Members of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will meet 6-p.m. Wednesday, April 28th, in the High School Media Center, and via YouTube. On their agenda is:

• A Special Presentation on the Home School Assistance Program
• Action on the following resignations: Rachel Larsen, Kindergarten Teacher; Denise Sharp, Paraeducator; Shannon Hayden, Food Service, and Wynter Waltz, Food Service.
• The Board will act on Contract Recommendations for: Michelle Fritz, MS Spec. Ed. Teacher; Cheryl Andersen, ESL Teacher/Coordinator; Terry Hinzmann, Summer School Supervisor, and Bob Gross, Volunteer Softball Coach.

The Board will also act on proposal requests, with regard to the Athletic Facilities Improvement Project, including matters pertaining to the High School Fence, and Baseball/Softball Lettering. At the conclusion of regular business, the Board will adjourn into a closed session for Superintendent Steve Barber’s annual evaluation.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests. On Saturday, Deputies responded to a motor vehicle accident on Highway 59, north of Shenandoah. During the investigation, 48-year-old Aaron Dean Bennett , of Nebraska City, NE was arrested for interference with Official Acts. Bennett was transported to the Page County Jail.

During the booking process at the jail, Bennett was additionally charged with: Assault on a person in certain Occupations, and Assault with intent to commit sex abuse. He was being held on a $7,000 cash-only bond, pending future court appearances.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office with the accident. The Shenandoah Police Department assisted at the scene of the accident.

Wells, Steven W.

And, on Monday, April 26th, Deputies in Page County arrested 51-year-old Steven William Wells, of College Springs, on three Page County warrants, with a cash-only bond totaling $30,000. The warrants charge Wells with:

• Violation of probation from an original sentencing charge of Eluding Speed 25mph over second or subsequent offense
• Violation of probation from an original sentencing charge of Driving while Barred habitual offender
• and Violation of probation from an original sentencing charge of Driving while barred

Wells was arrested at the Page County Courthouse without incident and transported to the Page County Jail.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater, Monday, reported two recent arrests. At around 3-a.m. Saturday, 27-year-old Matthew Ray Garcia, of Creston, was arrested following a traffic stop in Orient. Upon investigation, an Adair County Deputy observed many opened “Shooter”-sized bottles of whiskey scattered throughout the rear of the car. Some of the bottles still contained alcohol. The Deputy also observed Garcia’s eyes were bloodshot and watery. Based on those clues and a Breath Alcohol Test, Garcia was arrested for OWI/1st offense. He was released later in the day on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

And, Friday evening, 18-year-old Kason Eugene Hulett, of Lenox, was arrested at the Taylor County Jail, on an Adair County Felony warrant for Violation of Probation. Hulett was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $5,000 cash or surety bond.

Police in Atlantic, Monday (Today), provided additional information with regard to a chain-reaction accident that took place at around 3:15-p.m., Friday. Authorities say a vehicle driven by Todd Askeland, of Atlantic, was traveling on Highway 6 (7th Street) and approaching Hazel Street, when his vehicle was struck from behind, by a vehicle driven by Gary Meurer, of Atlantic. The collision occurred when Meurer’s vehicle was struck from behind by a vehicle driven by Jeanna Kramer, of Atlantic, causing the Meurer vehicle to be pushed forward.

The accident happened as all three vehicles were traveling eastbound. Askeland complained of pain/possible injury, but denied transport to the hospital. Kramer was transported to CCMH for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Damage from the collisions amounted to $9,000. Police cited Kramer for Failure to Maintain a reasonable or proper speed.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous arrests covering the period of April 16th through the 25th. On Sunday, April 25th, a 14-year-old female was arrested in Crescent, following a call about a trespasser. The teen faces charges that include Theft in the 5th Degree (larceny under $300), and Trespass with Intent as a Hate Crime (re: anti-political). Friday morning, 36-year-old Tiffanie Ann Newcomb, of Logan, was served at the Pott. County Jail, with arrest warrants for Absence from Custody and Failure to Appear. The woman was then returned to the custody of Corrections staff.

At around 2:30-a.m. Friday, a traffic stop in Council Bluffs resulted in the arrest of 23-year-old Carrie Marquecia Lana Williams, for: Driving while license suspended, denied, canceled or revoked; Failure to Appear, and OWI/1st offense. She was later released from custody. Thursday night, 38-year-old Juan C. Vasquez was also arrested following a traffic stop in Council Bluffs. He was charged with OWI/1st offense, and also later released. That same morning, 33-year old Kevin Paul Richwalski, of Thornton, Il, was arrested in Crescent, on charges that include: OWI/1st offense; Failure to maintain or use seat belts; reckless driving; Speeding, and unlawful possession of prescription drugs.

Wednesday morning, 31-year-old Emily Anne Pajerski was arrested in Underwood, following a report she was found in a person’s home. The resident followed Pajerski southbound on Railroad Highway, and she was stopped a short time later by Council Bluffs Police, with assistance from a Pott. County Deputy. On April 19th, 35-year-old Ronald Wayne Reed, II, of Carter Lake, was served at the Pottawattamie County Jail, with a warrant for Absence from Custody.

On April 18th, a deputy dispatched to a location in the 20,000 block of McPherson Avenue in Council Bluffs in reference to a disturbance, arrested 33-year-old Cody William Thomas, of Council Bluffs, for being a Fugitive from Justice, and Harassment in the 1st Degree (Threaten a forcible felony). His bond was set at $2,000. Also arrested April 18th, was 39-year-old Matthew Ryan West. He was taken into custody following a pursuit during a traffic stop, and charged with Failure to obey a traffic control device, OWI/2nd offense, Reckless Driving, and Speeding.  And, 40-year-old Cherokee Nicole Tuttle was arrested April 18th following a traffic stop in Council Bluffs. She was charged with Theft in the 5th Degree (Larceny under $300).

And, finally, 48-year-old Christina Marie Lecompte was arrested April 16th at the Pott. County Jail, after she turned herself-in. She was wanted on warrants for Assault without injury, on persons in certain occupations, and Disarming or attempting to disarm an officer (with no weapon discharged). Her bond was set at $25,000.

(Des Moines) – The Iowa Department of Public Health as of 10-a.m. Monday, reported there were 192 new positive COVID-19 cases for a total of 392,563, and zero additional deaths, for a total of 5,927 since the start of the pandemic. Deaths at long-term care facilities in Iowa account for 2,313 of the total number of deaths statewide.

Iowa’s positivity rates is relatively steady. The 7-day average is 4.1%, and the 14-day average is 4.2%. Virus hospitalizations amount to 179, down from 187 a day earlier. There are 42 patients in ICU and 23 patients on ventilators. Admissions over the previous 24-hours were 17, compared to 27 a day earlier.

In RMCC Regional 4 (hospitals in western/southwest Iowa): 13 COVID patients are hospitalized; eight are in an ICU; no one was admitted with symptoms of the virus, and there remain five people on a ventilator.

Vaccinations administered as of Monday amount to over 2.22-million, with 983,543 of those vaccinated have their series completed.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

Cass, 1,445 cases; {+1}; 54 deaths
Adair, 971; {+0}; 32
Adams, 343 {+1}; 4
Audubon, 514 {+0}; 9
Guthrie, 1,272 {+2}; 29
Harrison County, 1,908; {+2}; 73
Madison County, 1,701; {+0; 19
Mills County, 1,764; {+0}; 21
Montgomery, 1,097{+1}; 37
Pottawattamie County, 11,973; {+9}; 164
Shelby County, 1,351 {+0}; 37
Union County, 1,317; {+0}; 32

(Radio Iowa) – A bill to make it illegal for any government entity in Iowa to issue a vaccine passport will be debated this (Monday) afternoon (1:30-pm) in a House committee. Earlier this month, Governor Reynolds said she would issue an executive order to ban vaccine passports if the legislature didn’t pass a law to do so. The bill that will be considered by the House Judiciary Committee bans all political subdivisions in Iowa — the state, cities, counties and school districts — from producing identification cards that include vaccination information.

The bill also would ban businesses and non-profits from requiring customers or guests to prove they’ve been vaccinated. State funding would be withdrawn from any business, school or other government entity that requires vaccine passports. Iowa health care facilities, including hospitals, are not included in the proposed ban on vaccine passports.

(Radio Iowa) – A West Des Moines man is now in his third day of hiking across Iowa as a way to raise money and awareness about Alzheimer’s disease, which claimed the life of his sister. Sixty-four-year-old Jeff Miller started his cross-state trek on Saturday in Akron and he plans to follow Highway 3 all the way to Dubuque, about 325 miles to the east. “I’m thinking I’m going to have to average 20 miles a day to get this accomplished, and if I need to take a rest day, I’ll take a rest day,” Miller says. “Right now, it’s three miles per hour. If I didn’t take any breaks, I’d make it a bit faster but, hey, this is a walk, a journey.”

Miller’s sister, Linda, was the victim of early onset Alzheimer’s. She was diagnosed at age 64 in 2012 and died five years later. Miller says his sister’s condition deteriorated rather quickly after she was placed in a long-term care facility. “It was a safe place for her to be,” Miller says. “My niece said when she was at home, she didn’t know how to turn the microwave on, the stove, and they were afraid for her. One day, she was wandering around the neighborhood and she was lost. At that point, they put her in the nursing home.”

Miller hopes his walk will raise funds to be directed towards additional research for finding a cure to the debilitating disease. He’s registered on the Walk To End Alzheimer’s website and has already raised four-thousand dollars, though his goal was 25-hundred. Miller explains why he chose to walk across the state. “I like to walk, I like to hike, I like to backpack,” Miller says. “Last year, I was going to walk across Spain to do the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. Of course, that didn’t happen with COVID so I thought this year, let’s stay in the country and walk across Iowa and what better way to honor my sister.”

Although Miller is a four-time RAGBRAI veteran, this is his first time to visit northwest Iowa. He says he’s amazed by the geography and terrain, including the Loess Hills.

https://act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk2021/IA-Iowa?px=19050708&pg=personal&fr_id=14423

The Board of Education of the Griswold Community School District will meet in special session Wednesday, April 28 at 5:30 p.m., for the purpose of conducting interviews for the position of MS/HS Principal, and, reviewing the district’s current masking mandate. Their agenda includes public input, discussion with regard to the interview process, and consideration for a closed session/sessions, for interviewing any potential candidate/candidates (in separate closed sessions).

The search for a Middle/High School Principal began once Billy Hiatt announced his resignation.