The Shelby County Supervisors have approved the Fiscal Year 2012 audit. During a regular meeting this (Tuesday) morning, Chris Nelson from Gronewold and Company, told the supervisors the county is in a good financial situation. He said “Overall you are in a good position. You have very little debt and good infrastructure. You always have projects that needed to be done and find financing for those. But overall the county is in good financial health.”

In other business, Shelby County Treasurer Carolyn Blum told the Board her office needs a new counter door, and the board approved a new crank counter door for $4,282. Shelby County Auditor Marsha Carter mentioned also, the county needs a real estate program update. The County has been budgeting for the update for the past few years. The board approved an estimate of $56,216, which will come out of the FY 2014 budget. The estimate includes training and travel for county workers.

The Shelby County Board received some good news during their meeting, from Supervisor Roger Schmitz, who reported that as of June 1st, the County will be debt free after paying off the 2007 Douglas Road bond. Schmitz said “When we had the bond we couldn’t pay it off for 5 years. Our 5 years will be up on June 1st. We will owe $605,000. We never spent all the money we bonded and we will have $422,162. So anyway, if we pay it off the first of June, we will save $72,425.04”

The Board approved a resolution authorizing the payment.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Not long after Republicans in the state House scaled back Gov. Terry Branstad’s education plan, Democrats in the Senate have beefed it up again.  The Senate education legislation was introduced Monday. It boosts minimum teacher pay back to the $35,000 proposed by Branstad and mandates participation in a leadership program that would provide additional compensation to teachers who take on more responsibilities.  Sponsor Sen. Herman Quirmbach says there will be several options for how districts set up those programs.

Last month, the House approved an education plan that set minimum salaries at $32,000 and gave districts the ability to opt-out of providing salary increases or setting up the teacher leadership program.   A spokesman for Branstad says Tuesday the governor would review the Senate plan.

The Harlan Community School Board of Directors approved their budget guarantee for the next school year. In a regular meeting Monday evening, Superintendent Justin Wagner said the budget guarantees is for districts that have declining enrollments, however the Harlan district did not have declining enrollment in the past school year. Regardless, Wagner said the district was advised by state officials to approve the budget guarantee.

Wagner said “There is some nuances in the law that would allow the district some budget guarantee if the allowable growth is high enough. If the allowable growth is high enough, there is an outside chance that we could get some funding even though we didn’t have declining enrollment. That’s why we are asking the board to pass this resolution.”

In other business, the district approved renewing a swimming agreement with Lewis Central. This will be the 2nd year the district has had the agreement. Two students from the districts are currently enrolled in the program. During the district’s administrator reports, Intermediate Principal Bill Mueller said the Harlan Community 4th grade class went to Sioux City recently and placed 4th at the First Tech Challenge. The middle school class was up against 21 other teams which were all high school classes.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

The Mills County Sheriff’s Department, today (Tuesday), issued a report on recent arrests. On Sunday, deputies took into custody 26-year old Beau Jordan Vanregenmorter, of Omaha, on a charge of Public Intoxication, and 48-year old Brian Keith Konfrst, of Glenwood, for OWI/1st offense and Eluding. Vanregenmorter was held on a $300 bond until appearance before a magistrate, while Konfrst was held on a $2,000 bond.

And, on Friday, March 1st, 31-year old Josie Lee Janssen, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in Mills County for Driving While Revoked. Janssen’s bond was set at $1,000. That same day, 27-year old Brett Allen Coyle, of Glenwood, was arrested for violating a No Contact order. His bond was set at $300.

Mills County authorities also continue to investigate incidents of theft and burglary which were reported on March 1st and 3rd. The incidents happened at locations on Hilman Road and 320th Street. No other details were provided.

(12:40-p.m. News)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Lawmakers in the state House are moving forward with anti-bullying legislation backed by Gov. Terry Branstad.  A House education subcommittee approved the bill Tuesday. The legislation would strive to deal with so-called cyber-bullying by updating state guidelines for school districts to include bullying that occurs outside school on social media sites such as Facebook.  The legislation is expected to get a committee hearing later this week.

Branstad convened a bullying prevention summit in Des Moines in November.  Last April, a 14-year-old boy from Primghar committed suicide following bullying at school and online after he told people he was gay. In June, a Mason City girl and her mother sued the Mason City school district, saying it did nothing to protect the teen from bullying.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports a two-month long investigation by the Clarinda Police Department into identity theft & the fraudulent use of a credit/debit card at several businesses in Clarinda & Shenandoah, has resulted in an arrest.  Late Monday afternoon, officers arrested 45-year old Rodney Earl Richardson, Jr., of Clarinda, on several aggravated misdemeanor counts of fraudulent use of a credit/debit card and an aggravated misdemeanor charge of theft. Richardson Jr. was arrested at a Clarinda apartment complex.

In addition to the fraud and theft charges, Rodney Richardson Jr. was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant issued out of Douglas County, Nebraska, for probation and parole violations.  He was booked into the Page County Jail and held without bond, pending an initial appearance before a Page County Magistrate. The Page County Attorney’s Office will review the matter for the filing of formal charges.