Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Public Safety report a substitute teacher for the Maple Valley-Anthon Oto (MVAO) School District in Ida Grove has been charged with felony Sexual Exploitation by a school employee, in violation of Iowa Code. 32-year old John Raymond Glen Tietsort, of Battle Creek, was arrested last Tuesday (Aug. 23rd) and charged with two counts of Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee, and three counts of Lascivious Conduct with a Minor,  a serious misdemeanor.  Tietsort was released on a $5000 cash bond on August 23rd. He’s due back in court September 1, 2016.

John R.G. Tietsort (Booking photo)

Tietsort had also been employed as a substitute teacher for the MVAO and Ridge View (Holstein) school districts.  Tietsort began teaching in January 2013. In May 2016, the Ida County Sheriff’s Office was made aware that a substitute teacher at the Maple Valley-Anthon Oto (MVAO) Community High School may have had an inappropriate relationship with a current student of the school.  The Ida County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), jointly initiated an investigation into Tietsort’s alleged activities.

The investigation revealed that Tietsort, while acting as a long term substitute teacher, had repeated sexual contact with one student from MVAO and one student from OA-BCIG during the spring of 2016. Any other former students of Tietsort’s who wish to report inappropriate contact by Tietsort can call the Ida County Sheriff’s Office at 712-364-3146.

If you need help or resources but are undecided or do not wish to report to law enforcement, you can call the Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault (CAASA) at 877-362-4612 or visit their website at www.caasaonline.org.

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

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ROCK VALLEY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a man has been killed in a fall from a roof in northwest Iowa. The Sioux City Journal reports the accident occurred around 1:20 p.m. Saturday at a rural residence about 5 1/2 miles southeast of Rock Valley. The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office says 57-year-old Henry Wynia was on the roof working when he fell about 20 feet to the ground.

The Sheriff’s Office says Wynia died later at a hospital in Rock Valley, where he lived.

Police in Creston today (Monday), issued a report on recent arrests and an incident. Officials say Sunday afternoon, 37-year old Lela Churchwell, of Creston, was arrested at her residence on the charge of Public Intoxication 3rd and subsequent offense. Churchwell was being held in the Ringgold County Jail on a $2000 bond. Sunday night, 29-year old Andrew Moffitt, of Murray, was arrested in Creston on a charge of 5th Degree Theft. Moffitt was being held in the Union County Jail on a $300 bond.

Early Saturday morning, 18-year old Kendrick Davis, of Creston,  was arrested on a charge of OWI 1st. Davis was later released from the Union County Jail on a $300
bond. And, Friday morning, 29-year old Modanna Meyer, of Albany, was arrested in Creston on a Union County Warrant for the charge of Violation of Probation for the original charge of Possession of a Precursor (Pseudoephedrine) . Meyer was being held in the Union County Jail on $10,000 bond.

Creston Police said also, Friday morning, a resident of the 100 block of S. Jarvis Street reported that sometime within the last week someone stole from his residence, two Baitcast Rod and Reel combos and his tacklebox full of gear. The loss was estimated at $525.

The area’s top news at 7:05-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a man was killed and a woman wounded in a shooting inside a vehicle at a restaurant parking lot in Sioux City. Sioux City police say officers were sent to the Chili’s just north of the Missouri River around 6 p.m. Sunday. The man’s body was found inside a sport utility vehicle. The wounded woman they found was taken to Mercy Medical Center-Sioux City. Their names haven’t been released.

Photo’s courtesy Radio Iowa

Police Sgt. Brian Clausen says the woman is not suspected of shooting the man. He declined to say whether officers suspect the man had shot the woman and then himself.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County are investigating two hit-and-run incidents that took place Sunday morning, in Villisca. Authorities say a blue 2008 Nissan Versa owned by a Des Moines man, and a silver 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser owned by a man from Shenandoah, were struck sometime between midnight and 3-a.m. Sunday, while they were parked in the 100 block of East 6th Street, in Villisca.

The suspect vehicle is described as being white in color. No other information is known. If you have any information as to the identity of the vehicle that may have struck the parked vehicles, or the driver of the vehicle, please contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 712-623-5107.

Police in Red Oak arrested a man on a 5th Degree Theft charge, Sunday night. 47-year old Robby Dale Lukehart, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 8-p.m. in the 300 block of 1st Avenue. Lukehart was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says agriculture is a “vital component” of the U.S. economy and he’s promising to protect the ethanol production mandate and reign in federal farm regulations. “Family farms are the backbone of this country, remember that,” Trump said Saturday. “And I know what’s happening to you.” Trump used part of his speech at Senator Joni Ernst’s event this weekend to speak directly to farmers.

“We’re going to make America grow again. Grow — that begins with supporting our family farms right here in Iowa. Do we have any farmers in the room? Stand up! Beautiful,” Trump said, as the crowd erupted in applause and cheers. Trump is singling out the Waters of the U.S. rule, calling it “a disaster” that must be eliminated. “We are going to end the EPA intrusion into your family homes and your family farms for no reason,” Trump said. “What they’re doing to you is a disgrace and we’re going to get rid of a lot of those regulations that don’t mean anything except cost you a lot of money and a lot of the time and in many cases you lose your farms over the regulations.”

And Trump is accusing President Obama of “lying” about his support of the Renewable Fuels Standard. “You can trust Hillary Clinton far less,” Trump said. “…Hillary Clinton wants to shut down family farms just like she wants to shut down the miners and the steel workers…She will do this not only through radical regulation, but also by raising taxes on family farms.”

Clinton has proposed raising the federal estate tax and people would have to pay if they inherit from any married couple whose estate is worth more than seven million dollars. According to Bloomberg Politics, Clinton’s estate-tax proposals would affect four out of every thousand estates in the country. A Clinton spokesman also says a year ago Clinton offered “a comprehensive plan” to “build a more vibrant rural America” and “Donald Trump will only work to build an economy that works for people like himself.”

On August 26th of last year, Clinton called for “strengthening” the Renewable Fuels Standard and reducing federal regulations on community banks that serve farmers and rural customers. She also promised to “change the formula” for key federal farm programs so “family operations” get crop insurance subsidies, but “big businesses” don’t.

(Radio Iowa)

The group “Progress Iowa” held its second annual “Corn Feed” fundraiser in Des Moines Sunday afternoon and Iowa Democrats at the top of the 2016 General Election ticket spoke to the crowd of about two-hundred. Dave Loebsack of Iowa City — the only Democrat in the state’s congressional election — says there’s a lot on the line this year. “What happens at the top of the ticket has some effect on the rest of us down ballot, so it is absolutely imperative that we get Hillary Clinton elected president of the United States. I know you’re all going to help us do that,” Loebsack said, to applause.

Monica Vernon, Kim Weaver and Jim Mowrer — the three other Democratic congressional candidates in Iowa — also spoke. Patty Judge, the Democrat who is challenging Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, says Grassley is part of “an orchestrated” G-O-P plan to “try to give Barack Obama a black eye every day.” “Everybody said to me when I got into this: ‘Have you absolutely lost your mind?…Don’t you know that can’t beat Chuck Grassley? Chuck Grassley wins elections by 30 or 40 points,” Judge said.

People in the crowd started to clap and one woman yelled “Fired up and ready to go,” Judge continued: “I’m telling you, we are in single digits right now here in August. We can do this.” Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley was the event’s keynote speaker. O’Malley began with a barb aimed at Terry Branstad, Iowa’s Republican governor, but he spent most of time talking about the race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

“It’s time to put this racist bully in his place and put a tough woman in her place: the White House,” O’Malley said at the end of his remarks to the crowd. Iowa is among the few truly “toss up” states in the General Election, with recent polls showing the presidential race close here. “Early voting” in Iowa starts in a month.

(Radio Iowa)