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 Tuesday in a memo 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 the newspaper’s print  advertising revenue continues to decline in certain categories, including large national retailers.

Sue Violi, the newspaper’s community relations director, says the cuts amount to 3 percent of the World-Herald’s workforce. Violi says the newspaper has seen rapid digital subscription growth but faces a “very difficult” transition.

The Omaha World-Herald is owned by Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaway Inc. The company announced in June it had struck a deal with Iowa-based chain Lee Enterprises to manage its newspapers.

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 to 10 years on a count of vehicular homicide and five years for leaving the scene of a fatal crash.

Prosecutors say he must serve at least seven years of the sentence before he can be released. Juengel pleaded guilty to the counts last month. In exchange, prosecutors dropped related charges.

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.

MONTEZUMA, Iowa (AP) — Iowa official says suspect in custody in Mollie Tibbetts’ death being held on federal immigration detainer. 24-year old 24-year-old Cristhian Bahena Rivera was in the country illegally has been charged with 1st degree murder in the death of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts. If convicted, the charge carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

Investigators say they used surveillance video in tracking down Rivera. The video showed Tibbetts jogging in a rural area near her hometown of Brooklyn as well as Rivera’s car.

Police had searched the area but noted her body was found in a field, covered with corn stalks. Earlier Tuesday, investigators announced a body believed to be Tibbetts was found in rural Poweshiek County. Tibbetts, a 20-year-old student at the University of Iowa, has been missing since July 18.

The Exira-Elk Horn/Kimballton School Board met Monday evening, and discussed progress on their various construction projects. Superintendent Trevor Miller told KJAN News “things are coming along,” and will be ready for the first day of school on Thursday. He said the playgrounds are done in Exira, a new foundation was poured that’s soft and designed to absorb falls. His son, Miller said jumped up and down on the foundation and said “Look, I can fall and I won’t get hurt.”

The HVAC system in the Elk Horn Building getting worked on. All the units are in-place, and are in the process of being hooked-up to the new cooling tower. It’ll still be a couple of weeks before that project is finished. The windows are all in, lights are installed for the football field, bleachers are done, and painting is being accomplished.

The Board approved the continuation of sharing their School Business Official (SBO) and Technology Instructor with the Tri-Center School District. And, there were some new hires for the District. Jill Johnson will be their new Speech Coach, the Assistant Softball Coach will be the Head Volleyball Coach, as well, and Courtney Peppers will be the Assistant Volleyball Coach.

Miller reminds parents that there will be an early dismissal this Thursday and Friday at 1:30-p.m., to allow contractors extra time to work on their respective projects.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A western Iowa farmer has been given probation for filing fraudulent tax returns. Prosecutors say 65-year-old Kurt Neldeberg was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to two years of probation. He also must make full restitution and serve 120 hours of community service. Prosecutors say he failed to report more than $315,000 in farm income from 2009 through 2012 and filed false tax returns. The Whiting resident pleaded guilty.

The Audubon School Board met Monday night during a regular session. Superintendent Brett Gibbs told KJAN the Board approved the second readings of four policies, and the first reading of two other policies. They also approved Iowa Learning Online as a Spanish course, because the Board was unable to find any qualified instructors following the loss of their Spanish Teacher from Spain program. He said the young lady who came from Spain to provide instruction last year and was supposed to stay for two-to-three years, had family health issues in her country. Another Spanish Teacher from Spain was found, but that person notified the district at the end of July that she was unable to come to the U-S. Gibbs said “There aren’t many candidates out there to begin with,” and it was too late in the year to secure a candidate.

The program will be an added cost to the District, but not to its students. Gibbs said also, the Board approved several contracts, including those for custodial positions, bus drivers and associate (para-educator) positions, which hopefully translates to more students and their families moving into the district. He said also, the Board tabled action on Administrative Early Retirement, and set Sept. 5^th at 6:30-p.m., as the date and time for a School Board work session. Gibbs said they will talk about the future of the District, including whether or not to continue sharing his position with Coon Rapids-Bayard, and other matters.

The Board also discussed the Sept. 11^th PPEL Vote, which is a renewal of the 10-year Physical Plant and Equipment Levy at the unchanged rate of 67-cents per thousand dollars valuation.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports 39-year old Jill Christine Currin, of Hepburn, was arrested Monday on a Page County Bench warrant for Failure to Appear in court. Currin was arrested at the Page County Courthouse in Clarinda. She was unable to post a $10,000 bond, and was transported to the Page County Jail where she is currently being held pending further court proceedings.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports six arrests over the past week. On Aug. 15th, 33-year old Joseph Leonard LeClair, Jr. of Greenfield, was arrested by Greenfield Police on a charge of Domestic Assault causing bodily injury. The report says LeClair allegedly threw a remote control at the female during an argument, causing a cut on her face, and shoved the woman against a wall, causing scratches on her neck. He was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $1,000 cash or surety bond. That same day (Aug. 15), 57-year old Andrew Dean Nelson, of Menlo, was arrested for Burglary in the 3rd Degree and Theft in the 4th Degree, after a debit card belonging to a man from Stuart was used to withdraw $300 from a bank ATM. Nelson’s picture was captured on the ATM camera, and identified by the victim, whom Nelson had worked for as a handy man.  Nelson’s bond was set at $5,000. And, 41-year old Joshua Isaac Stringfield, of Council Bluffs, was arrested by an Iowa State Patrol Trooper, following a traffic stop resulting from calls about an erratic driver. His breath alcohol level tested at .226, or nearly three-times the legal limit for intoxication. He was charged with OWI/2nd offense and held in the Adair County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

On Aug. 16th, 36-year old Timothy John Davis, of Orient, was arrested by Adair County Deputies, on an Adams County warrant for Failure to Appear in Court. He was immediately transferred to the custody of Adams County authorities. On Aug. 17th, 61-year old Richard Dean Piper, of Greenfield, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. He was later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond, with 10% acceptable. Also arrested last Friday, was 37-year old Jose Ernesto Leon Diaz, of Des Moines, who was taken into custody on a warrant out of Polk County for Felony Theft in the 2nd Degree. Diaz was turned over to Des Moines Police.

ROCKWELL, Iowa (AP) — A grain elevator that’s hampered operations at a west-central Iowa airport will be coming down. The council in Rockwell City on Monday awarded a $343,000-plus contract for demolition of the Landus Cooperative elevator, which was built in the 1950s. Project engineer Greg Broussard told The Messenger that razing the 175-foot-tall structure will let the airport use about 1,200 more feet of its runway. The elevator sits about 2,500 feet northwest of the runway.

The Iowa Transportation Department is covering 69 percent of the cost; Landus is paying the rest. Broussard expects the work to begin next month and be finished by the end of the year.

(9-a.m. News) — The Griswold School Board Monday evening, decided to accept proposals for their school buildings in Elliott and Lewis, since those buildings are no longer being used as a result of the new additions to the school in Griswold. Superintendent Dave Henrichs told KJAN News the District will begin advertising for those proposals, with some specific guidelines required in submitting the proposals. You must be prepared to disclose how much you are willing to pay for it, and what you plan to use the building for, as well as how you plan to maintain it. Proposals are due to Mr. Henrichs by Nov. 19^th. After Jan. 1^st, 2019, anyone who has submitted a proposal, will be asked to present it to the Griswold School Board, as well as the respective City Council in either Lewis or Elliott.

At the end of that process, the Board will decide who they want to sell the building(s) to. The Elliott City Council, on August 13^th, approved by a vote of 4-to 1, to purchase of the Elementary building in the community, pending successful negotiations with the Griswold School Board, and pending the acquisition of financing. There were no specifics provided as to how much they were willing to pay and what it would be used for. Henrichs says that will give the City of Elliott a few months to determine how their building would be used, if they can obtain financing. If they decide to move forward, the District reserves the right to deny any and all proposals, and turn the buildings over to the respective Cities. On the other hand, if the Cities are no longer interested, the Board will proceed with reviewing and moving forward with the other proposals.

In other business, the Board approved the hiring of Emma Lee, as Middle School/High School Para-Educator, the resignation of Sarah Black, Elementary Paraprofessional, and Laura Michael has agreed to take on another position as MS/HS TAG (Talented and Gifted) Teacher, in addition to her current duties.

There were also three, open enrollment requests approved by the Griswold School Board: two brothers who wish to Open Enroll out to Atlantic, and one student in from Atlantic who wants to O/E to Griswold. In both cases, it’s because their families have pending residential moves in the near future. The Atlantic School District will consider the open enrollment requests during their meeting this (Monday) evening.