LOGAN, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Public Safety, Friday, said that on April 22, 2022, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible inappropriate relationship between former West Harrison School Teacher Benjamin J. Work and a minor student.  The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, along with agents from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, initiated an investigation into the allegation.  Mr. Work was placed on administrative leave by the West Harrison School District on April 22, 2022.

During the investigation, law enforcement identified six minor students that Mr. Work had reportedly had inappropriate contact with between the fall of 2021 and spring of 2022. On June 3, 2022, Mr. Work resigned from the West Harrison Community School District.

Benjamin Work (Harrison County S/O photo)

On June 10, 2022, Benjamin Work was arrested at his residence without incident.  He was transported and booked into the Harrison County Correctional Facility.  Work has been charged with five counts of Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee (Class D Felony), five counts of Lascivious Conduct with a Minor (Serious Misdemeanor) and two counts of Indecent Contact with a Child (Aggravated Misdemeanor).

Note: A criminal charge is merely an accusation and defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.  

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Auditor Stephanie Burke said Friday, the Secretary of State’s Office has ordered a post-election audit of the June 7, 2022, Primary Election. By random selection, Precinct 1 will be the precinct audited. The polling place location for Precinct 1 is the Gold Fair Building. The Montgomery County Auditor’s Office will conduct this audit on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, starting at 9:00 a.m.

The audit will take place in the Board of Supervisor’s Meeting Room in the Courthouse, 105 E Coolbaugh Street, Red Oak. Said proceeding shall be open to the public.Notic

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A reminder from Cass County Treasurer Tracey J. Marshall: Office hours for the Treasurer were changed as of June 3rd, and until further notice. The office is open the following hours and days:

8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.         ”             ”                  ”               ”

Closed on Tuesday’s

Property Taxes and Motor Vehicle Renewals: The best way is by mail or online. www.iowatreasurers.org

A BILL OF SALE is required for all Motor Vehicles purchases

Marshall said “We will process your payments as they come in. Please provide a telephone number in the event we need to contact you.” Please use the yellow drop box outside– envelopes are in the side box

(Radio Iowa) – Sioux City Police are investigating a fatal shooting overnight. Sergeant Jeremy McClure says the call came in about 9 p-m and they arrived at the address and found a man who had been shot. “He was taken to Mercy One for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries. The officers’ investigation determined that there were two women inside the apartment where this occurred and their stories did not match the evidence that was found on the scene,” McClure says.

“They initially reported that the man was on the porch and had told them he had been shot. However, after we conducted a search of the residence, we determined that one of the females inside the apartment had fired a shot through the door striking the man.” Thirty-two-year-old Katrina Lashay Barnes is charged with second-degree murder, possession of marijuana, and possession with intent to deliver fentanyl. McClure says Barnes and the man knew each other.

“She’s in a relationship with the victim they’ve been living in this residence together for some time and they’ve been arguing throughout the day. The victim had left the apartment and when he returned and knocked on the door pounded on the door she fired a shot to the door,” McClure says. McClure says the women failed to call police for 12 minutes after the shooting and then tried to conceal evidence.

They charged the other woman, 25-year-old Jordyn Easton with being an accessory after the fact. Barnes is being held in the Woodbury County Jail on a 150-thousand dollar bond. Easton is being held on a 61-hundred dollar bond.

WILLEY, Iowa —Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, on Friday (today), followed up on an anonymous tip received Thursday night indicating manure was discharging from the Wendl Feedlot about 6.5 miles south of Carroll. When notified, feedlot owner Brian Wendl left his vacation and drove 900 miles overnight to oversee containing and cleaning up the runoff.

Friday morning, DNR staff found runoff leaving several locations from a saturated field, flowing into a tributary of Willey Creek. The discharge occurred when the field became saturated following an attempt to dewater a basin used to contain manure.

DNR staff found elevated ammonia levels in the tributary at the field, but considerably lower levels a mile downstream. The tributary flows into Willey Creek and then into the Middle Raccoon. There were no signs of dead fish. And the stream was running high after about three inches of rain in the last few days.

Wendl was constructing a berm along the stream to stop runoff. DNR is sending water samples to a laboratory for testing. Staff will monitor the cleanup and containment. DNR will consider appropriate enforcement action.

(Radio Iowa) – Deidre DeJear, the Democratic Party’s nominee for governor, says Iowa should have a law raising the minimum wage for purchasing an A-R-15 style rifle.  “When we look at 18 year olds and 19 years olds and the rate in which they are using assault rifles in mass shootings, let’s make a requirement there that you’ve got to be at least 21 to purchase,” DeJear says. “Seven other states have done that.” And DeJear says it’s time to again require permits for purchasing guns and carrying a concealed weapon in Iowa.

“I’m of the mindset that we’ve got to be preventative versus reactive and something that’s common sense is ensuring that an individual has to have a permit in order to purchase a gun or a rifle. I have a permit. It didn’t take a lot for me to get it,” DeJear says. “Something just so simple and common sense is just have a license on you if you’re going to carry your weapon.” In 2021, the Republican-led legislature got rid of state regulations requiring permits for buying and carrying guns.

One G-O-P lawmaker said the permits forced gun owners to get a permission slip to exercise a constitutional right. DeJear says it was a misstep for Governor Reynolds to sign the bill into law. “Let’s be realistic about what Iowans want versus what special interests want,” DeJear says. “I want to be a people centered administration. That’s possible. You know, we’ve taken steps back unfortunately when we’ve utilized this tool called democracy and we’ve let special interests infiltrate it. Let’s get back to basics.”

DeJear made her comments during taping of “Iowa Press” which airs tonight at 7:30 on Iowa P-B-S.

(Radio Iowa) – Beef producers in Iowa and New York are in the midst of a burger battle. Kylie Peterson, spokeswoman for the Iowa Beef Industry Council, says carnivores in both states are being encouraged to log on and cast a ballot for their favorite burger. Peterson says, “This is just a fun way to put together two states that have a similar goal and that is to promote beef.” Over the past few months, Iowans got the chance to vote on their favorite burgers, as did New Yorker’s. The winners of the respective state contests are now going head-to-head, or bun-to-bun.

“We’re putting the two together in a little mini contest that’s for bragging rights only,” Peterson says. “There’s no prize or anything like that. It’s just a fun way to capitalize on our contests that we’ve already had.” The contest ends Monday night and Iowans can vote on the website I-A-beef-dot-org.

“The Flying Elbow in Marshalltown is featuring the Tombstone Burger which includes a blend of chuck brisket and short rib and it has also Wagyu beef that’s raised by a Marshalltown producer,” Peterson says. “And then the Ale ‘n Angus Pub burger is called the Holy Smokers Burger and it is an eight ounce certified Angus beef patty that’s topped with smoked beef brisket.”

This is the second year for the contest. New York challenged Iowa last year — and Iowa won. The winner will be announced on Tuesday.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Board of Supervisor’s Chair Steve Baier reports, “Due to an oversight in the Cass County Treasurer’s office, several checks issued by the county may have been deemed as fraudulent by banking institutions.  New checks will be issued on the 15th.  The Treasurer is working to rectify this situation and mitigate any penalty charges resulting from this error.  We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding.” At last count, there were apparently 22 checks issued.

If you have further questions, contact the Treasurer at (712) 243-4570 extension 9.

(Harlan, Iowa) – Shelby County Auditor/Commission of Elections Mark Maxwell reports the Shelby County Board of Supervisors will convene a Special Session 9-a.m. Tuesday, June 14th, on the first floor of the Shelby County Courthouse. The purpose of the meeting is to canvass the results of the June 7th Primary Election. The Board will also discuss and act on cameras and tuck-pointing for the courthouse.

The next day (Wed., June 15th), the Shelby County Supervisors will hold an election audit of the Greeley-Jefferson Precinct, specifically with regard to the U.S. Senate race. The precinct to be audited was randomly picked at the Iowa Secretary of States office.  Bags will be unsealed and the seal numbers noted and new seals placed on the ballot bags. This announcement serves as the official notification for Party Chairs