DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating an oil spill at Keg Creek in Mills County.

At approximately 5:25 a.m on Feb. 15, the Iowa DNR received a call via the 24-hour spill line from Mills County. At 4:30 AM, a fire broke out at the Best Finish Auto Body facility located in the City of Glenwood. Local fire and law enforcement responded to the scene and reported that an unknown amount of oil had made its way into storm drains flowing into Keg Creek. Further investigation revealed a maximum of 240 gallons of oil, 120 gallons of used oil, 80 gallons of transmission fluid, and 80 gallons of antifreeze were in the facility at the time of the fire.

Local crews added sand berms near the storm drain to help mitigate the product and fire water mixture from entering the drains. DNR staff later observed an oily sheen in Keg Creek approximately three miles south of the incident. An environmental company is on-site and working with the DNR on cleanup efforts. Water samples have been collected. No dead fish have been observed.

The investigation is currently ongoing. Further enforcement action will be considered when appropriate.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports a 2009 Ford F-150 pickup sustained disabling damage (amounting to $16,000), during a collision with a deer Wednesday morning. The accident happened at around 7:20-a.m. on Indigo Avenue. The driver of the pickup, 18-year-old Brian J. Burris, of Scranton, was not injured in the accident.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) –  A vehicle driven by a man from Cass County (IA) sustained $7,500 damage when it was struck by a deer, but no one was hurt. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office say a 2019 Ford Ecosport SUV driven by 36-year-old Casey Lynn Brown, of Atlantic, was traveling west on Highway 44 west of Panora, at around 7:25-p.m., Wednesday, when a deer collided with the left front side of the vehicle, causing the SUV to become disabled.

(Radio Iowa) – A Sioux Center dentist says the free dental clinic his practice offered to children in need Tuesday was a success. Several days of screenings were held at Sioux Center schools to determine the needs for the children who participated in the first “Give Kids a Smile” dental clinic operated by Doctor Trevor Kuiper and his staff. “We only did about 12 extractions which wasn’t too bad but we had close to 40 fillings, about the same number of sealants, and we did get 30 cleanings, X-rays and a couple other procedures as well,” Kuiper says. He says the total cost for all the services provided to the children was a little more then 23-thousand dollars.

Kuiper and his staff got help from several volunteers who came from Community Health Partners, Mid-Sioux, and Kinsey Elementary School. Kuiper says it was a good day of helping kids in need. “It’s always hard when you’re working on the kids because you know you’re doing things that don’t feel good. They’re not things that are always understood by the kids at the time,” Kuiper says. “But we’re really hopeful that as the days and weeks go on for these kids and everything heals up, that they’re going to be in a much better position. They’re going to be eat, they’re going to be able to sleep. They’re going to be able to go about doing normal kid things without having to worry about their mouth hurting.”

Kuiper says one thing he may consider doing differently for the next “Give Kids a Smile” clinic, is to schedule it later in the week. He says the difficult thing for him is most of the kids treated Tuesday need more dental care, and that there are many more children needing dental services that won’t get it because either their parents can’t get off work to take them to a dentist, or they have financial limitations.

(Radio Iowa) – Senate Republicans are proposing changes in Governor Kim Reynolds’ plan to overhaul Iowa’s nine Area Education Agencies. Reynolds wants to send all government funding for special education services to schools, so districts could continue using A-E-As for those services or choose another provider. A bill approved by the Senate Education Committee would still send 10 percent of that special education funding to A-E-As, but school districts would control the rest. A-E-As also would get 40 percent of the money they receive now for media services as well as other A-E-A services for teachers and all students. Republican Senator Lynn Evans, a retired superintendent from Aurelia, says their plan provides a safety net for the A-E-A system. “So everything being provided by the AEAs will continue to be provided by the AEAs,” Evans says, “and we have reestablished funding that the governor stripped out.”

House Republicans have proposed their own alternative that would guarantee A-E-As keep all government funding to provide special education services in Iowa schools. Governor Reynolds says she appreciates that the conversation about A-E-A changes is continuing. Evans says Senate Republicans will make more adjustments to their plan when the bill is debated in the full Senate. “This amendment is the result of listening to and working with AEAs and superintendents,” Evans said, “while understanding that this is not the final product.”

Democrats on the committee voted against the plan as it was presented last (Wednesday) night. Senator Claire Celsi, a Democrat from West Des Moines, says the A-E-A system is working and the proposed changes in distributing special education funding would make it difficult for A-E-As and schools to provide services to students with disabilities. “To come in here with a bulldozer like this — it’s not fair,” Celsi said. “It’s not necessary and the people in our state do not want this.” Senator Molly Donahue, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, says if the goal is to improve test scores among students with disabilities, the Senate G-O-P plan won’t get there. “Our rural communities don’t have the same ability to provide these services that our urban do, which is why the AEAs were put in place in the first place,” Donahue says. Senate Republicans say some A-E-As provide more services than others and putting the Iowa Department of Education in charge will fix that.

The House Education Committee will consider A-E-A service changes late this (Thursday) afternoon.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Auditor Jill Ozuna conducted a successful post-election audit of the February 06, 2024, Special Election to fill vacancies on the City of Coburg City Council. Ozuna says ballots in Precinct 6 were hand- counted by election officials to ensure they matched the totals reported by the ballot tabulator. The precinct was randomly selected by the Secretary of State following Election Day. The Special Election City of Coburg City Council TFV Race was audited. The results matched 100%.  Ozuna says “The hand count audit shows that our machines tabulate accurately and further restores integrity of our election process.”

Every ballot tabulator in Iowa undergoes a public pre-election test to ensure it will count votes accurately on Election Day. Post-election audits are mandatory in all 99 counties following each election. For more information about election security in Iowa, visit the Secretary of State’s website at sos.iowa.gov. Information about the voting process is available at VoterReady.Iowa.gov.

Questions about the post-election audit and other election matters may be directed to the Montgomery County Auditor’s office at 712-623-5127.

Montgomery County Auditor Jill Ozuna

As previously reported, the Board of Supervisors, on Tues., Feb. 13, 2024, canvassed the election results. Those elected, each of whom received nine votes (33.33% each), are Annajenifer Beaman, Alexandria Schooling and Anthony Schooling. There were 19 registered voters for the election and nine ballots cast, for a voter turnout of 49.95-percent.

(Anita, Iowa) – The CAM School District’s Board of Education met Monday evening at the High School in Anita. During their regular, monthly session, the Board acted on approving a resignation and two contracts. Shared CAM/Nodaway Valley Superintendent Paul Croghan…

The Board also approved a Budget Guarantee for FY 2024/2025.

And, they held discussion with regard to the FY24/25 Budget…

Superintendent Croghan said the continued with discussion on the District’s Facilities Project.

Croghan said spoke also about a group juniors and seniors who are taking a trip out east next month.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – As part of his annual visits to each of Iowa’s 99 counties, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig will be in Southwest Iowa on Friday for four different stops.

In Shelby County, Secretary Naig will tour a brand new, Farm Service Cooperative Warehouse. He was unable to attend their open house last summer and so he will tour the warehouse and meet with employees and leadership to hear about current issues and how preparations for the spring planting season are going.

In Harrison County, Secretary Naig will tour and learn about the IGNITE Pathways Land and Cattle Program, in Woodbine. IGNITE was founded by a group of enterprising students in 2022. The program aims to provide practical learning opportunities in agriculture by renting a farm and raising chickens, goats, sheep, and cattle. The students have demonstrated their commitment to the welfare of the animals by taking on the responsibility of sourcing resources, building and maintaining farm infrastructure, and installing fences. Under the guidance of Justin Mills, Agriculture Instructor at IGNITE Pathways, the program has grown in scale and scope. The students gain invaluable hands-on experience in various aspects of agriculture, including caring for animals, crop cultivation, and farm management.

And, the Secretary will speak at a regional Iowa Corn Growers meeting in Missouri Valley, about current topics in agriculture, provide an update on some of his priorities and initiatives, and take questions from the audience.

In Pottawattamie County, Secretary Naig will meet with FFA members and ag students from the Tri-Center FFA in Neola, and learn about their school’s efforts to partner on pollinator habitat and conservation and water quality projects with area partners, including the local Soil and Water Conservation District. Ahead of FFA Week, which is the following week,  Secretary Naig will also tour their livestock facility.

(Creston, Iowa) – Two people were arrested in Creston, late Wednesday morning. Creston Police report 54-year-old Mary Ann Giles, of Creston, and 59-year-old Jimmy Alan Robertson, of Bridgewater, were arrested in the vicinity of W. Union and New York Avenue, at around 11:30-a.m., Wednesday. Both were transported to the Union County Jail for Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order. They were subsequently released on their Own Recognizance, after being seen by a Judge.