(Radio Iowa) – The Department of Education’s 2023 fall enrollment numbers show a drop in the number of public school students, while private enrollment increased. The Education Department’s figures show public school enrollment was down one-half a percent to 483-thousand-699. Non-public school enrollment was up seven-point-four percent to 36-thousand-195 students as a new state law provided Education Savings Account for those attending private schools.

The data shows nearly 66 percent of those using the accounts were already attending private schools. The accounts let Iowa Iowa families apply for around 76-hundred dollars for each student for private school expenses including tuition and fees.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – A single-vehicle accident this (Monday) morning in Guthrie County resulted in a woman from Stuart being transported by Stuart EMS to the Adair County Hospital in Greenfield. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says 80-year-old Theresa Glass was traveling west on White Pole Road at around 8:15-a.m., when the 2006 Chrysler Town & Country van she was driving went out of control on the frost covered road.

The van entered the westbound ditch and rolled over. Glass was wearing her seat belt. She suffered possible/unknown injuries (complained of pain). Her vehicles sustained $3,500 damage and was declared a total loss. Authorities say Glass was driving too fast for the road conditions. No citations were issued.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports also, there were no injuries following an accident Thursday morning. A 2022 Chevy pickup driven by 25-year-old Lucas Davidson, of Ellsworth (IA) was traveling south on Highway 4 from 190th Street, when the vehicle went out of control on the ice covered road. The pickup entered the south ditch and struck an Iowa DOT sign. The accident happened at around 6:40-a.m.

The pickup sustained $4,000 damage. Damage to the DOT sign/post was estimated at $200.

(Radio Iowa) – State policies in Iowa should do more to promote reading, according to a new report comparing reading laws around the country. The National Council for Teacher Quality found Iowa’s standards in that area are weaker than most other states. Council executive director Heather Peske (PES-kee) says it’s appropriate that Iowa lawmakers are now proposing changes. She says one thing Iowa should do is list phonics and other core components of the science of reading as part of education standards. Peske also says the state should publish a list of the best reading curriculum.

“It kind of serves almost as though it’s like a consumer protection device,” Peske says. “Many districts don’t have the capacity to review curriculum materials themselves. Some of them might not even have much of an expertise in this.” Peske says another place where Iowa could improve is in the licensing standards for elementary teachers. She says teaching candidates should have to pass a stronger exam to test their knowledge of how to put research on reading into practice.

“The stakes are very high for children,” she says, “and we need to make sure that teachers have the knowledge and skills before they get into classrooms to be able to effectively teach them to read.” Governor Kim Reynolds has said she would like to make a test called Foundations of Reading a requirement for Iowa teacher preparation programs. Peske says it’s one of the tests strongly aligned with the science of reading. A bill in the Iowa Senate would list the components of the science of reading in education standards for kindergarten through third grade.

(Radio Iowa) – Trial got underway this (Monday) morning for a Cerro Gordo County woman who’s charged with child endangerment resulting in death and a separate charge of child endangerment. A criminal complaint states that 30-year-old Allyssa Joyce, of Plymouth, knowingly created substantial risk to a pair of three-month-old children by deprivation of proper nutrition. That resulted in the death of one of the children, while authorities say the other child was near death. The complaint states this occurred in Mason City on or about February 28th of 2021. Child endangerment resulting in death is a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison, while child endangerment is a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports five arrests took place from Jan. 21st through the 27th. Saturday afternoon (Jan. 27), 22-year-old Jaime Emilser Cruz-Perez, of Des Moines, was arrested on several charges following an investigation into an accident at around 1:12-a.m. on Interstate 80, at mile-marker 79. Adair County Dispatch paged Adair Fire & Rescue, Adair County EMS and Adair County Sheriff’s Deputies to the scene, where a semi tractor driver reported a vehicle had rear-ended them. The vehicle then entered a ravine on the north side of the road.

Authorities say an Adair Police Officer made contact with Cruz-Perez, who was the only occupant of the car, a Chrysler 200. An open container of beer was on the vehicle’s floor board. Cruz-Perez gave authorities a false name that turned out to be that of his brother, but he later admitted his true identity. Cruz-Perez refused medical treatment, and upon further investigation, he was placed under arrest for: OWI/1st offense; providing false identification information; Failure to Maintain control; No valid driver’s license; No proof of insurance (accident-related), and Open Container- Driver (Over 21 years of age). He was released later in the day, Saturday, on a $1,300 bond.

Friday evening, an Iowa State Patrol Trooper arrested 59-year-old Todd Edwin Ross, of Minburn, following a traffic stop on a speeding pickup truck on Highway 25 in Adair County. Ross was charged with OWI/2nd offense. The report said when the Trooper went to speak with Ross, the driver’s door opened, a can of beer fell onto the ground. Inside the vehicle, on the floor board, was a beer still foaming from being spilled. Ross refused to submit to a preliminary breath test at the scene, and at the jail as well. He was released the following evening on a $2,000 bond.

Thursday morning, an Adair County Sheriff’s Deputy arrested 60-year-old John Eric Robitaille, of Orient, on a warrant out of Rhode Island for violation of that State’s Sex Offender Registry (SOR). Robitaille was convicted of three sex-based offenses in Rhode Island from March, 1987 and Oct., 1992. He was therefore subject to a non-expiring lifetime SOR requirement. In July 2023, he was issued an Iowa driver’s license and listed his address as being in Orient. On Dec. 1, 2023, a nationwide extradition warrant for Robitaille was issued by the State of Rhode Island for non-compliance with their SOR. On Jan. 25, 2024, a Deputy U-S Marshal attempted to locate Robitaille at his residence in Orient. He exited the house and was placed under arrest.

Robitaille admitted that he lived in the home since July, 2023. Authorities say between Sept. 2022 and Jan. 2023, at least four videos were posted to his Facebook account. The videos officials said, clearly were taken from his residence. Since the man was allegedly non-compliant with the Iowa Code regarding Sex Offenders, he was arrested for SOR Violation and on the out-of-state warrant. His bond was set at $2,000 for the Iowa Violation, while there was no bond for the Rhode Island warrant.

On Jan. 22nd, 35-year-old Taylor Marie Boucher, of Redfield, was arrested on an Adair County warrant for Theft in the 5th Degree. She was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $300 cash-only bond.

And, on Jan. 21st, Adair Police arrested 27-year-old Austin John Worthington, of Adel, for Theft in the 5th Degree, stemming from an investigation into an incident at the Dollar General Store in Adair, whereby a cell phone was allegedly stolen from a Frito-Lay employee who was making deliveries to the store. Video surveillance showed Worthington taking the man’s work phone from on top of a box and putting it in his sweatshirt pocket. The Adair Officer and a Guthrie County Deputy went to Worthington’s house in Casey and asked him to return the phone, adding that he was seen on camera taking the device. Worthington told the Officer and Deputy the phone was in his car. After it was retrieved from the vehicle, Worthington was asked why he took it. He said he “Wasn’t thinking.” He was released from the Adair County Jail on a $300 cash bond, a few hours later.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – In an update to our weekend report, the Cass County (IA) Sheriff’s Office says Deputies assisted the Iowa State Patrol in handling a multiple-vehicle accident on Interstate 80 near mile-marker 48.5 (About a mile east of the Walnut exit). Deputies with the Cass and Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Offices and other area first responder agencies were dispatched to the scene. It was initially reported that a tractor trailer and a truck had collided, with unknown injuries.  This collision caused several other vehicles to slide into the ditch and some striking one another.  More than 10 vehicles, to include a bus from IWCC, were believed to have been involved and mostly only minor injuries were noted.

Later that same day, Cass County Deputies and additional, local first responders, were dispatched at around 5:22-p.m., to the intersection of Highway 71 and Fayette Road for a single vehicle rollover accident.  Responders found that a 2016 Chrysler 200 Limited, operated by Frederick Patton, of Clarinda, lost control and entered a ditch.  During this process the vehicle went airborne and struck several trees, finally coming to a rest on it’s top.  One person was transported to Cass Health for what is believed to be non-life-threatening injuries.  The vehicle sustained disabling damages.  This accident remains under investigation.