(Radio Iowa) – A Sioux City man is charged with second-degree robbery for a bank holdup that was a repeat of a past crime. Police say 31-year-old Jonathan Birdnecklace entered the great Southern bank shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday and passed a note to the teller demanding money and made a threat to shoot the teller if they pushed an alarm. He was located about a mile away by police later Tuesday afternoon.

This is the second time Birdnecklace has been arrested for robbing that great Southern Bank. He was arrested and charged with robbing the bank on October 30th of 2014. Birdnecklace was convicted of second-degree robbery that time and served several years in prison.

Jonathan Birdnecklace. (Sioux City booking photo)

He is being held on a $35,000 bond for the latest bank robbery charge.

(Radio Iowa) – A report from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services proposes big changes to public health models, including the consolidation of county public health offices into ten to 15 regions across Iowa. It could mean local public health workers would become state employees. Kaitlin Emrich, public health director for Black Hawk County, worries the quality of care could diminish the further it gets from the local level. “It would have significant impacts on how we serve our communities,” Emrich says.

“Obviously, we would lose some decision making, and potentially have workforce changes along with that as well.” She says keeping public health as close to home as possible is important for quality care.

“As locals, we tend to really be proud of the fact that we know our communities well,” Emrich says, “that we understand what their needs are, and are adaptive to their needs and responsive to their needs.” Under the proposal from H-H-S, each of the state’s new health office regions would be serving at least 30-thousand people.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa [KETV]— A private school in Sioux City, Iowa is now arming staff members. KETV reports the superintendent of Siouxland Christian School says the idea started 18 months ago. Lindsay Laurich says after looking at research and holding several conversations, she decided to arm staff on campus. Laurich won’t say how many have access to the weapons, but says they were carefully vetted and trained.

Laurich says guns are something they hope never to have to use, but they will be available for staff to use, if a threat materializes.

It’s important to note that as a private school, Siouxland Christian has more leeway to implement a policy like this. Public schools need elected leaders support to move forward.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston, Wednesday night, arrested a man from Lenox. 36-year-old Alex Jordan Kolthoff was arrested at the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center on a charge of Child Endangerment. Kolthoff was taken to Union County Jail and later released after posting a $2,000 cash or approved surety bond.

(Bode, Iowa) – Police in Fort Dodge have arrested a person of interest in connection to a fatal shooting that occurred on December 29th (2023).  Investigators say they received a tip Wednesday (Jan. 24, 2024), that 37-year-old David S. Dayton, of Ft. Dodge, was in the Humboldt County town of Bode. Earlier in the day, Wednesday, police increased the reward for information leading to Dayton. Police say David Dayton is a person of interest in the homicide of 45-year-old Ryan Andrews, in Fort Dodge.

At around 1:15-p.m., Wednesday, members of the Ft. Dodge Police Department with the assistance of the Iowa State Patrol Tactical Team, as well as numerous other law enforcement agencies, executed a search warrant at a residence in Bode. Law enforcement made numerous attempts to make contact with Dayton, but were initially unsuccessful. Authorities say multiple tactics were used to manage the incident and safeguard Dayton, members of the community, and law enforcement. After a period of time, Dayton exited the residence and was taken into custody on a Violation of Parole warrant out of Pocahontas County.

David S. Dayton

In addition to the previously mentioned ISP Tactical Team, Ft. Dodge Police were assisted by the State Patrol, Iowa DCI, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Webster County Attorney’s Office, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, and Humboldt County Emergency Services.

(Radio Iowa) – A University of Iowa study finds workers may see more success by making suggestions to their bosses using a question instead of a declarative statement. Daniel Newton, a U-I professor of management and entrepreneurship, says instead of saying, “We should have fewer meetings to boost productivity,” you should ask, “Have we thought about having fewer meetings to boost productivity?” Newton says a direct assertion may come across as pushy, but by framing suggestions in the form of a question, employees create a dialogue that allows managers and employees to work together to make the company better.

While many of us are taught that we have to speak up to get anything done, the study determined a less direct approach may work better, following the old saying about catching more flies with honey than with vinegar.

(Radio Iowa) – The University of Iowa is one step closer to acquisition of the Mercy Hospital in Iowa City after the approval of bylaws that allow Mercy’s medical staff to continue practicing after the merger. U-I Vice President of Medical Affairs, Denise Jamieson says the acquisition will be completed on January 31st. She says they have been working to bring Mercy staff on board and welcome them to the U-I Hospitals and Clinics family.

She says U-I personnel will be at Mercy Iowa City starting on January 30th to help in the transition. The Board of Regents approved the staff bylaws in a meeting Wednesday. The U-I’s bid of 28 million dollars for Mercy Iowa City was approved by the bankruptcy court in October.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A report of a possibly intoxicated driver in Red Oak, Wednesday, resulted in an arrest. Red Oak Police dispatched to the 2400 block of N. 8th Street, located 34-year-old Mark Robert Griger, of Red Oak. Upon further investigation, Griger was arrested for OWI/1st offense. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill introduced in the Iowa House would require that students and teachers in Iowa public schools stand at attention and sing the National Anthem daily. Representative Sue Cahill, a Democrat from Marshalltown, is one of the legislators assigned to review the bill and she asked everyone present to join her in singing the National Anthem.

Cahill says the Iowa Capitol’s a perfect place to sing the song, but patriotism comes from the heart and shouldn’t be forced. “Teachers have enough to do right now without adding another requirement to implement and then handle consequences if students don’t participate correctly,” Cahill said. If the bill as written becomes law, teachers and students who object to singing the National Anthem would be required to stay silent and stand while others sing.

The bill says students in every grade should be taught the words and history of the song and how to love, honor and respect the anthem. It also specifies at least one of the four verses of the song be sung every school day — and on patriotic occasions the entire song would be sung. Republican Representative Henry Stone of Forest City says backing the bill is a no brainer for him. “I support patriotism and anything we can do to advance that,” Stone says. “I look forward to moving this bill forward, having more conversations in committee and to see how that pans out.”

Stone retired after a 23 year career in the Air Force and is the third generation of his family to serve in the military. “I believe in this bill,” Stone says. “I believe it’s something that we can put back in our schools that has added value.” Republican Representative Phil Thompson of Boone also voted to send the bill to the House Education Committee. “Happy to advance any conversation promoting patriotism and civics in our schools,” Thompson says.

Dave Daughton is a lobbyist for the School Administrators of Iowa and Rural School Advocates of Iowa. He says the groups aren’t opposed to patriotism. “We think a lot of this is being taught in classrooms already,” Daughton says. “…We just don’t want to be mandated that all districts have to do it and do it in the same way.” Damian Thompson of Iowa Safe Schools says he’s not crazy about having people kneel or sit for the National Anthem. “I 100% respect their constitutional right to do so,” he said, “and by mandating that they stand, students’ First Amendment rights would be violated.”

The bill only applied to public schools in Iowa. Private schools would be exempt from classroom instruction on the National Anthem and singing the song daily.