The Creston Community School District is pleased to announce that it has received a $30,000 Constructing or Remodeling a Building grant from the Dekko Foundation and a $15,000 grant from the South Central Iowa Community Foundation. Grant funds will help support the upgrade of the Creston Community High School auditorium. Aspects of the upgrade project include new energy-efficient LED stage lights, a new sound system and microphones, new stage curtains, LCD projector and motorized screen, and full-length practice mirrors.

An upgraded auditorium will not only benefit the students and school district, but also the community. In addition to the numerous high school events and activities, the Creston Community High school auditorium has held dance recitals, community theatre productions, holiday concerts, education conferences, political events, and much more.

Laura Granger, speech and drama director at CCHS, has spearheaded this auditorium upgrade project, but she hasn’t done it alone. With the grant-writing help of parent Pam Hoffman and the mentoring of longtime-arts advocate Jan Knock, this project has started to come to fruition. And thanks to the CCHS class of 2016 for donating the money toward a new light board and the generous people of the Dekko Foundation and the South Central Iowa Community Foundation, the goal of updating the auditorium is within sights.

Auditorium upgrades are an expensive project and CCSD still needs to procure at least $58,000 to complete the almost $142,000 project.

The school administration recognizes the need for this project, but due to the overwhelming costs, the auditorium upgrade project has stayed at the bottom of the “To-Do List”, until now. One way community members can help is by attending the Drive 4 UR School event on Saturday, Sept. 16. It will start at 11:30 a.m. or immediately following the Balloon Days parade at Creston Automotive on 401 W. Adams St. If you would like more information or if you or your company would like to donate money toward the auditorium project, please contact Laura Granger by email at lgranger@crestonschools.org.

A three vehicle accident in Mills County early Tuesday morning left two people injured according to the Iowa State Patrol.

At 5:44am this morning a 2006 International Semi driven by 26-year-old Richard Dady of Bellevue, NE was traveling east on Highway 34 near the 25 mile-marker while a 1996 Chevy C1500 driven by 66-year-old Dennis Swain of Red Oak was was traveling west. For unknown reasons Swain crossed the center-line and struck Dady’s oncoming semi. That collision caused the semi to cross over to the west bound lanes and struck a 2014 Ford Expedition driven by 36-year-old Adriane Aufdenberg of Red Oak.  The Semi and Ford both came to rest in the north ditch. The Chevy came to rest on the east shoulder of the highway.

Both Swain and Dady were transported the University of Nebraska Medical Center with unknown injuries by Red Oak EMS. Mills County Sheriff’s Deputies and Red Oak Police assisted at the scene.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Creston man on Sunday on drug charges. At 2:00pm Deputies arrested 28-year-old Kyle Duane Hoadley at the Union County Law Enforcement Center for possession of controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. No further details were provided.

The Creston Police Department reports the arrest on Monday night of 21-year-old Taran Austin of Clarinda. At 9:40pm Officers arrested Austin in the 300 block of North Birch Street on the charge of Public Intoxication. He was taken to the Union County Jail and held on $300 bond.

w/ Chris Parks

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – This year’s Iowa State Fair set an attendance record, with more than 1.13 million people visiting the 11-day event in Des Moines.

The fair announced Monday the fair that wrapped up Sunday had an unofficial attendance of 1,130,071. That topped the previous record of 1,117,398 set in 2015.

The busiest day was Saturday, Aug. 12, when 120,833 visitors were counted at the fair.

The Iowa State Fair has been held since 1854. Next year’s fair will be held Aug. 9-19.

A Red Oak man was arrested Monday evening by Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies on drug charges. At about 7:12pm Deputies arrested 23-year-old Diego Miguel Juaquin at the intersection of East Oak Street and North 6th Street in Red Oak. He was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Juaquin was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond. Deputies were assisted by the Montgomery County K-9 Unit during the arrest.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports an arrest of a Clarinda man early Tuesday morning. At 1:07am Deputies arrested 31-year-old Marcus Edgar Washington of Clarinda on a valid Page County Warrant for Violation of Probation.  He was arrested in the 2300 block of Eastern Avenue in Red Oak. Washington was taken to the Page County Jail and held on $10,000 bond.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Aug. 21, 2017 – The first of two bridge deck pours on the Interstate 29 bridge at Hamilton Boulevard in Sioux City will require closing northbound I-29 to traffic from 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, until 6 a.m. Friday, Aug. 25, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Sioux City construction office.

During this closure, northbound I-29 traffic will be detoured onto the off-ramp at Hamilton Boulevard (exit 149) and then onto the northbound Hamilton Boulevard on-ramp. Traffic on Hamilton Boulevard will be detoured to Wesley Parkway.

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.

The latest traveler information is available anytime through our 511 system. Visit 511ia.org; call 511 (within Iowa)

Cass County Attorney David Wiederstein, Monday afternoon, submitted his letter of resignation to the Cass County Board of Supervisors. In his letter he said “In response to the Board’s decision to change the status of County Attorney to full-time, I am giving you notice of my resignation as County Attorney effective January 1, 2018.”

Wiederstein went on to say “As you all know, I have no interest or desire in being the full-time County Attorney. In order to make this a successful transition, it is necessary that the Board begin the hiring process immediately, and to secure the services of a full-time County Attorney as soon as possible.”  Doing so, he says, “Will ensure that the new attorney can appear on the ballot for the 2018 election,” which Wiederstein thinks is the most important to Cass County voters.

He suggested the Board consider adding an Assistant County Attorney to assist the new full-time position because there are times when multiple events and issues arise at the same time. Wiederstein concluded by saying “I wish you and the County the best in your search to fill the position.”

During their meeting last week, the Board of Supervisors voted to make the County Attorney’s job a full-time position, effective Jan. 1st, 2018.