(Radio Iowa) – One of two inmates charged with killing two Anamosa prison employees in March has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. Thomas Woodard had pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of a prison guard and a nurse, along with kidnapping another prison employee and attempting to kill another inmate.

Sara McFarland, the wife of correctional officer Robert McFarland, was first to deliver a victim impact statement before the sentencing. “On March 23, you took my world, my heart from me…I miss him holding my hand so much,” she said. McFarland says her husband was able to call for help as he was being attacked and died a hero.

“‘The fact that you hit him with a hammer like you could have cared less about him makes me more angry than I have ever been in my life,” she said. “I have never hated anyone like I hate you and, to be quite honest, I hope you rot in hell for what you took from us all.” Cathie McFarland, the slain officer’s mother, says she’s going through the worst nightmare a parent can go through.

“When I wake up, the reality hits me,” she said. “…My baby boy is gone forever because you chose to take his life.” Stephanie Schulte, the mother of prison nurse Lorena Schulte, faced the judge as she read a statement rather than face the man who had killed her daughter. Gretchen Price, one of Schulte’s sister’s, says her baby boy was only 17 days old when Lorena was killed, but her three daughters often spent time with their aunt and every day Price wonders who in the family will be triggered by a memory.

“Weeks of crying on and off all day, nightmares, screaming in the night while they grieve her loss,” she said. “This is our current reality.” The prison employee who was held hostage during the break-out attempt submitted a written statement to the court. Woodard declined to make a statement before his sentencing. He’s scheduled for transfer to a Nebraska prison.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports 47-year-old Heath Allen McClarnon, of rural Clarinda, was arrested Thursday (8/26) in Clarinda, on a Page County Warrant for Theft 2nd Degree and Conspiracy to commit a non-forcible felony. Clarinda Police Department assisted in his arrest.

McClarnon was transported to the Page County Jail where he is being held on $5000 bond, pending further court proceedings. McClarnon’s charges stem from a complaint filed by United Electric Cooperative in regards to theft of services at McClarnon’s residence in rural Page County.

McClarnon

The investigation was conducted by the Page County Sheriff’s Office.

The Cass County Auditor’s Office reports three candidates filed their nomination papers for the Nov. 2nd Cumberland City Elections, Thursday. Incumbents Mike Hill and Darrin Hardisty, of Cumberland, are running for the City Council in Cumberland, where there are three seats on the ballot. And, Nancy Virginia Coughlin is running for re-election as Mayor, in Cumberland. She has served as Mayor since 2010.

As of Thursday, the following candidates have filed to run for other offices in Cass County:

Mayor of Atlantic:

Current Councilpersons Pat McCurdy, Grace Garrett and Kathy Somers.

Atlantic City Council, 5th Ward:

Dick Casady (Incumbent)

Mayor of Anita (to fill a vacancy):

John Knutson.

City of Atlantic Parks and Recreation Board:

Shirley Jensen.

Nomination papers may be filed with the Cass County Auditors Office until 5-p.m., Sept. 16th.

The Mayor of Audubon, Thursday, said a Water Emergency that was set to expire September 1st, has instead been extended until October 1st. At that time, the situation will be reevaluated.

The City reminds its citizens that these actions involving the use of water, are not allowed during the Water Emergency:

• Watering Yards. The sprinkling, watering or irrigating of shrubbery, trees, lawns, grass, ground cover, plants, vines, gardens, vegetables, flowers, or any other vegetation.
• Washing Mobile Equipment. The washing of automobiles, trucks, trailers, trailer-houses, railroad cars, or any other type of mobile equipment.
• Outdoor Cleaning Services. The washing of sidewalks, driveways, filling station aprons, porches, and other outdoor services.
• The Cleaning of Buildings. The washing of the outside of the dwellings; the washing of the inside and outside of office buildings.
• Cleaning Equipment and Machinery. The washing and cleaning of any business or industrial equipment and machinery.
• Ornamental Fountains. The operation of any ornamental fountain or other structure making a similar use of water.
• Swimming Pools. The filling of swimming and wading pools not employing a filter and recirculating system.
• Fire Hydrants. The use of water from fire hydrants for any purpose other than fire suppression or other public emergency.
• Escape through Defective Plumbing. The escape of water through defective plumbing, which shall mean the knowing permission for defective plumbing to remain out of repair.
• Restaurants. The serving of drinking water in restaurants, cafeterias, or other food establishments unless requested by the individual.

Penalties for violations will be $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense, and $300 for third and subsequent offenses.

The Iowa Department of Transportation has finalized its offers of funding for the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2022 City Bridge Program. For this funding cycle, funds were available to offer assistance to 32 bridges that had 19 or more priority points. The final rankings are shown on the City Bridge Candidate List.

Among the bridge projects the DOT that were offered funding in the FY22 City Bridge Program, are those in Villisca, Council Bluffs, Adel, and Red Oak. All but Adel declined the offer through Federal-aid swap. The Iowa DOT annually makes Federal-aid Swap and State funds available for the purposes of reducing the number of “Poor” bridges (formerly known as Structurally Deficient or Functionally Obsolete bridges) on the local roadway system. Bridges are ranked to receive funding based on a priority point system explained in Local Systems I.M. 1.100, Federal and State Bridge Programs.

The worksheet used to calculate the priority points is in Attachment A to I.M. 1.100. Priority points for each section of the worksheet were calculated using information from the bridge’s latest inspection approved in the Structure Inventory and Inspection Management System (SIIMS). Beginning in November, the Iowa DOT will make another round of offers for Federal-aid Swap and State funds to qualifying bridge projects, as detailed in I.M. 1.100. The number of offers will depend on the funds available.

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If a city wishes to place a bridge on the candidate list, the city should submit a request, on city letterhead, that includes the following:

• The Federal Structural Number (FHWA #)
  • Street name
  • Feature crossed
  • The most recent cost estimate available

The request needs to be signed by a city official (for example City Engineer, Public Works Director, City Clerk, Mayor, etc.) Requests for FFY 2023 are due by Friday October 1, 2021. The evaluations of the bridges will be based on the most recent bridge inspection approved in SIIMS by September 30, 2021. Please send requests to Sarah.Okerlund@IowaDOT.us.

If a city has previously placed a bridge on the candidate list that was not selected this year, it will remain on the list until the city is offered and accepts funding or the city requests that we remove a bridge from the candidate list. If a city has a bridge on the list and wants it removed for any reason, please contact me. Upon request of the city, any bridge removed from the list may be added back at any time, provided the bridge remains in “poor” condition.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department on Aging is celebrating centenarians who are 100 years old or older. These individuals have lived through life experiences that most of us have only read about in books or seen in movies; their strength, endurance and collective wisdom inspires us all and they deserve to be recognized in a safe way. In an effort to recognize Iowans who are celebrating 100 years or more of life, the Iowa Department on Aging and the state’s Area Agencies on Aging invite the public to help identity centenarians in our state.

To assist the State of Iowa in recognizing centenarians, a centenarian recognition form can be found at   https://appengine.egov.com/apps/ia/ida_centenarians.  Centenarians and their loved ones can fill out the form and the information collected will be maintained in a secure database.

For the purposes of this program, a centenarian is any older adult who will be 100 or older by Dec. 31, 2021, and whose primary residence is Iowa. Each centenarian will turning 100 years old in 2021 receive a certificate signed by Governor Reynolds that is suitable for framing. In addition, the Iowa Department on Aging will give all Iowans 100 and older the option to have a profile on their website that will consist of their first name, picture, and fun information that is shared via the form. The Department will also be hosting a virtual event in the late Fall/early Winter where all Iowans 100+ will be recognized and celebrated. More information will come as the time nears.

To ensure that you or your loved one can be recognized, fill out the form by August 30th, 2021. For questions contact Marissa Vance at marissa.patterson1@iowa.gov.