Governor Terry Branstad today (Monday) announced his appointments of Iowans to fill various seats on Iowa’s Boards and Commissions. Among them, are three people from Atlantic: Teresa Kanning was appointed to the Mental Health Risk Pool Board; Dr. Keith Leonard was appointed to the Board of Veterinary Medicine, and John Krogman was appointed to the Iowa Workforce Development Board.

Other appointments include:

Stacey Loftus, of Missouri Valley – Board of Dietetics; Jerry Shellberg, of Red Oak – Engineering and Land Surveying Board; Lori Goetzinger, of Carroll – Grain Indemnity Fund Board; Dr. Mary Mincer Hansen, of Panora – HAWK-I Board; Patricia Roberts, of Carroll – State Judicial Nominating Commission; Gloria Rodriguez, of Denison – Latino Affairs Commission; Dr. Ronald Cheney, of Carroll – Board of Medicine; Lynn Grobe, of Oakland, and Thomas Bouska, of Council Bluffs – Mental Health & Disability Services Commission; Dr. Micheal Portz, of Red Oak – Board of Optometry; Dr. Carl Heinrich, of Council Bluffs – Racing & Gaming Commission; Janet DeMott, of Bedford – Real Estate Commission; Kenneth Pangburn, of Corning, & Brian Wiegert, of Winterset – Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Board; and, Brent Welsch, of Council Bluffs – Sign Language Interpreters and Transliterators.

The appointees’ terms begins May 1st, 2014, and are subject to Senate confirmation.

The trial for a former Harlan Community High School teacher accused of the sexual abuse of a teenager, is set to begin Tuesday morning at the Shelby County Courthouse, in Harlan. 73-year old Lee Gordon Nelson, of Harlan faces sexual exploitation by a school employee and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse charges. If convicted of the charges, Nelson could face a maximum 7 year prison sentence and fines of $7,500.

Nelson was arrested on July 23rd 2013, following an investigation by the Harlan Police Department, Division of Criminal Investigation and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. The Iowa Department of Public Safety reported in May 2013, that a 17-year old female and her parents had contacted police and reported Nelson had been saying rude and inappropriate things to the victim as well as touching her inappropriately since October, 2012.

At the time, Nelson was employed by the Harlan Community School District as a mentor. The Harlan PD requested the DCI’s assistance in June, 2013. The report from the DCI stated between October 2012 and April 2013, Nelson allegedly committed assault by touching the female victim who Nelson was mentoring with intent to commit sexual abuse and engaged in a pattern or scheme of conduct to engage in sexual conduct with the victim.

Nelson was employed with the Harlan Community School District for 35 years before resigning from his mentoring position on April 22nd, 2013.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Firefighters have been battling flames and the cold at an apartment complex in north Sioux City.  The fire was reported a little before 7 a.m. Monday at the Glen Oaks Apartments. There’s no word yet on any injuries.

The complex’s gym has been opened to provide shelter for residents, and city buses have been taken to the site to provide warming stations for firefighters. The National Weather Service says the Sioux City temperature around 6 a.m. was 12 below zero with a wind chill of 26 below.