(Clive, Iowa) – Police in Clive took to social media, Tuesday, to warn anyone who may have dropped-off mail at the West Suburban Post Office in Clive Sunday night into Monday morning, will want to follow up with the addressee. Authorities said a mail dropbox was vandalized, and mail was stolen. The incident happened sometime between 5:30-p.m. Saturday and 7-a.m. Monday, when employees got to work.

Police are working with Postal Service inspectors and local businesses to find the person responsible. If you think your mail has been stolen, you’re asked to contact Clive Police.

Theft or possession of stolen mail is a federal offense punishable by a $250,000 fine and five years in Federal Prison.

(Ogden, Iowa) – The Ogden Police Department posted pictures to social media, Tuesday, of damage to the cemetery property in Ogden. The pictures show obvious tracks where a vehicle or vehicles have torn through the grass in several areas. Chief Ethan Bailey said:

“This is unacceptable. Last year we had an issue with someone tearing up the south lot of the Glenwood Cemetery. People traveling to visit the final resting places of their loved ones were greeted with senseless acts of vandalism. Unfortunately, it has happened again. Not only is this a criminal act, it is beyond disrespectful.”

Chief Bailey said also, if anyone knows who is doing the damage: “Educate them on why this is wrong. Encourage them to take ownership and repair the damage done. Notify the authorities so we can address this as needed.” (Pictures via the Ogden PD Facebook page)

(Radio Iowa) – A report from the State Auditor’s Office indicates faulty computer programming in the state’s court system has been fixed for the CURRENT year, but court officials say they do not have the authority to reallocate funds to correct about 27 MILLION dollars worth of errors in previous years. Some court fines and fees are to be distributed to cities, counties and a variety of state programs, like victim services and road construction.

Lawmakers changed the formulas a few years ago, but programming errors meant the state courts were forwarding the wrong amounts. State Auditor Rob Sand held a news conference yesterday (Tuesday) about his report — and the distribution errors. “It should be fixed going forward,” Sand says. Iowa Department of Management director Kraig Paulsen says court officials recently told him they believe the problem has been fixed.

“They’re still going through testing, so it hasn’t been finalized,” Paulsen says. “Until we have an audit, it’s hard to know for sure anyway.” Sand says court officials recently sent his office the data about where the funds had been misdirected. “They are accurate. This is the actual number for how much this account has been over-funded and how much that account has been underfunded,” Sand says. “Now that we know that, the legislature can make those adjustments.” Paulsen, the governor’s budget director, says the auditor’s office needs to dig deeper.

“Can we actually say that everythng is 100% correct? I don’t think so,” Paulsen says, “because I’m not even sure we have looked at it going back far enough yet.” Paulsen, a former Republican legislator, and Sand, the only Democrat in statewide office, have been publicly feuding about the situation since October. Paulsen says Sand failed to notify the executive branch once Sand’s office was told there might be a problem.

Sand says Paulsen’s office knew D-O-T funding was affected before the auditor’s office learned of it.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced today (Tuesday) to 180 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to public court documents, in December 2023, law enforcement identified Dennis Earl Page, Jr., 56, as the driver of a truck that struck a parked vehicle in Council Bluffs. A search of Page’s person and truck resulted in the seizure of approximately 14 grams of methamphetamine, 32 grams of marijuana, a loaded pistol, ammunition, and cash. Page was convicted of methamphetamine delivery charges in January 2018 and again March 2018 in the Iowa District Court for Pottawattamie County, and was discharged from state parole in August 2022.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Page will be required to serve an eight-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department and Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Sioux City man was sentenced today (Tuesday) to 106 months in federal prison for possessing a distribution quantity of methamphetamine and a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.

According to public court documents, Rodney Lamard Hall, II, 31, was found in possession of a distribution quantity of pills containing approximately 37 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana, and a loaded nine-millimeter pistol with an extended magazine. At the time he committed this offense, he was on probation for possessing a firearm and marijuana in April 2023, with the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Hall will be required to serve a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

(Adair, Iowa) – The Adair-Casey and Guthrie Center School Boards are set to meet Wednesday evening at the AC/GC Junior High Media Center in Adair. The A/C Board meeting begins at 5:30-p.m., followed by the Guthrie Center Board at 7:30. Both Boards will hold their annual Organizational meetings, which includes an election of Board President, Vice-Presidents and Treasurer/Board Secretary, along with other regular, administrative matters.

Separately, the Adair-Casey Board will act on Open Enrollment-In (OE-In) for Nodaway Valley 6th Grade (2025-26 School Year), and contract recommendations for the following: Erin Dillon, JH Science Teacher; Cade Suhr & Jacob Joliet, JH Track Coaches; and Leroy White, Substitute Bus Driver. Their Board will also act on approving SBRC Modified Allowable Growth for Increasing Enrollment, and approve the application to the SBRC for the modified supplemental amount for increased enrollment of $75,912. The A-C Board will also act on: SBRC Modified Allowable Growth – OE Out for the current year OE not prior year students in the amount of $44,321; SBRC Modified Allowable Growth – ELL Beyond 5-years in the amount of $1,643.

The Guthrie Center Board will act on approving Special Education Contracts, and Contract Recommendations for Justin Slaybaugh & Ryan Cline – Volunteer Wrestling Coaches. Other action items include: Approving the 2022-23 Audit report; SBRC Modified Allowable Growth OE-Out ($25,087); and Approving a bid from Per Mar for additional door access controls for the GC Elementary and ACGC High School.

Board School Boards will act to approve a Reorganization Agreement with Ahlers & Coonley, to represent each District during reorganization, and recommendations for Substitute Teacher Finder position, as presented. Upcoming dates for both districts include: A 2-hour Early Release on Dec. 2th; ACGC Winter Break Dec. 23rd thru Jan. 1st; and the IASB Day on the Hill (Jan. 27th & 28th).

LINCOLN, Neb. — The fourth defendant in a federal fraud case involving a former Omaha city councilman and two former Omaha police officers will serve prison time. KETV in Omaha reports 67-year-old Jack Olson, of Council Bluffs, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and tax evasion in August, was sentenced to 33 months in prison. He received credit for 20 months served. Olson will also serve three months probation after his sentence. Under his plea agreement, Olson agreed to pay about $27,111 in restitution to the Latino Peace Officers Association, $95,475 to the U.S. Department of Treasury. He also agreed to pay up to $30,883 in restitution to individual donors, though the exact amount is one of few parts of the agreement that would be subject to appeal if the deal is accepted. Olson admitted to defrauding the LPOA, but specifically did not admit to defrauding the donors.

Former Omaha city council-member Vinny Palermo, retired Omaha police officer Johnny Palermo, and former Omaha police captain Rich Gonzalez were also convicted and sentenced in the scheme. Olson, also known as “Cody Jones,” was brought in as a fundraiser for the LPOA. According to court documents, Gonzalez “conducted financial transactions for the charity and caused payments to himself, Palermo, and Jack Olson … along with others without disclosing payment to donors or the LPOA board.”

Court documents allege Olson kept between 65-80% of donations to the LPOA and “removed more than half a million dollars from contributions given to LPOA between Jan. 1, 2018 and Dec. 31, 2022.”

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa State University farmland survey shows the upward run of land prices stalled out this year. I-S-U extension economist Rabail Chandio revealed the 2024 survey results today (Tuesday). “This year we have ended a streak of five consecutive years of increases in land values in Iowa with a decline of three-point-one percent,” she says. “This brings us to 11-thousand-467 dollars an acre.” That is a drop of 369 dollars an acre from last year’s record high.  “The nominal value of farmland fell from our record high from last year, but it is still higher than the nominal value in 2020-2022. And if we adjust for inflation, our inflation-adjusted average value for 2024 is only two-point-five percent lower than the 2013 peak, which was the previous peak before the pandemic highs that we just saw,” Chandio says.

Radail Chandio conducts the ISU farmland survey. (ISU photo)

Chandio says the south-central land district was the only one to see an increase in land values, while the west-central district saw the largest decline in prices. “Seventy-five of the 99 counties reported decreases in their nominal values, and 88 counties reported a decrease in inflation-adjusted values. Despite that, 20 counties still report their highest nominal values since 1950,” she says. Chandio says this year appears to be a correction after land values had gone up 29 percent in 2021 and 17 percent in 2022 coming out of the pandemic.  “That naturally leads to somewhat of a resetting or balancing in the market, and sort of the similar trend we saw for after the previous peak in 2013,” she says. Chandio says the drop in farm income was the top issue for lower land values.

“The most commonly cited negative factor by our respondents this year was lowering commodity prices, 34 percent of the responses mentioned this,” she says. High interest rates were a close second to the commodity prices in responses about the impact on land values.