Sheriff’s officials in Audubon County say no injuries were reported following a two vehicle accident that took place about seven-miles southeast of Audubon Tuesday afternoon. Authorities say an SUV driven by 64 year old Gary Lee Borkowski of Carroll was traveling north on County Road N-36 at the same time a car driven by 30 year old Nicholas Brooks Peck of Audubon, was traveling westbound on 220th Street.

The vehicles collided when at the intersection when Peck failed to yield from the stop sign.  The accident took place around 12:50pm. Damage from the crash amounted to $4,000. Peck was charged with failure to yield.

Two fires that took place Monday night in Jefferson are being investigated as cases of arson. Authorities told Raccoon Valley Radio, a fire destroyed a Greene County School bus parked at the bus barn on the fairgrounds in Jefferson, at around 8:45pm. Three-hours later, a structure fire damaged a four-story concrete storage building in the 700 block of North Elm Street, in Jefferson.

There were no injuries reported. An investigator with the State Fire Marshall’s Office was expected to in Jefferson to determine how both fires started, but officials say the preliminary causes are suspected to be arson-related.

The Griswold School Board met Monday evening and received an update on various district capital improvement projects. Superintendent Dana Kunze told KJAN News the track project is nearly complete. All that’s left is seeding around the area, and the board is trying to decide whether to take care of that yet this fall, or next spring. There’s been no new developments on the boiler project. The board is waiting for design specifics before any decision is made.

Kunze said the Board also authorized a project which was added to the agenda, for asphalt work on the parking areas at the Lewis School building. He said they also received and approved a bid from Landon Preston, of Griswold, for snow removal. And, the Griswold Board authorized Kunze to assemble a package for the offering of an early retirement package for district staff.

Kunze said also, he briefed the Board on the district’s Certified Enrollment numbers. The numbers showed a loss of about 17 students from last year, for a total enrollment this fall of 576. He says the general population continues to drop, and while they’d like to see open enrollment numbers turn around, there is no consistent reason for a decline that he can pin-down.

The CAM Community School District’s Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting Monday night, in Anita. Business Manager Linda Edwards told KJAN News the Board approved various contracts during the meeting, including one for a pre-school driver and Co-head Speech Coach. The rest were essentially coaching contracts. Sharing the position of Junior High Wrestling Coach, is Corey Stephenson and Brian Follmann. The Board also made appointments for Junior High Basketball Coaches.

Edwards said the CAM School Board also received a presentation from the Anita Library Board, who pitched the services and opportunities available through the library that will enhance the learning opportunities for students and teachers alike. One of the tools is LearningExpress, while another is EBSCOhost, an online research database, which offers magazines articles, encyclopedias, newspapers, sound, information, pictures and more.

LearningExpress also has SAT and ACT prep information, and basic skills improvements for grades 4 and up. Another service is WILBOR, which includes downloadable audio and electronic books. The Anita Library wants to partner with the school district, so times are being set-up to visit with the staff at the various district buildings to explain what’s available.

w/ Ric Hanson

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There’s been yet another delay in the court proceedings for a former Harlan teacher facing sexual abuse charges. During a hearing held Monday, Judge Tim O’Grady,  continued the pre-trial date for 72-year-old Lee Nelson, who has waived his rights to a speedy trial. A pre-trial will be held January 6th, 2014, with a jury trial slated to begin at 9-a.m., on March 4th, 2014.

Nelson faces charges of sexual exploitation by a school employee and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. A 17-year-old female claiming to be a victim and her parents contacted police on May 30, 2013, and reported that Nelson had allegedly been saying rude and inappropriate things to the female, as well as touching her inappropriately.

The incidents allegedly occurred at school, on band trips and at his residence.

Investigators looking into a personal injury accident in Montgomery County Monday evening, said no citations were issued following a collision between two semis that sent one person to the hospital. Officials blamed dusty conditions at the intersection of 230th and M Avenue as the reason for the crash between semis driven by Frank Blaha and Shawn Costales, both of whom are from Lincoln, NE.

The accident happened at around 5:23-p.m. Officials say Blaha was driving a 1999 International semi tractor pulling a 2013 Smithco side-dump trailer. He stopped at the intersection to allow another vehicle to enter. Costales, who was coming up behind Blaha in a 2001 International semi tractor which was also puling a side-dump trailer, did not see Blaha had stopped, due to the dusty conditions. He tried to avoid a rear-end collision by turning left, but ended-up hitting the left rear bumper and tire of the trailer being pulled by Blaha’s semi.

Costales’ semi then left the road and crashed through a fence. Costales was transported by Red Oak Rescue to the Montgomery County Hospital, to be checked for possible injuries. Blaha refused medical treatment. Both men submitted to DOT drug testing at the hospital.

Damage from the crash amounted to slightly more than $15,600, including damage to the fence owned by Max Peterson, of Stanton.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The registration for a Nov. 4 bullying prevention summit in Des Moines has been extended through Wednesday. Gov. Terry Branstad says additional demand for tickets is driving the extension. The original deadline for registration was Friday. The Governor’s Bullying Prevention Summit registration is online at: preventbullying.iowa.gov

This year’s theme is “Mission Possible: Stepping Up the Response,” and is a follow-up to last year’s summit which drew about 1,100 people. The summit’s keynote speaker is Emily Bazelon, author of the book “Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy.” The summit will include sessions on how students and adults can make a difference. Participants will explore good legal policy and support schools may need to better deal with bullying.

As Iowa recovers from the recession, a worker shortage is making it hard to compete with other states, according to north Iowa business consultant Roger Underwood. He’s part of a state panel that tracks economic trends and the likely effect on tax receipts. Underwood says in the last few weeks, he’s heard from several employers who are struggling to find employees, especially skilled workers. “I’ve been working with one business in north Iowa, trying to fill a position and it’s difficult,” Underwood says. “It’s all across the board, manufacturing, service, wholesalers, even some of the retailers are having trouble.”

Iowa’s unemployment rate rose slightly during August to four-point-nine percent, up just one-tenth of a point from July. The September jobless numbers should be out this week. Underwood says Iowa’s employers have been in this situation before, desperate for skilled laborers. Underwood says, “It was difficult 10 to 15 years ago to fill slots and then unemployment went up and there were a lot of people available all of the sudden and now we’re getting back to the unemployment rate that’s almost considered a full employment rate.”

Underwood, who’s from Clear Lake, represents the private sector on the state’s three-member Revenue Estimating Conference.

(Radio Iowa)