DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s state auditor says Des Moines Public Schools made more than $200,000 in improper payments to a district maintenance and projects specialist and a maintenance contractor. The audit report released Wednesday says school funds were used to reimburse contractor Ja-Ra Enterprises for costs of various school repair and construction projects from 2013 to February 2020.

But auditors determined that many of the purchases included items that were not necessary or reasonable for the projects and personal in nature — including purchases of clothes, snack foods, electronic items, ammunition and cigarettes that went to district project facilitator specialist William Joseph Hinrichs and Ja-Ra contractor Kevin Kurth. Neither Hinrichs nor Kurth could be reached for comment Wednesday.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christensen says the state’s court system has been upended by the pandemic. “It’s been turned on its head for almost a year,” Christensen said. “We can’t just shut our doors and say: ‘See you when things get better.’ It’s not like people have a choice to come do business with us. We tend to do something called subpoena and summons.” Christensen, a native of Harlan, says the system is functioning, though, because the courts embraced paperless technology years ago.  “Like most everyone else in 2020, we went virtual,” Christensen said. “Thank goodness our branch had the foresight 15 years ago to plan and implement an electronic filing system which allows us to be paperless and thank goodness for you, our legislature, for making sure that we had adequate funding and maintaining that adequate funding to keep our technological infrastructure.”

Supreme Court Chief Justice -Susan Christensen.

Christensen delivered the annual “Condition of the Judiciary” address to legislators this (Wednesday) morning. Her fellow justices elected Christensen to serve as chief justice last spring and this was her first major public address. She briefed legislators on the plan to have all court employees be trained to recognize implicit biases against people based on race, gender and what she referred to as “other identified protected classes.” “As public servants, our task is as simple as it is solemn: to provide justice without fear, favor or affection,” Christensen said. “…Over the past six years, the judicial branch has dedicated itself to implementing initiatives that are designed to identify and eliminate discriminatory behaviors, behaviors that may compound the disparities present in our system of justice as a whole.”

Christensen told legislators her current priority is steering the court system through the final months of the pandemic, then she spent the remaining 15 minutes of her speech focused on child welfare cases in the courts. Christensen talked extensively about a western Iowa man who has been drug-free for more than a thousand days and regained custody of his child. The man and his family were in the Capitol for Christensen’s speech and Christensen led legislators in an extended standing ovation. “It’s stories like Shawn’s that continue to give me hope for the work of our judicial branch,” Christensen said. “By adapting to the unprecedented circumstances that we faced this year, we have proven hope cannot be cancelled. Hope cannot be kept at six feet distance. We will continue to provide Iowans with the access to justice they need to turn their hopes into reality.”

Christensen presented a report to lawmakers today (Wednesday), showing 72 percent of the children involved in family treatment court cases returned to the home of a parent or caregiver within a year of the adult entering that court program.

(Radio Iowa) – Two northeast Iowa men have pleaded guilty to the illegal taking of wild ginseng on state-managed land in September of last year.  A D-N-R Conservation Officer charged 58-year-old Gregg Latham of Oelwein and 49-year Dustin Millard of Strawberry Point with 112 counts of unlawfully harvesting ginseng on state timberland and other charges. Officers found ginseng roots on the state land and also found more evidence in a search of their homes.

Each pleaded guilty to 24 ginseng violations — along with theft, trespass, and littering. They face some 57-hundred dollars ($5,743.75) in criminal penalties and have to reimburse the state 257-dollars, 81 cents each for their portion of the stolen wild ginseng.

(Radio Iowa) – The 900 residents and staff at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown are now in the second of three days of getting vaccinated for COVID-19. A team of 14 pharmacists and assistants from Walgreens are doing the honors at the state’s largest nursing home. I-V-H compliance officer Rob Moore is in charge of infection control and says giving the vaccines is the latest high on the COVID rollercoaster ride. “I don’t think we’ve ever done anything on plan A, usually C, D or F,” Moore says. “We’ve done over 20,000 tests to date. All of it has been to keep the residents safe until that day when there would be a vaccine. I think we’ve done a good job with that and it’s very exciting to know that it’s finally here.”

Moore notes that while it is hoped the vaccine will help knock out the virus at the Veterans Home, having the vaccine doesn’t mean that testing for COVID will halt. “We know that this vaccine may be 95-percent protective, but without everybody having it, then there’s still a risk out there,” he says. “So, it’s not a cure-all and we’re still going to have to take precautions and test when need be. We’re very happy that this is a start, but it’s not the cure-all we hoped it would be.”

Moore says while the Veteran’s Home would like to see everyone there receive the shot, he says they are not forcing the issue, acknowledging some of the staff have expressed concern about the vaccine.

(Radio Iowa) – President Trump’s former chief of staff told an Iowa audience yesterday he believes President-elect Joe Biden will be safely inaugurated as president next week. Retired General John Kelly and Anthony Scaramucci, the White House spokesman for 23 days back in 2017, appeared together at the People’s Company annual Land Investment Expo in Des Moines.

Retired USMC General John F. Kelly

General Kelly expressed confidence in the security measures being taken in Washington, D.C., ahead of the January 20 inauguration. Kelly said Americans need to collectively “take a breath” and start talking with one another.

Earlier this month, Kelly said he supports Trump’s early removal from office. Kelly, who was interviewed on stage by Scaramucci yesterday, said President Trump is unable to admit to his mistakes because “his manhood is an issue.”

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County arrested a southeast Iowa man on felony drug charges, Tuesday. 46-year old Jerry Edwin Wear, of What Cheer, was taken into custody at the Clay County Detention Center in Liberty, MO., on a warrant for (Felony) Possession of a controlled substance, and (Felony) failure to affix drug tax stamp.

Jerry Wear

Wear was transported to the Page County Jail and held on $25,000 bond, pending further court proceedings.

A domestic disturbance Tuesday night in Page County resulted in the arrest of a man on an assault charge. 60-year-old David Jacob Stimson, of Shambaugh, was arrested at his residence for Domestic Abuse Assault and Obstruction of Emergency Communications.

David J. Stimson

He was transported to the Page County Jail and held without bond, pending and appearance in front of a Magistrate.

(In an update to our earlier reports) Council Bluffs Police say two men were arrested following an investigation into a shooting Tuesday evening. The incident happened at around 6-p.m., at 1221 North 31st Street. Officers arrived to find the victim, 32-year-old Jeffrey Enders, of Council Bluffs, on the ground, with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head. Medics arrived and began treatment at the scene and then transported Enders to Mercy Hospital for further evaluation.

Cody Chapin

Gage Eggum

As the investigation progressed, Detectives were able to gather information on two possible suspects. Both suspects, 22-year old Gage Eggum, from Omaha, and 28-year-old Cody Chapin, from Council Bluffs, were later located and interviewed by detectives. The detectives were able to gather enough information to warrant both suspects be taken into custody for Attempted Murder and Going Armed with Intent.

Eggum and Chapin were transported to Pottawattamie Corrections. The incident remains under investigation.

(DES MOINES) – On Monday Rep. Ray Sorensen (R-Greenfield) was sworn in to the Iowa House of Representatives on the first day of the 89th General Assembly. The swearing in ceremony was shortly followed by opening remarks<https://mailchi.mp/b3741b3c734f/release-speaker-grassleys-opening-remarks-for-the-89th-general-assembly?e=%5bUNIQID%5d> by Speaker of the House Pat Grassley, outlining some of the priorities of the Legislature for the 2021 session.

Ray Sorensen (R) Rep.

During session Rep. Sorensen can be reached by email at ray.sorensen@legis.iowa.gov<mailto:ray.sorensen@legis.iowa.gov>.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is reporting a trio of arrests took place over the past week. On Monday, deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office stopped a 1993 Chevrolet Corvette near the intersection of West Street and Waubonsie Ave in Tabor. Mills County K9 “Zhen” was deployed on the stop and Methamphetamine was discovered in the vehicle. The driver, 51-year-old Scott Travis, of Tabor, was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine, Driving While Suspended, Expired Plates, and No Insurance. Travis was being held in the Fremont County Jail on  $1,000 bond.

Scott Travis

Rusty Rose

Joseph Muellner

Last Saturday, Fremont County deputies arrested 30-year-old Rusty Allen Rose, of Pana, Illinois. Rose was arrested following a traffic stop, in Tabor. He was charged with Operating While Intoxicated 2nd Offense. His bond was set at $2,000. And, On Friday, 28-year-old Joseph Alan Muellner, of Randolph, was arrested for Assault Causing Serious Injury and Interference with 911 Communications. Muellner was arrested by authorities in Pottawattamie County, in connection to an assault that occurred on Christmas day in Randolph. He was being held on $5,000 bond.