Des Moines, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Insurance Division, Tuesday, said a Missouri Valley woman, 49-year-old Lorraine Gale, recently pled guilty to one count of Insurance Fraud – Presenting False Information following an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau. As a result of the plea agreement on June 7, 2021, Gale received a deferred judgement and was ordered to serve one year of probation and to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $1,025.

The charges against Gale stem from an investigation which began in 2020. The investigation discovered that on multiple occasions Gale submitted existing damage as new damage to her motor vehicle to multiple insurance companies in order to obtain insurance benefits to which she would have not otherwise been entitled to.

Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-654-6556.

Three people were injured during a rollover accident late Monday night, in Lewis. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports Deputies, along with Cass County EMS, Griswold Rescue and Lewis Rescue, were dispatched at around 11:24-p.m. to a motor vehicle rollover on California Street in Lewis.  Officials say a 2005 Ford Explorer driven 20-year-old Ayden Rossell, of Lewis was westbound on California Street, when the SUV went out of control. It rolled several times and came to rest in the south ditch.

Rossell was transported to Cass County Memorial Hospital by Griswold Rescue and later transported to an Omaha hospital by Cass County EMS.  A passenger in the vehicle, 26-year-old Thomas Bruning, of Clarinda was transported to Cass County Memorial Hospital by Cass County EMS and later airlifted to an Omaha hospital by Life Net 13.  Another passenger in the vehicle, 18-year-old Sophia Shupe, of Council Bluffs, was airlifted from the scene by Life Flight 3 to an Omaha hospital.

The accident remains under investigation by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office

Members of the Atlantic School Board, Tuesday morning, approved the hiring of new teachers for the upcoming school year. One of them, Rob Astuni comes to the District from the eastern U-S. He will become a High School English/Language Arts Teacher. Superintendent Steve Barber said “We’re extremely excited about the folks coming to our team.”

Board member Kristy Pellett inquired as to why Mr. Astuni chose Iowa over New Jersey. She asked if he had family here or was uprooting and starting life elsewhere.

In addition, Barber had recommended (and the Board approved) the hiring of Rebecca Bird as Middle School Science Teacher.

And, Jon Peterson was approved as Middle School Language Arts Teacher. He comes to the Atlantic School District from AHSTW.

Separately, the Board approved the hiring of Jesse McCann as High School Special Education Teacher, contingent upon him being released from his contract with his previous school, Nodaway Valley. Steve Barber said that’s expected to take place in July. And, the Atlantic School Board approved the hiring of Tom McLaren in a VOLUNTARY position as Baseball Coach.

(Griswold) – The Griswold School Board held their regular monthly meeting, Monday evening. Superintendent Dave Henrichs said they approved several personnel changes for the upcoming school year. The approved resignations for the following:

The also approved the hiring of:

Henrichs said they are still short a Middle School/High School Social Studies Teacher and two Elementary Teachers. The struggle is real, he said to find qualified teachers.

In other business, the Griswold School Board approved activity pass fees for the upcoming school year., which Henrichs says is right in line with the Corner Conference as well as district football.

During the past couple of months, the Board has discussed taking out both the tennis and sand volleyball courts, which see limited use. They are looking into getting a grant to convert the tennis courts into Pickleball courts. The Board elected to leave the tennis court as it is, and remove the sand volleyball court and replace it with grass. There will also be a curb cut to allow for extra parking for bigger events. The tennis court will be rebid when the Board knows more about the potential of receiving a grant.

The Griswold Board received bids for two buses, but rejected them and will instead sell those buses for scrap. They also approved a Continued School Resource Officer position in agreement with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, with the terms the same as last year. A similar agreement was approved with Family Connections, which provides social and mental on-site counseling services for students.

The Board also established a list of 2022 Legislative Priorities and chose their top four: Mental Health; Teacher Recruitment and Licensure; Ensuring the Budget Guarantee stays the same or increases, and sharing reorganization. The latter sunsets in a few years. It enables districts to receive extra funding by sharing positions.

And, the Griswold School Board changed a policy to say a teacher may resign from their position before July 1^st, without any recourse. Previously, the policy said if a teacher resigns after they’ve signed their contract, the district must find a suitable replacement before they will be released from the contract. The new amendment makes the old policy unenforceable, because it essentially violates the law.

The teenage driver of a pickup truck died Monday afternoon in eastern Iowa’s Jones County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 16-year-old Lincoln John Gravel, of Wyoming, Iowa, who was not wearing a seat belt, died at the scene, after the vehicle he was driving went out of control and entered a ditch, where it struck a utility pole.

The accident happened at around 2:50-p.m. as the teen was traveling eastbound on Jones County Highway E-45. Multiple agencies assisted at the accident scene.