(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Police in Council Bluffs say charges are currently pending against a man described as being a transient, following a car-jacking incident Wednesday night. Authorities report that at around 8:23 pm, officers responded to a carjacking in the area of North 16th street and Avenue G. It was reported that the incident began as an accident, in which the offender’s vehicle struck the victim’s vehicle from behind.

The male victim exited the vehicle to see the damage and the offender jumped in the driver’s seat of the victim’s vehicle driving away. The victim’s wife was in the passenger seat and fell out of the vehicle onto the roadway sustaining serious injury. The alleged suspect, 33-year-old Zachary White,  drove west towards Omaha and causing several accidents along the way. White was stopped by officers from Council Bluffs PD and the Iowa State Patrol using a PIT maneuver on the Iowa side of the I‐480 Bridge.

White was taken to UNMC for injuries he sustained during this incident of the accidents and carjacking. Police says White  will be charged with Robbery. Additional charges are pending at this time. The incident remains under investigation.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has released a report on arrests from the past couple of weeks. Most recently:

On Tuesday (10/12),  53-year-old Tina Marie Hilts, of Logan, was arrested following a call for a vehicle fire in the ditch along the 500 block of Dogwood Road.  Upon arrival and further investigation, it was determined that Hilts would be taken into custody and charged with operating while intoxicated 1st offense, child endangerment, and reckless driving.  Hilt was transferred to the jail for further testing and then released over to jail staff without further incident where she was held pending appearance before the magistrate the following morning.  Hilts was seen and bond set at $2000 cash or surety, and she was released later in the evening after posting the required bond.

On Monday (10/11):  38-year-old Shane Michael Givehand, of Omaha, was taken into custody on a statewide warrant for failure to appear on original charge of forgery in Pottawattamie District Court.    Givehand was able to post the required cash bond and released from custody and given a future court date to appear.

Sunday, Oct. 10th, Shelby County Deputies arrested 23-year-old Alex Michael Petersen, of Avoca, following a traffic stop along Highway 59 in Shelby County.   Petersen who had been stopped for traffic violations and upon further investigation was taken into custody and charged with Operation while intoxicated 1st offense, failure to yield to emergency vehicle, and operating a non-registered vehicle.   Petersen was taken to the jail without incident and held under a $1000 cash or surety bond, and then released under his own recognizance the following morning.

On Oct. 6th: 26-year-old Samantha Marie Swanson, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody by the Iowa State Patrol following a traffic stop in Shelby County.   Swanson driving privileges through the State of Iowa are barred, therefore she taken into custody and charged with Driving while barred habitual offender, improper use of registration, and no proof of insurance.   Swanson was released later that afternoon after posting the required surety bond.

And, on Oct. 1st:  30-year-old Kaleigh Marie Turner was taken into custody following a traffic stop and charged with driving under suspension.   Turner was processed into the Shelby County jail without incident and released a short time later after posting the required cash bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School Board met in a regular session, Wednesday evening. During their session, that lasted a little more than three-hours, the Board received updated enrollment and COVID-19 information from Superintendent Steve Barber. All districts are required to certify their enrollment by October 15th, so the official count will be completed by Friday. Mr. Barber said the latest data shows an increase in certified enrollments over last year, from 1,333.32 to 1,376.16.

He said also, there were 25 staff and 60 students out with COVID over the past eight weeks of school. Mr. Barber said 40% of student absences were attributed to OTHER illnesses, such as RSV and Strep throat.

In other business, the Board received a presentation from Atlantic School Foundation President Ted Robinson and Treasurer Steve Tjepkes, with regard to the purpose, and benefits to students and the District derives from the Foundation. More information can be found on the Atlantic Community School District’s website under “District,” and then “Support Groups.”

The Board approved (in their Consent Agenda), approval of resignations, including: Melissa Smith (Food Service), and Marsha Von Seggem (Jr. Kindergarten/End of the 2021-22 School Year). And, they approved Contract Recommendations for: Rebecca Garcia, EL Paraeducator; Melissa Smith, HS Paraeducator; Kirstin Sopcich, WA Office Paraeducator, and Paige Carrier, WA Paraeducator; Lisa Andersen – Food Service at Schuler; and Chris Kennedy, Substitute Bus Route Driver.

The Board discussed the 2020-21 Audit Review and End of Year Financial Report; a Retirement Incentive Program; and Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) Test Scores, along with an Employee Appreciation Day. School Business Official/Board Secretary Sarah Sheeder mentioned there are 22 staff members currently eligible for an early retirement program, IF the district were to offer it. In the past, it was limited to the first 10 to apply. The program was last offered three-years ago.  The Board decided it was be best NOT to offer the retirement package in the coming year, due in- part to the difficulty in replacing those teachers and staff in the current economy.

With regard to Action items on their agenda include, the Atlantic School Board approved:

• The renaming of the Annual Trojans Track & Field Invitational to the Bruce Henderson Track and Field Invitational.
• A Boys Swimming Sharing Agreement with Riverside.
• An out-of-state trip for seven-to 14 students to Louisville, Kentucky, for the National FFA Convention. The trip will take place from Oct. 26-30.
• A rental agreement between the school district and Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, with regard to the use of classroom space for the Home School Assistance Program classroom. The church will provide all supplies and maintenance for the program. (rental amount, $1,615 per month)
• and, the Board approved the purchase of 15 Interactive Touch Displays for teachers to use in the classroom (total cost: $49,455), and a Digital Trophy Case that will provide current and historical information. The Atlantic School Foundation, Atlantic Booster Club and the Robinson Family have offered to share in funding the display case ($7,800), with the school’s share amounting to $8,875 (total cost for the display case: $16,675).

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three separate arrests occurred on Tuesday.

• At around 9:10-a.m., 41-year-old Brian Keith Koetting, of California, MO., was arrested in Cole County, MO., for: Stalking – Protective Order Violation; 2 counts Extortion by physical threat; 2 counts Harassment in the 1st Degree; 3 counts Harassment in the 3rd Degree; Violation of a No Contact Order; and Contempt of Court for Violation of a No Contact Order -Domestic. Koetting’s bond was set at $19,000.
• 24-year-old Danielle Beverly Galica, of Council Bluffs, was arrested just before 5-p.m. Tuesday on I-29 in Mills County, on a warrant out of Pottawattamie County for Violation of Probation. Bond was set at $5,000.
• And, 37-year-old Tiffanie Pearl Anderson, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at around 9:15-p.m., on a Pott. County warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault. She was being held without bond, in the Mills County Jail.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Parks and Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen says on Saturday October 23rd, at 9-a.m., you’re invited to join the Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department at Sunnyside Park for a leisurely bike ride around the City of Atlantic. The ride will start and end at Sunnyside Park and is about 9.5 miles, but it is broken into 6 stages and goes past all the different parks in Atlantic.

You’re welcome to complete all the stages, or just do a few. Come enjoy great conversation and learn more about the great things happening in the area. There will be local organizations along the route showcasing many upcoming events. Come see what all the fun is about!

Want to join, but don’t have a bike? No problem! The Parks and Recreation Department has bikes and helmets you can use free of charge. If you have questions please contact the Parks and Rec Office at (712) 243-3542.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller announced a program today (Wednesday) with the University of Iowa Health to offer a statewide opioid addiction treatment program. The program will be funded with nearly four million dollars from an opioid settlement — and will train doctors and many other health care providers. “We think that the training will be certainly population-wise per capita disproportionately in rural Iowa That the practitioners that will be served will be in rural Iowa,” Miller says. “We are very conscious of having a set of programs that cover the whole state.”

U-I professor of psychiatry, Doctor Gerard Clancy, says the pandemic has exacerbated the issue. “Our society is struggling with this pandemic beyond the virus infections themselves, and it shows up with opioid addictions. We are seeing very self-destructive ways of dealing with the stress — with almost an epidemic of self-destructive behaviors across our society,” Clancy says.

Clancy says he sees the issues every day in the emergency room. “There are days when 30 percent of all our patients in the emergency room for heart attacks and strokes, and car accidents — up to 30 percent of the patients are there for mental illness and addiction issues — and that’s an increase. We’ve seen a large increase in calls to our suicide hotline, we’ve seen an increase in high-speed motor vehicle deaths, even though our driving time is down,” according to Clancy. Doctor Alison Lynch is the director of the opioid addiction clinic at U-I Hospitals & Clinics. “The primary medications that we use to treat opioid use disorder are methadone and buprenorphine. And people need easier access to these medications — particularly easier access to buprenorphine — because it is so easy to incorporate into many aspects of clinical care.”

The program trains doctors and others in how to use the drugs to help patients overcome the addiction. There is some concern because buprenorphine is an opioid, but Lynch says it does not give the high that opioid users seek. “But it does make people feel more normal. It reduces cravings for opioid and when they are taking buprenorphine they don’t have to worry about going into withdrawal,” according to Lynch. “….they feel better and it reduces the amount of time and energy that is required when they have an addiction that is not controlled.

Lynch is also professor of psychiatry and family medicine, and says getting the opioid addiction under control can help with other addictions as well. She says this new program will target some of the areas to make it easier for people to get the treatment they need. “We are going to be working with emergency departments across the state of Iowa to encourage them to offer buprenorphine to people who come into their emergency room seeking treatment for opioid use disorders,” she says. “Another part of this project involves the recognition that many contacts within our criminal justice system involve substance use. And by working with county jails we are going to help increase the capacity of jails to help people with opioid use disorder get started on the path to recovery through medication treatment.”

Lynch says those who go through the trainer get a waiver to use the drugs for opioid treatment. “One of the issues is that even when we have trained people, not everybody that gets the waiver uses it. We will be doing some things to really help people not just get the training — but also get the waiver and use the waiver,” Lynch says. If you are seeking help with mental health issues and drug or alcohol abuse, you can find a list of drug treatment providers, counselors and other treatment options via a free program called “Your Life Iowa.”

Visit yourlifeiowa.org.