(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – In an update to our report earlier this month, officials with the Council Bluffs Police Department, today (Tuesday), said that a woman who was reported missing to Council Bluffs Police on Feb. 14th, was found deceased Sunday, in an area outside the Council Bluffs City Limits. 60-year-old Illene Gowen was found by Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputies.

Illene Gowan

Her death is considered suspicious. Anyone with information on her whereabouts on or after Feb. 13, 2023, is asked to contact the Council Bluffs P-D at 712-890-5400, Option 3

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Harlan Police Department reports numerous arrests took place from Feb. 4th through the 27th. Two suspects were arrested twice.

Beginning with the most recent, on Feb. 27th, 60-year-old William Joseph Daeges, of Harlan, was arrested for allegedly violating a no contact order, and for and interference with official acts. And, 33-year-old Jacob Brady Scheffler, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant.

On Feb. 24th, Harlan Police arrested Joey Lee Ranney, on active Shelby County warrants for Burglary and Forgery. Officers with the H-PD arrested 22-year-old Brandon Jay Benedict, of Harlan, on Feb. 21st. He was charged with Driving While Barred. The previous day, officers arrested 60-year-old William Joseph Daeges, of Harlan, for Domestic Abuse Assault.

On the 15th 30-year-old Brian Daniel Green, and 31-year-old Shelbie Ann Green, both of Harlan, were arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order. Shelbie Green was additionally charged with Assault. On Feb. 11th, 41-year-old Jasper William Daniel, of Harlan, was arrested for driving while barred. On the 6th, 35-year-old Dustin Allen Hansen, of Harlan, was arrested for Driving while revoked.

And, on Feb. 4th, 31-year-old Shelbie Ann Green, of Harlan, was arrested on an Assault charge.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Mills County are looking for a rental truck involved in a property damage accident. Authorities say 62-year-old Thomas Head, of Council Bluffs, was driving a 1998 Toyota eastbound on Highway 34 at around 5:30-a.m. Monday, when his vehicle was struck by a white Enterprise rental truck, as the truck was eastbound and attempting to pass the Toyota. The truck fled the scene. No injuries were reported. The driver of the rental truck was still not known as of the latest report.

And, Mills County Sheriff’s officials say 40-year-old Michaela Rice Collins, of Glenwood, was arrested Monday night, on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault. She was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) – (UPDATED 11:05-a..m.) A House subcommittee has approved a bill that would let Iowa schools have policies requiring that students use the bathrooms or locker rooms designated for their biological sex. During a subcommittee hearing early this (Tuesday) morning, Patty Alexander, a teacher from Urbandale, urged lawmakers to pass the bill.  “There is a push to influence our children into something they are not,” Alexander says. “We are pushing them in nihilism and narcissism…We are telling them they are born in the wrong bodies.” Jill Bjorklund, of Ankeny, and her seven-year-old transgender daughter Lily urged lawmakers to defeat the bill.

“If this bill passes I will not be able to go to the bathroom in the girls bathroom where all of my friends go. I will have to go in the boy’s bathroom which is way more confusing for my friends when I walk in with a dress on,” Lily said. Jill Bjorklund said: “How do you look at her face and think she is a danger?” Amber Williams told lawmakers she was a concerned mom who supports the bill.”Boys bathrooms are made for boys with urinals and toilets and girls bathrooms are made with toilets and tampon dispensers,” Williams said. “Boys and girls are biologically different, with different needs in the bathroom.” Chris Patterson, the parent of a non-binary child, says her first grader was forced to adhere to the kind of policy in this bill.

“I watched my confident, curious kiddo going from loving school to climbing into the car afterwards, sometimes wet, because they couldn’t risk one more interaction where someone told them they were in the wrong bathroom,” Patterson said. Lobbyists representing schools warn districts will risk lawsuits and be forced to decide whether to adhere to federal policy on transgender students’ bathroom use or the proposed state law. Shellie Flockhart told lawmakers she was the mother of four and her teenage children are opposed to having kids of the opposite sex in their locker room.

“Gender specific restrooms, locker rooms and showers are a safety requirement. As a woman, to ask for anything less is offensive,” Flockhart said. “The separation of bathrooms and locker rooms is needed.” Becky Taylor is executive director of Iowa Safe Schools, which works with 10-thousand L-G-B-T-Q students. Taylor says the bill’s accommodation — letting transgender students use the restroom in the nurses office — does not meet the legal standard. “Let me remind you that Brown v Board of Education found that having separate but supposedly equal facilities was inherently inequitable and illegal,” Taylor said.

In 2021, a gender specific bathroom policy won initial approval from a subcommittees in the Iowa Senate, but today’s (Tuesday’s) vote is the first time a House subcommittee has advanced a so-called bathroom bill.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) have introduced Erin Hudson to their staff. Hudson will assume to role of Community Development Director, overseeing SWIPCO’s housing and planning teams of 12 current staff members. The housing and planning departments are currently managing a grant portfolio of over $100 million, ranging from disaster recovery, housing, recreation, to foundational services such as transportation, water, sewer, and broadband.

“I am very excited to be here as I am glad to get back to working in an area of assisting people as most of my career has evidence of such,” said Hudson. “I find the work that SWIPCO does to be fascinating, and I am glad to be a part of it. I am ready to dive in and get involved as the Community Development Director in all aspects of Housing and Planning as we move forward through all the projects we are working on and all projects we may have on the horizon.”

Hudson lives in Harlan, Iowa with her two children. She has a bachelor’s degree from Northwest Missouri State University in Psychology and a master’s degree in public administration from University of Nebraska-Omaha. Hudson has a background working with various populations in the nonprofit arena. She worked with troubled youth, then low-income individuals/families, then disabled individuals, and then an assisted living facility.

Erin Hudson

Hudson has worked in administration and wrote and reviewed federal government grants to fund programs that she operated. Hudson brings with her a wealth of knowledge in grant writing and has many years of supervisory experience from her position as director at Youth Emergency Services, West Central Community Action, Concerned, Inc. and Manning Senior Living.

“Erin brings amazing experience managing diverse teams. Right now, there are unprecedented investments being made in our communities and Erin will be a major help as SWIPCO works to ensure as much of that is invested right here in Southwest Iowa.” SWIPCO Executive Director John McCurdy said.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Cass County met during a brief session this (Tuesday) morning. The Board approved the renewal of a 28-E agreement with the Southwest Iowa Juvenile Detention facility. Board Chair Steve Baier….

After some brief discussion, the Supervisors tabled action until March 14th, on updating the County’s Investment Policy. Baier said the Board has been working on the policy for at least a couple of months. Supervisor Bernard Pettinger said he and Supervisor Wendy Richter have been discussing how to better explain what the policy entails.

An attorney will review a draft of the proposal to make sure the language in clear, concise, and compliant with the Code of Iowa. And, Engineer Trent Wolken reported the Secondary Roads Department has been trying to keep a delicate balance with regard to application of road rock. First they were dealing with snow and ice late last week, and then it was heavy rain this week.

Board Chair Baier said “This is one of the challenging periods of year,” and that “no matter what you do the Secondary Roads that you’re gonna have some issues.”