A traffic stop on a pickup truck for a moving violation this (Thursday) morning in Page County, resulted in a man taken into custody on drug charges. The vehicle was pulled-over at around 12:30-a.m. in the 900 block of Ferguson Road, in Shenandoah. During the traffic stop, the Shenandoah Police K-9 conducted a free air sniff of the vehicle. Shenandoah Police K-9 “Remmi” alerted to the presence of a controlled substance in the vehicle.

Daniel Lee Mattox

An investigation resulted in the arrest of 41-year-old Daniel Lee Mattox, of Clarinda. He faces charges that include Possession of a controlled substance (Methamphetamine), and Possession of Drug paraphernalia. Mattox was transported to the Page County Jail where he was being held on $1,000 bond, pending further court proceedings.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Conservation Board has partnered with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, for a Land Protection in Iowa Public Program. Officials with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation will speak about Iowa Natural Heritage’s statewide land protection efforts and challenges, in permanently protecting large blocks of wildlife habitat in Western Iowa.

The program will be held at the Atlantic Public Library Community Room on Saturday March 26th 10 AM. Please join the CCCB in enjoying this great adult public program.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were arrested the past couple of days on separate warrants, while another person was arrested on an Assault charge. Early Wednesday afternoon, 35-year-old A-J Sydney Kercheval, of Omaha, was arrested on a warrant for Failure to Appear on an original, Possession of a Controlled Substance, charge. Bond was set at $2,000. This (Thursday) morning, 47-year-old Eva Marie Leon, of Bellevue, NE, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Bond was set at $5,000.

And, Wednesday afternoon, 22-year-old Dustin Lee Mitchell Mabbitt, of Malvern, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) -A new national poll by Grinnell College finds teaching about racism is a big factor in the lack of trust in public schools. Poll Director Peter Hanson says the mistrust is large. “We asked our respondents whether or not they believe that public schools are on the right track or the wrong track in terms of what they are teaching in the classroom,” Hanson says, “and 64 percent of the people said that public schools are on the wrong track. And that included almost all Republicans — but even a plurality of Democrats.” He says they broke down the issues in three questions.

“Most Americans trust the choices that schools make about libraries –71 percent. Most Americans trust schools to make good decisions when a student is at risk of doing something violent — 69 percent. But only 49 percent trusted the ability of schools in terms of teaching about racism in the United States,” Peterson says. He says a further examination of the numbers reinforces the point. “Those who don’t trust schools teaching about racism were much more likely to say that schools were on the wrong track So, it really seems this continuing debate over how to teach racism in the classrooms is driving negative views about schools overall,” according to Peterson.

He says the concerns about the teaching of racism stand out again when they questioned if students should be taught to respect people of different races.”Sixty-nine percent of people said that that was essential — that they did want respect for people of different races to be taught in school,” he says. Peterson says this shows where the fault line is in how people think about how to teach about race in schools.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has unanimously approved a bill that defines elder abuse as a crime and sets up enhanced penalties for assaulting or defrauding an older Iowan. The bill applies to alleged crimes against dependent adults or individuals who are 60 or older. Republican Representative Dustin Hite from New Sharon, says “Many of us have dealt with these situations, whether it involves friends, family members, neighbors…and what this bill does is it provides additional protections for older Iowans.”

Hite, who is a lawyer, says he’s seen cases where someone has taken advantage of an older Iowan. “Whether it’s a family member, it’s a huckster or whether it’s somebody else that this person trusts, we see where they can take advantage of some of our most vulnerable Iowans,” Hite says.

The bill cleared the Iowa Senate last year. House members have made a small change to the legislation, to ensure family members or guardians don’t get charged for steps to protect an older Iowan by, for example, taking their car keys if they’re no longer a safe driver or telling a bank to stop allowing withdrawals on the person’s accounts. Representative Mary Wolfe, a Democrat from Clinton, voted for the bill, but she says there’s no evidence enhanced penalties would be a deterrent. “And personally, I don’t think that as soon as I turn 60, somehow a person who assaults me or steals from me should be more heavily sanctioned than someone who does it against someone who’s 59,” Wolfe says.

The bill has been a priority for A-A-R-P of Iowa. The group says because elder abuse has not been defined as a crime in Iowa, police and financial institutions have sometimes been unable to properly prosecute people who’ve taken advantage of an older Iowan or who’ve abused a dependent adult. House changes to the bill must be approved by the Senate before it could be signed into law by the governor.

(Audubon, Iowa) – The Audubon School Board, Monday evening, approved the District’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget for certification to the State. Superintendent Eric Trager says the Budget requires a slight increase in the Property Tax Levy.

The levy will be $12.26/$1,000 assessed valuation. The Board also approved the Budget Guarantee Resolution, which acts as a financial security blanket in times of declining enrollment.

The Audubon School Board approved the 2022-23 School Calendar

The Board decided to stop buying new school buses, and opt instead for an off-lease, because, Trager says, new school buses age-out well before they are worn-out.

An HVAC Project for the Elementary School was approved during the Monday evening meeting. Mr. Trager reports they will be upgrading the control system, and add demand ventilation, which should quality the District for a MidAmerican Energy rebate for up to 50% of the cost. And, the Audubon School Board and Teachers Bargaining Unit negotiated a 3.27% increase for teachers, and the Board approved a dollar-an-hour raise for all non-certified staff.

Bonuses were given also, to Certified Staff that were not eligible for the Governor’s bonus (Such as some school Counselors, the School Nurse, and the Athletic Director – who is not in the classroom all the time). Trager says most of the District’s hiring is completed, with the exception of a Middle School Science Teacher, and and Elementary Special Education. If you or anyone you know is interested in those positions, please call Mr. Trager at the Audubon High School.

(Radio Iowa) – The new map from the U-S Drought Monitor shows soil conditions in Iowa are improving, slightly, thanks to rain and snow in the past week. The broader picture for the Midwest is worsening, however, with drought conditions expanding over much of the Northern Plains. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, says some crops in the region are already stressed. “We have, obviously, great concerns for winter wheat right now because that area that is in drought and has been in drought extending is much of that winter wheat area from the Central Plains south,” Todey says. “Still a lot can happen but there’s been damage done to it because of drought and some other things.”

The worst of the drought in our state is isolated in far west-central Iowa, and for the region, the driest areas are also to the west. “Most of the major drought areas are just west of the major corn and soybean growing areas but it’s right on the edge,” Todey says, “and the areas that are dry and hot are on the western part of the Corn Belt, so we do have risk there.”

Todey notes much of South Dakota and Nebraska saw less than half of the normal snowfall for the winter. He says there is a big contrast in conditions across the Midwestern crop production areas. “You have a two sides issue with crop production: potential for it being too dry in the far west and the potential for it being too wet — at least as we get started — in the east,” Todey says. “In between is kind of an ‘unknown’ area, Iowa, Illinois, we have some dry areas but we can work with those if we get rainfall.”

The latest map from the U-S Drought Monitor shows roughly 41 Iowa counties are in the category of “abnormally dry,” improving from 45 counties last week. The new map shows 34 counties are in “moderate drought,” versus 36 a week ago. Large sections of Monona and Woodbury counties are listed as “severe drought,” that’s unchanged, while there are around 22 counties where soil moisture levels are considered “normal,” an improvement from 16 counties last week.

(Griswold, Iowa) – The Griswold School Board has approved the District’s 2022-23 Budget. Superintendent Dave Henrichs said the Board, Monday evening, approved a Tax Levy rate of $13.04/$1,000 assessed valuation. That’s the lowest it’s been, he said, since 2018, and keeps a promise they made to District patrons.

The Budget includes an advanced payment on General Obligation bonds, to help lower the amount of interest being paid.

Dave Henrichs said also, the Board approved contracts for district employees who had not otherwise tendered their resignation effective the end of the current school year. Beginning with the Certified Staff…

As far as Non-Certified Staff are concerned, current staff will get a $2-dollar an hour increase, with the starting wage at $14 per hour, which is an increase of $2.50.

In addition, the Board approve a Retention Bonus for all employees currently under contract and remaining under contract a pay period next year.

He said the Board was happy to be able to offer the Bonus, payable through the ESSER funds. Henrichs said also, Sharing Agreements with the Atlantic and Riverside School Districts for certain positions were renewed with no changes, but Driver’s Education fees, what students are charged and teachers are paid, are going up five-percent.

Griswold students will be charged $365, with non-Griswold students taking the course charged $470. Classroom instructors for Driver’s Ed will be paid $1,545 plus $33.50 per hour, Drive-Time. The Board approved the renewal of a mowing contract with Bob’s Mowing, but they tabled discussion and action on Baseball Field Maintenance bids, until they have more information.

A woman from Texas was transported by Medic 1 Ambulance to the Greater Regional Hospital’s E-R room in Creston, following a collision that occurred at around 3:34-p.m., Wednesday. The extent of her injuries was not disclosed.

Creston Police report a 2012 KIA Sportage driven by 20-year-old Laura L. Ramirez, of Alamo, TX., was traveling north on Maple Street, and a 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo driven by 27-year-old Joshua R. Wills, of Creston, was traveling west on Clark Street. The KIA had the right-of-way.

Police said Wills told them he didn’t see the car, due to a truck parked on the west side of Maple Street, close to the intersection. Ramirez her vision of the intersection was obstructed by the parked truck. The Monte Carlo struck the KIA in the middle of the intersection. No citations were issued. Damage to both vehicles was estimated at $1,000, each.

Police in Creston arrested a man Wednesday night, on an out-of-county warrant. Authorities say 38-year-old Joseph John Leatherby, of Creston, was arrested at a residence in the 300 block of N. Pine Street at around 8:26-p.m.  He was wanted on a Dallas County warrant for Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree. Leatherby was held in the Union County Jail, until being picked up by West Des Moines Police, and transported back to Dallas County.