(Radio Iowa) – After being closed nearly four years, the only remaining historic movie theater in Des Moines will reopen under new management in just over two weeks. The Varsity has undergone a five-million-dollar, top-to-bottom renovation, according to Ben Godar, executive director of the non-profit Des Moines Film, which now owns the venue.

“The building is more than 100 years old and so it’s a historic preservation project first and foremost,” Godar says. “We worked with the State Historic Preservation Office to identify what are those key, character-defining historic features and we had to absolutely work to preserve those features.” The main theater seats 240 people while a second, smaller auditorium has been added, with seating for just 38. Godar says they’ve maintained the movie house’s unique, original looks while bringing everything else into the 21st century.

“We made the building fully accessible,” Godar says. “We added an elevator, new restrooms, a more modernized ticketing experience, a new concession stand, classic movie snacks, the same Varsity popcorn everyone remembers and loves, but we also have added beer, wine and alcohol.” Both auditoriums have modern digital projectors, as well as new screens and top-flight sound systems. When the venue reopens next month, Godar says it will feature a mixture of classic movies like the 1952 musical “Singin’ in the Rain,” and “Elf” from 2003, alongside 2022 offerings including, “Decision to Leave” and “White Noise.”

“Our bread and butter is going to be what I think people would traditionally call ‘arthouse,’ American independent film, international film, new releases,” Godar says, “but we’ll also be showing classic films, film series, and we’ve got some other kind of interesting series in the works already.” The structure, located right next to the Drake University campus, has an unusual history that dates back well over a century.

“The building was built in 1917. It was actually kind of a spec industrial building that was briefly automotive sales and service and then it was actually the Coca-Cola Bottling plant from 1920 to 1938,” Godar says. “It was in 1938 that the building went through a significant remodel and became the Varsity Theater, and so it’s been the Varsity Theatre since 1938.” One of the first things movie goers will notice is the original 1938 terrazzo flooring has been uncovered and refurbished to a gleaming shine. Opening day is Thursday, December 15th.

(Radio Iowa) – Many people are reviewing their retirement plan contributions as we approach the end of the year. I-R-S spokesman, Christopher Miller, says a recent update allows you to put away more toward retirement. “The amount that individuals can contribute to their 401-K plans and most other workplace retirement plans has increased for 2023 to 22-thousand-500 dollars, and that’s up from 20-thousand-500 dollars for 2022,” miller says. He says there’s also a change for individual retirement accounts or I-R-A’s.

“The limit on the annual contribution to an I-R-A increased to 65-hundred dollars for 2023 — and that’s up from six-thousand dollars in 2022,” he says. Miller says it’s important to review your plan to be sure you are putting enough money away. “This is a good time to know well what am I going to put into my I-R-A, what am I going to put into my 401-K plan at work,” Miller says.

Miller says if you make the adjustment heading into the new year, you will be able to take advantage of the increased limits for the full year.

(Radio Iowa) -Carroll’s police chief says his department’s initial investigation indicates a man who was critically wounded early this (Wednesday) morning was shot in self-defense. Carroll Police Chief Brad Burke says residents in an apartment building started calling 9-1-1 around 1 a.m. “The first one that came in was that a subject was up at Fairview Apartments…banging on doors, trying to get into apartments,” Burke says. “The second call came in within just seconds of that one and he said that someone tried to kill him, there was a gun was involved and that he was currently hiding in a different apartment in a different building.”

The man who was shot has life-threatening head wounds according to the police chief. “He was conscious, alert and breathing when our officers arrived and then when the ambulance took him to the hospital,” Burke says.

The man has been flown to a hospital in Iowa City for treatment. Two agents from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation have been conducting interviews with witnesses. Burke says it appears the injured man was shot with his own gun during a struggle.

(Logan, Iowa) – The Harrison County Emergency Management Agency, today (Wednesday), said the City of Logan has lifted the boil order that was previously in place for resident affected by the water main break on November 28, 2022. Residents may resume using the tap water for drinking, cooking and other, normal purposes.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds is among 21 Republican governors who’re asking congress to repeal the COVID vaccine mandate for America’s soldiers. Governor Reynolds, in a written statement, said the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate for the military creates a national security risk. Reynolds said it affects national guard units at the state level as well and restricts governors’ ability to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies. About eight-thousand active-duty soldiers who’ve refused to get a COVID shot have been discharged. A Pentagon official told a Washington, D.C. radio station in September that about nine-thousand National Guard soldiers around the country who haven’t been vaccinated may be discharged this year.

As of today (Nov. 30), 93 percent of Iowa National Guard soldiers have complied with COVID-19 vaccination requirements according to a spokeswoman for the Guard. Neighboring governors from Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota are among the Republicans who’ve joined Iowa’s governor in sending a letter to congressional leaders asking for the COVID vaccine mandate for the military to be eliminated.

(Radio Iowa) – A former state employee admits she manipulated her husband’s timesheets to inflate his pay by tens of thousands of dollars. Renae Rapp was an administrative assistant at the state unit in Cherokee where sexually violent predators are committed once their prison terms have expired. Her husband, Adam Rapp, was working as a part-time security specialist at the unit. Renae Rapp has pleaded guilty to second degree theft, a class D felony. She will not serve time in prison.

She’s been ordered to pay the state more than 57-thousand dollars in restitution. That’s equal to the amount of excess pay she got for her husband by recording he’d worked more hours than he had over an 18-month period. She must also serve two years of probation and reimburse the state for court costs and attorney’s fees.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors met this (Wednesday) morning, and acted on approving a Memorandum of Agreement between the Iowa Department of Transportation and Cass County, with regard to the issuance of Driver’s Licenses. In layman’s terms, it simply incorporates more legal language from the State, than before.

The Board received a report from Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken. He said they were out Tuesday applying a mix of sand and calcium chloride to treat the roads. Their new applicator equipment arrived and was installed and calibrated by an expert, he said, just in the nick of time. In the future, Wolken said, they might trying using beet juice as part of a treatment against ice formation and de-icer, on the roads.

And, with regard to construction projects…

Wolken said also, the Secondary Roads Department finally received the two, new dump trucks they ordered, and put two others up for auction. The auction was held Tuesday, and netted $110,000 altogether. He said it was more than what they hoped to receive. The Supervisors discussed and acted to approve a Federal Aid Agreement for a County Highway Bridge Program Project (BRS-CO15(46)-60-15, Bridge 319 Highland Road [G30] over Indian Creek). And, they acted to approve a Resolution awarding contracts for two projects (BROS-CO15(68) and BROS-SWP-CO15(74)-SE-15).

The first bridge is number 302 on 680th Street, The second is bridge number 380, located south of White Pole Road, west of Anita. A.M. Cohron & Son, Inc., in Atlantic, was awarded a contract for the first bridge project, while the second contract went to Murphy Heavy Contracting, of Anita.

In other, regular business, the Cass County Supervisors received a monthly report from General Assistance and Mental Health Coordinator Debbie Schuler.

(Radio Iowa) – A small jet that took off from eastern Iowa last night crash-landed in Arkansas. Multiple media outlets say the private Learjet 45 flew out of Waterloo around 6 P-M and a little over an hour later, made an emergency landing at the airport in Batesville, Arkansas. Reports say the pilot reported a problem with the landing gear and it skidded in, stopping just short of a highway.

Of the seven people onboard, two were reported hurt, though the extent of their injuries wasn’t released, and it’s unclear if any of them are Iowans. It’s reported the jet is owned by Michigan Cat Aviation and it had also recently landed at the airport in Dubuque.

8-a.m. NEWS (Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop at around 12:40-a.m. today (Wednesday) in Montgomery County, resulted in a pursuit and the arrest of three juveniles, along with another person. The incident began when Deputies tried to stop a vehicle at Highway 34 and E Avenue. The Sheriff’s Office says when the vehicle’s driver refused to yield, the vehicle sped off and attained speeds of up to 105 mph.

Officers with the Red Oak Police Department placed stop sticks at Highway 34 and G Avenue, just outside of Red Oak. The suspect vehicle struck the stop sticks and went down into the ditch. Multiple individuals began to flee on foot. Three juveniles were placed into custody:

• One is being charged with Theft in the 2nd Degree/Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Felony Eluding, and under a warrant out of Polk County for Theft in the 4th Degree.
• A second juvenile was charged with Interference with Officials Acts, Providing False Identification to Law Enforcement, and under the authority of a warrant from Polk County for Assault causing bodily injury, and Eluding.
• The third juvenile was charged with Interference with Official Acts. They were also listed as a missing juvenile.

Authorities say Gray Donmor, of Des Moines, had a Dallas County warrant for Conspiracy to commit a forcible felony, and was placed under arrest. The three juveniles were sent to the Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs. Gray Donmor was being held in the Montgomery County Jail while awaiting extradition to Dallas County. Officials say the Mills County Sheriff’s Office assisted during the incident, as well.

Des Moines, Iowa –  Officials with the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau say a Cedar Rapids man, 57-year-old Joseph Drahozal, was charged with one count of Forgery (Class D Felony), two counts of Fraudulent Sales Practice under $10,000 (Class D Felony), and one count of Theft in the third degree (Aggravated Misdemeanor) following an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau.

The charges against Drahozal stem from an investigation that began in August of 2022.  According to the criminal complaints filed by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau, while Drahozal was working as an insurance producer, he intentionally took possession of funds intended for the accounts of his insurance clients and put those funds into his personal account for his own use.  He also forged his information onto checks belonging to clients to steal funds.

Joseph Drahozal (Linn County Sheriff’s Office photo)

Drahozal was placed under arrest and taken to the Linn County Jail on November 28, 2022. He was released after posting a $10,000 bond. No additional information will be provided at this time. Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-654-6556.