A school bond issue that failed twice isn’t slowing down the efforts by the Riverside Community School District to come up with solutions to their aging facilities problems. Twice within the past year a bond issue placed before the voters seeking to consolidate the districts three buildings into one location, failed. Superintendent Jim Sutton says their school board decided to go back to the drawing board. He says both sides of the bond issue are trying to find ways to make patrons happy, and not divide community.

Sutton says the board is starting a committee to help the school district decide on the next step. He says they’re putting out suggestion boxes within the district’s communities. A committee will review the suggestions and report back to the school board. Sutton says the committee will not determine the next steps for the district, but will provide a summary of public input. Any resident of the Riverside School District can sign up for the committee. Sutton says the school district is trying to move quickly on finding volunteers.

He says you can simply call the Central Office at 712-484-2291 by no later than March 16^th , to have your name included on the committee. Sutton says the list of volunteers will be taken to the next Riverside School Board meeting for review and a committee of no more than a dozen will be selected.

(Courtesy Joel McCall/KNOD – Harlan)

Three Harlan residents were arrested on multiple charges Tuesday following a joint investigation into illegal drug activities. According to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, 47-year old Jon M. Rodacker, 57-year old Mark E. Olson, and 53-year old Joleen M. Olson each face Serious Misdemeanor charges of Violation of Restricted Purchases of Pseudoephedrine from a Pharmacy (Rodacker – 18 counts; Mark Olson – 9 counts; Joleen Olson – 3 counts.).

Rodacker also faces Felony charges which include: Conspiracy to Manufacture Methamphetamine; Possession of Anhydrous Ammonia and Pseudoephedrine as Precursors; and Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. Additional charges include: Tampering with, possessing, and transporting anhydrous ammonia, 2-counts of Prohibited Acts and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Mark Olson faces additional charges of Possession of Meth and Drug Paraphernalia.

All three suspects were being held in the Shelby County Jail. Rodacker’s bond was set at $100,000. Mark Olson’s bond was set at $25,000, while the bond for Joleen Olson was set at $10,000.

Authorities say the trio were taken into custody after the deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and officials with the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement served search warrants on several locations in Harlan, and for one vehicle. The locations included: 809 4th Street; 1603 Cheyenne Avenue, and at a storage unit located on Industrial Parkway. An  investigation into the suspects’ alleged drug activities remains ongoing.

(8-a.m News)