Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker said today (Wednesday), that he will not seek an 8th term in office. In his statement, Sheriff Danker said “On May 16th of this year, I will have been employed by the Sheriff’s Office for 43 years. I was elected Sheriff in 1992 and took office in January 1993. At the end of this term, I will have been Sheriff for 28 years.”

Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker

Danker added, “It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Pottawattamie County for the last 43 plus years, when this term is done. I have been very blessed as Sheriff to have outstanding and professional staff in all areas of the Sheriff’s Office who have worked as a team to provide public safety to the citizens of Pottawattamie County.” Jeff Danker said he has no immediate plans following his retirement at the end of the year.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – Some business and government leaders in the Quad Cities area of eastern Iowa and western Illinois want to form a regional authority that would gain funding and manage big projects. The Quad Cities Regional Metropolitan Authority would operate as a bi-state government authority and focus on riverfront development, including flood mitigation; regional planning and economic development; transportation and infrastructure; cultural and recreational amenities; education; and natural resources.

Some legislative work needs to occur before the authority could be formed. Identical bills would need to pass both states’ legislatures before congressional approval and the president’s signature were sought.

The Audubon School District’s Board of Education held a special, brief session early this (Wednesday) morning, to act on a “Resolution Ordering an Election on the Issuance of $7.5-million [in] General Obligation Bonds.” School District Superintendent Eric Trager said the Board held the meeting because the district has to get the Resolution to the County Auditor by this Friday. Trager explained the next steps in the process to upgrade the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Cooling) system at the Audubon High School, and the related bond-issuance: He says officials will be spending a lot of time out and about in the community to explain what the district plans to do with the funds [if approved], why it’s important, and what the tax impact will be.

Construction on the original building began in 1962, with the first classes held during the 1964-’65 School year. Trager says the boiler system is original to the Audubon High School building. He says the system has obviously been maintained and repaired over the past 55+ years. One of the two boilers is original to the building, the other was replaced about 20-years ago. Six different HVAC systems are in operation in the building. Trager says “They don’t always play well together, so that’s one of the things we want to do…is to increase our efficiency make sure that everything works as it should.” The useful life of a boiler, he says, is about 30-years.

Trager say the timeline calls for a Special Election on the bond-issuance to be held March 3rd. District patrons will vote at the Agri-Hall in Audubon from Noon until 8-p.m., on March 3rd. If the bond passes, design and engineering work will take place this Summer and Fall, with the hope that they can go out for bids later this Fall or early Winter, so they can be in a competitive bid market. Construction would begin in the Summer of 2021.

Superintendent Trager says if you have questions about the bond vote, call, or look on the District’s website for the dates and times of upcoming community meetings on the matter.

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

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The Girl Scout Cookie Program® is back for another exciting year, beginning February 1st! Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa girls will once again learn about entrepreneurship as they have fun developing essential skills like money management, public speaking, and decision making, which set them up for a lifetime of success.The GSCI is comprised of14,000 girls and adults from Central/Western Iowa, NE Nebraska and SE South Dakota. Nine in ten Girl Scouts say the cookie program has built their entrepreneurship skills and their interest in pursuing entrepreneurship as a career path—so every cookie purchase is an investment in the world-changing business leaders of tomorrow. What’s more, each and every purchase stays local to power amazing experiences and leadership opportunities for girls in communities across Iowa.

This year’s refreshed cookie packaging (with the same great taste!) continues to emphasize what the cookie program is all about, and the updated images feature current Girl Scouts taking part in a diverse range of experiences available to members—from adventure-packed camping and canoeing, to exploring space science and designing robots, to taking action to improve their communities. Every purchase of Girl Scout Cookies makes experiences like these possible for girls in your local community. Beth Shelton, CEO of Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa, says “When you buy delicious Girl Scout Cookies, you are helping girls not only discover their inner leadership potential but also use their earnings to power amazing experiences for themselves and their troop. Many girls put the money toward impactful community projects right in their own backyards, from supporting animal shelters and food banks to working with local and state legislators to change laws.”

And with one of two lemon cookies available nationwide this year, Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa is celebrating the Lemonades® cookie, a tasty way to support young female entrepreneurs. Lemonades, alongside classics such as the Thin Mints®, Caramel deLites®, and Peanut Butter Patties® varieties, are savory slices of shortbread with lemon-flavored icing. New Year’s resolutions keeping you away from cookies? No problem! Customers can donate through the Joy Project program to send a taste of home to members of the Iowa Military as well as local food banks.

Cookie Varieties available include: Caramel Chocolate Chip, Girl Scout S’mores™, Thanks-a-Lots, Lemonades, Shortbreads, Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Patties, Caramel deLites, and Peanut Butter Sandwiches. Price: $4 per package (Caramel Chocolate Chip are $5 per package); When: February 1 – March 29, 2020. Customers can place orders starting on February 1, and booth sales will begin on February 7.

How to Find Cookies: Visit the booth sale locator at girlscoutsiowa.org/findcookies or download the convenient Cookie Finder app on your iPhone or Android phone to find Cookie Booths near you. To find cookie varieties available locally or learn more about the history of Girl Scout cookies and the Girl Scout Cookie Program, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org. To join or volunteer, visit www.girlscouts.org/join and www.girlscouts.org/volunteer.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A northeast Iowa man has been sent to federal prison for receiving child pornography. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Derek Clemens, of Evansdale, was given nine years and ordered to pay $3,000 restitution to a victim in one of the videos. Clemens must serve 10 years of supervised release after he leaves custody and register as a sex offender. He’d pleaded guilty. Authorities found child porn on a cellphone and a memory card for a tablet computer after Clemens was caught using the phone to photograph women using a restroom at an Elk Run Heights truck stop in October 2018.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds is headed to Washington,  D.C. to attend the signing of “phase one” of a trade deal with China. “It’s a really good first step for Iowa and for Iowa farmers,” Reynolds told Radio Iowa. Reynolds says she was invited by the Trump Administration to send a signal to Iowa farmers who were hit with flooding and harvest difficulties last year as well as trade disruptions over the past couple of years.

“Even though all of that, especially when it came to China, they appreciated that he took a hard line on that and really said: ‘No, we’re not going to do business as usual,'” Reynolds told Radio Iowa. “…By inviting me, it’s a thank you to the farmers for believing in him and sticking with him in some really tough times.”

The full details of the agreement haven’t been released, but the Trump administration has said China has agreed to purchase more U.S. agricultural products. China’s pig population dropped at least 40 percent last year due to the outbreak of African Swine Fever. Pork is the most-consumed meat in China and Governor Reynolds says Iowa’s pork industry has the capacity to boost China’s supply.

The Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund recently donated two,  eight-section book organizers to the Washington Elementary School Library, in Atlantic. Fund spokesperson and Trevor’s mom Melanie Petty, said “Reading was an important part of Trevor’s life and if we can help out our schools libraries to make reading more accessible and fun for children then that makes us happy!”

Pictured: Janice Dickerson & Grant Petty (Photo courtesy Melanie Petty)

All funds raised at the Annual TFred Memorial Golf Tournament are donated back to things that were important to Trevor.  Since losing Trevor in 2009 the Fund has been able to give back over $200,000.00 thanks to its supporters.  Petty says they “Are already in the beginning planning stages for the next tournament which will be held on August, 8th.” She adds, that they “Look forward to a great day of golf, fellowship and raising funds in his memory.”

(Radio Iowa) — A Dubuque man will spend more than eleven years in prison for randomly firing a pistol at a group that was holding a party. Sentencing documents say 34-year-old Norris Culver Junior fired several shots from a .45 caliber handgun at a duplex across from his house in May of last year. There were several people at the duplex — including three young kids — celebrating at a graduation party. Three of the bullets hit the duplex — but missed all of the graduation party people. Culver pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He has multiple felony convictions dating back to when he was 18. He was still on supervised release at the time of his Dubuque arrest for illegally transporting four aliens into Texas.