Burn Ban is a simple misdemeanor.

Exira-EHK fills open positions; Superintendent addresses teacher shortage concerns

News

June 23rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton School Board, Tuesday evening, completed the hiring of teaching staff for the upcoming school year. The Board approved the hiring of: Emma Bireline – High School English; Heather Sprague – ½ time Title 1 Teacher, and Drew Buckholdt – Asst. Baseball Coach. They also approved the resignation of Dan Spooner – Technology Support/Digital Learning. Exira-EHK Superintendent Trevor Miller echoed comments made by other Superintendents in the area, in saying during his Administrators Report at the Board meeting, about the lack of applicants available to fill teaching positions.

Miller said he in light of the current teacher drought, he hopes the (State) Board of Education/Board of Education Examiners will give districts a little flexibility, in terms of “conditional licenses” and/or “Alternative” licenses.

He says there are persons who want to teach, but they don’t want to have to go back to school and incur the extra expense of a Bachelor’s Degree before they can come back to education.

In other business, Miller said the Board chose to stick with Anderson-Erickson as their milk supplier, and Lightbox Systems out of Harlan for Technology Services.

The Board approved Driver’s Education Contracts for Paul McKay, Jeremy Blake, Dick Casady, and Casey Pelzer. And, they approved a Transportation Director Sharing Agreement with the Harlan Community School District.

(Podcast) KJAN News, 6/23/21

News, Podcasts

June 23rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The newscast from 8:06-a.m. with Ric Hanson.

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