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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Tuesday), held a public hearing on an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2022 Cass County Budget. There were no comments, therefore the Board closed the hearing and adopted the budget and related appropriations, as amended. County Engineer Trent Wolken gave the Board an update on Secondary Roads activities. He said they’re still clearing and stacking brush, stockpiling rock. Wolken also presented the plans for a bridge rehabilitation project (L-289-73-15) with the City of Atlantic, on West 6th Street, near the airport.
Once the project is sent out for bids and the contractor is lined-up, Wolken said the repair work will take about two months for the larger segments of construction, with traffick likely being reduced to one lane once the major bridge rehabilitation is complete, and finishing work is underway. The project will cost $400,000, and is being split between the City and County.
In other business, after consulting by phone with Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman, the Board voted to set the pay rate for the remainder of FY 2022 at $20 per hour, for Auditor’s Assistant Doreen South. She was hired in Oct. 2021 and has ended the probationary requirement for her employment. Sunderman had originally proposed an increase of $1.29 per hour (to $19.29), but Supervisor Steve Green suggested her pay be more in-line with other County Office employees.
The Board also approved a Cass County Tax Rebate Program for new, non-residential construction Cass County, beginning with the 2023-24 and 2024-25 Tax Years. Cass County Deputy Auditor Sheri Karns…
And, they approved Rocky Anderson, of Griswold, as Pleasant Township Clerk.
(Radio Iowa) – Marshalltown police have arrested a man in connection with a fatal stabbing incident that occurred earlier this month. Kalalizi Jean Baptiste Madogo, 48, of Marshalltown, was arrested by police Monday in connection with the stabbing death of 30-year-old Yannick Mangubu on January 2nd. Baptiste Madogo was booked into the Marshall County Jail while awaiting an initial court appearance.
According to Marshalltown Police Chief Mike Tupper, the stabbing occurred at a private residence. The incident remains under investigation and police say there is no ongoing threat to the public.
ATLANTIC, IOWA – Officials with the Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) have announced a residential lead paint abatement program. The three-year endeavor will allow for lead-based paint removal in homes across the 7-county area served by the Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund, which SWIPCO administers.
Lead Hazard Reduction Program Coordinator, Nicole Rhodes, says the newly created program will allow for lead hazard reduction in approximately 35 housing units and build a more skilled workforce in the region. “This is really a great opportunity for us to get some of those lead hazards out of the way and make southwest Iowa a safer and healthier place to live for everyone, especially kids who are particularly vulnerable,” said Rhodes. “The other side of it is that we’re helping to get contractors certified to do the work, so that outlasts this program and will continue to benefit the community in the years to come.” Rhodes says that to qualify, homes must be built before 1978 and homeowners must meet certain income guidelines specific to the county where they live.
Nicole Rhodes
Scholarships are available for Iowa contractors to take a 40-hour lead hazard reduction certification training and offer an accompanying 24-hour lead hazard reduction training for an employee of their firm. Training offered will take place in Des Moines February 14-18, 2022. The scholarships, which cover the cost of certification, will include a per diem for hotel, meals, and lost work time for contractors who complete the training.
To apply, contractors must be licensed in Iowa and willing to submit bids for lead abatement in the counties covered by the program. Interested contractors can request and complete an application by emailing matthew.lee@swipco.org, visiting www.swipco.org, or calling SWIPCO at 712-243-4196.
(Radio Iowa) – An eastern Iowa surgery center nurse who took an opioid for her own use was sentenced to probation. Fifty-two-year-old Sabrina Thalblum of Cedar Rapids pleaded guilty to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge, and one count of adulteration and misbranding with intent to defraud and mislead. Thalblum admitted to being addicted to the opioid fentanyl and carefully punctured vials with needles to get the drug and refilled the vials with saline and reglued the caps on. Thalblum was also fined ten-thousand dollars and must forfeit her nursing license.
Perry, Iowa — A man from Perry was being held in the Dallas County Jail after being charged with threatening a woman and holding her against her will. Court documents show that 53-year-old Derrick Sandy flew a woman to Iowa from Minnesota. She stayed with him at his house over the New Year’s holiday.According to court documents, on New Year’s Eve, Sandy had been drinking and took Xanax. The woman claims that Sandy then hit her over the head so hard that she was left semi-conscious. Sandy also broke the woman’s cell phone.
The court documents also claim that Sandy held a gun to her head and threatened to kill her. The next day, he allowed her to contact a family member so they would not be suspicious about the lack of contact. The woman was able to escape three days later, while Sandy was sleeping. Sandy was arrested on Friday on Felony charges that include: 2nd Degree Kidnapping/Armed with a Dangerous Weapon; Willful Injury – Causing Serious Injury; Assault while participating in a felony – serious injury; and Dominion/control of a firearm/offensive weapon by a felon
He faces four additional charges, three aggravated misdemeanor and one a serious misdemeanor. Sandy was being held in the Dallas County Jail on a $500,000 cash bond. His preliminary hearing was set for February 1st.
(Fairfield, Iowa) — A hearing for two teenagers charged with the death of a southern Iowa teacher is now delayed until Feb. 10th. Willard Miller and Jeremy Goodale are accused of murdering their 66-year-old Spanish teacher, Nohema Graber, in Fairfield, Iowa. They are currently being charged as adults in her death.
According to court documents, the hearing is to determine if Miller and Goodale’s case should be moved back to juvenile court. The teens are currently being held on a $1 million cash-only bail.
(Des Moines) – Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Health, Monday, released new COVID-19 data. The agency reports 34,687 positive tests in the last seven days, a slight increase from 34,598 positive tests reported Friday. The state’s 14-day test positivity rate increased slightly from 25.2% to 25.3%
The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 decreased from 957 on Friday to 935. Of those hospitalized with the virus, 62.4% are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 64.3% of patients in intensive care with the virus are not fully vaccinated.
The number of Iowa long-term care facilities reporting a COVID-19 outbreak continues to rise. There are now 76 facilities reporting an outbreak,
(Exira) – Two people escaped a house fire in Exira over the weekend. According to reports, firefighters from Exira, Brayton and Audubon responded to the scene at 104 E. South Street in Exira, at around 3:18-p.m., Saturday.
Flames had fully engulfed the home by the time the first firefighters arrived on the scene. Audubon fire crews were requested for additional manpower, tanker and pumper trucks.
No injuries were reported. The home was declared a total loss. A cause of the blaze was not immediately known.