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Red Oak man arrested on Arson charge

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August 22nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

(UPDATED) — Police in Red Oak arrested a man on an arson charge, Tuesday afternoon. 38-year old Luke Daniel Rinehart, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 2-p.m.  Officers were sent to a residence in the 300 block of Second Avenue, with regard to a man that had set two lawn mowers on fire on his property. When authorities arrived on the scene, Rinehart was seen pouring gasoline inside of his residence. He was taken into custody before he was able to light the home on fire.  Rinehart was charged with Arson in the 2nd Degree, and is held in the Montgomery County Jail on $10,000 bond.

Posted in News |

Update: U.S. 30 east of the north junction with U.S. 59 in Denison now scheduled to close Aug. 29

News

August 22nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Iowa DOT’s Cherokee construction office said Tuesday, a road construction project on U.S. 30 east of the north junction with U.S. 59 in Denison will require closing the roadway to traffic starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29, until 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5, weather permitting.

During the closure, traffic will be detoured around the work zone using Seventh Street, Avenue C, Iowa 39, and U.S. 59.

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.

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Adams County authorities investigate alleged suspicious vehicle activity

News

August 22nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Authorities in Adams County said Tuesday, that at around 1-p.m. that day, the Sheriff’s Office took a report of a Maroon car or suv stoping near the intersection of 10th Street and Adams, at around Noon, Tuesday. The reporting party stated that a male and female attempted to get a female child into their vehicle.

The child said “No,” and walked away. Later, it was reported that the female child said that the female from the vehicle told her to have some “crushed smarties” candies but the child stated it was white in color and refused.

The alleged incident was under investigation.

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Hundreds of veterans on motorcycles ride through NW Iowa

News

August 22nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — A group of about 400 motorcycles rumbled through northwest Iowa Tuesday morning, as part of a multi-state fundraising ride. The all-veteran American Legion Riders are on their 13th Annual American Legion Legacy Run from Hutchinson, Kansas to Anoka, Minnesota, near Minneapolis. Bob Sussan, the lead rider, says they’re on a mission.

“After Nine Eleven, we started a scholarship to pay for the college education of anybody that lost a parent on active duty since Nine Eleven,” Sussan says. “Now, we’ve opened it up two years ago to children of disabled, 50% or more.”

The needs-based American Legion Legacy Scholarship provides up to $20,000 per student per year for up to six years. Since the program was started in 2002, more than $13-million has been raised. Sussan says the Legacy Run and its riders are responsible for raising every dollar. “They do local rides, poker runs, things in their states, plus people bring donations here and we collect donations every day,” he says.

The American Legion Riders is a motorcycle association made up of more than 120,000 veterans. “They ride for the children, they say, ‘For the cause, not the applause,’ and so they’re riding for the children of the fallen and children of the disabled and they’re passionate about it,” Sussan says. “Most of these people have been on the ride for over ten years.”

The group made stops in several Iowa communities, including Audubon, Carroll and Spencer. The full ride will run about 11-hundred miles through Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The 2018 American Legion Legacy Run is expected to raise more than $1.5 million. (Learn more at https://www.legion.org/riders/legacyrun)

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Iowa early News Headlines: Wed., Aug. 22nd 2018

News

August 22nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

MONTEZUMA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man in the U.S. illegally has confessed to kidnapping a 20-year-old University of Iowa student, killing her and dumping her body in a cornfield. Twenty-four-year-old Cristhian Bahena Rivera is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Mollie Tibbetts. President Donald Trump noted the arrest and called for immigration law changes at a rally in West Virginia. And Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said residents are angry and heartbroken.

MONTEZUMA, Iowa (AP) — The immigrant from Mexico charged in the kidnapping and murder of an Iowa college student worked at a dairy farm owned by the family of a prominent state Republican leader. Yarrabee Farms said in a statement that Cristhian Bahena Rivera had worked at its farms for the last four years and was an employee in good standing. The company said it was shocked to hear that Rivera had been charged in the death of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts. Spokesman Dane Lang said Tuesday night that Yarrabee Farms is a “small family farm” owned by him and his father, Craig Lang, who has long been a prominent Iowa farmer and political figure. Craig Lang previously served as president of the Iowa Farm Bureau and president of the Iowa Board of Regents, which governs the state’s public universities. In June, he lost a close GOP primary in the race for state agriculture secretary.

MANCHESTER, Iowa (AP) — A driver whose passenger drowned after the vehicle they were in broke through ice in eastern Iowa has been sentenced to up to 15 years. Television station KCRG reports that 37-year-old Joshua Juengel, of Manchester, was sentenced Tuesday. A witness spotted Juengel’s vehicle doing doughnuts on the ice before it plunged into the frigid water of Lake Delhi on Jan. 8. The body of 23-year-old Alex Salow was found in the vehicle.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Omaha World-Herald is eliminating 23 positions from its staff, including 10 employees who were laid off. The layoffs were announced in a memo sent to the newspaper’s staff. The company will also leave eight jobs unfilled, and five other employees will retire. Omaha World-Herald President Phil Taylor says in the memo that the newspaper’s print advertising revenue continues to decline in certain categories, specifically among large national retailers.

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3 area school districts among 49 in IA awarded funding to expand computer science

News

August 21st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

(DES MOINES) – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced Tuesday, 49 Iowa school districts and schools will receive money from a new $1 million fund to build their computer science teacher workforce. The funding is part of a broader effort to expand computer science education in schools across the state. This effort is in line with the Future Ready Iowa initiative, which is about preparing more Iowans for rewarding, high-demand jobs and getting employers the skilled workers they need.

Among the school districts (locally), was: Hamburg; Nodaway Valley; and West Central Valley. Schools will use the incentive fund to pay for professional learning or university coursework for teaching endorsements in computer science.

The new computer science professional development incentive fund, along with new voluntary statewide computer science standards, were established as part of a 2017 bill that encourages high-quality computer science instruction in every elementary, middle and high school.

The incentive fund, announced in June, drew 29 applications representing 49 public school districts and nonpublic schools in urban, rural and suburban parts of the state. One application represented a team of rural elementary, middle and high schools within Keystone Area Education Agency in northeast Iowa.

All 49 schools and districts will receive funding to pay for a range of teacher preparation, including courses for teaching endorsements, intensive training, conferences and professional learning programs that prepare educators to provide high-quality instruction in computer science. Award recipients will report on their progress by the end of the 2018-19 school year.

Iowa legislators set aside $500,000 for the incentive fund. The rest of the money will come from a 2007 settlement of an Iowa class-action anti-trust lawsuit filed against Microsoft Corp. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Iowans who had bought the company’s programs at allegedly inflated prices, and the settlement agreement included setting aside a portion of unclaimed money for technology in Iowa schools.

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Atlantic School Board approves swimming w/Harlan & Open Enrollment apps.

News

August 21st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education met in a brief Special Session, Tuesday evening, at the High School Media Center. During the meeting, the Board approved a Sharing Agreement with the Harlan Community School District for Girls Swimming. Atlantic already shares Girls Swimming with Audubon and Clarinda.

The Board also approved two Open Enrollment’s into- and One Open Enrollment out of- the District. A family from Griswold is in the process of moving to Atlantic with their two sons who had wished to open enroll, while the other family is planning to move to Griswold. The Griswold School Board approved both Open Enrollment applications during their meeting Monday night.

Prior to the vote, Board member Jenny Williams asked “What is the purpose of the deadline…because school hasn’t started yet?” Superintendent Steve Barber said “The deadline for Kindergarten students is September 1st. But it’s March 1st of the previous year for the next year.” Those deadlines are set by State Code. Barber said it’s more of a responsibility on the parent to say “I want my child to go to this school next school year.”

Board member Doctor Keith Swanson said “What we’re here for is to help the kids get an education. I see no reason we can’t transfer those [students].” Board Vice President Kristy Pellett said the only other concern she had was keeping track of where kids are, so kids aren’t lost in the shuffle. Enrollment by the March deadline, it was noted, helps to determine class size.

In other business, the Board contract recommendations for:

  • Natalie Ritter – Interim Food Service Director
  • Melanie McDermott – Schuler Elem. Head Cook
  • Ann Hinton and Pamela Klar – as School Bus Drivers. (Klar was a late addition to the agenda)

Posted in News |

Harlan Police report (8/21)

News

August 21st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Harlan Police Department released a report Tuesday, on arrests dating back to Aug. 10th. On Monday (8/20), 19-year old Noah Ethan Stout, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant.  Stout was transported to the Shelby County Jail. Stout was previously arrested Aug. 16th following a call for a disturbance in the 3000 block of 12th St.  Stout was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and prohibited acts penalties.

Last Saturday, 56-year old Melanie Marie Mogensen, of Harlan, was arrested following a call for service in the 1400 block of 6th St.  Mogensen was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with public intoxication.

On Friday, 23-year old William Neil Damon, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop in the 500 block of Stowe Court.  Damn was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with operating while intoxicated 1st offense, open container, disorderly conduct, interference with official acts, speed, violation of financial liability and failure to display license plates.

On Thursday, 53-year old Randall Brett Hess, of Harlan, was arrested following a call for a disturbance in the 700 block of Court St.  Hess was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with robbery 2nd degree, public intoxication, and disorderly conduct.

On August 14th, 33-year old Aaron Robert McCutcheon, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant.  McCutcheon was transported to the Shelby County Jail. And, on Aug. 10th, 58-year old Cynthia Lea Carpenter was arrested following a call regarding a disturbance in the 500 block of 12th St.  Carpenter was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with harassment and disorderly conduct.

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Red Oak woman injured in Page County accident

News

August 21st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman from Red Oak was injured during a single-vehicle accident Monday afternoon. 21-year old Priscilla Marie Cline complained of pain and was transported by Clarinda Ambulance to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital to be treated for unknown injuries.

Deputies were dispatch to the scene at Highway 71, just south of the Montgomery/Page Street around 2:50-p.m., Monday. Their investigation determined Cline was northbound on Highway 71 when she lost control of her vehicle, which entered the east ditch.  The vehicle continued in the ditch for a short distance before coming to rest.  It sustained no apparent damage.

Cline was cited for Failure to maintain control and No proof of insurance accident related. The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Clarinda Ambulance service, Villisca Fire & Rescue, and the Red Oak Fire Department

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(Update) Cass County filings for Nov. Election

News

August 21st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Cass County Deputy Auditor Sheri Karns, Tuesday, updated the previously mentioned list of candidates whose names will appear on the ballot for the November General Election.

The latest addition is Cheryl Christensen, who is an incumbent running for Union Township Clerk.

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