IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa institution for residents with intellectual disabilities has been ordered to reinstate a high-ranking official who was fired for alleged safety lapses two years ago. The Public Employment Relations Board says the firing of Glenwood Resource Center administrator Douglas Wise wasn’t justified and he must be returned to a similar job with back pay.

A settlement is expected to be finalized soon. It will likely cost taxpayers around $200,000 and result in Wise’s reinstatement, just as Glenwood faces a scandal involving incidents of verbal and physical abuse against numerous residents.

Wise’s attorney, Charles Gribble, said his client’s pleased with the ruling and looking forward to returning to work, “notwithstanding the problems at Glenwood.” Wise had been faulted for failing to carry out directives to remove batteries from a home where residents had swallowed them on three occasions. But he said that he trusted his subordinates’ claims that the batteries were gone.

Iowans who have kids are making a serious financial commitment. A new report from the U-S-D-A estimates what it costs to raise a child from birth through age 18. Kevin Concannon, a former Iowan and the agency’s Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, says the costs are growing every year. Concannon says, “A middle-income, two-parent family with a child born in 2015 will likely spend between $12,350 and $13,900 each year on food, health care, housing, transportation, child care and other expenses related to child-rearing.”

Concannon is the former director of the Iowa Department of Human Services. The projected total cost from cradle to college-age is more than $233,000. Angie Tagtow, director for the U-S-D-A’s Center for Nutrition Promotion and Policy, says the list of expenses for raising a child is lengthy.  “Child care accounted for 16% of expenses, while transportation came in at 15%,” Tagtow says. “Health care expenses accounted for 9% while clothing was 6% and other expenses, like sports equipment and personal care items, came in at 7%.”

U-S-D-A economist Mark Lino says the total cost is up from the previous year, but it was less of an increase than what’s typical. “From 2014 to 2015, we had a 3% increase which is below the historic annual norm of 4.3%,” Lino says. “One of the main reasons for that is transportation expenses actually declined on a child in line with the drop in the price of gas. Those trips you make to soccer games, driving children around, they became cheaper.”

The study found biggest annual expense for raising a kid is housing, which accounts for 29%, while food came in second at 18%.

(Thanks to Karla James, Omaha)

The Griswold Community School District’s Facilities Committee will meet this evening at the Middle School/High School Library, beginning at 5-p.m. The Committee will continue with discussions on assessing the current educational facilities in the District.

And, the Griswold School Board will hold its regular meeting in the Central Office, at 6:30-p.m.  On their agenda is information to be presented by the Facilities Committee, the second reading of Board Policies, and discussion with regard to the structure of the Transportation Department, as well as the hiring of a Construction Manager.

Action items on the Griswold School Board agenda include those pertaining to Auditor Bids and Chemical Application Specifications. The Board will then consider entering into a closed session for the purpose of evaluating the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring, performance or discharge, is being considered.

They may also hold a closed session with regard to Certified Bargaining Unit negotiations.

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

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A Creston convenience store reported to Police Wednesday morning that sometime between 5-and 5:30-p.m. Tuesday, a customer entered the Casey’s General Store on E. Townline Road, and left without paying for merchandise or gas that was pumped. The loss was estimated at $60.

We’re several weeks into winter and although it’s been extremely cold and icy at times, many Iowans have yet to see much snow. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says only a few inches of snow have fallen in areas of central and southern Iowa, which typically receives 10 to 12 inches of snow by this point in the season. “Especially when you get down to the southwest corner of Iowa – places like Red Oak, Clarinda, Shenandoah and even down to Lamoni to the east – they’ve only received about two inches of snow so far this winter season,” Hillaker says.

Most of THAT snow fell in December. Sections of northeast Iowa, meanwhile, have been hit with some heavy snow storms. “Several places – Decorah, Osage, Cresco – that part of the state has received around 20 inches or more of snow, which is actually just barely above normal for that corner of the state,” Hillaker says.

Much of north-central and northeast Iowa has had snow cover since December 10. That snow will finally be melting away with the warmer weather that’s expected through the weekend. Hillaker says if it would’ve been a bit colder earlier this week, the rain and ice storm could’ve buried the state in snow.

“If it would’ve been ideal snow conditions with the amount of moisture we had, we probably would’ve seen roughly three to four inches of snow in northwestern Iowa and up to 10 to 12 inches in the southern part of the state,” Hillaker says.

This winter has been slightly COLDER than normal, but that’s about to change. “December ended about one-half-degree cooler than usual and January, up through the first 17 days of the month, is also one-half-degree below the average for the month,” Hillaker says. “But, we certainly have some very mild weather on the way for the rest of this week and maybe a little bit into next week as well.”

High temperatures for the remainder of the work week are expected to range from the mid-30s in northern Iowa to the upper 40s south.

(Radio Iowa)

The next session of the Cass County Health System’s “Healthy U” series will be held next  Thursday, January 26^th at noon, at CCHS. The presentation this month will be given by Emily Krengel, R.D., L.D., and is entitled, “Nutrition: The Simple Truths.”

Krengel sys “What you hear about nutrition in the media seems to change frequently. “It can be confusing to sort through the fact and fiction about food.”

Healthy U is a free, educational session that is open to the public, and it is held at noon in Conference Room 2 at Cass County Health System. Reservations are needed, as box lunches are provided. To reserve your spot, please call 712-243-7479.

CCHS Registered/Licenses Dietician Emily Krengel.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A judge has rejected a plea deal for a teenager accused of sexually abusing a mentally disabled woman in suburban Des Moines.  The Des Moines Register reports Judge Robert Blink said Wednesday that the deal wasn’t constitutional because it wasn’t clear Nicholas Fifield was fully advised of his legal options. The judge set an April 24 trial date.

A criminal complaint says Fifield, then a 17-year-old West Des Moines high school student, met the 18-year-old woman online and took her on a date in December 2015. The complaint says they went to his house and had sex, even though the woman said “no” several times.

He entered an Alford plea to misdemeanor assault, meaning he maintained his innocence but acknowledged prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a 13-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder for shooting a man just a few blocks from an elementary school in Fort Dodge. The boy was arrested Tuesday. His name isn’t being released because of his age.

Police say 24-year-old Robert Rivers Jr. was shot around 2:45 p.m. on Nov. 28 near Butler Elementary School. He was hospitalized. The school went into a lockdown for about 30 minutes because of the incident.

“Veterans Day” events were held Wednesday, at the state Capitol. Organizers say much progress has been made to provide relief to veterans, but the groups involved are pressing for legislative action on a few key issues, like DOUBLING the property tax credit for veterans. “I urge our veterans with us today to locate your elected officials and discuss our legislative initiatives with them.”

That’s Bob Steben, interim director of the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs. He was among more than a dozen speakers at an hour-long event in the statehouse rotunda. Brigadier General Drew DeHaes of the Iowa Air National Guard leads units based in Des Moines, Sioux City and Fort Dodge. “Working together, we can tackle any issue,” DeHaes said.

The veterans groups are asking legislators to waive registration and license fees for the vehicles disabled veterans drive. State officials say there are 37-thousand disabled veterans living in Iowa today. Many of the veterans lobbying at the statehouse were wearing their medals, caps and some even came in their old uniforms. Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds called it a “phenomenal turn-out.”

Governor Terry Branstad took a sick day Tuesday, but he was at the event Wednesday to welcome veterans to the capitol. Branstad, a veteran who served stateside during the Vietnam era, did not address the specific agenda items veterans groups are asking lawmakers to enact this year. Representative Steven Holt, a Republican from Denison, is chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. “Having spent 20 years in the United States Marine Corps, I understand that each of us stands here today as free men and women because of the sacrifices of our veterans,” Holt said.

Holt promised to be “tenacious” in addressing veterans issues in the legislature.
Representative Jerry Kearns, a Democrat from Keokuk, served in the Air Force in the 1960s. “I encourage all of our vets here today to contact your legislators on your issues of concern,” Kearns said, “and we’ll try to listen all we can.”Kearns is a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

(Radio Iowa)