Authorities in Creston report a teenager was injured during a collision this (Tuesday) morning, near the intersection of Cherry and Summit Streets. According to Creston Police, 16-year old Logan Eugene Osterhout, of Creston, was driving a 2006 Buick LeSabre northbound on Cherry Street at around 7:50-a.m., when, according to the teen, a dog ran out in front of his vehicle (registered to Janet Osterhout).

When Logan applied the brakes, he said the car went out of control and ran into the back of a 2006 Chrysler 300 that was parked near 504 Cherry. The teen told Creston Police he didn’t know what happened after the initial impact. An ambulance was dispatched to assist in treating his injuries. Osterhout was transported by his mother to the Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston, for further treatment.

Damage to the vehicles amounted to $3,000 altogether. No citations were issued.

Atlantic Fire and Rescue, Medivac Ambulance and Atlantic Police responded to a two-vehicle accident at around 1:54-p.m. today (Tuesday), just west of 7th and Olive Street on eastbound 7th. A woman complained of neck pain and is believed to have been transported to CCMH. Both vehicles had been moved into an alley south of 7th, when emergency crews arrived.

Ric Hanson/photo

No other details were immediately available.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A judge has overturned the firing of a Cedar Rapids teacher who’d been criticized for how a black baby doll was left hanging in her classroom. The Cedar Rapids Community School District board had terminated Tammy Ryan’s teaching contract at Metro Alternative High School. A social media outcry arose in spring 2018 when a photo of the doll tied around the waist by a ribbon and hanging horizontally from the ceiling was posted.

Ryan says students placed the doll around the room as part of a game. The Gazette reports that Ryan says she perceived the doll as flying. Others saw it as a racist allusion to lynching. The board fired her, and she took the district to court, seeking a reversal.

In a ruling issued Oct. 30, the judge said: “This single instance of unintentional insensitivity does not amount to just cause to terminate Ms. Ryan’s teaching contract.” A district representative says board members are evaluating the district’s next steps.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors met today (Tuesday), in the basement meeting room, while Auditors were working in the Boardroom at the Courthouse. During their meeting, the Board approved the appointment of Brigham Hoege to the Cass County Local Foods Policy Council. Auditor Dale Sunderman said she currently resides in Des Moines, but is very active with the LFPC. He said she basically directed Produce in the Park and other such projects.

Cass Board of Supervisors (left to right) – Frank Waters, Mark O’Brien, Steve Green & Steve Baier.

Interim County Engineer Rich Hansen requested the Board sign a Resolution with regard to a Cass County Procurement Policy, where Federal Funding is included. He said it’s to get state funding for disaster flooding this past Spring, in the amount of $124,000. $75,000 of which comes from FEMA. The funds are passed through the Dept. of Homeland Security. Dale Sunderman said the Resolution the Board passed on May 31^st was not sufficient because it did not contain Federal Administrative Code references. Board Chair Steve Baier said that included “Micro-purchase procedures.” There are other guidelines as well, that language for which Baier said had to match that of “The Federales.”

Because the County remains without a licensed, Professional Engineer (PE) following the resignation late this Summer of Charles Bechtold, Hansen said some paperwork (including payroll & claims) will need to be signed by a PE. Board Chair Steve Baier mentioned retired County Engineer Charles Marker would be willing to step-in and handle those tasks on an as-needed, contracted basis, but not as a full-time Engineer. The Board took it under advisement.

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors canvassed and approved the results of elections on Nov. 5^th. Dale Sunderman announced what the percentage of voter turnout for each Ward and Precinct/City was: Atlantic – Ward 1, 12.79%; Ward 2, 14.36%; Ward 3 – 24.38%; Ward 4 – 25.11%; Ward 5 – 27.28%; Anita – 20.13%; Cumberland – 12.33%; Griswold – 17.10; Lewis – 18.56; Marne – 16.7; Massena – 17.67; Wiota – 15.04%.

Tomorrow (Wednesday, Nov. 13th), the Board will meet at 8-a.m. to perform a post-election audit of ballots tallied at the Cumberland/Union Township precinct, and votes cast for Mayor/City of Cumberland on Nov. 5th. Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman says this is not a recount, but a hand-count audit of ballots tallied by optical scan equipment, to verify that the election vote tabulation equipment functioned as designed and programmed. It will include a hand-count of the votes cast for a designated position on the first ballot style of the selected precinct.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Betting on races at Iowa Greyhound Park in Dubuque rose by 14% this year, but the park’s future and that of greyhound racing still look dicey. Wagering at the park and other facilities on the Dubuque races is up for the fourth year in a row, according to figures for this year’s season, which ended Sunday after 104 days of racing. “We’re moving in the right direction, but we’re only going by baby steps, where we need to be going by leaps and bounds,” park general manager Brian Carpenter said. “Our plan is to open again next year in May, and, hopefully, we have another successful year.”

Carpenter told the Telegraph Herald the park remains far from being financially viable on its own. It continues to reap the benefits of a 2014 agreement with state gambling regulators that allowed Dubuque’s Mystique Casino & Resort — now Q Casino and Hotel — and the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs to sever ties with the greyhound industry. The betting at the dog tracks affiliated with the casinos plummeted after the casinos were established, officials have said.

Key parts of the settlement included the $4.6 million Horseshoe Casino’s owners pay yearly to Iowa Greyhound Park through 2022 and the $500,000 that Q Casino’s owner pay yearly through 2021. And the future problems are not just financial. “The question is whether we’ll have enough greyhounds to keep going,” Carpenter said. Florida voters last year approved a measure that will eliminate greyhound racing at the end of Florida’s 2020 season. Also, racing officials in Arkansas recently agreed to phase out greyhound racing at that state’s lone track by the end of 2022.

Only six states still have active greyhound tracks, and the loss of Arkansas and Florida tracks could deter breeders and lead to a shortage of greyhounds, Carpenter said. Jean Hallahan, assistant general manager at Iowa Greyhound Park, said she thinks bettors in Arkansas and Florida could raise their wagers on races taking place in Dubuque. She said she’s already fielded calls from Florida residents who shared their hopes for continued racing in Dubuque.