A Central Iowa organizations’ misfortunes have turned into a blessing for students in eight southwest Iowa counties, who will be the beneficiaries of free school supplies. “Teacher Tools 4 Tomorrow” is a volunteer run, FREE store for qualifying teachers in Iowa. The Des Moines store was established to allow teachers of qualifying schools to shop at no cost to them for the supplies that they need to educate the students in their classrooms.

The non-profit group usually works with metro schools to provide the supplies, but because they’ve lost their warehouse, the excess school supplies must be removed from the facility in the Des Moines area.  Adams County Community Economic Development Executive Director Beth Waddle says it’s the first time they’ve been able to partner with Teacher Tools For Tomorrow. 15 pallets of school supplies were donated to help eight area schools, including: Corning, Prescott, Villisca, Lenox, Cumberland-Anita-Massena, Orient-Macksburg, Bedford and Clearfield.

Capital Sanitary Supply and Hy-Vee transported the pallets to Corning. Precision Pulley and Idler allowed use of its facility to store and sort the items. Akin Building Center provided supplies to sort and wrap the boxes. Corning Rotary Club and Southwest Iowa REC brought in volunteers to help sort the items. The schools were then notified to come to Corning to pick up their free materials.

A collision between a semi and a car this (Monday) morning in Crawford County has claimed the life of a Schleswig woman. The Iowa State Patrol says 61-year old Margaret Rebecca Irvine, who was wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene of the crash on Highway 59, about 3-miles north of Denison. Officials say a 2004 International was traveling south on Highway 59 at around 8:35-a.m., when a northbound 1993 Oldsmobile driven by Irvine went out of control on the slick road surface, and crossed the center line. The vehicle was then struck broadside by the truck.

The driver of the truck, 51-year old David Charles Joslin, of Galva, was not injured in the crash.

Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green said today (Monday), his officers arrested one person and investigated an accident over the weekend. On Sunday, 22-year old Tyler Johnston, of Atlantic, was arrested on a charge of Disorderly Conduct. Johnston was booked into the Cass County Jail and held pending an appearance before the magistrate.

And, on Saturday, officers with the Atlantic P-D cited Shannon Schmitt-Boudle, of Atlantic, for Failure to yield while backing onto a highway, after Schmitt began to pull her properly parked vehicle out of a stall and collided with a vehicle driven by Matthew Nielsen, of Exira. The accident happened as Nielsen was traveling north in the 300 block of Chestnut Street, at around 1:30-p.m., Saturday. Damage from the mishap amounted to $8,000.

Sheriff’s officials in Cass County say four people were arrested over the past week on unrelated charges. Last Thursday, deputies arrested: 27-year old Thomas Lee Curtis, of Red Oak, on a District Court Warrant for Probation Violation. Curtis was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was being held on $5000 bond; 23–year old Travis Derrick Collins, of Cumberland, was arrested Thursday on a charge of Disorderly Conduct. Collins was taken to the Cass County Jail where he pled not guilty and was released on his own recognizance later that day; and, 39-year old Robert Joseph Dambra, of Atlantic, was arrested Thursday on a Cass County Warrant for Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine. Dambra was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on $50,000 bond.

 On Sunday, 70-year old Michael Francis Wagner, of Cumberland, was arrested on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault Simple. Wagner was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remained pending a hearing before the magistrate. 

And, on Saturday, Cass County Sheriff’s deputies investigated a non-injury accident at 7th Street and Hospital Drive, in Atlantic. Officials say a 2006 Ford Freestar owned and driven by 74-year old Robert Leroy Baker, of Griswold, was attempting a left turn onto Hospital Drive when his vehicle struck an oncoming 2006 Pontiac G6 owned and driven by 66-year old John Allan Carns, of Atlantic. Damages from the accident amounted to $5,500.  Deputies cited Baker for Failing to Yield the Right of Way.