Cass County Deputy Corey Larsen had some good news during Monday night’s meeting of the Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education. Larsen, who serves as  School Resource Officer (or, SRO) for the Atlantic,CAM and Griswold School Districts, says there haven’t been a lot of issues.

Cass Co. Deputy Corey Larsen

Larsen says the number of truancy cases has dropped this year over last, in-part because it’s been demonstrated that officials, including himself, are cracking down on the problem and making sure kids get to school on time. Larsen said he spoke with Cass County Attorney Dan Feistner about spreading the word, that once mediation is held with parents of kids who’ve missed 10 days or more without a valid reason, an arrest warrant can be issued. 

Larsen said most of his time has been dealing with electronic issues involving students, such as those related to harassment or bullying through social media. He says squabbles form between students on sites like Facebook, along with harassment. The issues in the virtual world tend to be brought into the real world at school, and that’s something Larsen says they’re trying to quash.

He says the prevalence of smart phones and kids’ access to social media sites has exacerbated problems of harassment. Larsen said also, he’s taught some law enforcement-related classes and how to deal with electronic forms of harassment. He says the freshman class receives a course on the Criminal Justice system and cyber bullying. Larsen says he’d like to increase the number of sweeps through the buildings by the Cass County Sheriff’s Department K9 teams, including his k9 partner, Mufasa.

The deputy says he’d like to make at least two sweeps per year to show the students and the public the effort is being made to keep the district’s facilities safe and drug free.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say a Villisca man turned himself in to authorities at around 11:20-p.m. Monday, after he allegedly assaulted a 14-year old male earlier that evening. 30-year old David Michael Wright, of Villisca, was booked into jail and then released on $300 bond.

And, Police in Red Oak report the arrest Monday evening, of 20-year old Dallas Eugene Davis. Davis, who’s from Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 7:35-p.m. near north 5th and Maple Streets, on a charge of Public Intoxication. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court will hear cases in a Burlington school auditorium on Nov. 5. In one case a blind student is appealing a lower court decision that said sight is a requirement for studying to become a chiropractor at Palmer College of Chiropractic and having a sighted assistant was not an adequate solution. A second case involves a hunter who is challenging a state law that limits landowner hunting licenses only to Iowa residents.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition says 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will speak at its annual banquet in November. Palin served as governor of Alaska from 2006 through 2009. Since leaving office, she has been a best-selling author, public speaker and Fox News contributor. Utah Sen. Mike Lee is headlining the November program that’s being held in Des Moines on Nov. 9.

SPENCER, Iowa (AP) — Arrest warrants have been issued for an Iowa attorney once contracted by the State Public Defenders Office. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says the warrants for 60-year-old Ney McDaniel, of Spencer, are in connection to a July audit that questioned his billing practices. The audit identified more than $177,000 of improper disbursement to McDaniel. In one case, he claimed to have worked 24 hours or more in a single day during 80 days.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — A dozen organizations have received $100,000 each from the estate of a Marshalltown couple. The Marshalltown Times-Republican reports that recipients of funds from the estate of Verle and Ellen Hunt include the Animal Rescue League, First United Methodist Church, Iowa 4-H Foundation, Mid-Iowa Council of Boy Scouts of America and the Iowa State University Foundation.

Officials with Cass County Public Health have announced the availability of seasonal influenza vaccinations and upcoming community clinics. In the County, the clinics will be held:

Tuesday, October 15th from 3 to 5:30 pm at Rex Pharmacy in Atlantic.

Thursday, October 17th, from 4 to 6 pm in the lobby at UnityPoint at Home (formerly Cass County Home Care).

Friday, October 18th, from 8 to 11 am at the Griswold Medical Center. And, 1 to 4 pm at the Massena Medical Center.

Friday, October 25th, from 9 am to 12 pm at the Anita Health and Wellness Center.

Tuesday, November 5th, from 4:45 to 6:45 pm at the CCMH cafeteria.

Charges for flu vaccinations at the community events, for individuals choosing to pay privately, will be: $30 for seasonal vaccine; $35 for Flu-mist (those 2yrs-49yrs); and $45 for the high-dose vaccine (those 65 and older). Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Humana, and hawk-i can be billed. To allow Cass County Public Health to bill these insurances, please have your card available.

Cass County Public Health will be giving flu vaccinations for students during school time at all Cass County schools in the next couple weeks. Schools distributed consent forms electronically by email, which were due back to the school by October 14. If you didn’t get a consent form contact the school.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The city of Council Bluffs has settled a lawsuit with two Omaha, Neb., men who sought millions of dollars after the courts concluded they were wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for 25 years. The lawsuit filed by Terry Harrington and Curtis McGhee was scheduled for retrial Tuesday before a federal jury in Des Moines. The first trial ended in mistrial last year after jurors disagreed on the verdict.

The two men seek compensation from the city and two former police detectives for years in prison after their conviction for the 1977 shooting death of a retired police captain. Harrington and McGhee were released in 2003 after the Iowa Supreme Court found prosecutors committed misconduct by hiding evidence.

Federal court documents show a judge has ordered details of the city settlement sealed.

A woman from Montgomery County was arrested Monday afternoon on theft charges. According to Red Oak Police, 37-year old Rachel Charise Kathleen Hadden, of Red Oak, was taken into custody on a Red Oak Police warrant, and two Montgomery County warrants, for Theft in the 5th Degree. Hadden was being held in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on $2,300 cash bond.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency has updated the fire danger warning signs in the county. Emergency Coordinator Bob Seivert says the signs will stay in the moderate category to start the week. He says showers forecasted this morning did not materialize and the winds are once again strong out of the southeast.

The winds will elevate the danger of a wild fire spreading quickly while also gaining fuel by creating drying conditions. The Shelby County EMA will update the situation again on Thursday.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a Pacific Junction man faces 2 counts of Child Endangerment. 33-year old Timothy Eugene Truhlicka was arrested Friday morning at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office. No other details were provided. Truhlicka was being held in the Mills County Jail on $2,000 bond.

That same day, 26-year old Amber Rose Pearson, of Pacific Junction, was arrested on a warrant charging her with 2 counts of child endangerment. She was also arrested for being a fugitive from justice. Pearson’s bond was set at $14,000.

On Saturday, Mills County deputies arrested 50-year old Ernest Leroy Runyon, of Hastings. Runyon was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail. And early Sunday morning, 27-year old Kristen Ann Svendsen, of Bellevue, NE, was arrested on Applewood Road.  Svendsen was charged with OWI/1st offense. Her bond was set at $1,000.

Officials with the Atlantic Police Department report the arrest on Saturday, of 48-year old Floyd Johnson. The Wiota man was charged with OWI/2nd offense, and brought to the Cass County Jail.

The A-PD reports also, an Atlantic woman was cited for Failure to obey a traffic control device following an accident Friday evening near the intersection of 7th Street and Hospital Drive. Officials say a vehicle driven by Sue Bierbaum, of Atlantic, was traveling south from the HyVee parking lot, when she entered the intersection on a red light and hit an eastbound vehicle driven by Daniel Pross, of Atlantic. No injuries were reported. Damage from the accident amounted to $20,000.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Department reports the arrest last Friday night of a Cass County man. 49-year old Douglas Allen Bissell, of Atlantic, was arrested at around 11:30-p.m Friday, following an investigation into an accident that occurred on north Kilworth Street in Exira, Friday evening. Bissell faces  OWI/1st offense, and Failure to Maintain Control charges. He was brought to the Audubon County Jail and released after appearing before the magistrate.

Officials say Bissell was traveling east on Washington Street in Exira, when he made a left turn onto north Kilworth. As it continued north on Kilworth, Bissell’s 2011 Ford struck a legally parked 2002 Dodge owned by Alan Seehusen, of Exira. No injuries were reported. Damage from the crash amounted to $14,000.