DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A judge’s ruling could lead to an expansion of special-education services to thousands of Iowa students. The Des Moines Register reports  that Administrative Law Judge Christie Scase has ordered the Iowa Education Department to reimburse an Urbandale couple for private tutoring they provided after their child was denied special-education programming at school.

Scase says the department should revisit its policies on determining who qualifies for special education. Randy Califf is vice president of the advocacy group Decoding Dyslexia Iowa, and he says potentially thousands more Iowa students could qualify for special education if the department were to alter its eligibility rules.

The Education Department is appealing the case in U.S. District Court, seeking a declaration that its rules comply with federal law.

The F-B-I and Waterloo police coordinated major raids in Waterloo yesterday (Wednesday). Guns, cars and cash…allegedly the spoils from drug sales…were confiscated. Nineteen people were detained. Waterloo police and federal authorities worked together to conduct the large raid. Waterloo police were seen accompanied by FBI agents. Court records indicate the arrests were connected to an investigation into drug sales in Waterloo that began in 2015 and included a federal wiretap.

(Radio Iowa)

The City of Atlantic’s Community Development Committee will meet Tue., July 25th at 5:30-p.m. in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. Their two topics of discussion include Tourism Promotion, and Mandatory Garbage Service. The latter is the result of action taken by the Cass County Environmental Control Agency/Landfill Board this past Tuesday.

During their meeting, the Board voted to implement a per capita assessment for 28E members for the fiscal year 2018-2019. The fee amounts to $12.00 per household per year or $1.00 per occupant per month. Based on a county population of 14,000, the money generated from the assessment amounts to roughly $168,000 per year, which will allow the Cass County Landfill to remain open, because it is no longer sustainable based solely on user fees.

The landfill is still dealing with a leak on the backside of the facility that occurred two-years ago, and will now require the extraction and pumping of leachate before it leaves the property. That process is expected to cost an initial $500,000 to clean-up, plus $50,000 per year afterward to maintain. And, the landfill will have to construct another cell, at a cost of $400,000.

An engineer’s study determined the best way to keep up with the costs associated with running the landfill and meeting DNR requirements, is to go ahead with a per capita assessment, which will not go into effect until the 2018-19 fiscal year. The move allows city and county governments time to enact a means of collecting the fee.

The Iowa State Patrol reports a woman from Kansas died during a crash early this (Thursday) morning in Cass County. 33-year old Petra Warnick, of Lenexa, KS, died at the scene of the crash that happened at around 1:44-a.m. on Interstate 80 westbound, in the construction area around Exit 57 (Olive Street).

The 1999 Pontiac Bonneville Warnick was driving had been reported driving in a reckless or erratic manner a few miles east of the crash, just moments before it happened. The car, for reasons unknown, left the Interstate and entered the Exit 57 off ramp in a construction area, before it went airborne and rolled over, coming to rest on its side. The vehicle then became fully engulfed in flames.

Warnick, who was wearing her seat belt, was transported from the scene to the State Medical Examiners Office in Ankeny. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by Cass, Audubon and Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies, Atlantic Fire and Rescue, and Medivac Ambulance.

One person was transported to the hospital this (Thursday) morning, following a crash on the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge linking Council Bluffs and Omaha. Council Bluffs Police say a 2005 Honda Accord was traveling west bound on Veteran’s Highway in a construction area when it struck a piece of parked construction equipment. The accident occurred within the marked confines of the construction zone at around 4-a.m.

The unidentified driver was pinned inside of the vehicle and had to be extricated by Fire / Rescue personnel from the Omaha and Council Bluffs. Once freed from the wreckage, he was transported by rescue squad to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Speed and Alcohol are being investigated as major contributing factors in the crash.
The crash is being investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Special Operation’s Traffic Unit. The Council Bluffs Police Department would like to remind drivers to use caution when driving through construction zones. Please obey all directional signs, lower your speeds and be prepared to stop. Further, remember it is the law to move-over and slow down for stopped emergency, maintenance and recovery vehicles on the side of the roadway.

Police in Red Oak, arrested 32-year old Sunshine Marie Bartlett, of Red Oak, at around 10:50-p.m., Wednesday. Bartlett was taken into custody on an active Page County warrant for Accessory After the Fact. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond. And, 18-year old Justin Leroy Newman, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 2:50-p.m. Wednesday, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond at the Montgomery County Jail was set at $1,000.

One person died early this (Thursday) morning in a fiery accident on Interstate 80, in Cass County. According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Atlantic Fire and Rescue and Medivac Ambulance, along with a sheriff’s deputy, responded to the rollover accident that happened at around 1:46-a.m.  Authorities say a vehicle that had been reported driving in a reckless or erratic manner near Anita exit on I-80 westbound, crashed moments later in the Olive Street exit construction area.

The vehicle rolled over and caught fire. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, was trapped in the vehicle and died at the scene. The name of the victim was being withheld, pending notification of family.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Iowa State Patrol. The Cass County Medical Examiner’s Office also responded to the scene.