(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports a total of six arrests occurred over the weekend. Two of the arrests took place Saturday morning:

At around 1:54-a.m., 33-year-old Ryan Lee Loy, of Murray, was arrested at the Creston Union County LEC. Loy was charged with OWI 2nd Offense. He was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on a $2,000 bond. And, at around 9:10-a.m, Saturday, Creston Police arrested 31-year-old Nicolas Andrew Klontz, of Creston. He was taken into custody in the 500 Block New York Avenue, on a charge of Child Endangerment-Multiple Acts/Serious Injury. Klonz was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on a $2,000 cash or surety bond.

Early Sunday morning, 38-year-old Brandon Morrison, of Greenfield, was arrested at 102 W. Taylor Street in Creston, for OWI/3rd Offense. Morrison was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on $ 5,000 cash or surety bond. Sunday afternoon, 60-year-old Nickie Rae Stovie, of Creston, was arrested at the Creston Union County LEC. Stovie was charged with Harassment/3rd Degree-Personal Contact, Possession of a Controlled Substance 1st Offense, Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drug, and Disorderly Conduct-Loud Raucous Noise. She was taken to the Union County Jail and later transported to the Adams County Jail, where her bond was set at $2,600.

Sunday evening, 60-year-old Kevin Lee Campbell, of Kellerton, and 41-year-old Lucinda Denenne Jones, of Creston, were arrested Jones’ residence in the 100 block of  Manor Drive in Creston. Both were charged with Domestic Abuse Assault/1st Offense – causing bodily injury. Campbell was being held without bond in the Union County Jail.  Jones was taken to the Union County Jail and then transferred to the Adams County Jail where she was being held without bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors will hold two public hearings during a special session that begin at 9-a.m. Tuesday, April 23rd, in their Board Room inside the Cass County Courthouse, in Atlantic. The hearings are with regard to the proposed FY 2024/25 County Budget, and the proposed vacating of Chicago Road, west of 770th Street (North of Anita/south of I-80). The hearings will be followed by action on resolutions approving the respective agenda items, and Certification of Taxes.

The Board will also act on a Resolution setting the Compensation Schedule for Elected Officials in the Fiscal Year 2025.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County, Tuesday morning, will hold public hearings on a proposed FY23/24 Montgomery County Budget Amendment, and the proposed FY24/25 County Budget. The hearings begin at 8:45-a.m. and 9-a.m., respectively, in the Supervisor’s Board Room inside the Montgomery County Courthouse, in Red Oak, and will be followed by action on passing resolutions for the budget amendment and budget.

Later in the meeting, the Board will set the date and time for a public hearing on vacating an unimproved alley located between East Depot and Wayne Streets, in the unincorporated Town of Stennett.

See the full agenda here: AGENDA 4-23-2024 Regular

(Griswold, Iowa) – The Griswold Community School District’s Board of Education will meet in special session today (Monday, April 22) at 3:30-p.m., for the purposes of conducting interviews for the position of MS/HS Principal. The meeting agenda follows:

AGENDA

1. Call Meeting To Order

• Roll Call

• Reading Of The Mission Statement

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Griswold Community School District, in partnership with our families and communities, is to provide leadership for positive change to ensure the best learning opportunities for everyone in a safe and caring environment.

2. Approval Of Agenda (D.R.)

3. Public Input

4. Consider entering into closed session under Iowa Code 21.5(1)i, for the purpose of

evaluating the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring,

performance or discharge is being considered when necessary to prevent needless and

irreparable injury to that individual’s reputation and that individual requests a closed

session. (D.R.)

• Note….A separate closed session will be used for each candidate.

5. Adjourn

(D.R.) = Decision Required

(I.) = Informational

(Iowa News Service) – A new report from the National Wildlife Federation warns that the effects of climate change in the Quad Cities, along the Iowa-Illinois border, will be severe. But researchers got the public involved in studying to find ways to head off some of the most pressing concerns. The report says climate change means a warmer, wetter future for the Quad Cities, which straddle the Mississippi River in Iowa and Illinois. But rather than repeat what experts have already been saying about drastic flooding along the Big Muddy, Prairie Rivers Network River Health and Resiliency Organizer Nina Struss said researchers and Quad Cities residents brainstormed solutions to tackle the effects of climate change.

“Flooding and flash flooding were the top concerns,” said Struss. “Extreme heat was also a big concern, as well as drought and other extreme weather events.” Researchers combined that information with hard science at the University of Illinois to create 3D models depicting what climate-induced flooding along the Mississippi could look like in the future. The survey also asked people to identify which geographical areas and populations are most at risk from the effects of climate change, and worked with the community on solutions to mitigate some of them.

Struss said this research proposes what are known as nature-based solutions to combat the effects of climate change – restoring, preserving and even expanding existing ecosystems, like wetlands and tree canopies. But creating more eco-friendly infrastructure, too. “Can we work to maybe have our pavements that we’re putting in be more permeable, so that they can absorb that water and have that higher water-holding capacity?” said Struss. “Can we focus on areas to plant more native plants that have stronger root systems, versus ones that have shorter root systems, to help with that water-holding capacity?”

Struss said this research isn’t a one-off. It will continue to change, she said, as the climate changes, the needs become more clear, and the effects more drastic. She said progress in addressing climate change relies on more research, education and funding.

ODEBOLT, Iowa (KTIV) – One person was arrested after a pursuit in Northwest Iowa late last week, ended in a crash. The Sac County Sheriff’s Office says 39-year-old Ryan Miller is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, eluding, reckless driving and operating while under the influence.

Miller’s charges stem from a pursuit that started at around 11-p.m. Thursday, April 18 in Sac County, after deputies responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle parked in an area just northeast of Odebolt. The sheriff’s office says this vehicle had been previously seen in front of residences in Odebolt.

When Sac County Deputies arrived, they saw a vehicle leaving the area and heading south towards Highway 175. The sheriff’s office says the vehicle increased speed and eventually went into Odebolt. Once in the town, the vehicle was seen driving at a high rate of speed and doing evasive driving patterns.

A pursuit began in Odebolt and continued for about five minutes through alleys and front yards.

The pursuit ended after the fleeing vehicle collided with a tree in Odebolt. The driver, later identified as Miller, fled the crash on foot. Sac County Deputies and a K9 continued to pursue Miller, who was later taken into custody.

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – Two northwest Iowa jails were found to not be in compliance with state law. KTIV in Sioux City reports the O’Brien and Woodbury County jails failed to follow the law with regard to recouping medical costs from inmates. Officials say O’Brien County was taking money for medical expenses before inmates were convicted. As for Woodbury County, its violation included not filing a claim for reimbursement before taking the funds.

Sheriffs say there’s confusion about what state law, the part passed by lawmakers, and the state administrative code, drafted by the executive branch, allow them to do. But both Woodbury and O’Brien County sheriffs say taxpayers will end up picking up more inmate medical bills because it’s often not practical to pursue them in court.

Iowa Ombudsman Bernado Granwehr says jails across the state weren’t upholding the rights of inmates when it comes to medical expenses, by pulling the money directly from inmates’ accounts. The state’s ombudsman’s report says only inmates convicted of a crime can be charged medical expenses, and even once convicted, that can only happen after filing a claim in court.

O’Brien County Sheriff Bruce Devereaux says his jail used to take money from inmates’ commissary accounts – up to 25% – to pay for medical expenses so those costs wouldn’t fall on the taxpayer. The ombudsman notes the problem – the administrative code says inmates are responsible for their medical bills – while the state law only concerns post-conviction inmates and requires a separate court process. Either way, he says constitutional rights have to be respected.

The ombudsman’s report also looked into how jails were charging inmates for “room and board.” Again, that’s something they can only charge if the person is ultimately convicted. Both Woodbury and O’Brien Counties are in compliance in that regard.

(Radio Iowa) – If you were to try counting all of the trees on the University of Iowa campus on this Earth Day (Monday), you’d need to be able to count to eight-thousand. The man who leads the team that cares for them all realizes he’s one of the lucky people who’s found the perfect job for himself. U-I arborist Andy Dahl says he’s been planting and caring for trees since he was five years old. “I used to pick up acorns and put them in my pocket and plant them all over, or mow around the baby oak trees coming up in my parents’ yard,” Dahl says, laughing. “My dad would get so angry that I was leaving those, missing big swaths of grass to let the trees grow, so yeah, my love of trees started at an early age.”

The U-I has been named a Tree Campus USA for the 15th straight year, in large part because of those eight-thousand trees which cover an astounding 350 different species.  “I’m big into diversity, so the more species of trees you have, the less chance you have of something like Dutch elm disease or emerald ash borer coming in and wiping out wide swaths of trees,” Dahl says, “so we try and plant a wide diversity of trees to avoid that.” The list of trees on the Iowa City campus includes an apple tree that was grafted from one planted by Johnny Appleseed, and a horse chestnut tree grown from the one that symbolized hope for Anne Frank as she hid from the Nazis during World War Two. One of Dahl’s campus favorites is the giant American elm on the Pentacrest, just outside Schaeffer Hall.

“It’s a former state champion and it dates back to the 1870s,” Dahl says. “It is very, very large. Now in 1998, we lost about 30 feet of height in it from the straight line winds, but it’s still hanging on. I think it’s beautiful. Others think it has character with the scars over the years from the storms.” That’s the only tree on campus that’s being treated chemically in order to prevent the scourge of Dutch elm disease. Several campus tree plantings are planned as part of Earth Day celebrations, while Dahl and some co-workers will be on the Pentacrest at 10:30 A-M, handing out 100 whorled milkweed plants to students and anyone else.

“We’re going to give them away in little cups, so people can grow them on their windowsill until later,” Dahl says, “or they can do what we call guerrilla planting: if you see a spot in the ditch, on a railroad track or something, you can plant that to benefit these native pollinators.” He says the whorled milkweed species will grow to two or three feet in height with white flowers. It’s native to Iowa and is vital for insects like bees and butterflies, especially monarchs.

BONDURANT, Iowa — [KCCI] A juvenile died and another was injured, as the result of an off-road motorcycle accident Saturday evening, in rural Polk County. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office received a call just before 6:30 p.m. reporting the accident near Northeast 118th Avenue west of the South Skunk River.

Authorities say two juveniles were riding off-road motorcycles when the accident happened. When emergency responders got there, they said they found a juvenile male with critical injuries. “Emergency personnel who arrived on the scene immediately began life-saving treatment but were unsuccessful and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene,” according to a news release.

Authorities have not yet named the person who died.

(Radio Iowa) – Lawmakers sent the governor a bill to cut Iowans’ income taxes by a BILLION dollars next year, they set up the framework for a nearly nine BILLION dollar state budget and then concluded the 2024 legislative session this weekend.

The session officially ended at 4:23 a.m. Saturday. A bill to establish a single income tax rate of three-point-eight percent next year was approved during that final, 20-hour-long day. Governor Kim Reynolds suggested something similar, but slightly lower in January. This weekend Reynolds said she was proud tax cuts are being reduced and accelerated beyond the plan passed in 2022. Lawmakers this year approved another Reynolds priority — mandating that the salary for first year teachers be at least 50-thousand dollars.

Senate President Amy Sinclair of Allerton says those are standout accomplishments of the 2024 legislative session. “We passed bills this year that will put Iowa’s income tax rate at the sixth lowest in the nation and Iowa’s starting teacher pay at the fifth highest, not even accounting for cost of living,” Sinclair said. “And we all know that Iowa is a very cost effective place to live.”

In January, Governor Kim Reynolds also asked legislators to overhaul the state’s nine Area Education Agencies and she signed a reorganization plan last month. Senate Democratic Leader Pam Jochum of Dubuque says the changes centralize power in Des Moines. “Iowans will remember how Republicans chose to serve their governor rather than their constituents,” Jochum said. “They slashed our Area Education Agencies and put special interests over Iowa’s children.” House Democratic

Leader Jennifer Konfrst of Windsor Heights says kids with special needs are going to suffer.”I want to talk about moms who are trying to figure out how they’re going to get the occupational or mental health therapy they need,” Konfrst said, “and we’re just getting started. Imagine what will happen next year.” House Speaker Pat Grassley says House Republicans put a lot of work in to make changes in the governor’s original plan to protect the A-E-A’s special education services, while letting schools choose how to use the rest of the money that had been going directly to the A-E-As for other services.

“Schools are excited to have some opportunities to have some flexibility with some of those funds,” Grassley said. “…The bill we were able to put together I think will continue to deliver on those special ed services.” In the closing moments of the 2024 legislative session, Republicans voted to reassign Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation agents to work on cases related to the law Governor Reynolds signed to have Iowa’s legal system arrest and deport immigrants who are in Iowa illegally. Republican Representative Taylor Collins of Mediapolis says two million dollars is in the budget for up to a dozen Division of Criminal Investigation agents to support the effort.

“To address the rise in illegal immigration and related criminal conduct or as assigned by the commission of the Department of Public Safety,” Collins said.

Early Saturday, the House voted to prohibit state regulators from granting new casino licenses until 2029, but the Senate adjourned without taking up the measure. It means Cedar Rapids is likely to seek a casino license when the current moratorium expires July 1st.