(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests and three accidents occurred over the past week. On November 21st, Deputies arrested 67-year-old Edward Wolfe, of Exira, for OWI 1st offense. Wolfe was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and later was released after posting bond. And, on Nov. 22nd, 50-year-old Joel Lary, of Massena, was arrested on charges of OWI 2nd offense and Driving While Revoked. Lary was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and later released on his own recognizance.

At around 3:50-p.m,. Nov. 21st, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to an accident near the area of Highland and Galveston Roads. Officials say a 2012 GMC Sierra with attached trailer being operated by Roger Blake, of Walnut, was traveling West bound and traversing a right hand curve. On the trailer was corn stalk bales, one of which fell off during the turn. At about the same time, a 2018 GMC Yukon being operated by Judith Gross, of Walnut, was traveling East bound on the curve. The corn stalk bale which had fallen off of the trailer landed in the east bound lane. Gross’s vehicle struck the bale, causing about $20,000 damage to her vehicle. No injuries were reported.

On November 24th, Cass County Sheriff’s Office responded at around 3:12-p.m., to an accident near 585th and Independence Road. Officials say a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu being operated by a juvenile was traveling East on 585th. The vehicle went out of control on the gravel before rolling into the ditch / yard of a nearby residence. A juvenile passenger later noted head and stomach pain due to the incident, but was arranging personal transportation to the hospital, as necessary. The vehicle sustained approximately $3,000 worth of damage. No other injuries or damage were reported.

ANd, on November 25th at around 9:40-p.m., an accident occurred west of the intersection of 760th and White Pole Road, in Cass County. Authorities say a westbound 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt driven by Garrett Walhovd, of Adair, was rounding a curve when the car went out of control and entered the northwest ditch. The vehicle rolled over once and came to rest on it’s wheels.  Walhovd suffered minor injuries and was transported by EMS to the Cass County Memorial Hospital. The vehicle sustained approximately $7,000 worth of damage. No other injuries or damages were reported.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will hold a Work Session 6-p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1st. Their meeting takes place in the Schuler Elementary School Media Center. On the agenda, is updates and discussion with regard to: Positive Team Culture, and Instructional Framework. No action is expected during the meeting.

The next regular school board meeting takes place 6-p.m. Dec. 8th, at Schuler.

Des Moines, Iowa — The latest report from the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) shows the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Iowa continues to climb. In their data released today (Monday), the IDPH said 665 patients are hospitalized with the virus. That’s up from 616 in their last report. on Friday. Of those hospitalized with COVID-19, 75.1% are unvaccinated, while 85.6% of those listed in intensive care with the virus are unvaccinated.

The number of positive COVID-19 tests dropped over the long holiday weekend. There were 7,952 new positive tests reported over the last seven days, down from 9,468 at the last report on Friday. Iowa’s 14-day positivity rate increased from 10.5% on Friday to 10.8% Monday. The number of long-term care facilities reporting an outbreak in the state dropped from 25 to 20.

There have been 4,130,627 vaccine doses administered in Iowa, with 69% of those 18 and older fully vaccinated and 72% of those 12 and older with at least one dose.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports Deputies arrested 43-year-old Lance Ryan Leonard, at around 1:20-a.m., on November 24th. He was taken into custody at 140th Street and O Avenue, (about 8 miles northwest of Clarinda), following a traffic stop for a traffic infraction, and charged with OWI 1st Offense. Leonard was also issued citations for Failure to obey Traffic Control Device and Open Container of Alcohol. He was transported to the Page County Sheriff’s Office where he was booked into the Page County Jail on $1,000 bond.

Lance Leonard

DES MOINES, Iowa – Human trafficking is happening in communities across Iowa. Increased efforts to stamp out these horrible crimes will now include a new statewide training initiative within the lodging industry. In 2021, the Iowa Legislature passed a law (Iowa Code 80.45A) that require Iowa lodging providers who host public employees or publicly-funded events and conferences to train their staff on human trafficking. The new law states:

Beginning January 1, 2022, affected lodging providers must have all employees successfully complete certified human trafficking prevention training in order to receive public funds as payment for services.

The scope of this new law will likely impact every community in Iowa as public funds may not be expended with any lodging provider that has not received the training certification. Public funds include moneys from the state, a county, school corporation, special district, drainage district, unincorporated town or township, municipality, or municipal corporation or any agency, board, or commission of the state or a political subdivision.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Office to Combat Human Trafficking is charged with facilitating the new law and will be responsible for certifying the curriculum used in the training and that the lodging provider has met the training requirement.

The Iowa Office to Combat Human Trafficking is providing free online training that can be accessed 24/7 at its new website StopHTIowa.org. In addition to hosting the online training and an administrative portal, the site contains tips for spotting human trafficking activity The public-facing site contains an interactive map of state-certified lodging providers, as well as a list of organizations that are qualified to administer the training. To assist customers in determining a lodging provider’s compliance, all state-certified lodging organizations will be required to display their human trafficking training certification in the lobby or registration area.

“Human trafficking directly affects Iowa given our proximity to major metropolitan areas like Kansas City and Chicago, and the intersection of two major interstate systems,” said Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens. “As a result, we know human trafficking is happening in Iowa and that it frequently occurs in a hotel/motel setting. The goal of this training is to provide lodging staff with the knowledge and tools to quickly identify and respond to human trafficking, so together we can prevent this from happening in our state. Even one victim is one too many.”

Human Trafficking In Iowa

It is estimated that there are approximately 1,500 lodging locations in Iowa. Human trafficking is a crime involving the exploitation of youth under the age of 18 for commercial sex; the exploitation of adults for commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion; and the exploitation of any individual for compelled labor. Human trafficking does not require the transportation of individuals across state lines or that someone is physically restrained.

Like most crimes, human trafficking may be hidden from public view, and it can be challenging to determine the incidence and prevalence of the crime. The Iowa Office to Combat Human Trafficking has seen increased reporting of human trafficking activity occurring in Iowa, but it is difficult to say whether the increased reporting is the result of increased trafficking or more robust reporting.

Signs that a person is being trafficked can include:
•    Working excessively long hours
•    Unexplained gifts
•    Physical injury
•    Substance abuse
•    Running away from home
•    Isolation from others
•    Being controlled or closely monitored by another.

If citizens see indicators of human trafficking or are being human-trafficked themselves, call 9-1-1 or call the Human Trafficking Hotline at 888.373.7888