The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports one person was arrested on a warrant related to a drug charge. 19-year old Deontas Isaiah Davis, of Council Bluffs, was arrested today (Thursday) at around 1:15-a.m., following a traffic stop. A records check indicated Davis was wanted on a Council Bluffs Police warrant for Failure to Appear in court on Possession of a Controlled Substance, charge.

And, 27-year old Nathan Jeffrey Nissen, of Council Bluffs, turned himself-in to authorities, Wednesday morning. Nissen was wanted on a warrant for Probation Violation.

Many people wait until there is a crisis to discuss financing for long-term care. Planning ahead can make decisions easier on both the caregiver and the care receiver. To help families begin to have these important discussions, Cass County Extension is pleased to be hosting the Finances of Caregiving series this winter. Finances of Caregiving is a new series of 5 workshops designed to help families plan together for the care receiver’s care. The series begins Tuesday, February 21, and runs for 5 consecutive Tuesdays from 6:30 – 8:30 PM at the Cass County Extension Office in Atlantic.

“It is important to plan ahead while the care receiver still has the capacity to sign legal documents. It is also important to involve all members of the family so that the care receiver’s wishes are clearly understood,” says instructor Sandra McKinnon, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Human Science Specialist, Family Finance.

“Life expectancy for Americans continues to increase, so it is more and more likely that most adults will be caring for an elderly parent or relative,” says McKinnon. Long term caregiving has significant financial consequences for caregivers, particularly for women. If it is necessary for the caregiver to leave work or reduce hours, they will need to prepare for retirement while providing care.

“Understanding your choices means knowing your current situation,” says McKinnon.  “This program guides you through finding and collecting that information. In this workshop, caregivers and care receivers create an information binder to help family members when a crisis does occur. It will take time, but it will be time well spent,” she adds.

The fee for the entire series is $20. Each participant receives a financial binder and other planning resources that they will use to create a family care plan throughout the course. Family members are encouraged to attend together to create a comprehensive plan that is respectful to the wishes of all parties.

The workshop series is presented by Cass County Extension. To register, contact the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132, or stop by 805 West 10th St., in Atlantic.You can also visit www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/ for more information, or a printable registration form.

The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will hold a special, closed session Monday afternoon, with regard to the Superintendent Interview and candidate selection process. The Board will meet with representatives from Ray and Associates, the firm selected to conduct the online survey back in October. 483 survey forms were filled out and submitted. The submissions came from a wide cross section of the community and school district, and revealed that there were 33 qualities the respondents sought in a new Superintendent.

The deadline for application materials to be submitted by prospective candidates was January 30^th.  School Board President Ali Bruckner said were 43 completed applications for the Superintendent’s job. The Board will review 15 applications. Ray and Associates will also meeting with the various community, teacher and student groups to formulate their questions for the candidates.

The firm will also explain what the interview process will consist of and the procedures involved. The Board hopes to interview the top candidates during the week of Feb. 20^th. The person who is ultimately selected for the position will succeed Dr. Michael Amstein, who is retiring at the end of the current school year.

(8-a.m. News)

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Mason City mom accused of making her kids sleep in a feces-covered room has pleaded guilty. Online court records say 26-year-old Alexis Martinez filed a written plea Wednesday to one count of felony neglect of a dependent person. She’d been charged with three counts. The records don’t list a sentencing date.

Court documents say Martinez forced her children, ages 2, 4 and 6, in late August to sleep for a week in a room that had feces on the walls and floor.

A man from Malvern was taken into custody early this (Thursday) morning after being taken down by the Fremont County K9 unit. Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports that at around 3:16-a.m., the K9 Unit (Deputy Zac Buttercase & his K9 partner “Judge”) were called to assist Mills County Sheriff’s Deputies in the vicinity of 55489 295th Street (by Silver City). Authorities were searching for a suspect who had fled from a burglary scene.

After a perimeter was established by Mills County Deputies, the Fremont County K9 tracked the suspect through about One and one-quarter miles of timber, fields and creek beds.

Suspect Jeremy Erickson

When the K9 unit located the suspect, 37-year old Jeremy Erickson, of Malvern, he was given commands to surrender, but instead turned to flee.  Fremont County K9 “Judge” tackled Erickson, allowing him to be taken into custody without further incident.

Erickson was checked by medical staff on the scene before being transported to the Mills County Jail, where he was being held on several charges. The incident remains under investigation by Mills County authorities.

Fremont County K9 “Judge”

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The Audubon Community School District’s Board of Education will hold a special session this evening in their Board Room, at the High School. The meeting begins at 6:30-p.m., and the only action item on their agenda, is approval of a Sanitary Sewer Right-of-Way easement.

Police in Council Bluffs are looking for two suspects who allegedly robbed a pizza delivery driver late Wednesday night. Authorities say the suspects are two black males. One is about five-feet six-inches tall, weighed about 190-pounds and was wearing a “Gap” sweatshirt. The other suspect was tall, with a slender build.

Officials say the incident happened at around 11:55-p.m., Wednesday. A Papa John’s delivery driver told police she was robbed when she went to deliver an order at the Cottonwood Apartments (800 blk No 34th St, Council Bluffs, IA).

The victim reported that as she arrived at the apartment complex she was met by a male party outside who advised he had made the order and provided the name that the pizza was ordered under. When she requested payment for the pizzas the male party refused to pay and called out to another male party who walked up behind her.

One of the men restrained the victim while the other took several pizzas and an undisclosed amount of money from her vehicle. The two males then fled the area Northbound towards the Featherstone Apartment Complex (901 No 35th St). The female victim reported minor injuries but refused medical treatment.

If anyone has information on the suspects, or who may have witnessed the crime are urged to contact the Council Bluffs Police Department Criminal Investigation Division (712) 328-4728 or Crime Stoppers (712) 328-7867.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – A former teacher in the North Polk Community School District has been accused having a sexual relationship with a teenage student. Twenty-nine-year-old Kevin Muehlenthaler, of Ames, was arrested Wednesday. Court records say he’s been charged with four counts of sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist.

Authorities say a woman told police she had a relationship with Muehlenthaler between November 2013 and July 2014 when she was a student of 16 and then 17 years old.  The district says Muehlenthaler was employed August 2013 to June 2016 and that the district became aware of the allegations only after he left the district.