(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Auditor’s Office reports the County’s ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) Committee, will meet 1-p.m. Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, in the EMA Building Meeting Room.

The Committee will: review ARPA funding; proposed projects and expenses; a possible additional project; fund balance to date; and other items to discuss, including the possible scheduling of another ARPA meeting, if necessary.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic’s City Administrator John Lund reports a Special meeting of the City Council will take place in a closed session 4-p.m. Monday, Jan. 16th, in the Council’s Chambers  at City Hall. The purpose of the meeting “Is to discuss issues of concern to the Police Department.”

The Code Section reads the Council may enter into a Closed Session, “To avoid disclosure of Specific Law Enforcement Matter, Such as allowable tolerances or criteria for [the] selection, prosecution, or settlement of cases, which, if disclosed, would facilitate disregard to requirements imposed by law, as allowed under 21.5(1)(h).”

No other information was provided.

(Stanton, Iowa) – A City of Stanton boom truck and a light fixture was damaged Friday morning, when the legally parked truck began rolling backwards after a worker adjusted the boom’s height. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says the accident occurred near 301 Broad Avenue at around 8:10 a.m. Authorities say Stanton city maintenance personnel were removing Christmas lights from fixtures along Broad Avenue when the City’s unoccupied 1995 Dodge Ram 3500 bucket truck began traveling backwards.

The bucket and boom struck the light pole fixture – shearing it off. The truck continued over the curb and into the grass. The bucket and boom then struck the right side of a car wash building’s roof, causing a mechanical failure in the rotator portion of the bucket truck. The boom and bucket swung from the roof to the north and struck brickwork on the building’s southeast side. The occupant of the bucket, Bret W. Sheppard, was not injured.

Damage is estimated at $3,500 to the city’s light fixture, and $20,000 to the city’s boom truck. The car wash building owned by Eric Anderson sustained approximately $2,500 damage. No one was injured.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Two people were arrested Friday night on active Mills County warrants for Failure to appear in court. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 26-year-old Summer Brooke French, of Red Oak, and 35-year-old Jessie Bruce Fitzwater, of Villisca, were arrested. French was charged with FTA on an original charge of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, while Fitzwater is charged with FTA on an original Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd offense, charge.

Both were being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Rec Department Board of Directors will meet in their regular monthly session, Monday afternoon at City Hall. Their meeting begins at 5:15-p.m., and will include an update on the Parks and Rec Director’s position, the recommendation for which will come after a final interview on Tuesday.

The Board will discuss an increase to the Hotel/Motel tax intended to be prioritized for the proposed new splash pad and improvements to the Sunnyside Pool. Ali Pieken will provide the Board with an update on the project itself. The Board will then discuss and vote on designs for the splashpad, and hold discussion with regard to replacing trail lake #1 on the southwest corner. Assistant Parks Director Jeff Christensen will provide the Parks and Rec Board with a painting update, with regard to the Ross Camblin shelter.

Among new business items, is discussion/update with regard to building planters for Mollett Park, and games for a block party.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s new Parks and Recreation Department Director is expected to be announced Tuesday afternoon. The word will come following a closed session to interview the final candidate for the position, Michelle Spunaugle, a Griswold native who lives in Villisca, and has a Park Ranger background

The closed session interview with Spunaugle will take place at 1-p.m in the Council’s Chambers, after she spends the morning with Parks staff touring the City, its parks and the Parks Building.

Following the closed session, the Parks and Rec Board will vote on who to recommend for the position. City Administrator John Lund says he then intends to make the offer quickly, so the candidate may begin making arrangements to join the City.

In addition to Michelle Spunaugle, the Board has interviewed John Wyatt Adderton from Georgia, who is currently a Park Ranger. The candidate recommended for the position will succeed former Parks and Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen, who accepted a position with the USDA, last Fall.

(Radio Iowa) – The FBI says it is continuing the investigation of alleged voter fraud by the wife of Woodbury County Supervisor Jeremy Taylor.

Kim Taylor was arrested and charged Thursday with 52 counts of alleged voter fraud in the 2020 primary and general elections. Woodbury County Auditor Pat Gill says he became aware of an issue when a local voter who was an Iowa State University student contacted him about his name being used on a ballot.

“The person said that they had requested an absentee ballot and they went to the Secretary of State’s website where we all enter that information. And when they looked at the Secretary of State’s website, they said, you have a ballot that says that you have a ballot from me, and I didn’t vote that night,” Gill says. The brother of that student also reported his name was used on an absentee ballot.

Gill contacted the Secretary of State, and was advised to call the FBI. Gill says two of his staff members alerted him to several write-in ballots from the 2020 primary that had been cast, but didn’t look right. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen this. When you could tell by looking at them that they were all filled out by the same person,” Gill says. “that was my read on it and that’s why they called me over they said ‘take a look at this Pat.’ They had the same opinion they were filled out by the same person,” Gill says.

Gill says Jeremy Taylor’s name was the name on all the ballots in question. “Jeremy Taylor was on that ballot for the congressional seat but written in were 150 primary write-in votes for district three (Woodbury supervisor) — which was open at that time. And then also, there were 135 write ins for Jeremy Taylor for auditor,” according to Gill.

Gill says the FBI asked to see all the ballots, and then started their investigation. He says the election safeguards in place to validate ballots and identify voters works — and led to the charges in the case. Jeremy Taylor has not released a statement about the allegations.

(Oakland, Iowa) – The Riverside Community School District is launching a PRIDE Capital Campaign collaborative effort between the District and the cities of Oakland, Carson and Macedonia. School officials say it will generate funding in support of positive experiences for current and future students, staff, alumni, and the community through the completion of identified infrastructure development projects.

This project, according to school officials, provides an opportunity to strengthen economic growth, increase existing social capital and provide infrastructure development that positively impacts all these cities and the school district. High quality educational opportunities and access to physical infrastructure play an important role in developing rural communities and helping them overcome their challenges. The project is designed to enhance existing community assets by encouraging growth by supporting new infrastructure projects. The campaign will generate funding to support positive school and community experiences for current and future students, staff, alumni, and community.

Superintendent Dr. Tim Mitchell says there are three Riverside Pride Capital Campaign Goals:

1) Maintenance of a safe and high-quality environment for academic, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities.

2) Completion of one-time facility improvements needed to promote growth and success in the community and school.

3) Lasting impact through a legacy of positive academic and economic growth for future generations of the Riverside communities.

You can learn more, and get regular updates on the Riverside PRIDE Committee Fund Facebook page. For a complete informational packet about the campaign or to set up a meeting on how you can help,  please contact Tim Mitchell at 712-484-2212 or tmitchell@riverside.k12.ia.us or if you wish to donate to the Riverside PRIDE Expendable Fund:

You can go online to https://bit.ly/RiversidePride

(Radio Iowa) – Individual Iowans, schools, teachers and organizations that go above and beyond in demonstrating good character traits can now be nominated for statewide recognition. Megan Wesselink is communications coordinator for the Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University in Des Moines which hosts the Iowa Character Awards.

“Annually, we recognize Iowans who show the Six Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Good Citizenship,” Wesselink says. “So if you know someone in your life that displays those character traits, we welcome you to head on over to our website, raycenter.drake.edu/iowa-character-awards, and go ahead and nominate them.” The awards have been an annual staple since 2005 as a way of promoting good character.

“We have a lot of different categories that we nominate people in, Citizen Youth, Citizen Adult, Educator, Athletic Team or Organization, School, Student Organization, and Company Organization,” she says, “so anybody that fits those categories is more than welcome to be nominated, and that deadline is May 2nd of 2023.” The winners will be recognized at the annual Iowa Character Awards banquet set for late July at the Prairie Meadows conference center in Altoona.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has taken the oath of office for a second full term as Iowa’s governor.

“I am so honored to be here and I want to just start by saying, ‘Thank you,'” Reynolds said at the start of her inaugural address. “‘Thank you, Iowans, for the trust you’ve placed in me and for giving me the indescribable honor of serving as the governor of this great state.” Reynolds has been Iowa’s chief executive for more than five-and-a-half years. She took over in mid-2017 after Governor Terry Branstad resigned and now Reynolds has won two statewide races on her own. Today (Friday), Reynolds talked at length about governing during the pandemic. Then, after Reynolds criticized other states and the federal government for pandemic-related shutdowns, the crowd gave Reynolds a standing ovation.

“It’s because states like Iowa had the courage and the sense to swim against the current, today we rarely see public officials make the case for such policies,” she said. “In fact, we often hear denials they did.” Reynolds spent a long segment of her address talking about the 2024 Iowa Caucuses.

Gov. Kim Reynolds-(IPBS photo)

Reynolds said Iowans will be able to sort through the candidates and choose the one who exhibits good moral character. She also challenged Democrats to reconsider their decision to skip Iowa and have South Carolina host the first voting event on their presidential selection calendar. Earlier this week, Reynolds outlined her 2023 legislative agenda in a speech to the Iowa General Assembly. Today (Friday), Reynolds addressed most of the same legislators, along with a large group of campaign supporters and her family.

“We’ve built such a strong foundation upon which Iowa can continue to rise. A place where children and parents come before special interests, where life is protected, and work is rewarded,” she says. A place where families thrive, businesses grow, and government is responsive to the people. And this is the work we will continue to do.”