(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa native who’s been president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests — known as “SNAP” — is stepping down from the post. Tim Lennon has been SNAP’s president for the past three years and a part of the group’s board of directors for a decade. “During that time I’ve seen a dramatic increase in acceptance, acknowledgement of how widespread sexual abuse is within society,” Lennon says. “We have found that even with sacred institutions, like the Catholic Church, that sexual abuse is going on by clergy and that the hierarchy was covering it up.”

Lennon was abused by a parish priest in Sioux City when he was 12 years old. Lennon says after he publicly disclosed the abuse five decades later, 15 of his classmates came forward with similar accounts.  “So getting public awareness and knowledge is very, very important to reaching those who are suffering in silence,” Lennon says. Lennon credits an investigation by Pennsylvania’s attorney general with getting the Catholic Church to admit years of wrongdoing. In February of 2019, the Sioux City Diocese released a list of 28 priests who had been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors. “The only reason that they’ve come forward with the list was they were compelled to do by public outrage,” Lennon says. “After the Pennsylvania grand jury investigated, they found 300 other clergy and over a thousand victims, so this compelled the Sioux City Diocese and other dioceses to release names.”

Iowa lawmakers changed state law this year, removing time limits for filing criminal charges against a person accused of sexually abusing a child. Lennon, who lives in Tucson, Arizona, has lobbied at the Iowa Capitol for that change, but he also wants to see the time frame changed for victims who want to file a civil lawsuit against someone who abused them as a child. The so-called statute of limitations requires child sex abuse victims to file lawsuits seeking damages before their 33rd birthday.

Officials with the Atlantic Police Department, today (Tuesday), said there were eight arrests from June 27th through July 17th, and one person cited. Four people were arrested for Disorderly Conduct:

• 42-year-old Monte Casteel, of Atlantic, was arrested June 27th
• 20-year-old JR Berdon, 33-year-old James Erickson, and 28-year-old Renson Berdon, all of Atlantic, were arrested July 5th.

Atlantic Police arrested 39-year-old Jasper Daniel, of Atlantic, on July 17th. He was charged with Driving While License Barred. On July 15th, 21-year-old Kyle Confere, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Interference with Official Acts. On July 12th, 45-year-old Amanda Bashor, of Atlantic, was arrested for Public Intoxication. June 30th, Atlantic Police arrested 54-year-old Bryan Westphalen, of Atlantic, for Domestic Abuse Assault.

And, on July 11th, 29-year-old Devin Gardner, of Atlantic, was cited for Driving While Barred. He was released at the scene with his citation. All of the other subjects mentioned were booked into the Cass County Jail and later released.

(Griswold, Iowa) – Members of the Griswold School Board met Monday evening and discussed the number of open positions that still remain within the District. Superintendent Dave Henrichs reports that includes the need for an elementary classroom teacher.

He also spoke with the Board about redistricting, and how that might affect the Board makeup.

He says any changes should not impact the upcoming November elections, but it would likely affect future elections if there are boundary changes. Dave Henrichs said also, the Board approved the resignation of Custodian Reed Porter, Patty Jipsen as Route Bus Driver/MS-HS Paraeducator. They also approved some new hires….

Henrichs says the Board voted to re-appoint Dan Rold as Business Manager/Treasurer, Hannah Bierbaum as Board Secretary, and George Blazek ,with Frank, Sextro & Blazek, PLC., in Denison, as the District’s Attorney.

Police in Shenandoah, Monday afternoon, arrested a man following an investigation into a reported incident of trespassing. Authorities says officers called to the 200 block of North Blossom Street around 12:05 p.m. located a suspect — 29-year-old Daniel Dean Archer, of Shenandoah — and attempted to detain him.

Daniel Dean Archer

When Archer allegedly resisted arrest, and one officer suffered minor injuries. Archer faces charges that include disorderly conduct and interference with official acts causing bodily injury. He was being held in the Page County Jail on $1,300 bond.

Richard Eugene Darrell

Police in Red Oak, Monday afternoon, arrested a man on a warrant out of Nodaway County, Missouri, for sexual abuse and other charges. Authorities report 53-year-old Richard Eugene Darrell, of Red Oak, was arrested on a warrant charging him with: Sodomy 1^st Degree; two counts each of Sexual Abuse 1^st Degree and Child Molestation, along with Deviant Sexual Intercourse with a person under the age of 14.

Richard Darrell was held without bond, pending extradition by Nodaway County, Missouri authorities.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Monday’s (July 19th) Des Moines City Council meeting resulted in arrests after protesters disrupted proceedings. It is the third Des Moines City Council meeting in a row to be disrupted by protests. According to KCCI, tensions ramped up after council members voted 4-2 not to allow public comment on items on the consent agenda, some of which were police-related, later voting unanimously to pass the consent agenda.

One of the consent agenda items regarded grant funding for police de-escalation training. Others included grants for police equipment and the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, as well as funding for public safety dispatch software updates. There were at least four arrests after groups began protesting with signs calling to defund the Des Moines Police Department. The arrests began after Mayor Frank Cownie ordered a protester, standing on a chair, to sit down and later leave. The protester remained standing and did not leave.

A previous city council meeting resulted in one arrest. Monday’s meeting resumed after the arrest with discussions on items not related to police. During the public comment section, a number of supporters of law enforcement spoke up as part of a “Back the Blue” group. Others spoke in support of protest groups.