(West Des Moines, Iowa/KCCI) — A teacher at a West Des Moines high school accused of having sexual contact with a student is pleading guilty. Kristen Gantt, of Des Moines, was teaching English at Dowling Catholic when she was arrested last April. Police say she admitted to inappropriate contact with a student at least five times in her classroom.

In a criminal complaint, police say they found evidence of “clear and concise grooming activity” in conversations between Gantt and the student, including some with “direct sexual overtones.” Court records show she pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation by a school employee.

Gantt faces up to two years in prison and must register as a sex offender.

(Stuart, Iowa; Iowa Capital Dispatch) – For several months in 2023, an Iowa nursing home employed an aide with a history of theft, and a hospice program employed a caregiver on a registry of known abusers. The Iowa Capital Dispatch says State records indicate that in March 2022, Community Care Center of Stuart hired Justin Harlan to work in the facility as a dietary aide. In November 2023, the nursing home learned from local police that Harlan had outstanding warrants for his arrest due to alleged probation violations in the state of Arkansas.

The home’s management then contacted Arkansas authorities and allegedly learned that in 2018, Harlan had been convicted of felony theft by receipt of $25,000 or more, and that in 2022, after starting work at the Stuart facility, he had pleaded guilty to a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance. Harlan was fired a short time later, with the company stating that because of his criminal record, state regulations barred him from working in an Iowa nursing home.

An administrative law judge recently presided over a hearing on Harlan’s application for unemployment benefits. The judge found that at the time of his hiring, Harlan had informed the care facility of his 2018 conviction. On the form where he was to provide specifics of the crimes, Harlan wrote “theft by receiving” but did not provide the location or date of conviction, and his application made no mention of having lived in Arkansas. The employer ran a background check at the time, but only for criminal charges initiated in Iowa, and so the check showed no criminal history and Harlan was hired, Administrative Law Judge Stephanie Adkisson found.

Adkisson ruled recently that Harlan is entitled to unemployment benefits, noting that at the time of his hiring he had disclosed his one criminal conviction and “had made no attempt to hide his criminal background.” The home, Adkisson found, “did not follow up with (Harlan) to gather additional information relating to his criminal history, despite his disclosure of a conviction on the application.”

Five other Iowa health care workers had their unemployment cases held recently before a judge. An administrative law judge recently awarded benefits to a fired caregiver who had been working in hospice care while on a state registry of abusers. The four other workers’ unemployment claims were denied by a judge.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Parent-Teacher conferences in Atlantic, scheduled for February 14th and 15^th, will embrace the theme “Trojan CommUNITY: Explore Our OpportUNITIES.” School officials say in a first-of-its-kind event for the commUNITY, the Atlantic High School will open its doors not just for discussions about student progress, but to exhibit the talents, projects, and unique opportunities that our school offers. From the fascinating world of aviation projects to the creative expressions in our art classes, every department will present something special.

Event Highlights Include:

Interactive Showcases: Engage with our educators and students in interactive displays, spotlighting the dynamic learning environment at Atlantic High School. CommUNITY Engagement: Experience a soup supper hosted by district educators, with free will donations that will be used to support AHS’s Lullaby Fund (a fund that helps with special needs of our students–clothing needs, SWITA passes, gas cards, etc.). District educators will serve the community while supplies last, during this event.

Cultural Advocacy: Explore various booths showcasing after-school programs and community resources. AHS Prinicipal Heather McKay says “We are excited to open our doors and share the heart of our school with the community. This event is more than a conference; it’s a celebration of our students, educators, and the strong community bonds that make our school a special place.”

Atlantic High School

McKay says “We warmly invite all parents, guardians, students, and community members of Atlantic to join us in this unique and engaging experience. Together, let’s celebrate the achievements of our students and explore the opportunities that lie ahead.”

The event will be held Tuesday February 14th (from 5-8 PM) and February 15th (from Noon-4 PM, & again from 5-8 PM), at the Atlantic High School, 1201 E. 14th St.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report two arrests and an incident of theft. At around 5:37-a.m. Saturday, Creston Police arrested 24-year-old Keifird Kewaun Griffith, of Mississippi. Griffith was charged with OWI/2nd Offense and Possession of a Controlled Substance-Marijuana/2nd offense. Griffith was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on a $3,000 cash or surety bond.

And, a little after 12-a.m. today (Monday, Feb. 12), 38-year-old Skyler Lee McIntosh, of Creston, was arrested for OWI/1st Offense and Driving while Barred. McIntosh was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on $3,000 cash or surety bond.

And, a Creston man reported to police last Thursday afternoon, that someone broke into a storage garage at 502 N. Walnut, in Creston. Two chainsaws valued at $750 were reported missing.

(Radio Iowa) – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, a Republican from Marion, says Iowans are telling her they want conservative consensus on the issue of an immigration bill. She says they also know that President Biden is behind the chaos at the border. “Iowans see right through his gaslighting, they know on day one of his presidency he began to unravel secure border policies and incentivize illegal immigration,” Hinson says. A bipartisan bill on the issue has failed to gain traction, but Hinson says they need to get something done.

“We could go through every hypothetical scenario. I don’t want to comment on something that hasn’t come up in the house. But I can point to what I’ve already supported, which is H-R-2 border security. It’s unfortunate that congressional Democrats will not vote for tougher immigration legislation and that President Biden won’t enforce our existing immigration laws,” she says. Republicans in the House failed to get enough votes to impeach the Homeland Security Secretary over his actions in dealing with immigration. Hinson says it is tough when her party has such a thin majority margin.

“I did vote to impeach Secretary Mayorkas because he is willfully refusing to comply with the immigration laws on the books and he is breaching public trust,” she says. Hinson says Mayorkas has also not been truthful. “He lied directly to me and my appropriations colleagues and I am hopeful we will be able to move forward with impeaching Secretary Mayorkas to hold him and the Biden administration accountable for this border crisis,” Hinson says. Hinson hopes they can have another impeachment vote this week.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court has reversed a lower court ruling involving evidence obtained in a drunk driving case. The district court sided with driver Colby Laub who argued a Boone County Deputy wrongfully obtained a search warrant to get him to give a breathe test that proved he was driving drunk. Laub said the deputy should have used the state’s implied consent procedure.

Under implied consent, a driver can refuse to take a test, but will automatically have their driver’s license suspended. The Iowa Supreme Court overturned the district court ruling, saying the use of a warrant did not violate Laub’s right to due process as the implied consent procedure is not the exclusive means of investigating O-W-I cases.