Officials with the Glenwood Police Department are reporting four recent arrests. On Saturday, 30-year old Nicole Spracklin, of Plattsmouth, NE., was arrested for Driving While Barred, and on a Council Bluffs Police Dept. warrant for Probation Violation. Her bond amounted to $4,000. That same day, 26-year old Corbin Wells, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order. His bond was set at $300.

Last Friday, Glenwood Police arrested 22-year old David Barrett, of Glenwood, for Interference with Official Acts, and on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation. His bond amounted to $2,300 altogether. Also on Friday, 44-year old Kimberly Streit, of Glenwood, was arrested for being a Fugitive from Justice. She was being held without bond and transported to Omaha.

The Iowa Department of Transportation reports traffic delays are occurring on Interstate 80 (especially westbound) in Adair County due to a large grass fire. The delay is between Exit 97 (Redfield) and Exit 93 (The Stuart Road). Proceed with caution.

(Photo’s courtesy Bob Simon)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A 29-year-old driver has been charged in connection with a Des Moines collision that killed two people and injured two others. Des Moines police say Ryan Rench faces charges of unsafe passing with enhancements for an offense causing two deaths and an offense causing serious injury. He’s due in court Jan. 16.

Investigators say the crash happened Oct. 21 when Rench’s pickup truck entered oncoming traffic in an attempt to pass another vehicle. Rench’s pickup struck an oncoming sport utility vehicle. Its driver, 56-year-old Kathryn Kinley, and a passenger, 13-year-old Nariyo Lee, were killed. Both lived in Des Moines. Kinley’s other passenger, 12-year-old Kaden Kinley, and Rench were injured.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa Supreme Court justice has lifted an order that temporarily blocked the state’s largest newspaper from reporting the contents of records legally obtained from a public court file. Critics had denounced the Dec. 11 order by Justice David Wiggins as an impermissible prior restraint in violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and decades of case law. Wiggins removed the stay Tuesday in an order explaining the court had declined to consider attorney Jaysen McCleary’s request for an injunction blocking publication.

Wiggins had ordered the Des Moines Register and investigative reporter Clark Kauffman to not “disclose or share” information from court records relating to McCleary’s medical and financial history while the court considered his appeals. The newspaper had asked for the stay to be vacated.

AMES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forestry – Fire Program, in cooperation with US Forest Service – State and Private Forestry, has awarded $224,799 in 50% cost-share grants to 92 of Iowa’s rural fire departments to aid their efforts in protecting Iowan’s and their property from wildfires.  The grants offer valuable funding assistance for wildfire suppression equipment, personal protective equipment, and communications equipment. In the KJAN listening area, the following fire departments have received a cost-share grant:

• Atlantic Fire Dept. -$2,465
• Anita Fire Dept. – $3,500
• Creston Fire Dept. – $3,500
• Grant Volunteer Fire Dept. -$549
• Glenwood F.D. – $1,666
• Menlo F.D. – $978
• Missouri Valley F.D. – $3,500
• Oak Township F.D. (Mills County) – $1,811
• Onawa F.D. – $1,575
• Pacific Junction Fire Dept. – $970
• Prescott Fire Dept. – $3,500
• Schleswig F.D. – $3,500
• Sidney Volunteer Fire Dept. – $3,210
• Stuart Fire Dept. $1,637
• Villisca Fire Dept. – $3,500.

The VFA program is authorized by the 1990 Farm Bill to provide financial, technical, and other assistance through state forestry agencies to organize, equip, and train small, local fire departments in rural communities with populations under 10,000 to prevent and suppress rural fires. Work contributes to healthy forests, forest stewardship, and sustainable economic development. VFA dollars may be used to fund multi-community/fire department projects such as mutual-aid communications networks.

The DNR reminds all fire departments of the importance of submitting Wildland Fire Reports whenever they respond to a wildland fire or provide assistance to a prescribed or controlled wildland fire. Wildland Fire reporting forms are available at www.iowadnr.gov/fire. Departments actively returning these reports receive priority points when the VFA grant applications are scored.  These wildland fire reports are compiled locally and nationally and are reported to Congress.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency reports 1300th Street, which was closed to remove a bridge over Silver Creek, is now open. The road had been closed since late November. The bridge was replaced with a low water crossing.

A southeast Iowa man is in jail, accused of impersonating a police officer and other crimes.  Thirty-one-year-old Joshua Barnes of Ottumwa was arrested early Sunday following a “burglary in progress” call. Ottumwa Police say Barnes forced his way into a home with a weapon late Saturday night after claiming to be police officer.

Joshua Barnes

A news release indicates Barnes intended to assault an occupant of the home. Police believe Barnes damaged the victim’s vehicles parked outside. Barnes is being held in the Wapello County Jail of charges of first-degree burglary, impersonating a public official, and third-degree criminal mischief.

(Radio Iowa)

A state ombudsman reports that denial, reduction or termination of services is the number one complaint among the hundreds of complaints filed each month from Iowa Medicaid recipients. The report was reviewed yesterday (Monday) by a legislative committee examining Iowa’s switch to having for-profit companies manage the state’s Medicaid program. Representative Rob Taylor, a Republican from West Des Moines, cited the report as he spoke to Kim Fultz with United Healthcare. “This, I see, as your report card of what you’re doing well and what you’re not,” Taylor said. “Would you like to respond to that?” Fultz replied: “Well, first I’d like to say that it’s an inaccurate characterization.”

According to Fultz, a small number of Medicaid recipients are complaining about denial of services they believe they need, but there isn’t support for those services and the company deals with each complaint individually. According to the ombudsman’s report, the complaints are coming in particular from patients who get home and community-based services through Medicaid. The ombudsman’s office received more than four-thousand calls from Medicaid recipients over the 12-month period that ended September 30th. Nearly half were about denial, reduction or termination of services.

(Radio Iowa)

Five Iowa Great Places have been awarded $1.3 million in grants for projects in their communities, including Madison County’s fire-damaged Cedar Covered Bridge. The iconic landmark has been featured in literature, film and theater (“The Bridges of Madison County”) and is one of six covered bridges near Winterset that are the centerpiece of the area’s tourism industry.

Other Iowa Great Places grants announced today (Tuesday) will support (by organization, project and award):

• Pott. County Arts, Culture and Entertainment – Renovation of the historic Harvester II building in Council Bluffs – A$400,000 award toward the overall estimated project cost of more than $22.5-million.
• City of Manning – Phase II development of Trestle Park in Manning – A $31,380 award toward the $62,760 project cost
• Madison County Chamber of Commerce -Rebuilding of the Cedar Bridge in Madison County – A $275,770 award toward the more than $597,000 project cost.

Additional details:

Pottawattamie Art, Culture & Entertainment seeks to renovate the historic Harvester II building in Council Bluffs into a 50,400-square-foot arts and culture center offering art programs for all ages but especially low-income youth. Renovation includes the addition of a 245-seat theater that will be shared by American Midwest Ballet, the Chanticleer Theater, the Kitchen Council, community partners and arts education programs. The facility will serve as a home for its umbrella arts and culture organization, which works to streamline fundraising, marketing, archiving, volunteer services and more for partnering arts organizations in Pottawattamie County.

In 2014, Manning created a Trestle Park Plan as part of its successful Great Places application in 2015. The new park revolves around a 102-year-old historic railroad trestle that is a local icon and is quickly becoming a state icon. Crews have already completed most of Phase I, which included removing the former feed mill on the property, building a shelter house and installing a train-themed informational kiosk, trail, road, parking, lighting, and a large “IOWA” sculpture that has quickly become a favorite place for photographs. The natural play area is just starting to be developed. Project leaders are working with Iowa State University on concepts for public art, providing specific instructions to students to design art pieces that were interactive or served an additional purpose. The goal of Phase II is to further develop the park into a unique experience for both locals and visitors by using nontraditional items.

On April 15, 2017, one of Madison County’s world-famous covered bridges was destroyed by arson. The Cedar Covered Bridge was a significant tourism asset, serving as the bridge on the cover of Robert Waller’s novel, “The Bridges of Madison County,” as well as the site for Oprah Winfrey’s visit to Madison County in 1993, plus countless weddings, photography sessions and community celebrations. Additionally, Cedar Bridge is a featured attraction along the newly designated Covered Bridges Byway, which is part of the Iowa Scenic Byways program administered by the Iowa Department of Transportation. Madison County’s covered bridges hold considerable local significance and attract national and worldwide attention.

Other projects awarded funds include: Construction of a trail bridge in the Turkey River Recreational Corridor near Elgin, and Redevelopment of the Wapsipinicon River Scenic Overlook in Linn County.

The Iowa Great Places program recognizes and partners with Iowans who cultivate the unique and authentic qualities of their local places, such as neighborhoods, districts or regions, to make them great places to live and work. Iowa’s Great Places receive access to funding opportunities, professional development training, technical assistance opportunities, a network of vibrant communities and passionate leaders, and other state and local resources. This year, the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs received applications from 14 Iowa Great Places projects seeking more than $3 million. Funding for the Iowa Great Places program is provided by an annual appropriation from the Iowa Legislature through the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund.

Members of the Cass and Adair County Boards of Supervisors will hold their separate, regular meetings Wednesday morning. In Atlantic, the Cass County Board meets at 8:30-a.m. On their agenda is: a review of information pertaining to renewal rates for Health Insurance in FY 2018-19, and the setting of contribution rates for employer and employee; A review of County Compensation Board recommendations for compensation of Cass County’s 10 elected officials, and other FY 2018-19 budget matters; and, a renewal of the Unified Law Enforcement contract (which terminates June 30, 2018), between the Cass County Sheriff’s Department and the Cass County Unified Law Enforcement District (which includes the cities of Cumberland, Lewis, Marne, Massena and Wiota).

In Greenfield, the Adair County Supervisors meet at 9-a.m.  Auditor Mindy Schaefer will discuss 2017 Payable 2018-19 Valuation information, FY 2019 Health Insurance, and Election Trailer. Afterward, the Board will receive the Adair County Compensation Board recommendations, and County Engineer Nick Kauffman will discuss various road culvert projects, the proposed replacement options for the Loucks Grove Bridge, and grading from 130th Street to the quarry, and G-61 for N-51 west. He’ll also present bids for awarding, with regard to the G-27 grading project.