The Monona County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a missing person case involving 66 year old Walter Harold Ordway, of Soldier. Relatives last heard from him on November 16th. At the time, he was to expected to attend a funeral in Pennsylvania in late November. Ordway’s pickup was seen by hunters on December 7th, parked in a parking area at Oldham’s recreational area near Soldier.

A search of the area by Monona County deputies and County Conservation officers was done in the park area and several items belonging to Ordway were found near the vehicle and in the park. At this time, the sheriff’s office is investigating the man’s disappearance as a missing person’s case.

Anyone with information about Walter Ordway is asked to contact the Monona County Sheriff’s office at 712-433-1414 or 800-859-1414. Oldham’s recreational area is temporarily closed to the public while the investigation continues. Monona County Sheriff’s office has been assisted by the Iowa DNR, Monona County Conservation and Monona County EMA.

(KNOD)

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Jingle Jingle – It is that time of year again! The bells are ringing – Volunteers are the key to the success of the Salvation Army fund raising for local use. Steve Livengood and Dave Hancock have been successful in finding people to volunteer in this effort. Many thanks to the Realtors for ringing the
bells for the Red Kettle Campaign last Friday at Fareway and HyVee.

Officials thank Fareway, HyVee and WalMart for allowing the Red Kettle Campaign Bell ringers to use their locations. Their support is key to the success of the campaign. The kettles will be in place on Saturday’s this month at the locations mentioned. This weekend and next December 13th, and 20th) are the only two remaining times for you to donate or volunteer.

For those who want to serve as volunteer bell ringers, the shifts are 90 minutes long. The first shift starts at 10-a.m.  Bell ringers will take donations in the form of cash, checks and loose change. Money raised is for children and families in the County who are in need.

If you’d like to volunteer as a Salvation Army Bell Ringer, call Steve Livengood at 712-243-5445.

Two teenagers from Red Oak were arrested Tuesday night for Disorderly Conduct. Red Oak Police report 17-year old Devon Lee Smith and 16-year old Deric Lee Redd, both of Red Oak, were taken into custody at around 8:25-p.m. in the 100 block of east Elm Street, in Red Oak. The teens were cited and later released to their parents.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officials have released the name of a man killed in an all-terrain vehicle crash in southeast Iowa. The state Department of Natural Resources says 83-year-old Allen D. Sindt, of Davenport, was deer hunting Monday afternoon in Stephens State Forest, northwest of Unionville in Appanoose County, when the all-terrain vehicle he was driving rolled over on top of him. Officials say Sindt was trying to maneuver over a downed log at the time.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have ruled the death of a man found inside a house in Marshalltown as a homicide. The state medical examiner’s office says an autopsy was performed Sunday on 32-year-old Adam Paul Garrett, of Tama. The manner of death was certified as a homicide, though additional details were not released. Garret was found dead Saturday night inside a house. The death remains under investigation.

LAMOMI, Iowa (AP) — A southern Iowa teenager has died of brain cancer a day after receiving her high school diploma early in a special ceremony. Eighteen-year-old Bethany Gruich died Monday at her Lamoni home surrounded by family. She had been fighting brain cancer for more than two years.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — The Davenport School Board has approved early retirement incentives for teachers in hopes of saving money by replacing higher-paid teachers with less experienced, lower-paid teachers. The school board voted to offer the deal to nearly 270 eligible teachers. The move could save the district $1.5 million in its 2015-16 budget.

And now there are seven. Another person has entered the race for U-S Senator-Elect Joni Ernst’s vacant Iowa Senate seat. The Daily NonPareil reports David Sieck, a Mills County area farmer, announced on Monday, he’s running for the District 12 senate seat. Sieck decided to run in hopes of giving a stronger voice and representation to the district.

Sieck is a lifelong resident of Iowa and a founding member of Responsible River Management, which works to find solutions to river management issues on the Missouri River, among other duties. He was vice chair of the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee and a recipient of the Grassroots Award in 2014 with the Iowa and National Corn Growers Association.

His Mills County family farm is a fourth-generation operation. Sieck says he’s concerned the district could lose out on its potential if not represented properly. Fostered correctly, he said, the district’s businesses and families could prosper greatly.

In addition to Sieck, the other six candidates are Redding-area cattle rancher Tracee Knapp, former Montgomery County Supervisor Margaret Stoldorf of Red Oak, farmer Seth Watkins of Clarinda, Charla Schmid of Red Oak, Fremont County Supervisor Cara Marker-Morgan and State Rep. Mark Costello.

The Republican convention for the special election will be held in Clarinda on Thursday night. The special election itself will take place on Dec. 30th.

Senator Tom Harkin flew to Oslo, Norway, Tuesday so he could attend today’s (Wedneday) Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and see the man he nominated win the award. Harkin nominated Kailash Satyarthi for the Nobel Prize, for his campaign against child slavery. “What he would do is he would get people together, he would find a factory where they have a lot of these bonded kids working in bad conditions…and they would go there and rescue these kids,” Harkin says, “hurry them out, put ’em in their trucks and take ’em back to a sanctuary.” Harkin first met the man in 1991.

“And so, in 2005, I said to Ky: ‘I’m going to nominate you for the Nobel Prize,'” Harkin said. “He’s such a modest person…In 2006, I renominated him, then I started bringing in more people.” Satyarthi, who is from India, calls child slavery an “intolerable….crime against humanity” and he has said that he hopes by winning this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, more people will acknowledge that child slavery exists — and must end in our lifetime.

This year’s other Nobel Peace Prize winner is 17-year-old Malala, the young Afgan girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban for being an advocate of women’s education. It will be followed by an evening banquet that Harkin will attend, along with past Nobel laureates and other dignitaries, like Norway’s royal family. The banquet will begin at noon Iowa time. Harkin’s trip is a quick one. He plans to fly back to Washington, D.C. Thursday, anticipating votes in the U.S. Senate.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Conservation Staff is inviting you to join them at Atlantic’s Schildberg Park Recreation Area on Saturday, January 3rd, 2015. Staff will be giving ten-minute presentations regarding the Trumpeter Swans every half-hour beginning at 11:00 a.m. with the last one being presented at 2:00 p.m. There will also be time to view the swans through spotting scopes and witness random swan feeding sessions.

Hot chocolate, cookies, grilled hotdogs, and other snacks will be provided free of charge with donations being accepted (for swan care). The Schildberg Recreation Area is located on the northwest edge of Atlantic, on the north side of Highway 83. (Note: If the weather is bad or if the swans are not at the park, the program will be held at the Atlantic Public Library from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. with a light lunch available).

The event is being sponsored by the Cass County Conservation Board, Atlantic Parks and Recreation, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the Atlantic Public Library.

DES MOINES – The State Interagency Missouri River Authority (SIMRA) will meet in Des Moines Dec. 12 to hear a presentation of “Navigation on the Missouri River” from Steve Engemann, president, Hermann Sand & Gravel, and a presentation from Seth C. Wright, attorney with Polsinelli PC about the Missouri River flooding lawsuit, Ideker Farms, Inc., et., al. v. United States of America, currently pending in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

The lawsuit is brought by farmers, landowners and business owners who sustained losses from one or more floods occurring in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014.

SIMRA seeks stakeholder input and makes recommendations on policies affecting the Missouri River. The group will meet at 10:00 a.m. to noon in Conference Room 3E/W in the Wallace State Office Building, 502 E. Ninth St., Des Moines. The meeting is open to the public.

The complete agenda is available on the SIMRA website at www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/BoardsCommissions/InteragencyMoRiverAuthority.aspx

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A judge has declared a mistrial in the case of a Georgia man charged with first-degree murder in the death of a roommate whose skeletal remains were found in an Iowa basement in 2012. The Fort Dodge Messenger reports Judge Gary McMinimee ordered the mistrial Tuesday in the case of 55-year-old John Green, of Blairsville, Georgia. Green is accused of killing 58-year-old Mark Koster, who was reported missing in 2010. His remains were found buried in the basement of Koster’s Sac City home.

McMinimee made his decision after Sac City Police Chief John Thomsen testified investigators interviewing suspects “minimize the crime” because “bad people” don’t want to admit their roles. Defense attorney Charles Kenville argued that mischaracterized Green. McMinimee agreed, declaring a mistrial. A new trial will be scheduled.