Members of the Cass County Conference Board met during a special session Wednesday evening at the Courthouse in Atlantic, to act on an order to rescind their Sept. 3rd vote against appointing County Assessor Brenda Nelson for another six years.

Cass County Conference Board meeting, 9-23-15

After 90-minutes of discussion and public input, the Conference Board votes were tabulated and announced. Cass County Attorney Dave Wiederstein said the vote was 3-0 in favor of reappointing Nelson. The announcement was met was thunderous applause and tears from Nelson, as well as her supporters, who hugged her after the decision was announced.

Brenda Nelson gets a hug after the 3-0 decision to reappoint, from Kenner Baxter, who serves on the Cass County Board of Review.

The decision means the board reversed its Sept. 3rd decision not to reappoint her. The action followed the tabulation of a roll call vote of each member of the three entities which comprise the Board (Schools, Mayors and Board of Supervisors), and during which a vast majority were in favor of reappointment. All three school board representatives, and all but two of the Mayors (Reinke, of Massena, and Coughlin, of Cumberland) as well as Supervisors Rieken, Wedemeyer, and Schelling, voted in favor of reappointment for their respective representing entities, with Supervisors McFadden and Frank Waters, voted against.

Even Supervisors Mark Wedemeyer and Chuck Rieken changed their minds. Rieken said it was because Nelson agreed to work with the Conference Board to keep open the lines of communication, which many agreed was sorely lacking among each of the entities involved in the process. Wedemeyer changed his mind after it was made clear Nelson could NOT reapply for her position, according to Iowa Code. She could only be reappointed. Wedemeyer said his original vote on Sept. 3rd was with the understanding she COULD reapply for her job.

Nelson had a cadre of supporters during the meeting, including County Assessors from around southwest Iowa, local realtors and land appraisers, and others. But there were also a handful of people who packed the Courthouse conference room Wednesday evening, who were not in her corner. They included two people whose case against her office’ appraisal is in litigation. Others, including Ardelle McCunn, of Massena, said Nelson’s office staff showed what amounted to a lack respect.

The Board, in its deliberations, agreed part of the problem with its oversight of Nelsons office, whether it be with regard to how the public is treated, budgetary reports and concerns, and other matters, is the how few times each year they actually meet, to receive complaints and ask questions of her. To remedy that, they agreed to begin meeting quarterly. All parties involved seemed to agree there were numerous instances of breakdown in communication, which could have headed-off action taken Sept. 3rd. Nelson said after the meeting, that she was glad the “emotional rollercoaster” of the last three weeks not knowing her future, was finally over. And, she agreed to address the concerns brought up during the meeting.

She said the proposed quarterly Conference Board meetings will help, but also “If there is a problem, it needs to be taken care of immediately. And I think the Conference Board needs to be aware of it immediately, and so if there’s something I can do, that it can be addressed before another quarter goes by.”

The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest of 57-year-old Douglas Howard of Atlantic on multiple drug charges on Monday.  Howard was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Marijuana (Second Offense), Controlled Substance Violation, Possession of Controlled Substance Cocaine (Second Offense), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp.  He was taken to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

Police in Glenwood report the arrest on Tuesday on a woman wanted on a warrant out of Mills County, for Forgery. 28-year old Mallori Ferguson, of Glenwood, being held on $5,000 bond, with 10% allowed through the court system.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – A former Iowa State basketball player’s lawsuit against a woman who’d accused him of sexual abuse has been settled.

A news release from the Des Moines law firm of Parrish Kruidenier (KREYED’-nur) says Bubu Palo’s lawsuit was “resolved to the mutual satisfaction of both parties” on Tuesday. The firm declined to comment further.

Palo had sued the woman and her mother in May 2014, saying his reputation had been damaged.

In July the Iowa Court of Appeals dismissed an appeal filed by the university, which argued the discipline against Palo was appropriate for his actions toward the female student in 2012. The decision left in place a ruling that threw out the university’s sanctions against Palo and questioned the accuser’s credibility.

Palo had been kicked off the team.

A two-vehicle accident on Monday morning near Exira resulted in both drivers being transported to the hospital.  The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports they were called to the accident around 11:30am on Monday at the intersection of Highway 71 and Littlefield Drive.

After investigation it was determined that 92-year-old Cynthia Ann Petersen of Exira was traveling eastbound on Littlefield Drive and stopped at the intersection with Highway 71.  Petersen then pulled out onto Highway 71 failing to see an approaching 2015 Chevy Silverado driven by 50-year-old Tommy Anthony Sherlock of North Augusta, GA.  Petersen’s 1990 Buick struck the truck behind the driver’s side door and the vehicles slid north striking a highway sign post and stopping in a large grassy ditch area.

Both drivers were transported to the Audubon County Memorial Hospital by Exira Rescue.  A report on their condition was not available.  Damage to the Petersen vehicle was estimated at $4,000 and damage to the Sherlock vehicle was estimated at $25,000.  Petersen has been charged with Failure to Yield Upon Entering a Highway.

TREYNOR, Iowa (AP) – A court has dismissed an assault charge filed against an assistant high school basketball coach who had denied allegations that he’d choked a 7-year-old boy.

Pottawattamie County court records say the charge against 40-year-old Michael Doner was dismissed on Tuesday. Assistant Pottawattamie County Attorney Amy Zacharias said in her motion to dismiss that there wasn’t enough evidence to sustain prosecution. Doner had pleaded not guilty.

Authorities had said the boy was choked on May 21 at Doner’s home in Treynor.

Doner has told athletic officials at St. Albert Catholic Schools in Council Bluffs that he would not be part of the school’s boys basketball coaching staff this coming season.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest Tuesday of a rural Clarinda man on a warrant for multiple charges.  At approximately 9:00pm Deputies from the Page County Sheriff’s Office arrested 32-year-old Timothy Dean Curphey of rural Clarinda on a Taylor county warrant. The warrant was for the following charges: Assault With Intent to Inflict Serious Injury – violation of individual rights, Assault With Intent to Inflict Serious Injury, and Child Endangerment. Curphey was transported to the Taylor County Jail for holding on the warrant on no bond until seen by a judge.

w/ Chris Parks

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The Creston Police Department reports the arrest of a Creston man for OWI on Tuesday at 6:36pm.  Officers arrested 41-year-old Matt Fredrickson at Clark and Vine Streets in Creston and charged him with OWI 1st Offense.  He was released from the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A 30-year-old former Council Bluffs high school math teacher is scheduled to be sentenced in November after being convicted in his sex-with-students case.

Jeffrey Daugherty pleaded guilty Tuesday to felony sexual abuse by a counselor, therapist or school employee and nine misdemeanors. Prosecutors dropped two other felony charges in return for Daugherty’s pleas. His sentencing is set for Nov. 9.

Daugherty was arrested in January following reports that he had a sexual relationship with a student and again in February after a second student reported abuse.

Daugherty resigned from his teaching position at Thomas Jefferson High School on Feb. 3.