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Iowa early News Headlines: Tue., Sept. 8th 2015

News

September 8th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) —Parents who say their daughter was inappropriately touched by a man while flying alone from New York to Iowa have sued the man and American Airlines. Muhammad Asif Chaudhry was arrested after the July flight on charges including engaging in sexual contact with a victim between the ages of 12 and 16. The Pakistani citizen has denied the accusations. American Airlines says it’s cooperating with law enforcement and cares deeply about its young passengers.

MANCHESTER, Iowa (AP) — A pedestrian has died after being struck by a vehicle in Manchester. According to Manchester police, officers responded to a call about someone who had been hit by a car shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday. Authorities say a preliminary investigation shows the victim, whose name has not been released, was trying to cross a street when they were struck. The victim was transported to Regional Medical Center in Manchester, where they later died.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Cedar Rapids police say they believe a 15-year-old boy was targeted and are investigating the his death as a homicide. Authorities say officers were called to a home in southeast Cedar Rapids after the boy went there and reported he’d been shot. KCRG television reports witnesses say they heard six shots and kids screaming.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A donation has helped shore up the foundation for the historic Summit Church in rural Scott County. The Quad-City Times say Janette Barr, who died in 2013, left what was described as a sizable donation in her will for the church’s preservation. The foundation of the church has now been reconstructed and remodeled with an eye toward renting it out for events.

Another round of storms may produce heavy rain, flooding

News, Weather

September 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Another round of heavy rain could develop Monday night generating renewed concerns of flash flooding in the southern half of the state. The National Weather Service in Des Moines says many of the same areas that received heavy rain Sunday could be in the bullseye for another round Monday. A flash flood watch was in effect through Tuesday morning for a large portion of central and south-central Iowa.

Weather service forecaster says thunderstorms with heavy rain are expected between 9 p.m. Monday and 4 a.m. Tuesday. Rainfall rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour may be common with localized totals of 5 inches possible. With soil already saturated flash flooding could quickly develop. Some storms south of U.S. Highway 34 could produce hail and damaging wind.

Iowa lawmaker, a White House employee on 9/11 recalls attack

News

September 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa lawmaker who was a White House employee on Sept. 11, 2001, vividly recalls the chaos in Washington the day airplanes were used as weapons. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports Mary Ann Hanusa recalls vividly the day 14 years ago Friday how shaken she was evacuating her office where she was President George W. Bush’s personal correspondence director.

She recalls thinking as she ran from the White House after the Pentagon attack that “maybe this is how I’m doing to die.” The Iowa House member serving her third term recalls the traffic gridlock and how within two hours Washington was like a ghost town and how President Bush promised that night the U.S. government would be open for business the next day. And she says: we were.

Regents to discuss University of Iowa funding increase

News

September 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Board of Regents President Bruce Rastetter says he plans to ask the Iowa Legislature for an additional $4.5 million in funding for the University of Iowa for next year. Rastetter says in a statement released Monday he’ll bring up the issue at Wednesday’s board meeting.

He says after meeting with faculty, staff, students and incoming President Bruce Harreld, whose controversial appointment was approved Thursday, it is clear “additional funding to support the long-term reinvestment in the core mission of teaching and research is needed.”

He says additional money is critical for the university “to continue to provide the highest quality education to our students.” Earlier this month documents indicated the regents planned to seek additional funding for the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University but not Iowa.

Adair County Sheriff completes NSI program

News

September 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater was in Colorado last week, where he completed participation in the 108th session of the National Sheriffs’ Institute (NSI) held in Aurora, Colorado. The NSI event is the only national executive development program designed for sheriffs. It’s a no-cost program co-sponsored by the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) and the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA). Sheriff Vandewater is the first sheriff of Adair County to graduate from the NSI.

NSI-logo-NEWVandewater joined 26 other sheriffs from across the country for training on contemporary challenges facing America’s sheriffs today. In light of those challenges, the sheriffs explored the role of the local sheriff in providing effective leadership for the public good in such areas as public safety, criminal justice system policy, community relations, and organization effectiveness and efficiency.

Hilary Burgess, NSA Manager of Training, said, “Sheriff Vandewater is a leader with vision for the Adair County Sheriff’s Office. It is an honor to have Sheriff Vandewater join the more than 2,500 graduates of the NSI since 1973.”

The NIC is a division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons. It is the primary federal source of technical assistance, training, and information services for state and local corrections. NIC provides a wide variety of services to the nation’s jails, most of which are the responsibility of sheriffs.

The NSA is a non-profit professional association located in Alexandria, Virginia. NSA represents the nearly 3,100 elected sheriffs across the nation and has more than 20,000 members, including law enforcement professionals, state and federal government employees, concerned citizens, students, and others. Since 1940, NSA has served as an information clearinghouse for law enforcement professionals. NSA also provides management training for sheriffs and their personnel in court security, crime victim services, domestic violence, homeland security initiatives, jail operations, and traffic safety. Additionally, NSA administers the highly successful National Neighborhood Watch and Triad programs.

Adair County Sheriff reports a busy past week with arrests

News

September 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports his office was busy last week processing numerous arrests. According to the arrest report, last Saturday, 32-year old Zlatko Kendic, of Adair, was arrested early that morning in Stuart on charges of 2nd offense OWI and Careless Driving. Kendic was later released on $2,000 bond. That same day, 37-year old Gerardo Arturo Federico, of Tucson, AZ, was arrested on Interstate 80 for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Speeding, improper use of child restraints, and OWI/1st offense. He was later released on $1,000 bond.

Last Friday, Adair County deputies arrested 36-year old Satiel Devi Nichols, of Atlantic, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. In addition, Nichols was wanted on a warrant. She was later transferred to the custody of another law enforcement agency. Also arrested last Friday, was 38-year old Joseph Eric Funke, of Fontanelle. Funke was being held in the Adair County Jail to serve the remainder of his court ordered sentence handed down in June, for Driving While Barred.

On Sept. 3rd, 43-year old Joseph Leon Buckner, of Adair, was arrested on an aggravated Domestic Abuse Assault charge, for allegedly trying to impede the flow of blood or oxygen of his victim. Buckner was released Friday on $2,000 bond. Also arrested last Thursday, was 52-year old Henry Lewis Degraw, of Bridgewater. Degraw was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant.

Last Wednesday, Adair County deputies arrested 40-year old Veronica Danielle Ramirez, of Stuart. Ramirez was wanted on a warrant for Distributing drugs to a minor, a Controlled Substance Violation, Child Endangerment, and Possession of Methamphetamine/1st offense. Her bond was set at $25,000. The Sheriff’s Office says 27-year old Krystal Lee Brown, of Council Bluffs, was arrested Wednesday, on a Pottawattamie County warrant for Criminal Mischief in the 4th degree. She was transferred to another law enforcement agency on Thursday.

19-year old Cole Aaron Molyneux, of Stuart, was arrested Wednesday by Stuart Police, for trafficking stolen weapons, Possession of Stolen Property, and Possession of Burglary Tools. His bond was set at $5,000. And, 27-year old Juan Alberto Perez-Salazar, of Des Moines, was arrested Wednesday, for Driving Under Suspension. The man was also wanted on a warrant out of Polk County. Perez-Salazar was later released on $300 bond.

Body of missing NW Iowa woman found in car pulled from pond

News

September 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The body of a missing 71-year-old woman has been found in her car after it was pulled from a pond near where she worked in Sioux City. Someone spotted the car roof in the pond on Saturday, and the car was pulled out on Sunday. Authorities say the body of Raquel Munoz-Perez was inside the car. Her family reported her missing on Aug. 19 after she didn’t show up for work at Cloverleaf Cold Storage the day before. Sioux City police detective Nick Thompson says the woman’s death is being investigated.

(Podcast) KJAN 8-a.m. News, 9/7/2015

News, Podcasts

September 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

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

Play

Area School Board elections to watch

News

September 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Some school board elections in the KJAN listening area are worth watching when the results come in Tuesday night. The Polls will open at Noon on Sept. 8th and close at 8-p.m.

In Cass County, the Atlantic Community School District race is competitive, with seven newcomers hoping to win three open seats. They include: Doug Bierbaum; Alison Bruckner; Bob Drogo; Mark Foegen; Dennis Schwanke; Keith Swanson; and Jenny Williams. The District is also asking voters to approve a PPEL (Physical Plant and Equipment Levy), which would add an income tax surcharge of up to 20 percent of a taxpayers’ income tax assessments. School officials say money brought in from levy would offset property taxes, which accounts for all of the levy’s revenue currently.

In the CAM School District, incumbent Julie Williamson is running for re-election to the North District school board seat, while incumbent Todd McKee faces a challenge from Emily Rouse for the South District school board seat. In the Griswold School District, there is no candidate running for the District 1 seat, which represents Lewis. Incumbent Scott Hansen is unopposed in District 2, and Heather Pelzer is the lone candidate running for the At Large seat on the school board.

In the Audubon School District, two incumbents, Christine Konkler and Mark Nissen, are competing against newcomers Matthew Chambers and Brittney Huey for three At Large seats on Board of Education. In the Exira/EHK District, four candidates are running for four At Large Director district seats, including: Incumbent Terri Harris; Matthew Jorgensen;  Incumbent Joel Schleuter, and Incumbent Ryan Wilson.

In the Guthrie Center School District, the incumbents are all running unopposed.

In Adair County, four candidates are running for two spots on the Adair-Casey School Board: Randy Carney, Dallas Dinkla, Sheryl Richter, and Tim Schafer. There’s a three-person race for two positions on the Nodaway Valley School Board between Amy DeVault, Rebecca McCann and Kevin Wissner.

In Montgomery County, a competitive race pits two incumbents against two challengers in Red Oak. Four candidates declared for the race, two incumbents and two challengers, in a contest where two will be selected for the board. Board member Warren Hayes has also submitted a resignation effective Sept. 14, which will require either a special election or an appointment by the board, including newly elected members.

In Shelby county, three seats for the Shelby County district’s board will be selected from director districts, with no candidate opposed in filings for the ballot. For District 3, newcomer Monte Schechinger filed. Incumbent Joni Larsen is running for District 5, while incumbent Kathy Mahlberg is running for District 6.

School Board elections take place Tuesday

News

September 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Voters will be heading to the polls Tuesday (tomorrow) to elect new, or re-elect incumbent, school board members. The Daily NonPariel says one of the most hotly-contested school board elections in the area lies in Treynor, where five candidates are on the ballot, with two others running write-in campaigns, vying for three seats. Incumbent Jerry Hempel, the School Board’s President, is joined by Glen Fleming, Shawn Gillespie, Amy Graber, Sally Myers and write-in candidates Kent Boese and Jared Morse. Myers is currently serving on the board after being asked to step in for Dave Paulsen, who moved out of the district boundary. The term of board member Randy Young expires this year.

The district boasts healthy financial numbers and growing enrollment. A new in-house alternative school will keep at-risk students in Treynor instead of being sent elsewhere. Treynor faced controversy this past year, too. The community awaits a decision on the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners’ suspension of Superintendent Kevin Elwood, who remains in his position pending an appeal in Polk County District Court.

The suspension came after the Board of Educational Examiners found Elwood was present when his son Kreighton Elwood was interviewed by law enforcement officials and was aware of “serious criminal offenses” when Kevin Elwood allowed Kreighton Elwood to continue working as a part-time school custodian with unsupervised access to other students.

An administrative law judge said Kevin Elwood committed an ethics violation by prioritizing his parental duties over his responsibilities as superintendent. His son, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to assault, assault causing bodily injury and false imprisonment, which among other consequences caused him to register as a sex offender.