(Radio Iowa) – The defense will begin its case today (Monday) after the prosecution rested its case earlier than expected in the trial of the wife of a Woodbury County supervisor accused of 52 counts of voter fraud. Kim Phuong (Fong) Taylor, the wife of Woodbury County Supervisor Jeremy Taylor, allegedly filled out or helped fill out absentee ballots for numerous Vietnamese residents in the Sioux City area and either signed them or had them signed by other people who were not authorized to cast the ballot.

Prosecutors heard testimony from more local Vietnamese residents about that Thursday and then rested their case against Taylor without calling other county officials to testify as had been expected.

(Radio Iowa) – Former President Donald Trump is promising to go on offense as his rivals say they’re aiming for a surprise finish in the January 15th Iowa Caucuses. “We won’t do like in the NFL, go prevent defense,” Trump said. “We have to keep going, right?” The most recent Des Moines Register Iowa Poll found Trump with a 27 point lead on his closest competitors.

“This is so important because you are first in the nation. Make sure that I, we win by a lot because you know if we win by a lot, I think all these characters cancel out. That’s going to be the end of them,” Trump said. “…We’ve got to beat the Democrats. We’ve got to stop this nonsense.” During a speech in Fort Dodge on Saturday, Trump touched on a wide range of issues, including his support of ethanol and the 28 BILLION dollars in trade disruption payments to farm operations in 2018 and 2019.

“Every sane person without what they call ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ — you know what that is? It’s a great honor. I had a disease named after me, Trump Derangement Syndrome — wants to get back to how great we had it under the Trump Administration,” Trump said. Three candidates — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy — kicked off the weekend by sitting at a table together. The event was hosted by The Family Leader, an Iowa based Christian organization, and all three candidates linked their support of abortion restrictions to their own personal experiences.

DeSantis and Ramaswamy shared that their wives had both miscarried their first pregnancies. DeSantis and his wife are now the parents of three children under the age of seven. “Life has a long and winding road.,” DeSantis said. “Keep the faith, but it also told me: you know what, this is special. I’ve got to fight for these kids and I’ve got to fight for all these kids.” Ramaswamy told the crowd his wife thought she was having a second miscarriage that actually turned out to be their first-born child.

“When you bring life into this world, you protect all life — born and unborn,” Ramaswamy said. “…God taught us that in a different way than we had planned.” Haley told the crowd she’s pro-life because her husband is adopted and she had difficulty becoming pregnant. “I think anybody who’s appreciated that gift of life, you don’t take it lightly because you know it’s a blessing,” Haley said. The forum was billed as an adult conversation focused on explaining their views rather than attacking a Republican rival, but event moderate Bob Vander Plaats, The Family Leader’s president and C-E-O, asked each candidate to respond to critics — including Trump’s criticism of Haley.

“The tone at the top matters because it dictates what happens afterwards,” Haley said. Ramaswamy — when asked to respond to being called “Vivek the Fake” — suggested there’s a time and a place for everything. “I’m not going to criticize our last Republican predecessor for necessarily bringing a fight at a moment when a fight was required,” Ramaswamy said. “And I think there’s still an element where fight is required now.” And DeSantis responded to Trump’s complaint that he’s disloyal and should have waited to run for president in 2028.

“We’re a republic. It’s not about waiting your turn,” DeSantis said, to cheers and applause. “You have a right as a citizen to put your name out there and to fight for the country that you believe in.” Governor Kim Reynolds, who endorsed DeSantis a week ago, also campaigned with DeSantis this weekend.

Red Oak, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, Sunday night, said that at approximately 3:32-p.m. Sunday, November 19, 2023, a Red Oak police officer made contact with a male subject outside a residence located at 310 Broad Ave in Red Oak, Iowa.  The officer was investigating the driver for operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license.  After a physical struggle with the officer, the subject was able to get away and made entry to his vehicle.  In doing so, the subject, in a reckless manner, allegedly drove towards the officer.

The officer fired his weapon striking the subject causing a serious, but non-life-threatening injury. The subject was taken by ambulance to the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska for medical treatment for his injury.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) was requested to investigate the officer involved shooting.  This is an on-going investigation.  No further details are being released at this time.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – A person crossing a street Sunday evening in Council Bluffs, was struck and killed by a vehicle. Authorities say at approximately 6:26-p.m., the Council Bluffs Police Department and Council Bluffs Fire Department responded to a car versus pedestrian collision at the intersection of Veterans Memorial Highway and Twin City Dr. A pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene of the collision.

A preliminary investigation determined two pedestrians were crossing Veterans Memorial Highway at the intersection with Twin City Dr. The pedestrians were walking from the Chapel Ridge Apartments north, across the intersection. One of the pedestrians was struck by a westbound vehicle. At this time, authorities say intoxication and speed are not believed to be factors.

The names of the driver and the deceased pedestrian were not immediately released. The incident is still under investigation by the Council Bluffs Police Traffic Unit.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department report the arrested at around 3:52-p.m., Sunday, of 33-year-old Matthew Edwin Thomas, of Creston. He was arrested at the intersection of Devoe and Oak. Thomas was charged with Driving while Revoked. He was taken to the Union County Jail. and later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

(Red Oak & Atlantic, Iowa) – The Montgomery and Cass County Boards of Supervisors will hold their regularly scheduled (separate) meetings, Tuesday, Nov. 21st.  The Montgomery County Board meets at 8:30-a.m. in the Board Room at the Court House in Red Oak.

On their agenda is: a regular update from the County Secondary Roads Department; Approval of the Second Tier Canvass of the Nov. 7, 2023 City/School Election  results; An update from the County’s Insurance agent with regard to an ICAP (Iowa Communities Assurance Pool) renewal package; Discussion and possible action on changes to the Destination Iowa grant amendment and Conflict of Interest Form; And, Discussion with regard to publication issues, and a related request from the Villisca Review newspaper to be reinstated as a publisher with Montgomery County.

In Atlantic, the Cass County Board of Supervisor’s regular weekly meeting gets underway at 9-a.m. in their Courthouse Board Room. Their agenda items include [*action item]:

• A Presentation and request for funding from Family Crisis Centers
• Annual report and funding request by Wendy Mueller, Executive Director of West Central Community Action
• Monthly report by Jotham Arber, Executive Director of Cass/Guthrie County Environmental Health
• Weekly report from Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken
• Approve wage change for Auditor’s Clerk, Hannah Richter from $19.00 to $20.00 following probationary period and positive evaluation*
• Approve Family Farm Application Eligibility*
• Second-tier Canvass of 2023 City/School Election*
• Supervisor Committee Reports
• Approve claims
• Adjournment

Next Meeting: Tuesday, November 28, 2023

(Audubon, Iowa) – The Audubon Community School District will hold the final meeting of the retiring School Board, and Organizational meeting of the New Board, Monday evening in the High School Board Room, beginning at 7-p.m. Here’s the agenda:

ANNUAL MEETING OF RETIRING BOARD

1.0 Call to Order

2.0 Approve Agenda

3.0 Approve Consent Agenda

3.01 Minutes

3.01.1 October 16, 2023 – Regular Meeting

3.02.2 October 25, 2023 – Board Work Session

3.02 Warrants and Financial Reports

4.0 Accept Canvass of Votes from County Auditor

5.0 Annual settlement of Accounts

6.0 Adjournment of Retiring Board

ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING OF NEW BOARD

1.0 Call to Order – Board Secretary as President Pro-tem

2.0 Administer Oath of Office to Newly Elected Members – Mark Nissen, Anne Bomstad-Miller, and Justin Sprague

3.0 Election of Officers and Oath of Office

3.01 President – President will preside after receiving oath of office

3.02 Vice President

4.0 Approve Agenda

5.0 Public Comments – Please contact the Supt. or Board President (Board Policy #213)

6.0 Action Items

6.01 Appoint Ahlers-Cooney as Legal Counsel for the Board

6.02 Appoint the Audubon County Advocate Journal as Paper of General Circulation

6.03 Appoint Carla Christensen as Board Secretary/Treasurer

6.04 Appointment of Committee Members

6.05 Approve Snow Removal Contract

6.06 Approve Early Retirement Applications

6.07 Approve SBRC Requests for Modified Supplemental Amount

6.08 Approve Change Orders

6.09 Approve Sharing of Superintendent with Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton Pending Approval of Contract

6.10 Personnel

7.0 Communication & Updates

7.01 School Board Convention Review

7.02 Building Project Update

7.03 Bus Garage Discussion – PPEL/SAVE Budget

7.04 Principal’s Reports

8.0 Adjournment

Next Regular Meeting: Monday, December 18, 2023, 7:00 PM

(Griswold, Iowa) – Members of the Griswold Community School District’s Board of Education will meet 5:30-p.m. Monday (Nov. 20), in the Conference Room at the High School. The meeting agenda follows, below (I=Information only; D.R.=Decision required):

• Call Meeting to Order

• Reading of Mission Statement

• Approval of Agenda (D.R.)

• Public Input

• Superintendent’s Report:

Thank You Card(s) (I)
The Month in Review – Administration (I)
Board Learning Opportunities (I)
– Honor October Recipients

– Select November Recipient(s)

– Review Election Results

• Consent Agenda (D.R.)

Approval of Minutes

Approval of Financial Statements

Approval of Bills

4. Personnel

5. Gifts, Memorials, Bequests

Old Business

6. Board Policies – Second Reading (D.R.) – 503.08, 705.1, 705.1R1, 705.1R2, 705.2, 705.3, 705.4, 705.4R1

7. Consider Activation Status Of Early Retirement Policies – 407.6/407.6E1

And 413.6/413.6E1 (D.R.)

8. Establish 2023-2024 Board Goals (D.R.)

New Business

9. Presentation On The Teacher Leadership And Compensation Program (I)

10. Consider Approval Of The 2023-2024 Individual Career And Academic Plan – ICAP (D.R.)

11. Approval Of SBRC Application For Increasing Enrollment, Open Enrollment, Out And LEP Instruction Beyond Five Year (D.R.)

12. Approval Of Budget Guarantee Resolution (D.R.)

13. Consider Establishing A Joint Board Meeting With The Lenox CSD (I or D.R.)

14. Discussion On Facilities Walk Through (I)

15. Consider Establishing A Board Work Session (D.R.)

16. Consider Approval Of Middle School / High School Attendance Policy Pilot Program (D.R.)

17. Cast Vote For Green Hills AEA Board Of Directors – District 3 (D.R.)

18. Consider Renewal Of Certificate Of Deposit (D.R.)

19. Board Policies – First Reading (I) – 401.1, 503.1, 503.2, 503.8, 503.8R,

706.1, 706.2, 706.3, 706.3R1, 707.1, 707.2, 707.3, 707.4, 707.5, 707.5R1

• Adjourn

(Harrison County, Iowa) – Officials with the Missouri Valley Fire Department report crews were paged-out at the 3:50-a.m. Sunday, for a single vehicle rollover accident on Interstate 880 at mile-marker 4. Initial reports indicated two adults and one infant were in the vehicle. The F.D. said in a social media post, “Thankfully after we arrived on scene all parties in the vehicle were ok, even the infant.

“Preliminary reports appear as though the driver had possibly dozed off and went in to the EB right hand ditch, the driver had come to and over corrected, got back to the roadway and rolled the vehicle several times on the road through the median into the opposite direction lanes (WB) and rested on the drivers side in the passing lane.”

Officials said also, “We bring this up because there are people today that still don’t wear seat belts. It’s imperative to properly fasten yourself and children in appropriate restraints. Ejections from vehicles happen more often than they should. Seats belts save lives and we are certain they save this young family [Sunday] this morning!!

Assisting at the accident scene were deputies with the Harrison and Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Departments. Harrison County 911 assisted in coordinating communications efforts.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report two people were arrested recently on drug charges. Saturday afternoon, 36-year-old Kevin James Jungers, of Lenox, was arrested at 408 S Vine, in Creston. He was charged with Driving while Barred, Possession of a Controlled Substance Methamphetamine 3rd Offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Jungers was taken to the Union County Jail where he is being held on an $8,000 cash or surety bond. And, Friday night, Creston Police arrested 31-year-old Rogelio Olivera-Martinez, of Creston, was arrested at 112 Manor Drive. Olivera-Martinez was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of a Controlled Substance-Methamphetamine 1st Offense. Olivera-Martinez was also charged on an ISP warrant thru Adair County for FTA Operating while under the Influence 1st Offense. Olivera-Martinez was taken to the Union County Jail where he was later released on a $1,000 cash bond.

Friday afternoon, 44-year-old Lela Ann Churchwell, of Creston, was arrested at 206 W Union. She taken into custody on a Union County Warrant for Harassment 3rd Degree. Churchwell was taken to the Union County Jail where she was later released on bond. Friday night, 52-year-old Pedro Quintanilla-Flores, of Lenox, was arrested at the intersection of Cottonwood and Townline Road, in Creston. He was charged with Driving while Revoked. Quintanilla-Flores was taken to the Union County Jail where he was later released on $1000 cash or surety bond.

At around 2:30-a.m., Saturday, Police in Creston arrested 39-year-old Arturo Marin, of Afton, at the Creston/Union County LEC. Marin was charged with OWI 1st Offense. He was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.