The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has been awarded $3.5 million over five years to implement the “Zero Suicide” model across Iowa. The state will partner with Foundation2, IDPH’s contractor for the Your Life Iowa helpline, and with treatment programs across the state to ensure all 99 counties are represented. Foundation2 answers Your Life Iowa calls, texts and chats for the state.

The purpose of this program is to implement suicide prevention and intervention programs that are designed to raise awareness of suicide, establish referral processes, and improve care and outcomes for individuals who are at risk of suicide. In addition, the state will contract with Foundation 2 to provide training and technical assistance in support of Zero Suicide strategic plans, including Suicide Care Management plans and follow-ups.

All award recipients, as well as IDPH staff, will be trained in the Zero Suicide model and additional trainings will be offered through the life of the grant funding. According to IDPH, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Iowans ages 15 through 34, and the ninth leading cause of death overall in Iowa. 433 Iowans died by suicide in 2017. If you are feeling suicidal or are concerned about someone else, please contact Your Life Iowa by calling (855) 581-8111, texting (855) 895-8398 or using the online chat function at https://yourlifeiowa.org/. For more information about Zero Suicide, visit http://zerosuicide.sprc.org/.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors has a full agenda for their meeting 9-a.m. Wednesday at the courthouse, in Greenfield. County Engineer Nick Kauffman will present a Road Agreement between the City of Greenfield and MidAmerican Energy, along with the final vouchers for Gus Construction’ box culvert projects for Board signatures. The Board will also sign a final voucher for Henningsen Construction on a Hot Melt Asphalt project on County Road N-72.

At around 9:20-a.m. Wednesday, Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater will discuss the purchase of a new Sheriff’s vehicle. Afterward, Vandewater and EMA Director Bob Kempf will also present a discussion with regard to a 700 megahertz Radio System.

At around 9:45-a.m., Jenny McIvor, Vice President Environmental Policy and Chief Environmental Counsel, will discuss a Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company Habitat Conservation Plan, and at 10-a.m., VA Commissioner John Schildberg will lead discussion with regard to a Veterans Affairs Lease. And finally, at around 10:15-a.m. Wednesday, the Adair County Supervisors will discuss a Comprehensive Ordinance on Wind Farms. The discussion was tabled during last week’s meeting.

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

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Members of the Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will meet in a regular session 5:30-p.m. Wednesday in the High School Media Center. On their agenda, is information with regard enrollment numbers. The tally through Oct. 3rd reveals District Certified Enrollment is down 26.35 students, with an increase of 8.6 students who have Open Enrolled, for a total loss of 17.75 students.  The largest numbers of students (100+ in each grade), are in: Kindergarten/Jr. Kindergarten; 1st grade; and the third- through eighth-grades. The 6th grade has the most students in the District, at 119. The number of Seniors this year is 95.

With regard to the Retirement Early Incentive Program, based on the current policy of 10-years of service, full-time status, and 55-years of age, school officials say there are a total of 21 staff who would qualify under the current Early Retirement Incentive Plan, which also states that the School Board has the authority to limit that to 10 individuals. The agenda for Wednesday’s meeting does not show any resignations for the Board to approve, but it does include Board approval of Contract Recommendations and/or Letters of Assignment, for Andrea Reilly – STEM Coordinator & Teacher, and Derek Hall – Freshman Boys Basketball Coach.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board will act on a new policy for Assistance Animals, which would allow Miniature Horses as a Service Animal, provided they meet certain criteria, which includes it being house broken, if it is under the owner’s control, and whether or not the facility can accommodate the animal, given its type, size and weight, among other factors. The Superintendent may exclude certain service and assistance animals under the policy, if they pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others, and are uncontrollable.

The Board will also act on a revised Public Participation in Board Meetings policy, which stipulates that while the normal public comment time is limited to three-minutes, the Board President may opt to modify the time limit, if deemed necessary or appropriate. In addition, speakers must notify the Board Secretary (Sarah Sheeder) prior to the meeting, and, any individual who is disruptive, may be asked to leave the meeting. Defamatory comments made during the meeting may be subject to legal action.

The Board will act also, on a new policy detailing how Public Complaints are handled, which includes: Matters being addressed first to the teacher or employee; If those matters remain unsettled, they should be made known to the building principal; Still unsettled matters should be directed to the superintendent, according to the policy, with the final means of settling a question or matter being to bring it to the school board for consideration. If the board elects not to address a complaint, the decision of the superintendent will be final. If the board addresses a complaint, its decision will be final.

And, the Atlantic School Board will take action, Wednesday, on a proposal to construct a steel building walkway from the High School Gym to the Multi-Purpose Room, to provide a safe pathway for wrestlers and other student groups who use the M-P Room. Officials say it would also be a cost savings in electrical use. The project is expected to cost $20-to $35,000, depending on the number of partnership. $15,000 would come from the Little Trojan Wrestlers. Iron Specialties would contribute additional volunteer time to reduce the cost of labor. If Jensen Builders constructs a “Turn-key” walkway (meaning they handle the labor and materials), the cost is estimated at $52,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines City Council has repealed the city’s panhandling ordinance. The council’s action Monday comes a little more than a month after the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa urged Des Moines, Council Bluffs and Grimes to repeal their rules. The Des Moines Register reports that the city ordinance required anyone wanting to solicit funds legally to obtain a license from the city. The license required a fee, and many of the people on Des Moines’ streets panhandled without one.

Officials say city staffers will be evaluating the safety of certain panhandling hot spots. The city could ban panhandling in those locations if the city were to prove those areas were dangerous for panhandling. Examples include especially narrow street medians.

Police in Creston report a man from Montgomery County was arrested at around 3-p.m., Monday. 42-year old Donald Gay, of Villisca, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a Union County warrant for Violation of Probation, on an original charge of Public Intoxication/2nd offense. Gay was being held in the Union County Jail while awaiting a bond hearing. And, 30-year old Clay Brammer, of Creston, was arrested Monday afternoon for Driving While Suspended. He was later released from custody on a $300 bond.

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

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The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says a man and a woman were arrested Monday evening in connection to the theft of property from Ringgold County. 39-year old Joseph Smith, of Red Oak, and 48-year old Paula Sue Blake, of Essex, were arrested. A third person identified as 24-year old Austin Allan Jones, of Creston, is wanted in regard to the incident.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says they received a report at around 3:30-p.m. from a property owner in the 2900 block of 100th Street, indicating there were trespassers on the caller’s property, riding four-wheelers. During their investigation, authorities discovered the machines had been stolen from Ringgold County.

Smith was arrested at around 7:20-p.m. Blake was taken into custody a little after 10-p.m. Both suspects have been charged with possession of stolen property, a Class C Felony. They were being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $10,000 bond, each.

Jones, who was still at large as of the last report, is described as being a white male, 6’0, and 185-pounds. Deputies recovered a handgun believed to belong to Jones. They say it’s not clear if he is still armed. Authorities warn if you see Jones, do not approach him. Instead, you should contact your local authorities.

A jury in eastern Iowa, Monday, found a central Iowa man guilty in the deaths of two Guthrie County girls. According to KCCI, 27-year old Patrick Ryan Thompson, of Story County, was convicted on two felony charges of Murder in the 1^st degree and one felony charge of arson, in the May 2017 Guthrie Center deaths of Thompson’s 12-year-old stepsister, Paige Exline, and her 16-year-old cousin, Shakiah Cockerham, both of whom died in the blaze.

The first trial last month ended in a mistrial. The judge took the action after someone started loudly discussing the case with prospective jurors while the judge and lawyers were outside the courtroom. The trial had been moved out of Guthrie County because of pretrial publicity. It took the jury in Albia 11 days and two hours to find Thompson guilty of all charges against him. Prosecutors said he started the fire to prevent Exline from testifying that she had been sexually abused by her father.

Thompson will receive a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

The National Weather Service says strong to severe thunderstorms are possible during the afternoon through evening hours today across mostly eastern and parts of southern Iowa, with damaging winds and a few tornadoes are the main threats. Most of these storms should weaken by 11 pm. However, the heavy rain threat will persist through today and tonight before the rain eventually ends on Wednesday morning.

Excessive rainfall is expected in a large swath of the state from Mason City and Decorah southwestward, to the southeast quarter of Fremont County. Cities included in the path of heavy rain include Waterloo, Ames, Marshalltown, Des Moines, Osceola and Lamoni.

The southeastern half of Cass and Guthrie Counties and all of Adair, Adams, Madison, Union, Taylor and Ringgold Counties, can also expect heavy rain today, causing ponding of water on roads and localized flash flooding along with extensive overland flooding.