Police in Glenwood arrested a man on an assault charge Monday. Officials report 43-year old Dwayne Rollins, of Glenwood, was arrested for Assault Causing Bodily Injury. His cash-only bond at the Mills County Jail, was set at $15,000. And, early this (Thursday) morning, Glenwood Police arrested 26-year old Alan Baburek, of Omaha, for OWI/3rd offense. Baburek was being held in the Mills County Jail on $5,000 bond.

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

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The Iowa Department of Corrections reports one inmate at a work release facility has been apprehended, but another has been reported missing. Dept. spokesman Fred Scaletta said 29-year old Michael Cowden, who was listed as escaped from the state work release facility in Des Moines, Wednesday, has been captured and was being held in the Clarke County Jail.

Robert Lee Garrett

Another man remains on the lam, though. 46-year old Robert Lee Garrett, was listed as escaped, Wednesday, after he failed to return to the Ft. Des Moines Work Release Facility (WRF). Garrett is a black male, 6-feet one-inches tall, and weighs about 197 pounds. He has a left ear piercing and scars on his right calf and left wrist.

Garrett was serving a sentence for conviction on numerous charges, including 1st degree robbery, 1st degree theft, child endangerment and assault on a peace officer, causing injury. He began serving his sentence in June, 1990 and was transferred to Work Release on Feb. 26th, following a decision by the Iowa Board of Parole.

Anyone with information on Garrett’s location should call the Des Moines Police Department or Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

The area’s top news at 7:07-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The Atlantic School Board, Wednesday, approved the language for a proposed Special Election ballot pertaining to a Voter-approved Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (V-PPEL) and combined Income Surtax. The election will be held Sept. 13^th, 2016. Information sessions are planned for district patrons, to further explain how the combined regular PPEL and Income Surtax will reduce the tax amount property owners pay on their assessed valuations, yet still maintain the 85-cent per thousand dollars the district receives from taxes.

Business Manager/Board Secretary Mary Beth Fast explained the Income Surtax cannot exceed 20-percent, but that it’s unlikely that it will never be that high.

Superintendent Mike Amstein says state law allows the district to use a combined property tax and income surtax for the PPEL, but the district hasn’t done that since 2012. Only property tax assessments are currently used to support the PPEL.Board Vice President Kristy Pellet reminded the Board and informed the public, that because there is a limit of 85-cents, “Even with that combination of Income Surtax and Property Tax, we can’t generate more than 85-cents per thousand (dollars of assessed valuation.)”

Mary Beth Fast said if the Income Surtax had been in-place for the current school year, it would have cut the property tax rate about 60-cents. Kristy Pellet said the combined PPEL and Income Tax Surtax would essentially make it fairer, because more people would contribute to the PPEL, not just property owners.

Fast told the Board the amount of the Income Surtax would be determined each year in March, when the District’s budget is being formulated.

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education, Wednesday, approved the final year of Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein’s contract and related pay increase. The vote was 4-to-1, with Dr. Keith Swanson voting “No.” Business Manager/Board Secretary Mary Beth Fast said the contract includes a three-percent raise and changes that went into effect July 1^st, which had previously been approved by the Board.

Amstein’s salary will increase from $137, 904.00 to $142,041.00. The contract also calls for the District to pay him $25,000 upon his retirement. Those funds will be put into an Health Reimbursement Account (HRA), future use.

Amstein had earlier announced he plans to retire at the end of the 2016-17 school year.

(Update 6:55-a.m.: Cowden has been apprehended and is currently in custody in the Clarke County Jail.)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a 29-year-old inmate has been listed as escaped from the state work release facility in Des Moines. The Iowa Corrections Department says Michael Cowden didn’t return to the facility from work on Wednesday. He’d been sent to work release after his parole was revoked on May 3.

Michael Cowden

Cowden originally was sentenced to 15 years for assault and prohibited acts in Clarke County.

Police in Red Oak arrested a man on an assault charge early this (Thursday) morning. Officials say 24-year old Cody Dean Johnson, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 4:20-a.m.  He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and charged with Simple Assault. Johnson was being held in the jail on a $300 cash bond.

Three people, two women and a man, were injured Wednesday afternoon during a collision in Red Oak, between a pickup and an SUV. Red Oak Police say 95-year old Eloise Brower, of Red Oak, was transported by ambulance to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital before being flown to a hospital in St. Joseph, MO., for treatment of serious injuries. 74-year old Gary Reeve, and his passenger, 71-year old Linda Reeve, both of New Market, were transported by ambulance to the hospital in Red Oak, for treatment of unknown injuries.

The accident happened at around 2:30-p.m., when Brower, who was driving a 2008 Chevy Equinox, stopped, but then pulled away from the intersection of Highway 34 and N. Eastern Avenue, in Red Oak. Her SUV was struck on the driver’s side by Gary Reeve’s 2002 Dodge Dakota pickup. Brower had to be extricated from her vehicle by mechanical means, following the collision.

Both vehicles sustained $7,500 damage in the crash. Red Oak Police were assisted at the scene by Red Oak Fire and Rescue, deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, officials with the Montgomery County EMA, and LifeNet 23 helicopter, out of Clarinda.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

CARROLL, Iowa (AP) — Police say a 2-year-old western Iowa boy has drowned in a backyard swimming pool. The Des Moines Register reports that a 911 call was placed from the home in Carroll just before 9 p.m. Tuesday. Carroll Police Capt. Mark Heino says Eli Rowedder had been found unresponsive in the pool.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Nearly every U.S. governor has pledged to combat the opioid crisis that is leaving a trail of overdose deaths and misery in their states. At least governors signed on to the Compact to Fight Opioid Addiction committing to fight the epidemic that kills roughly 78 Americans every day. The National Governors Association released the compact ahead of its summer meeting, which starts Thursday in Des Moines.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials say a teen who was hit by a minivan while playing a game with friends has died. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office says 16-year-old J.C. Meardon and two others were standing in a road Monday night in southwest Iowa City when they two of the boys were hit. The Iowa City Press-Citizen says the boys were playing a game and thought the van was a friend coming to pick them up.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police say an injured man found by officers on a Des Moines street has died. The Des Moines Register report that 32-year-old Ryan Thompson was found by police on Southwest 17th Street around 3 p.m. Monday after a report of an assault. Police say Thompson was taken to Iowa Methodist Medical Center, where he died Tuesday of his injuries.