BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A decommissioned warship that is one of the main attractions at Buffalo’s naval and military park has been taking on water and an emergency fundraising campaign is under way to keep it afloat. The 78-year-old destroyer is named in honor of the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa, who were killed in action during World War II.

This photo, provided by the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, in Buffalo, NY, on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, shows the destroyer USS The Sullivans, that’s taking on water and listing at its dock in Buffalo’s inner harbor and began emergency repairs. The 78-year-old vessel is named in honor of the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa, who were killed in action when the USS Juneau was sunk by the Japanese in the South Pacific during World War II. (Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park via AP)

Crews recently discovered the USS The Sullivans listing and found that 15,000-20,000 gallons of water had poured in through three holes in its hull. The $1 million repair bill comes at a difficult time. Officials say nearly all of the park and museum’s revenue has dried up during the pandemic.

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (AP) — Police in central Iowa’s Webster City say they’re investigating after a 7-year-old boy was accidentally shot in the foot by his father. Television station KCCI reports that the shooting happened Saturday. Webster City police say the father was pulling a gun out of his waistband when it went off and hit the boy in the foot.

Officials say the boy is expected to recover. Police say the Hamilton County prosecutor is reviewing the case and will determine whether any charges are filed.

Page County Sheriff’s Deputies, Monday, arrested a woman from Texas. Authorities say 26-year-old Krista Leighann Wheless, of Borger, TX, was arrested at the Page Courthouse, on a Page County Warrant for Burglary in the 3rd Degree. The warrant is in connection with the burglary that Sheriff’s Deputies foiled during the early morning hours of March 13th.

Krista Leighann Wheless

Wheless was transported to the Page County Jail and held on a $5,000 bond. On Monday, the Sheriff’s Office reported Deputies had been checking on a  property due to suspicious activity. At around 2:40-a.m., they arrested 37-year old Bradley Roy Lewis, of Broken Bow, NE, on an active warrant for Failure to appear on original Felony Drug charges out of Atchison County Missouri, and for Burglary 3rd Degree, in Page County.

Bradley Roy Lewis

Authorities are searching for a third, unidentified suspect. Lewis was currently being held in the Page County Jail on a $5,000 cash only bond for the Burglary, and $7,500 bond for the Atchison County Missouri warrant.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday, March 16th. During their session, they approved:

• Both the 2022 Cass County and Secondary Roads Budgets
• County Compensation Board’s recommendations for elected officers’ compensation for the 2022 fiscal year.
• The appointment of Jacob Reynolds as Sheriff’s Deputy. Reynolds will begin his duties next week.
• They also approved Laurie Ohms as the new Lincoln Township clerk. Ohms will hold the position until the end of the term on December 31, 2024.

There was also a brief discussion during the Supervisor’s meeting, with regard to COVID-19 numbers in the area. Unofficially, 50% of people aged 18 years or more have had the first round of the COVID-19 vaccine in Cass County. Over 1,100 vaccines were administered in a large event last week. Around 500 more vaccines are expected to be administered at another clinic Friday (tomorrow), March 17^th.

The Exira/EHK School District Board of Education, Monday night, approved a 30/70 Superintendent Sharing Agreement with the IKM-Manning School District. Superintendent Trevor Miller said the agenda showed an SBO (School Business Officer) agreement, but that was in error.

Miller said the Exira/EHK Board set April 12th at 6-p.m., as the date and time for a public hearing on the proposed FY21-22 School Budget, which will be posted within the next couple of weeks.

The Tax Rate, he said, will drop three-cents in the proposed budget. In other business, the Board approved Certified Teachers and Support Staff Salaries.

The Union approved the agreement last week. Contracts will be sent out soon. Certified teachers have 21 days from receipt of their contract, to return the signed document. Classified Staff have 14 days to do so. And, as with other area school districts, the Exira/EHK School Board has elected to extend the mask/facial covering mandate, for a few more weeks.

The mandate will remain in place until April until at least their next Board meeting on April 12th. The Exira/EHK School Board, Monday, approved the hiring of Nate McDonald, from Logan-Magnolia, as the new 6th-through 12 grade Principal. He currently serves as Activities Director, 5th/6th Grade Teacher, and Assistant Basketball Coach for the Logan-Magnolia Panthers. They also hired for some spring coaching positions, also.

The Audubon School Board, Monday evening, following a public hearing, approved the FY22 School Calendar, which Superintendent Eric Trager says is unchanged from last year. They also approved a tentative agreement with the Audubon Education Association.

The Board set April 6th at 7-p.m., as the date and time for a hearing on the District Budget, and they agreed to accept bids for improvements to the Weight Room.

Trager says they’ll be replacing all of the weight room equipment and flooring this summer. They’ll have an online auction for the old equipment and flooring via a Facebook notification, including pictures of the equipment. The Audubon School Board also approved technology updates, which includes updating all of the staff computers. There’s some tech upgrades for students in the lower grades.

There will be restroom improvements at the Audubon Softball Field, the hiring of an additional Kindergarten Teacher, if the Kindergarten Roundup numbers next week show the need for a third section. At that point, there would be a transitional Kindergarten program. The Board approved the hiring of an additional Special Education Teacher, as well. And, the Board also approved (at the end of the school year) the resignation of High School English Teacher Erin O’Brien, who has served the District for five-years.

(Radio Iowa) – A new poll finds a majority of Iowans don’t think U-S Senator Chuck Grassley should run for re-election. The Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll says only 28-percent of Iowans surveyed think Grassley should seek an eighth term. Grassley, who’s 87, says he doesn’t put any stock in polls. “I’ve found similarities between that and what Branstad got in 2013 that half the people said he shouldn’t run for re-election. He won by 20 points,” Grassley says. “I don’t fear any poll like that.”

FILE PHOTO: US Senator Charles Grassley visits with Cass County Health System CEO Brett Altman (Photo provided by CCHS)

The Republican from New Hartford says he hasn’t yet made a decision about running again and says he won’t make the announcement until this fall. “In the meantime, I’ve got a responsibility to continue working hard for Iowans and I hope I do work hard by getting to the office at 6 in the morning and being around Capitol Hill until about 6 or 6:30 in the afternoon,” Grassley says, “and I enjoy my work.”

Grassley says he’s in no rush to retire. “I plan to make my announcement in September, October, November,” Grassley says. “A year is long enough to campaign so I’m just going to proceed and ignore polls that I find favorable — and unfavorable.” Should Grassley run for re-election and serve another six-year term, he’d be 95 upon its completion.

The Griswold School Board, Monday evening, passed the district’s 2021-22 Budget, following a public hearing. Superintendent Dave Henrichs said there’s a lot of good news, including the fact the district was able to reduce the Income Surtax from 9-percent to one-percent.

The Property Tax asking was reduced, with the end result being a savings to taxpayers. The Griswold School Board also approved his recommendation on the Mask Mandate.

In other business, the Griswold School Board approved contracts for those still employed by the district, for the upcoming school year.

The Board also approved numerous resignations.

And they approved the following new hires:

In other action, the Griswold School Board approved the Senior FFA Trip to Branson once the school year ends, contract renewals for the various sharing agreements currently in-place, and the purchase of a stage curtain, the price tag for which came in just shy of $10,000, which was way under the cost estimate. The colors will remain the same, with the main curtain Royal Blue, along with a black backdrop.

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

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