The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests took place last week. 50-year old Jack Howard Davis, of Orient, was arrested Dec. 12th in Greenfield by Sheriff’s Deputies, following a traffic stop. Davis was charged with Driving While Barred, and two-counts Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. In his vehicle, deputies found one broken and one complete meth pipe, along with a marijuana pipe. Davis was released that same evening on a $2,000 cash or surety bond.

And, on Dec. 13th, 40-year old Brandie Sue Whitney, of Creston, was arrested in Adair County following a traffic stop for speeding. Whitney was charged with Driving While Barred. She was released the following day on a $2,000 cash or surety bond.

Police in Glenwood report the arrest early today (Tuesday), of a Pacific Junction man. 31-year old Nathan Blezek was taken into custody for OWI/3rd offense. His cash or surety bond was set at $5,000.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office has issued a report on a single-vehicle accident that took place late Saturday night about two-miles south of Shenandoah, in Fremont County. Authorities say 39-year old Melissa Marie Dinges, of Shenandoah, was driving a 2010 GMC SUV northbound on Highway 59 in the 2300 block, when her SUV struck a deer on the road. The impact caused the vehicles’ airbags to deploy. Dinges complained of pain, but refused transported to Shenandoah EMS. No citations were issued. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $4,000.

Due to some issues with students riding on Griswold Community School District buses, the Griswold School Board, Monday, opted to have ride-along bus monitors set in-place around the start of the new year. Superintendent Dave Henrichs told KJAN News there have recently been more than normal issues with discipline on the buses. The School Board gave administrators permission to place human bus monitors on three individuals on three separate buses to control unruly students. They are looking for people to fill the role, and have them ready to go by the first of the year.

Speaking of buses, Henrichs said a third bus will be added to transport students during the afternoon from Lewis Elementary to the High School for a rendezvous. The buses are currently very full. The third bus, which will be added following the first of the year, will hopefully reduce crowding on the buses. In other business, the Griswold School Board set the date/time for a joint meetings between the Board and Lewis City Council. The purpose is to hear proposals from persons interested in buying the Lewis facility. It will be held Jan. 16^th at 6:30-p.m., in the Griswold Middle School/High School Building. The goal is to select one of the proposals to move forward in the sale process.

A meeting will also be held between the Griswold School Board and Lenox School Board, to discuss the shared the position of Superintendent, which expires in June. The meeting will be held 6-p.m. Feb. 6^th at the Lenox High School, and is to discuss the potential extension of the current sharing agreement. The Griswold School Board, Monday, also agreed to purchase a van from Charles Gabus Ford, for $26,918. The Board sold a 2005 Ford Taurus to a private individual for $100, and received a $100 donation from the Tuesday Music Club. Those funds will help to pay for students in the 5^th Grade to attend a performance by a symphony.

The Audubon Community School District’s Board of Education, Monday night, tabled the hiring of a superintendent to succeed Brett Gibbs, who retires at the end of the current school year. Gibbs said the decision is not something the Board takes lightly. They’ll follow up on a couple of interviews Wednesday (12/19) and hope to make their decision sometime soon thereafter.”

There were originally 13 applicants for the Superintendent’s job in Audubon. Those were narrowed down to five finalists for interviews. They included: Eric Trager, Audubon 5th-12th grade Principal; Dennis McClain, current shared Superintendent/Elementary Principal for the Clay Center Everly Community Schools; Michael Still, Secondary Principal for the Lenox Community School District; Jeff Privia, Elementary Principal for the Underwood Community School District, and Cory Lahndorf, PK-12 Principal for the HLV Community School District, in Victor.

Once the final choice is made, Gibbs said they’ll hold a public meeting and vote. The Audubon School Board chose not to hire a search firm for the job of finding a Superintendent. Instead, they relied in-part on Gibbs’ experience in guiding them. In other business, the Audubon School Board approved three Early Retirement Applications: Randy Spies, Roxanne Hansen and Jo Littleton.

(9-a.m. News)

A woman from Crawford County was arrested on an OWI/1st offense charge Monday morning, after Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s deputies received a call from a motorist on Interstate 80, who reported an erratic driver in the area of the 27 mile marker. The motorist described the vehicle to be all over the road, with varying speed. The vehicle, a 2014 GMC Sierra pickup, was subsequently stopped. During the course of the stop, the driver, 22-year old Selena Elizabeth Gomez-Argueta, of Denison, displayed clues of impairment were observed. She then taken into custody at around 4-a.m. on the OWI charge.

And, 23-year old Derick Wayne Fuller, of Council Bluffs, who was already serving time in the Pott. County Jail on two counts of Disorderly Conduct and Harassment in the 1st degree, was presented with a warrant out of Sarpy County, NE.,, Monday, for Being a Fugitive from Justice. He was then returned to the custody of Corrections Staff and held without bond.

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

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GREENE, Iowa (AP) — Two rural northeast Iowa school districts intend to offer firearms safety courses for middle school students this spring. Joel Foster is superintendent for both the Clarksville and North Butler school districts, and he says he hopes the courses will prepare students in both districts to react in the event of an active shooter situation. Students will use inoperable guns with replica ammunition to learn how to load and unload bullets and hold and care for firearms. Foster says they’ll also learn how to safely carry guns and how to recognize when firearms are loaded.

The hunter safety courses are expected to last about a week as part of the physical education curriculums and will be taught by a naturalist from the Butler County Conservation Board. Parents can opt to have their children sit out the courses.

The Creston Police Department reports 29-year old Steven Behlers, of Afton, was arrested Monday afternoon. Behlers was arrested at the Union County Jail on a Union County warrant for Theft in the 3rd Degree. He remains in the jail on the latest, and other charges, with his total bond set at $17,300.

And, a Creston woman reported to police Monday morning, that sometime between 7-p.m. Sunday and 8-a.m. Monday, the back window of her vehicle was smashed while parked outside her residence in the 400 block of N. Oak Street. The damage was estimated at $200.

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

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