A woman who is a native of western Iowa has penned a book detailing the service history of a Wisconsin Marine who served as the top scout/sniper, and expert in hand-to-hand combat in World War Two. Karla Jensen, who grew up in Audubon, started a writers group in Beaver Dam, WI. She met 91-year old Del Schultz at the Beaver Dam Senior Center, where Jensen was participating in a similar group. Jensen said Schultz approached her one day with a story he’d never told anyone before. Not even his family.

Jensen learned he been involved in battles at Iwo Jima, Saipan at the Nagaski, after the atomic bomb was dropped. Schultz was a member of the first sniper-scout school ever assembled. Jensen and Schultz met every other week over a period of 18 months. He had two stipulations with regard to the book. One was that his real name not be used. For the first 15 months, she wrote the story using the surname of Leo, which, not coincidentally, is the name of her now deceased father. He served in the Coast Guard, during World War Two.

He also did not want his four adult children to know that his character was featured in last year’s movie “American Sniper.” Schultz’ wife died 5-years ago from Alzheimer’s Disease. He wanted his story to be held back until he was on his death bed, but eventually agreed to allow his real name to be used in the book, and to tell his children. Jensen called Schultz’ son and told him about his father’s hidden past.

His biography/memoir eventually ended-up being 60-thousand words. Jensen suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) but never let on how much it affected him until after he began telling his story to Jensen. The title of the book is “Nobody’s Hero: The Story of a Marine Scout Sniper.” It was formed after Del’s youngest son said his dad “Is the type of Marine that doesn’t believe he’s a hero and the type of veteran who will not accept any accolades for being a hero.”

Jensen will share his story during visits in southwest Iowa. A book signing will take place 7-p.m. April 7^th at the Audubon Public Library. A writing workshop will precede the book discussion from 5-to 6:30-p.m., offering anyone who wants to write about their own family history, information on how to be published. Jensen will be at the Irwin Public Library as well, on April 8^th, from 6-until 8-p.m.  Some of the books have been signed by Del Schultz, as well. Her book is available Barnes and Noble.com and Amazon.com.

Deputies in Cass County responded to a two-vehicle accident Friday afternoon, in Lewis. The Sheriff’s Office says vehicles driven by 55-year old William Todd Leighton and 64-year old Edna Mae Smith, both of Lewis, collided at the intersection of Minnesota and 1st Streets, at around 2:30-p.m. No injuries were reported.

The accident happened as a 2014 Ford pickup driven by Leighton was southbound on 1^st Street, when it was hit by Smith’s northbound 2011 Kia Optima, which was attempting to make a left turn onto Minnesota Street. Damage from the collision amounted to $4,000.

Deputies in Cass County made several arrests over the past week. Last Wednesday, 32-year old Jacob Michael Leary, of Atlantic, was arrested on four warrants for Failure to Appear and a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Leary was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $88,000 bond.

On Thursday, 32-year old Matthew Wayne Echternach, of Atlantic, turned himself in at the Cass County Sheriff’s Office on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Possession Marijuana 2^nd Offense (Aggravated) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Echternach was booked at the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $2,000 bond. Also arrested Thursday, was 54-year old Brian Eugene Fahrenkrug, of Griswold, who was charged with Domestic Abuse (Serious). Fahrenkrug was taken to the Cass County Jail and released Friday on $1,000 bond.

On Saturday, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 46-year old Timothy A. Newton, of Lamoni, on a Clarke County warrant for OWI 3^rd Offense and Driving while Revoked. Newton was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on $5,000 bond. And, 68-year old Ronnie Loyd Erickson, of Cumberland, was arrested Saturday on charges of Possession of Marijuana (54 grams) (D Felony); Sponsoring a Gathering (D Felony); Prohibited Acts (Aggravated); Possession of Cannabidiol 1^st Offense (Serious); and Possession of Methamphetamine (Serious). Erickson was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released Sunday on $12,000 bond.

On Sunday, Cass County Deputies arrested 54-year old David Allen Crum, of Atlantic, on two charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance 3^rd/Subsequent (D Felonies). Crum was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on $10,000 bond.

Bob Seivert, Emergency Management Coordinator in Shelby County, reports the field and grass fire danger category will remain “High” this week. Drying conditions, with minimal precipitation in the forecast, along with increasing daytime winds, means the risk for controlled/planned burns, could quickly spread beyond the intended area. Therefore, any outdoor burns should be conducted during the early morning and late evening hours.

Fire stations and businesses in Shelby County should leave their  Fire Danger” signs in the “High” category, through at least Thursday, when the next update on burning conditions will be provided.

The Shelby County EMA says you should remember to call your controlled burns in to the EMA Communications center at (712) – 755-2124, and, contact your local Fire Chief before igniting any outdoor burns.

Saundra Clem Leininger, Executive Director of the French Icarian Society, located in Corning, will present a program for the Cass County Genealogical Society’s monthly meeting this week, with regard to the six Icarian Colonies in America, and the French Icarian Village, near Corning.  The village was the longest-living Icarian community.

The 34-acre settlement features a restored cemetery, one-room school house and communal dining hall. A meeting about the Icarians will take place 1-p.m. Thursday, March 24^th,  in the meeting room at the Atlantic Public Library.  The program is free, and open to the public.

Historians say the colonies were part of a social experiment began in France in the 1840s. Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa were locations for the non-religious communal experiment. The Iowa Icarian Colony located 3 miles east of Corning was established in 1852 and disbanded in 1898. Many descendants live in the area.

Everyone is invited to learn more about the remarkable Icarian story during this Thursday’s meeting, in Atlantic.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Superintendent compensation is slightly higher in southwest Iowa than across the state, on average, based on an analysis of area district’s contracts with school chiefs. The Daily NonPareil cites a report in the Cedar Rapids Gazette which conducted an analysis of superintendent contracts from 314 school districts. The Gazette requested records from Iowa’s 336 school districts, with 93.5 percent responding.

Analysis by The Gazette showed a median salary of $135,000 with four weeks of vacation, on average, and a variety of benefits typical for public school district’s de facto CEOs, who manage multimillion-dollar budgets and employ up to thousands of people. The 271 superintendents’ whose compensation was reviewed are largely new to their districts, with nearly half on the job for fewer than five years and 12 percent finishing their first year at superintendent. Many superintendents are splitting their time between two districts or serve in additional roles, such as a building principal, trends that are mirrored in southwest Iowa as well.

The Nonpareil conducted an analysis, based on The Gazette’s data plus additional reporting, of the 29 public school districts in its coverage area in southwest Iowa, showing superintendent compensation is slightly higher than the average for the rest of the state, although Council Bluffs may throw off the comparison. The analysis shows across southwest Iowa, the average superintendent salary was about $142,000. Council Bluffs Superintendent Martha Bruckner has the largest paycheck, with an annual salary of $215,000, although her district is more than three times the next nearest in terms of student enrollment.

The second through fourth largest districts were also the second through fourth largest in terms of compensation, although Harlan pays about $12,300 more to Justin Wagner than Glenwood pays Devin Embray, even though Glenwood is considerably larger than Harlan. Fifth in terms of enrollment, Atlantic, pays Michael Amstein wages that are more middle-of-the-pack despite being one of the area’s fifth largest school district. All three superintendent – Wagner, Embray and Amstein – took over their school districts in 2010. Bruckner has been at the helm in Council Bluffs since 2007.

On the other end of the salary table is Tony Weers, the outgoing superintendent of Tri-Center, who is paid $122,000, the least in total of any of area’s full-time superintendents. Southwest Iowa is typical for the state in terms of women serving as superintendents: Bruckner, Deidre Drees of Missouri Valley and Kerri Nelson of Shenandoah. The Gazette found statewide the rate was about 15 percent, and it’s about 14 percent in the area. National statistics are either dated or unclear, but the superintendency of public school districts remains a male-dominated field despite education generally being a female-dominated profession.

Police in Creston report the arrest Sunday night, of 27-year old Dustin Giles. The Creston man was taken into custody for Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree. He was being held in the Union County Jail on a $300 bond, and, on two warrants from other counties.

Authorities said also, a resident in the 300 block of W. Montgomery Street, in Creston, reported that sometime between last Thursday and Saturday, someone broke into his truck parked near his residence, and stole a black, 12-gauge shotgun with shell catcher. The loss was estimated at $550.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have released the name of a worker who died while working to build a fertilizer plant in northwest Iowa.  The Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as 44-year-old Arturo Castor-Cavanzon, of Tecumseh, Nebraska.

He was one of two men were working inside a tower tank Saturday afternoon when the problem occurred at the CF Industries construction site near Sergeant Bluff. Authorities say Castor-Cavanzon fell unconscious inside the tank and couldn’t be rescued before his death. The second man escaped the tank and was hospitalized in Sioux City. His name hasn’t been released.

The company is nearing the completion of a $2 billion expansion of its Port Neal fertilizer plant. The project includes new ammonia and urea plants.