NANCY LOU KULLBOM, 86 of Walnut, Iowa died Monday, April 17, 2023, at the Peace Haven Retirement Home in Walnut. No services will be held for NANCY LOU KULLBOM. Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Avoca is assisting the family.
Burial is in the Oaklawn Cemetery at Oakland.
NANCY LOU KULLBOM is survived by:
Daughters: Sherry Shald, of Norfolk, NE; Jenny (Dan) Pertzborn, of Bondurant, IA
Iowa safety Xavier Nwankpa is ready to take the next step in his career. The former Southeast Polk standout started at strong safety in the Hawkeyes Music City Bowl win over Kentucky and closed his freshman season by returning an interception 52-yards for a touchdown. He was inserted into the starting lineup after Kaevon Merriweather opted out of the bowl game.
He says a year in the program has made him feel more confident.
He is also doing a better job reacting to the offense.
The Hawkeyes close out spring drills Saturday in Kinnick Stadium.
Iowa State linebacker Zach Lovett says the transition this spring has been a quick one. After appearing in 13 games the past two seasons at Missouri the Melbourne, Florida native transferred to ISU. He had been recruited by the Cyclones while in high school.
Lovett says many of the same coaches involved in his recruiting are stll at Iowa State.
Lovett says he started doing research immediately after entering the transfer portal.
(Radio Iowa) – Two southeast Iowa teenagers are facing lengthy prison sentences after a 66-year-old woman was beaten to death with a bat in 2021. Appearing in court separately, Willard Miller and Jeremy Goodale, the two Fairfield teens accused of the first-degree murder of Fairfield teacher Nohema Graber, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in a Jefferson County courtroom today. Miller was set to go on trial for the crime in Council Bluffs when his attorney requested a change of venue due to publicity in the case, but then Miller learned that Goodale was planning to testify against him. Judge Shawn Showers asked Miller to confirm the plea deal.
Graber’s beaten body was found hidden under a tarp, wheelbarrow and railroad ties at Chautauqua Park where she took daily walks. Witnesses told investigators they saw the two males driving in Graber’s van less than an hour after she arrived at the park. Sentencing in the case will be at a later date. According to court documents, Miller was upset about a bad grade Graber gave him in Spanish class. Both suspects were 16 at the time of the crime. Miller is now 17 and Goodale is 18.
Reports say prosecutors will recommend a 30-year prison sentence for Miller, and 25 years for Goodale.
(Bettendorf,Iowa) – The identity of a tow truck who was struck and killed early Monday morning in eastern Iowa, is now known. The Iowa State Patrol says 52-year-old Mark Muske, of Davenport, was assisting with a broken down bus, when he was hit by a 2015 Jeep Liberty SUV. The accident happened on westbound I-80 at mile marker 302, a little after 2-a.m., Monday.
Two other people were injured during the incident: 43-year-old Darvell Anthony Miller, of Iowa City, and 27-year-old Morgan J. Miller, of Chicago, were transported by ambulance to Trinity Hospital.
According to the Patrol, the driver of the SUV is unknown. The accident remains under investigation, and charges are pending.
(Corning, Iowa) – Southwest Valley School District Superintendent Chris Fenster, late Tuesday morning, issued a statement on social media with regard to alleged on-going threats. He said “The Adam’s County Sheriff’s Office is aware that some alleged threats have been made by the same student. All threats are being investigated, and the student is at their residence with their parents and being monitored by law enforcement. The school day is continuing as normal, and all buildings are safe.”
The statement was a follow-up to a statement the Superintendent made on social media, late Monday morning. If you missed that statement, Fenster said:
“It was brought to my attention late Friday (April 14, 2023) that a threat was made by SWV student of violence. The threat was made on Thursday and was not reported to authorities or myself (Fenster) until after school Friday.
“Upon an investigation between the Adams County Sheriff’s Orffice and myself,” Fenster said “the threat was deemed credible, and the student has been charged and removed from SWV. The failure to report this to either the Sheriff’s Office,” he said, or to Superintendent Fenster, “Is inexcusable and not tolerable; therefore I have taken appropriate personnel action while this matter is being investigated.”
The Superintendent went on to say “I apologize for the egregious lapse in judgment in not reporting this threat. I am thankful that nothing happened and will continue working to ensure our facilities are safe I ask for your support in talking with your child about not making comments of any threatening nature, and if they hear them, to tell an adult immediately.”
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Tuesday), revisited a request from the Noble Initiative Community Foundation, for $250,000 from the ARPA Fund. The Foundation’s Jared Wyman said the funds would be used for storm water infrastructure outside the Griswold City limits, where the foundation is working on housing development.
Supervisors Mark O’Brien and Steve Green were opposed to using ARPA funds for that purpose, citing the legality of doing so, and the little amount of money remaining in the County’s portion of the fund. Mark O’Brien….
Steve Green explained there’s not as much money left in the ARPA fund as they previously thought.
The Supervisors encouraged the organization to go after Economic Development monies from the State and through grants, which they are in the process of doing. Board Chair Steve Baier summed-up the Board’s opinion by saying “The consensus is not to use ARPA funds at this stage.”
Wyman was asked if the project will still move forward if they didn’t get the ARPA funds. He said it would. In other business, the Supervisors approved a three-year contact for Cost Advisory Services to obtain reimbursement for indirect costs, expanded on behalf of the Iowa Dept. of Health and Human Services. The price-tag for the contract is $4,450 per year.
Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken updated the Board of Secondary Roads Department maintenance and activities. He mentioned his crews have been spreading contract rock in the Massena and Anita Districts, and that those activities are almost finished with their initial application. Construction-wise, he said a bridge in the Anita area will be closed soon.
And, the Board also passed a 28-E cost sharing Resolution appointing Norma Hemphill as Cass County’s representative to the Southern Iowa Regional Housing Authority (SIRHA) for a term of 3-years. They also approved the appointment of Shauna Holiday as Massena Township Clerk.
(Fairfield, Iowa/KCCI) – One of the Fairfield teens charged in the Nov., 2021 murder of a Fairfield High School Teacher, has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, thereby eliminating the need for his trial Friday, in Council Bluffs. KCCI reports 17-year-old Willard Miller entered a guilty plea Tuesday (today) in Jefferson County Court in Fairfield.Miller and Jeremy Goodale both stand accused in the death of 66-year-old Spanish Teacher Nohema Graber, whose body was found under a tarp, wheelbarrow and railroad ties on Nov. 3, 2021, in a Fairfield Park. Prosecutors say she had been beaten to death with a baseball bat. Graber was 66.
Both Miller and Jeremy Goodale were charged with first-degree murder. Each was 16 at the time. Both are 17 now. Prosecutors say both of the teens struck Graber with a baseball bat and destroyed evidence in the case. Miller’s lawyer states he denies hitting Graber with a bat.
In Iowa, the penalty for a first-degree murder conviction is life in prison. The judge said Miller will not receive mandatory life without the possibility of parole because he is a minor. He will be responsible for restitution and other costs.
(Griswold, Iowa) – Members of the Griswold Community School District’s Board of Education, Monday evening, held a public hearing on the District’s 2023-24 Budget, during which there was no public input. Superintendent Dave Henrichs said the Board later on in their meeting approved the Budget at presented, which has the lowest tax levy rate since 2019.
He spoke also about the property tax assessments which have residents all across Iowa riled-up. Henrichs says that will have no bearing on next year’s taxes or budget, because it doesn’t go into effect for another year.
Another budget highlight Henrichs mentioned, was, for the third-year in a row, the District is levying “An advanced payment,” or “Surplus”levy, which will result in a substantial savings for taxpayers.
In other business, the Board continued discussion, but no action for now, with regard to a Four-day School Week. A staff meeting was held April 5th to inform Griswold staff of what research into what a four-day school week may look like, in terms of scheduling, contracts and the school calendar. Staff has an opportunity to ask questions afterward, and fill-out a survey with options to the proposal.
Ultimately, the Griswold School Board, Henrichs says, decided to, during their May meeting, schedule a work session for June or July, to put ideas together in terms of answering some of their staff’s questions. If the District decides to implement a four-day school week, it wouldn’t even happen until the the 2024-25 school year, at the earliest. The Board, Monday, approved the list of graduates. The Class of 2023 has 28 students set to receive their diplomas, in May. The Griswold school board left ’23-’24 registration fees the same as last year. Book fees are $30 per student, with reduced lunch book fees $15, and those on free lunch have no book fees.
A snow day make-up plan was approved, that reduces the amount of days students and staff must attend beyond the end of the school year.
There were two closed sessions and a student expulsion closed session. In the latter session, the Griswold School Board to expel a student for the remainder of the school year. In another, they reviewed the performance of Board Secretary Hannah Bierbaum, who Henrichs says “does a great job,” and, they listened to the concerns of a staff member with regard to contract considerations, and the Board agreed to make adjustments to the contract as necessary.
(Griswold, Iowa) – Members of the Griswold School District’s Board of Education, Monday evening (April 17), voted in favor of changing their Girls 2023-24 Wrestling Program sharing partners. Superintendent Dave Henrichs….
Griswold’s change means two programs have left the Southwest Area Team (S.W.A.T.) cooperative that was in place last season. Southwest Valley had previously announced that they plan to run their own program starting next season. Atlantic, CAM, and Nodaway Valley are the schools currently remaining in S.W.A.T.