The Union County Sheriff’s Office said today (Thursday), that a man from Shannon City reported to authorities the theft of his vehicle. The 2004 Mercury Marquis, with Iowa license plate EJW 621 has been missing since May 14th. The vehicle was valued at $5,000

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports 45-year old Rob Lee Bent, of Grant, was arrested today (Thursday), on a charge of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Bent was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released on his own recognizance. Last Sunday, 60-year old Robert John Rasmussen, who is currently incarcerated in the Cass County Jail, was assessed two additional felony charges of Controlled Substance Violations. Rasmussen was initially incarcerated on May 10th, 2019, on drug possession, drug paraphernalia and drug tax stamp violation charges. He remains held at the Cass County Jail on $75,000 bond.

And, there were two arrests in Cass County last Friday: (as previously reported) 30-year old April Lynn Medina, of Atlantic, was arrested by Cass County Deputies on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Failure to Appear for violation of Compulsory Education Mediation Agreement/1st offense. Medina was taken to the Cass County Jail where she later posted $300 bond and was released; 35-year old Matthew James Bruns, of Atlantic, was arrested by Cass County Deputies, on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Violation of No Contact Order-Contempt. Bruns was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on without bond.

On Tuesday, May 28th, the Atlantic Lions Club opened the Country Schoolhouse in Sunnyside Park for the annual 6th grade class field trip as part of their Iowa History class curriculum and end of school year activities.   Bob Anderson provided interesting insights into what it was like for students to attend a country school.

(Photo submitted)

At one time there were as many as 149,282 one-room schoolhouses in the United States, predominantly in rural areas.  They provided education for students in kindergarten through the 8th grade, although a few students also attended the schools long enough to receive a high school diploma.  There were 12,000 to 14,000 in Iowa, depending on what report you use…more than any other state in the union, but starting in 1935 these schools began to close and students were transported via bus to consolidated schools for elementary education.  The last one-room school houses closed their doors permanently in 1967 through legislative decree.

Approximately only 2,800 one-room schoolhouses still stand in Iowa…many of them houses, garages or gradually being reclaimed by nature.  A few have been retained as museums and one of these can be found in Sunnyside Park in Atlantic.  The Bear Grove Township #5 schoolhouse was built in 1870.  It was donated to the community of Atlantic and moved to Sunnyside Park in 1960 by the Atlantic Lions.

The Lions will have the school house open again this year during the Block Party sponsored by Atlantic Parks and Rec and the Atlantic Kiwanis Club this Saturday, June 1st, from 4 to 6 PM.

(Radio Iowa) — A 48-year-old Sioux City man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison on five different drug charges. A jury convicted Shelton Oliver — who also went by the name “Sinbad” — of distributing heroin. Prosecutors say Oliver gave heroin to an informant on four different occasions — and he did it near several “drug-free” zones, including a Sioux City elementary school and four different Sioux City parks.

Authorities linked Oliver to two different heroin overdoses as well. One man died in October of 2017. Evidence showed Oliver was selling heroin out of his car to an informant last year — while a person in Oliver’s passenger seat was overdosing. That person was revived by medical personnel.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Officials in the eastern Iowa city of Davenport say the city is building a bigger flood barrier in the wake of a breach in April that sent floodwaters rushing into downtown streets. Davenport City Administrator Corri Spiegel tells the Quad-City Times that the city will build larger flood walls when there is a high probability the river cresting above 21 feet. Days after the last temporary barrier broke on April 30, the river hit a historic crest of 22.7 feet.

Davenport’s downtown sits on the banks of the Mississippi River, with no permanent floodwall. Instead, the city has an expanse of riverfront green space and temporary barriers, called HESCO barriers, consisting of large, sand-filled containers. Spiegel says Davenport public works crews began assembling the larger flood wall last week. The design uses two lines of HESCO barriers on the ground with another two stacked on top.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police in Des Moines say a 4-year-old boy is recovering from a gunshot wound after picking up a gun he found inside his parents’ vehicle. Television station KCCI reports that the shooting happened Wednesday afternoon on the southeast end of the city. Sgt. Paul Parizek says the child was unattended in the vehicle when he found the handgun and began playing with it. The gun fired, hitting the child in the shoulder.

Police say the boy is in stable condition and is expected to recover. Investigators say the gun belongs to the child’s parents. Police have not said whether charges will be filed.

(Radio Iowa) — President Trump and former Vice President Biden plan to be campaigning in Iowa on the same day next month.  Iowa Republican Party officials confirm Trump is to speak at a PRIVATE fundraiser for the state party on June 11th. The event will be held in West Des Moines.

Politico reports Biden is planning to be in Iowa on the same day, and will be here June 12th as well. Biden’s trip will come a couple of days AFTER the Iowa Democratic Party fundraiser in Cedar Rapids featuring 17 other candidates seeking the party’s 2020 presidential nomination.