Five Iowa Great Places have been awarded nearly $1 million in grants for projects in Burlington, Decorah, Dubuque, Malvern and Maquoketa. Chris Kramer, acting director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs said Thursday, “We’re proud to partner with the leaders of these communities to invest in Iowa’s quality of life. Our Iowa Great Places program aligns with our department’s mission to build and sustain culturally vibrant communities through investments in arts, media, history and culture.”

The Malvern Betterment Association received a grant amounting to $40,525 from the IDCA, for the : Malvern City Entrance Beautification Project. The total cost of the project amounts to $84,535. Malvern was designated an Iowa Great Place in 2016.

The project will extend Malvern’s welcoming atmosphere further to the north, since the town sits about two miles south of Highway 34 and can be easily missed by through traffic. The project plan calls for the construction of a lighted monument sign directly north of town. The sign’s artistic design will tie in with the downtown’s established aesthetic theme, including several metal tree sculptures.

The trees will echo the Main Street improvements that visitors will see as they enter the town. To extend the welcoming atmosphere of the community, the project also calls for more decorative light poles north of the existing ones on Main Street. The combination of the illuminated entrance sign and the decorative light poles will provide both wayfinding and an extension of the welcoming atmosphere in the downtown business district.

The Iowa Great Places program recognizes and partners with Iowans who cultivate the unique and authentic qualities of their local places, such as neighborhoods, districts or regions, to make them great places to live and work. Iowa Great Places receive access to funding opportunities, professional development training, technical assistance opportunities, a network of vibrant communities and passionate leaders, and other state and local resources.

Police in Council Bluffs have identified the suspect allegedly involved in an attempted abduction late Sunday morning, in Council Bluffs. Authorities say 37-year old Terrance L. Prine Jr., a white male with an unknown address, was last seen driving a gray/silver 1999 Chevy Malibu, Iowa plate FIG 438.  A warrant for Kidnapping 3^rd has been issued for his arrest.   If you have contact or know where his is located please contact 911 or call Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.

Bluffs Police originally stated that the alleged attempted abduction took place at approximately 11:10-a.m., Sunday, outside of the Burger King Restaurant, at 1529 W. Broadway.

Abduction attempt suspect

The suspect, a 30-to 40-year old heavy set adult male with facial hair, who was wearing a plaid jacket, blue jeans and a jersey with the #9 on it, grabbed a 27-year old female from Council Bluffs by the arm, and tried to get her to come with him. The woman was able to get away from the man. The suspect then fled the scene in grey vehicle, possibly Chevy or Ford sedan which was parked in the parking lot.

The female victim suffered a minor injury to her arm, but did not require medical attention.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A Coralville attorney has been given 38 months in prison for filing false tax returns and stealing money from clients. Federal prosecutors say 46-year-old Soo Hyun Jung, also known as Jay Jung, was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Davenport. He’d pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud and one count of false claims.

Prosecutors say Jung admitted that in 2015, he stole more than $200,000 in federal tax refunds meant for a client and used $83,200 of the funds to buy a BMW sports car. He also filed additional, false tax returns without the client’s consent to get a more than $15,000 refund.

Prosecutors also say Jung cashed out an investment fund in 2016 for a different client for $200,000 and deposited it into his own account.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A legislative panel has dismissed an ethics complaint against Sen. Nate Boulton that alleged he inappropriately touched a woman at a bar a year before he was elected. The Iowa Senate Committee on Ethics says its jurisdiction is limited to legislators’ actions while in office. The panel’s three Democrats and three Republicans voted to dismiss the complaint for lack of jurisdiction.
Boulton was elected on Nov. 8, 2016, and took office in January 2017.

Last week, Boulton challenged the truthfulness of Des Moines attorney Sharon Wegner’s complaint that he repeatedly placed his hand on her buttocks at two bars during an evening in November 2015. He retained his Senate seat but quit the race for the Democratic nomination for governor because of the allegations. Sen. Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat on the committee, says Boulton should reconsider his decision to stay in the Senate.

Boulton currently has no committee assignments for the session beginning in January.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley has nominated 33 Iowa students to be considered for appointments to the U.S. service academies. Among them is a young man from Atlantic. “These young Iowans who want to enter the academies and serve our country are a remarkable reflection on our state,” Grassley said. “Their accomplishments, leadership and desire to serve are exceptional, and signal continued excellence in the U.S. armed forces.”

Locally, nominated to the U-S Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, was Conner Pellett, of Atlantic, and William Jones, of Council Bluffs, was nominated to the U-S Military Academy at West Point. Each year, Grassley has the opportunity as a U.S. senator to nominate either current or future Iowa high school graduates for a select few service academy placements. The U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Naval Academy all select at least one qualified student from Grassley’s nominations.

Grassley encourages Iowa students to consider applying to more than one service academy due to the highly competitive nature of admissions. Iowa representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives make nominations in addition to both of Iowa’s U.S. senators. Students may receive more than one nomination. Students interested in academy appointments should begin the application process in the spring of their junior year of high school. Early application is encouraged. The academies select students based on the number of vacancies available for the next school year.

“The academies offer some of the best options for higher education as well as an outstanding way to serve our country. It’s a tremendous opportunity for young Iowans,” Grassley said. Traditionally, the high quality of Iowa nominees results in several Iowa students being offered admission to attend each of the service academies. The students then choose whether to attend the academy. More information about service academy nominations can be found here: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/students/academy-nominations.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three people were arrested recently. Wednesday afternoon, 43-year old Rana Roxanne Jones, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the northbound Interstate 29 Rest Area, for Possession of a Controlled Substance, OWI/1st offense, Driving Under Suspension, Failure to Maintain Control, and Failure to provide proof of insurance. Her bond was set at $2,300. Later that same afternoon, 49-year old Samuel Walter Gore, a homeless person, was arrested at a location off 188th Street, for Disorderly Conduct and Interference with Official Acts. His bond was set at $600.

And, at around 6:10-a.m. Tuesday, 23-year old D’Angelo Thomas Monson, of Glenwood,was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was being held without bond, in the Mills County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) — The Reynolds administration had made its initial contract proposal to the union which represents some 20-thousand state employees. The state is offering a one percent across the board increase in pay for each of the next two years to workers covered by the AFSCME Council 61 contract. The union asked for a three percent increase for each of the next two years in its initial proposal. They union also asked the state to return to contract language that was in place prior to the new collective bargaining law which restricts the issues covered by the bargaining process. Union president Danny Homan issued a statement in response to the administration offer saying they asked for a fair contract not one that makes a “mockery of state employment.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A suburban Des Moines man convicted of fleecing clients in Iowa and Texas has been imprisoned and ordered to pay restitution of nearly $935,000. Prosecutors say 60-year-old Roger Goodwin was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Des Moines to 97 months. A jury convicted him in August of seven counts of mail fraud. Prosecutors say that between 2013 and August 2016, Goodwin recommended life insurance or annuity contracts to several Houston- and Des Moines-area clients of his company, the Goodwin Network of Advisors, and then deposited their checks in his bank account.

Authorities say the Windsor Heights, Iowa, man used part of the money for his personal expenses and some of it to repay other clients or make payments to insurance companies on behalf of other clients.