(Griswold, Iowa) – The Griswold School Board, Monday evening, received good news with regard to the District’s Certified (CER) and BEDS enrollment numbers. Superintendent Dave Henrichs told KJAN News the CER number came in at 460.73.

The District’s BEDS (Basic Educational Data Survey) number was also up, according to Henrichs.

In other business, the Griswold School Board discussed activating their Early Retirement Policies for both the Certified and Non-Certified staff.

The Board then moved to approve Veteran’s Day Expenses. Henrichs reminds parents also, that Griswold Middle School/High School Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held Tuesday, Oct. 24^th and Thursday, Oct. 26^th, from 4-until 8-p.m., both days. The conferences will be held in an open format, with teachers available in the High School Gym, throughout conference times.

Several community partners will be on-hand to share valuable local resources with families.

(Creston, Iowa) – A man from Union County was arrested Monday evening at 200 W. Howard Street, in Creston. Authorities report 21-year-old Cody Alan Lynn Robertson, of Creston, was arrested on a Driving While Revoked charge. Robertson was later released on a Promise to Appear (in Court).

Iowa native Jason Momoa, who’s a villain in the latest Fast and Furious movie and has a recurring role as Aquaman, was back in his hometown of Norwalk yesterday (Monday). Hundreds of fans waited at the Fareway in Norwalk — and at a HyVee in Urbandale — to meet Momoa, buy the new brand of vodka he and a friend are producing and have the bottle autographed. Meili vodka is made in Montana and sold in a bottle made entirely of recycled glass.

Research shows celebrities can affect consumer behavior. Reality T-V star Kendall Jenner launched a tequila brand in 2021. Soccer star David Beckman promotes a whisky. And actor Danny Devito has put his name on the top selling limoncello in the U-S.

It’s “National School Bus Safety Week,” and despite reminders every year, there are still drivers who pass buses that have their lights flashing and stop arms out. State Trooper Paul Gardner says many of the school bus problems are caused by poor driving habits where people are distracted, speeding, and not paying attention to their surroundings. Trooper Gardner says bus safety is simple is you are staying alert and watching for the school buses.

He says more and more districts are using cameras that catch violators and that could lead to a minimum fine for a first offense of 345 dollars.

Rains kept some farmers out of the fields at a key time last week as they tried to get the harvest completed. Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig (like egg) says when rain comes during the harvest it can throw a wrench into progress — so it’s much needed but ill timed. Naig says the timing of the rain is something that was key for those farmers seeing good yields.
Naig says he’s generally hearing some pretty good reports out of large swaths of the state for yields.

The latest U-S-D-A crop report shows the harvest moved from 30 to 42 percent completed for corn last week, and from 52 to 74 percent completed for soybeans.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak report the arrest at around 11-p.m. Monday, of 21-year-old Khan Khor Chol, of Bellevue, NE. The woman was arrested for Public Intoxication and Disorderly Conduct. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says a woman from Omaha was arrested Monday afternoon. 28-year-old Tashina M. Frazier was arrested on an active Red Oak Police Department Felony warrant for Forgery. Frazier was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 cash bond.

And, Deputies in Montgomery County arrested 32-year-old Travis Bomer, of Stanton, Monday night in Stanton, for Violation of a Protection Order. He was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

CARROLL COUNTY, Iowa — More than 100 dogs were rescued from a “terrible case of hoarding” in central Iowa, according to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. In a news release, the sheriff’s office said deputies on Friday investigated a possible case of animal neglect in rural Carroll County, west of Lanesboro. They found more than 100 dogs “living in various states of filth,” the release said.

A veterinarian who accompanied deputies to the property certified that the dogs were “not being cared for properly under standard animal husbandry practices,” according to the news release, which went on to say the dogs were being fed, but “their living conditions were beyond bad.”

The property owner voluntarily gave the dogs up. The dogs were taken to Des Moines, where the Animal Rescue League of Iowa is providing care. The sheriff’s office also said they found about 50 goats, several miniature horses, a miniature donkey and a cow on the property.

Carroll County Sheriff Ken Pingrey says the investigation is ongoing, but he expects charges to be filed in the case.

(Radio Iowa) – Former President Donald Trump says he wants to start 2024 with what he calls an “epic landslide” in the Iowa Caucuses. “You’ve got to get out and vote. We want to send it off with a bang,” Trump said. “We’re going to win Iowa, but we want to win by a big number.” Trump, who spoke to crowds at two central Iowa sites yesterday (Monday), finished second in the 2016 Iowa Caucuses, but Trump has a larger campaign apparatus in Iowa this time around. He also picked up the endorsement of Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird yesterday (Monday).

“One of the most popular and successful politicians in this state,” Trump said. Bird is in her first term as attorney general after defeating Tom Miller, a Democrat who was the nation’s longest serving attorney general last year. This summer, Trump complained that Governor Kim Reynolds hadn’t endorsed him. Last week on social media Trump suggested it was very sad the governor’s job approval numbers go down after Reynolds has made appearances with his rival Ron DeSantis. Trump addressed his own legal situation during his remarks in Iowa yesterday (Monday). Trump suggested he would not be silenced by the judge overseeing his election interference case. The judge’s gag order forbids Trump from making statements about potential witnesses or criticizing prosecutors.

“What they don’t understand is that I am willing to go to jail if that’s what it takes for our country to win and become a democracy again,” Trump said, to cheers. Trump also pledges cut off U-S aid to Palestine and impose crushing sanctions on Iran. Trump says he’d reinstate a ban to prevent immigrants and travelers from some Muslim-majority countries from entering the U-S.

“If you’re coming from somewhere full of people who want to kill Americans, we will not let you in,” Trump said. “We worked very hard on that.” Trump’s travel ban, which was redrafted after court challenges, took effect in 2018. It barred travelers from five mainly Muslim countries. President Biden reversed the ban during his first week in office.

“In my second term we’re going to expand each and every one of those bans because we have no choice. Some very rough people come out of those areas. They want to blow up our country. We aren’t bringing in anyone from Gaza, Syria, Somalia, Yemen or Libya or anywhere else that threatens our security.” While campaigning in Iowa this past weekend, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the U-S should not accept refugees from Gaza. DeSantis says they’re not all part of the Hamas terror group, but they are all anti-Semitic.