(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports the arrest at around 12:40 this (Monday) morning, of 27-year-old Carlos Ivan Cortez, from Lenox. Cortez was arrested at the intersection of Elm and Page in Creston, and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance-Marijuana 1st Offense, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and OWI 1st Offense. He was taken to the Union County Jail and held on a $2,300 cash or surety bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services plans to sell some of its land at all five of its state-owned facilities. H-H-S owns and operates mental health institutions in Cherokee and Independence, the Boys State Training School in Eldora, and the Woodward and Glenwood Resource Centers. Glenwood is slated to close next year. H-H-S Director Kelly Garcia says one reason they’re selling some of the land at the Cherokee facility is to help address that area’s housing crisis. “We’ve had a few team members where we’ve tried to recruit moving from out of state and they cannot move because there is zero housing,” Garcia says.

Like many Iowa communities, affordable housing is at a premium and these parcels of land should both bring a good price and create new places to build. “We had already been thinking about really making sure we’re not holding on to land and parcels that we don’t need to anymore,” she says, “but also being good stewards of the sale of that property.”

Garcia says the department plans to host a town hall meeting in Cherokee on Wednesday about the sale. Land surveys are already complete and the properties should be on the market soon.

(Radio Iowa) – The preferred design for a new Interstate-80 bridge in the Quad Cities will be unveiled at an online hearing on Wednesday and the public will be given a chance to comment. The current I-80 bridge over the Mississippi opened for traffic in 1966. The bridge replacement project would cover six miles on I-80 — from LeClaire, Iowa, to Quincy, Illinois. Steve Robery of the Illinois D-O-T says the bridge is nearing the end of its useful life and maintenance projects have been more costly and more frequent in the past several years.

“That impacts traffic in a negative way,” Robery says. “…There’s very narrow shoulders there on the existing bridge so we often have to close down a lane of traffic and that causes back-ups.” The Iowa and Illinois Departments of Transportation launched an engineering study in 2020. In October of last year, the agencies announced bridge design alternatives had been reduced from seven to four and it’ll be narrowed to one this week.

“What we plan to do at the meeting on the 15th is to present the information that we’ve worked on in the past year,” Robery says, “…(and) explain our justification for it.” Robery says construction could start in mid-2028 or 2029. Phase One of the project is likely to be done by the middle of next year.

“Phase I is the environmental and engineering study. Phase II is the development of the plans and specifications used to actually build the bridge. That process is two to three years in itself on a major bridge,” Robery says. The bridge and the lanes leading to and from it will have a larger footprint. That means some land has to be acquired for the project and Robery says that could take up to two years.

(Radio Iowa) – State and federal officials have announced confirmed cases of bird flu at four sites in the past three days. On Saturday, the Iowa Department of Agriculture announced a hatchery in Kossuth County for game birds like pheasants and quail had been hit by the highly contagious virus.

A backyard flock of mixed species in Cerro Gordo was also identified. On Friday afternoon, officials revealed bird flu had been confirmed in a commercial operation in Taylor County. One-point-two million chickens were laying eggs in the facility. There was also confirmation Friday the virus had been confirmed in a small flock of birds in Jones County. So far this fall, officials have identified bird flu — or highly pathogenic avian influenza — at 13 sites around the state.

The governor has issued proclamations that authorize state agencies to assist in the proper disposal of birds that are being euthanized to try to contain the spread of the virus.

(Radio Iowa) – South Carolina Senator Tim Scott has suspended his presidential campaign. Scott made the announcement on the Fox News Channel program Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy. Scott said the message is clear that voters are telling him not now. Scott had cancelled events in Iowa this weekend. His campaign said he had the flu. In late October, Scott’s campaign announced he was going all-in on Iowa.

A few days later a Des Moines Register/N-B-C News Iowa Poll found former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley’s support growing, while just four percent of likely Iowa Caucus goers said they intended to vote for Senator Scott.

Scott said on Fox News last (Sunday) that he does not intend to endorse a presidential candidate and is not interested in being the party’s vice presidential nominee.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – No injuries were reported following a house fire Sunday afternoon, in Atlantic. Atlantic Fire was paged out to 2821 County Club Drive at around 4:19-p.m.  According to Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel, witnesses alerted dispatch when they saw smoke coming from the residence.

A quick assessment of the scene determined there was a working house fire. Chief Cappel says the homeowner had inhaled some smoke, and was sitting outside the home. He was treated at the scene by Cass EMS. It was then that crews began to make an an interior attack on the fire.

Once they were inside, crews entered the basement and encountered heavy black smoke both upstairs and downstairs. The fire downstairs was quickly knocked-down, Cappel said. The heat was so intense downstairs, though, a few windows were broken and the fire essentially flash extinguished itself.

The fire he said, originated with a burning candle. Cappel thanks the Atlantic Police Department and Cass EMS for their assistance. All crews returned to their quarters by around 5:45-p.m .

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors will meet at 8:30-a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14th, in their Courthouse Meeting Room. On their agenda is approval of the 1st Tier Canvass of the Nov. 7, 2023 City/School Election results.

The Board is then expected to receive a presentation from Angela Moerke, Crime Victim Advocate with the Family Crisis Center, along with a request for a $250 donation. New business for the Board includes approving a Class-C Retail Alcohol License Renewal for the Red Oak Lanes, and discussion/possible action with regard to a new desktop computer for the Montgomery County Attorney’s Office.

(Adair, Iowa) – The Adair-Casey Community School District’s Board of Education will meet in a regular session beginning at 7-p.m. Monday (Nov. 13), in the AC/GC Junior High Media Center (3384 Indigo Ave., Adair). Here’s a preview of their agenda for the evening:

I. Call to Order
II. Roll Call
III. Approve Meeting Agenda
IV. Welcome Visitors/Public Comment
V. Principal Report
VI. Superintendent Report
VII. Board Report
VIII. Financial Reports
A. Cash Balances & Bank Reconciliation
B. Nutrition Fund: Monthly Report
C. Student Activity Fund: Monthly Report
D. All Other Funds: Monthly Report
E. General Fund: Line Item Budget Monthly Report
F. General Fund: Year-to-Date Revenue/Expenditure Summary
G. General Fund: Salaries & Benefits Comparison Report
IX. Consent Items
A. Board Meeting Minutes
B. Monthly Bills
1. Prepaid
2. General Fund
3. Management Fund
4. PPEL/SAVE
5. Student Activity Fund
6. Nutrition Fund
7. VISA Credit Card
C. Open Enrollment
1. OUT- Guthrie Center- Kindergarten
2. OUT- West Central Valley- Kindergarten
3. OUT- CAM Iowa Connections Academy- 12th
4. OUT- CAM Iowa Connections Academy- 12th
D. Special Education Contracts
1. Special Education Contract – Guthrie Center
E. Resignations
F. Contract Recommendations
G. Gifts, Grants & Bequests
X. Discussion Items
A. Little Smiles Daycare
B. Early Retirement Policy
C. Enrollment Discussion
XI. Upcoming Dates
A. IASB Delegate Assembly & Pre-Convention Workshops – November 15th
B. IASB Annual Convention & Trade Show – November 16th
C. Regular Board Meeting- December 20th
D. Thanksgiving Break- November 22-27
XII. Action Items
A. 2021-22 Audit Report
B. Pay App #1 – JH Bleacher Project
C. Little Smiles 28E Agreement
XIII. Adjourn Meeting

(Anita, Iowa) – Members of the CAM School District’s Board of Education will meet in a regular session beginning at 6:30-p.m. Monday, Nov. 13th, in the CAM High School Media Center. Among the items on their agenda, is a presentation from the CAM Cross Country Team.

Discussion and possible action items include (but are not limited to):

• Approval of an Achievement Center Agreement with the Atlantic Community School District.
• Approval of the Corrective Action Plan and Authorizing the Administration to submit the Corrective Action Plan to the School Budget Review Committee (SBRC)
• Election Results
• Discussion with regard to Enrollment for 2023 and Financial Projections
• Discussion pertaining to the Facility Project Process.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Rotary is celebrating a milestone this year with the annual auction. This year celebrates the 40th anniversary of the auction. It is scheduled for Saturday, November 18th at the Cass County Community Center.

Rotary spokesperson Dolly Bergmann says over those 40 years the auction has raised over 1.2 Million dollars that have been reinvested into the community. Funds have gone to the building of the new community center, providing scholarships for Atlantic High School seniors, assisting with reading programs for the preschool. The funds have also been used toward the Dolly Parton Imagination reading program at the Library. Other donations have been to the Cass County Hospital Foundation, the American Cancer Society Festival of Trees, the Atlantic Community School Teacher Appreciation, Veteran Appreciation. Donations have been made to The Nishna Valley YMCA Partnership with Youth, the Shop with a Cop program, the ARISE Food Box program and so much more.

Bergmann said it is because of the generosity of the area businesses and individuals many wonderful items are donated to the auction. The other key to the success of the auction are those attending and purchasing items at the auction.

A raffle is associated with the auction. This year those proceeds will be going to the Splash Pad project. Tickets can be purchased from any Rotarian or at Midwest Health, located at 1101 E 7th Street. Tickets are $20 each or 6 for $100. The raffle drawing will be for a chance to win either $500, $1,000 or $1,500. The drawing will be held at the auction so you need to get your tickets as soon as you can.

Tickets to the auction are $40 per person. A meal catered by the Downtowner will be served. The evening starts with cocktails (cash bar) at 5:30 PM. Dinner is scheduled for 6:15 PM and the auction will begin at 7:15 PM. If you have not gotten your tickets please contact Ted Robinson at First Whitney Bank, 243-3195 before Friday, November 17th.

A great number of items have been donated for the auction. Some of those items include an air compressor from Atlantic Ag and Auto, an Amana washer from W & S Appliance, four-night stay at Keystone Colorado Condominium, a catered event at the Whitney Room up to 20 people by Carol Johnson from the Downtowner. You will also find two beautiful necklaces from Hanson Fine Jewelry have been donated. There is a Victorian Terrarium donated by Darrin Kimball from RELIC. There are so many more items available. Check out the Atlantic Rotary Facebook page for pictures of many of the items available.