(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports two recent arrests:

On Friday (12/20), 25-year-old Jonathon Arrick, of Glenwood ,was arrested for driving under suspension. He posted a $300 bond and was released.

And, on Sunday, 48-year-old Raechelle Zalovich, of Glenwood, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. She posted a $1,000 bond before being released.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Monday), issued a report on arrests that took place from Dec. 12th through the 20th. Most recently:

• There were two arrests last Friday (12/20): 43-year-old Ashley Marie Hall, of Red Oak, and 23-year-old Noah Steven Kittle, of Glenwood, were arrested in Glenwood for Failure To Appear (in court). Their bonds were set at $1,000 each.
• On Dec. 19th: 31-year-old Dakota David Kempton, of Randolph, IA, was arrested in Malvern for Possession of Marijuana/2nd offense. ($1,000 bond)
• On Dec. 16th: 26-year-old Trevor Allen Kerr, of Rapid City, SD, was arrested on I-35 in Council Bluffs, for a Controlled Substance Violation (a Class-D felony), & Drug Tax Stamp Violations ($10,000 bond).
• Mills County Deputies arrested 38-year-old Demetrius Daniel Delgado, of Plattsmouth, NE, on Hwy 34 in Malvern. He was charged with OWI/1st offense (Bond $1,000).
• Three arrests took place Dec. 13th in Mills County: 20-year-old Quantel Anthony-LaMar Osler, of Omaha, was arrested in Glenwood for Violation of Probation; 34-year-old Tyler Jason Chambers, of Glenwood, was arrested in Glenwood for 1st Degree Harassment, Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree, and Tampering with a witness (Bond $5,000); and, 50-year-old Daniel Michael Wiley, of Glenwood, was arrested in Glenwood on Dec. 13th, for OWI/2nd offense (Bond $2,000).
• And, on Dec. 12th, Mills County Deputies arrested 36-year-old Amanda Corine Elrod, of Glenwood, on two counts of Probation Violation. Her bond was set at $6,000.

(Anita, Iowa) – CAM High School Head Speech and Debate coach Manda Thomas recently received the Don Crabtree Distinguished Service Award on behalf of the National Speech and Debate Association. The award is given to coaches who perform service for the Association, such as hosting tournaments, writing or presenting about the Association, recruiting a new chapter school, or writing an article for Rostrum, and earn service citations.

Those who earn 20 citations are given a special gold key. Those who receive an additional 50 citations are presented with a bronze plaque. In 2018, the awards were named in honor of Don Crabtree, former NSDA Board of Directors president, nine-diamond coach, Hall of Fame member, and service citation record holder.

Mrs. Thomas has put in a great deal of extra work into not only the CAM program, but programs at the state and national levels. She has spent endless hours volunteering to host tournaments and has put in hours of extra work. She was recognized at the home basketball games on December 17th. Congratulations, Mrs. Thomas.

(Article written by: Ada Hansen and submitted by Maggie Chapman, CAM Agriculture/FFA)

DES MOINES—Gov. Reynolds issued a proclamation today (Monday) setting Tuesday, January 28, 2025, as the date for a special election in Iowa Senate District 35 following the resignation of former Senator Chris Cournoyer.

Iowa Code section 69.14 outlines the authority given to the governor to set a special election. Cournoyer was serving her second term in the Iowa Senate before Gov. Reynolds appointed her lieutenant governor on December 16, 2024.

Senate District 35 is located in Clinton County, as well as parts of Jackson and Scott Counties, and includes Clinton, DeWitt, Camanche, Wheatland, Maquoketa, and Princeton.

Two Iowa State University professors recently inducted into a national organization recognizing inventors and their accomplishments said they are proud of the work they’ve done and the impacts that they’ve seen first-hand from projects they’ve led or had a hand in. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Agricultural and biosystems engineering professor Matt Darr and chemical and biological engineering professor Eric Cochran were both chosen to become National Academy of Inventors 2024 fellows, a cohort that Darr said would provide them with more connections and help them open doors for future inventors. “We’re proud of the fact that the work that we do through innovation and inventions, through patents and tech transfer, doesn’t just stop at a research lab, but ultimately does get in the hands of men and women who feed and fuel the country,” Darr said.

The National Academy of Inventors has more than 2,000 fellows in its ranks from all over the U.S., 11 of whom are from ISU, including Cochran and Darr. According to its website, the goal of the organization is to “recognize and encourage inventors with U.S. patents, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and to create wider public understanding of how its members’ inventions benefit society.”

(Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

The two professors are credited with 141 patents and technology transfer licenses between them, with Darr having authored or co-authored 88 and Cochran having been involved in 53 finished patents and dozens more currently in the process of becoming official patents. Eric Cochran said he can’t discuss technical details of the patents currently under review, but his body of work so far has fallen into three categories — transforming vegetable fats into plastics, rubbers and other coatings; additives and other products for the asphalt industry, and chemical recycling of plastics.

Darr’s work is in the field of agricultural technology, he said, with his most well-known projects focused on yield data and monitoring. He likened picking his favorite product of his work to choosing a favorite child, but when it comes down to it, for him it’s all about the impact the work makes on the world and the people in it.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that said Orange City’s mandatory inspections of rental properties are unconstitutional. Attorneys for renters and landlords argued the ordinance which required city inspections of rental properties could result in warrants and police involvement if inspectors find suspicious activity. They said that could lead to “unreasonable searches and seizures” that are unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court ruling says the warrants and inspections may be justified in many situations, and the ordinance does allow options, such as private inspectors doing the inspection instead of the city getting warrants.

(Radio Iowa) – A Paton man is being held in the Greene County Jail without bond after being charged in the death of his two-month-old son.  Twenty-six-year old Nolan Roger Wilson called for emergency services back in September, saying his son had blood coming out of his mouth and was not breathing. First responders say the child was dead when they arrived. An autopsy from the state medical examiner determined the infant’s cause of death was head injuries that included multiple hemorrhages on the head and eyes. Wilson is charged with first-degree murder, child endangerment resulting in death, and domestic abuse.

Wilson’s preliminary hearing is set for December 30th.

(Radio Iowa) – It’s the time of year when some Iowans like to pack the family into the minivan at dusk, switch the radio to Christmas music, and drive around town taking in the colorful holiday light displays. Triple-A-Iowa spokeswoman Meredith Mitts says if you’ll be making the rounds, remember to follow the rules of the road — and don’t stop dead on the street to take selfies. “As you’re looking at the lights, whether they’re in a residential area or a little bit more high traffic, there are still pedestrians and other drivers around,” Mitts says. “You need to remain focused about driving on the road and if you want to enjoy the lights, make sure you find a place where you can safely pull over.” Some spectacular holiday displays may rival Clark Griswold’s house, but while the lights are beautiful to look at, they can also be a dangerous distraction.

“Make sure everybody in the car is buckled up — you are still out on the road and things happen,” Mitts says. “Make sure the driver is staying focused on the road and that you are constantly scanning the area for bicyclists, pedestrians, any young children who might be playing in the snow. And then, make sure someone other than the driver is taking photos.” Many Iowa communities have professionally-lit light displays in parks, golf courses, arboretums and other locations. Some are walk-through shows, but those that are the drive-through style demand drivers stay vigilant so the jolly mood isn’t wrecked by a fender bender.  “A lot of these places have lots of vehicles so make sure you’re keeping an eye on the vehicle ahead of you and going whatever the posted speed limit is,” Mitts says. “Also, remember to turn your lights back on when you are leaving the park because generally, they have you turn them off as you’re going through the park so you can enjoy the lights better.”

She suggests you make sure to have the appropriate winter gear in the car in the event of a roadside emergency. The kit should include things like: blankets, water and snacks, a flashlight with fresh batteries, tools, a shovel, an ice scraper, jumper cables, sand and a first aid kit.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors met this (Monday) morning, and approved a request from County Treasurer Brenda Wallace, for a Driver’s License Clerk wage increase of $1.34/hour, effective January 2^nd.

The Adair County Supervisors received an update from Greenfield Municipal Utilities’ Scott Tonderum, with regard to the Housing Development Committee in the aftermath of the devastating tornado that cut a swath through Greenfield earlier this year. He said they sold a good portion of their property on the south edge of Greenfield, and retained about 1.5-acres for future frontage.

Tonderum said they needed to find a place for a minimum of 100 homes.

Several of the houses that are being rebuilt, it was noted, are bigger than they were before the tornado.

In other business, the Board authorized Chairman Jerry Walker to sign the final voucher for the Section 15 Washington (Township) Culvert Repair Project, as well as the Contract and Performance Bonds for the IN6 Summerset Township Bridge, and W12 Harrison Township Culvert projects.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County, today (Monday), discussed County Insurance, with Rick Taylor updating the Board on ICAP (Iowa Communities Assurance Pool). Taylor added some items to the Board’s discussion last week, with regard to damage from this year’s devastating tornadoes.

Taylor also discussed increasing the County’s liability insurance premium.

Liability covers the county if it is sued, and includes auto, general liability, public officials coverage.

No decision was made on the options at this time.The Board also received a weekly Secondary Roads Department report from Roads Superintendent, Loren Taylor.

The Board also approved appointments to County Township positions. Supervisor Donna Robinson read the motion for the Board’s approval.

Later in the meeting, the board approved an additional appointment of Diane McGrew for the Public Health Board. The Board’s next regular meeting is on December 30th at 8:30-a.m., due to the upcoming holiday.