DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A Des Moines school district spokesman has confirmed that ninth-grade girls hired a male stripper to perform at their school’s synchronized swimming club’s annual banquet. On Wednesday district spokesman Phil Roeder told The Des Moines Register that the Roosevelt High School principal will decide whether the girls violated school policies and punishment is merited.

Graham Gillette’s daughter is a member of the swimming club and says the girls employed the stripper as a joke. Gillette says the stripper appeared but didn’t totally disrobe at Friday evening’s event at the Des Moines Social Club. Roeder says a Social Club employee asked the stripper to leave, deeming the appearance inappropriate for the students.

The Sharks synchronized swimming club is run and funded by students in grades nine through 12.

Officials with the Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society report the annual MS Auction at Atlantic’s Fireside Lounge, held in March, raised nearly $17,000 to support the regional MS chapter. The effort brings the event’s 20-year fundraising total to more than $240,000. Over the last two decades, the funds have helped provide life-changing programs and services for people living with MS in Iowa and across the Upper Midwest, as well as fund cutting-edge research for the disease.

Holly Anderson, President of the National MS Society, Upper Midwest Chapter, said in a Press Release, “We’re immensely grateful to Mark Foegen for his passion and leadership these past 19 years, not to mention the outstanding generosity of the Atlantic community. Events like these are truly helping to change the world for people with MS and end the disease forever.”

And, event organizer Mark Foegen has expressed his appreciation to the Atlantic community for supporting the event, of which 100 percent of the proceeds are directed to the National MS Society, Upper Midwest Chapter. Foegen also wanted to especially thank Jessie Vais and those with Anita Livestock Auction for the volunteering efforts.

In addition to all those who attend and donate each year, many local businesses and individuals have played a critical role in the auction’s continued success — from donating advertising and auction items to helping with event planning and execution.

Sheriff’s officials in Fremont County arrested a man Tuesday on assault, and other charges. Authorities say deputies were on routine patrol in Sidney, when they were flagged down by a witness who reported a possible fight in progress at Maple Street and Filmore Street. Through an investigation, deputies determined 28-year old Austin Haler, of Sidney, had allegedly assaulted an 18 year old male, and a 17 year old female who were walking past his residence.  The 18 year old and 17 year old had no contact with Haler prior to the assault.

Haler was arrested for Public Intoxication, Disorderly Conduct, and two counts of Simple Assault. He was being held in the Fremont County Jail, pending an arraignment with the Magistrate.

Iowans who may be green in their careers are being nudged to start planning now for their golden years. Iowa Insurance Commissioner Nick Gerhart is encouraging people, especially younger Iowans, to begin plotting ways to fulfill their financial needs for the decades ahead. “We often say we spend a lot of time planning a summer vacation and yet we don’t plan very much for a 20-year vacation,” Gerhart says. “We just want people to think ahead and make some steps today to plan for that retirement.”

Diversifying investments in several areas is a safer financial bet, he says, as opposed to simply hoping Social Security will provide for us. “We do not want people to rely solely on that,” Gerhart says. “Having other sources of predictable retirement income will help insure you have a dignified retirement. We want people to look at how they’re going to have their assets spread across different asset classes, different streams of income. Start planning today because this is going to be a 20 to 30 maybe 40-year retirement for some folks.”

Talk to family members and friends about their financial advisors and insurance agents and consider hiring one of your own who can offer advice on the opportunities and risks. “For a lot of folks, sitting down with a good advisor or agent can be very helpful,” Gerhart says. “Make sure that he or she is licensed and supervised either by the Iowa Insurance Division or FINRA. You can do some research online. We also think just having a little bit of education can go a long way toward having a good conversation with that advisor.”

One key is to prepare for the long haul, not quarter-by-quarter. A little planning, he says, can go a long way. “This is not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” Gerhart says. “You’re going to have to do this over a long term. Never make an investment decision based on what the stock market’s doing today or next week. Warren Buffett always says, ‘I don’t know what it’s going to do this year or next year, even, but I know over time, it’s probably going to do pretty well.’ Having a long-term diversified strategy makes the most sense.”

This is National Retirement Planning Week. Gerhart recommends a website for all sorts of resources, tools and tips: www.RetireOnYourTerms.org.

(Radio Iowa)

Area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department’s Board of Directors will meet in a special session today (Wednesday), beginning at Noon, in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. The only item on their agenda, is action on the use of Hotel/Motel Tax Fund money to make up a portion of the matching funds needed for a Vision Iowa CAT grant.

Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring told the City’s Personnel and Finance Committee during their meeting Tuesday evening, they’ve managed to raise $125,000 in committed funds to match 50-percent of the $180,000 needed to apply for a $360,000 CAT grant. 25-percent of the match can come in the form of in-kind contributions, such as labor, supplies and volunteer time.

Herring said there is a “Laundry list” of in-kind contributions committed so far, including those from Trees Forever and AMU. He and Assistant Parks Director Seth Staashelm, sat down and tried to figure out the best way to show the Vision Iowa Board in the City’s grant application, that there was enough in-kind support to warrant consideration of the full grant amount requested. He said they came up with the idea of asking the Parks and Rec Board for permission to commit $46,500 from the Hotel/Motel Tax, toward the match.

In addition, Herring said there is $19,000 of in-kind commitment from AMU and $5,000 for seeding from the Parks and Rec Department for seeding of the campground area. The  $360,000 Vision Iowa CAT grant, if approved in its entirety, would be used for improvements to the campground portion of the Schildberg Recreation Area, in Atlantic.

Herring said he spoke with Atlantic City Administrator John Lund about the possibility of using Hotel/Motel Tax funds, which are designated for the City’s Parks and Recreational improvements. He said the Hotel-Motel tax is “A replenishing type of fund because it generates between 30-and 36 thousand dollars a year for the Parks Department. We have money in there that we have not expended, we’ll be getting more coming in, and we really won’t be expending anything out of that if we were to take the $46,500 out of there, we won’t be tapping that for another six-to eight-months. And then it’d be a two-year process anyway…that won’t put a stress or strain on our budget [over their 5-year plan].”)

Herring asked for and received permission from, the Personnel and Finance Committee, for him to approach the Parks Board for their approval in using the Hotel-Motel Tax for the grant application, which must be submitted by this Friday.

The Atlantic City Council will be asked during their meeting next week to approve a commitment of $15,000 per year in operational support of the Ann W. Wickman Child Development Center. The Center, which is owned by Southwest Iowa Family Services (SWIFS) and operated by the Nishna Valley YMCA in Atlantic, has been running in the red for the last five-years, losing $141,417, or an average of $28,283 per year.

Dan Haynes, Executive Director at the Nishna Valley YMCA, said during a meeting Tuesday evening of the City’s Personnel and Finance Committee, that the situation was discussed during separate meetings of parents, the Rotary Club, and employers. He said the deficit looming over the Center is just one of the challenges they are facing

Others include: staff turnover due to a lack of competitive wages with other businesses; limited space; No repair or replacement fund for the building; and they have a hard time raising money because of the existing SWIFS debt. Scheduling and serving meals is an issue as well, with some employees working part-time, as well as the full-time/part-time staff ratios.

Haynes said 85-percent of their budget is for staff. Grants don’t fund operational expenses, so they have to find other ways to try and stay afloat, including raising fees, establishing contracts with parents for set child care times and penalties for not showing up,  and asking the City and businesses for financial help. He said “The Y obviously can’t afford to do this any longer.”

Haynes asked the Personnel and Finance Committee to consider a request for $15,000 per year in operational support. He mentioned he will also be asking the Cass County Board of Supervisors for $5,000 in additional support to help defray costs.

Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones was originally opposed to the idea of a City-supported daycare center when it first opened, simply because he was afraid of the impact it would have on local, in-home daycare providers. Kelsie Smith, with Child Care Resources and Referral of Southwest Iowa, said all of her family child care providers in the area are currently full. Jones acknowledged the Wickman Center has had a positive impact on the local economy.

Jones said if the City Council agrees to a $15,000 annual commitment for the child care center, it should be with the stipulation local businesses be asked to contribute matching funds. The City’s share could come out of the Local Option Sales Tax.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Montgomery County, Tuesday, arrested a man in Elliott who was wanted on a Cass County Bench Warrant. 25-year old Timothy Alan Brown, of Elliott, was arrested at around 9:50-p.m. on the warrant charging him with Failure to Appear in Court on original charges of Carrying Weapons and two counts of Assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. Brown was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $2,000 bond.

A chain-reaction accident in Mills County Tuesday evening resulted in one person being flown to a hospital in Omaha. The Iowa State Patrol says the accident happened at around 6:20-p.m. on Highway 34 at 288th Boulevard, as a 2007 Chevy pickup driven by 40-year old Jeremy Allen Marvel, of Glenwood, was stopped headed eastbound, and waiting to turn left at the intersection.

41-year old Julia Nelson, of Red Oak, who was traveling east in a 2014 VW Golf, took evasive action by braking and passing the pickup on the right. A 2003 Peterbilt semi, driven by 60-year old Keith Ratkovec, of Brainard, NE, was unable to stop, and struck the VW and pickup. The semi clipped the left rear of the VW, sending it into the south ditch. The semi continued east and hit the pickup, pushing it into the north ditch.

The Patrol says Jeremy Marvel, who was wearing his seat belt, was injured in the crash and transported by LifeNet helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha. No other injuries were reported.