The Harlan Community School District saw another reduction in their allowable growth aid for special education students. In a board meeting Monday, the board approved the balance of $56,512.56 for the allowable growth and supplement aid for negative special education. The District in the past three years has seen a reduction totaling $300,000 in their special education debt. Harlan Community Superintendent Justin Wagner says the reduction deals with more federal dollars to the district.

He said “The primary reason is because we were able to find some loopholes in the Medicaid funding and what that does is bring in federal dollars to the district. Huge kudos to the staff but in the long run it is a huge win for tax payers. ” He says the district hopes to have a surplus in special education by next year.

“We have a goal for that next year and now we have a surplus from the federal government instead of local funds. I am really proud of. We keep hitting our local folks up and it’s good to have an outside funding source for this.”

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three men were arrested this week on probation-related charges. All three were taken into custody Wednesday. 28-year old Brett Allen Coyle, of Glenwood, was arrested at around Noon on Wednesday at the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, on a Mills County warrant for Violation of his probation. Coyle’s bond was set at $5,000. 20-year old Tyler L. Gene Coddington, of Red Oak, was also arrested at the Pott. County Jail, Wednesday, on a Mills County warrant for Violation of his probation. His bond was set at $10,000. And, 18-year old Dominque James Schlup, of Hastings, was arrested Wednesday at the Mills County Jail, on a warrant for Revocation of his probation. Bond was set at $5,000.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports also the arrest on Wednesday of 33-year old Timothy Eugene Truhlick, of Pacific Junction, who was taken into custody at the Mills County Jail at around 3:40-p.m, on a warrant for Harassment. His bond was set at $2,000.

A man from southwest Iowa was injured during an accident Monday morning 4-miles south of Glenwood, in Mills County. Sheriff’s officials say Dennis James, of Tabor, was driving a 2005 Ford east on Highway 34 at around 10:35-a.m., when his vehicle was hit from behind by a 1998 Ford. The driver of the other vehicle, Peyton Frederick, of Corning, was attempting to light a cigarette when the collision occurred.

The impact caused a trailer being pulled by James’ vehicle to become detached. Both the vehicle and trailer came to rest on the eastbound shoulder. Officials say during the impact, the airbags in Fredericks’ vehicle deployed. Dennis James was transported by Glenwood Rescue to a hospital in Council Bluffs. A passenger in his vehicle, Gayle Steinbach, also of Tabor, suffered unknown injuries.

Authorities says Frederick was cited for Following too closely.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) says residents in the area should avoid outdoor burning today (Thursday). Windy conditions are expected to persist throughout the day, exacerbating any potential fire danger that exists under the current, dry conditions. In addition, the Fire Danger Index in Shelby County will continue to be in the “Moderate” category until at least Monday.

The governors of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota are calling on Congress to end the deadlock that’s shut down the federal government. The three met at the Tri-States Governors Conference in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, on Wednesday. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, a Republican, says he deals with split government, with Democrats controlling the Iowa Senate, and they can find agreements.

“I don’t spend my time attacking the Democratic leader in the Senate, I don’t call him names and things like that,” Branstad says. “Instead, I focus on things that can help move Iowa forward. I know at the end of the day, I’m going to have to compromise. It’s gotta’ be a win-win situation and things that the other party can see as beneficial as well.”

Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman, a Republican, says there is plenty of blame to go around in Washington D-C.  “Both parties are at fault,” Heineman says. “It is now time for the president to exert presidential leadership, in my opinion, bring everybody down to the White House, say, ‘We’re going to the basement and I’m only going to feed you bread and water ’til we get this thing resolved.’ Doggone it, it’s time to do what’s right for America and that’s what they should do.”

South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard, a Republican, says the states will feel more effects the longer the shutdown continues. “To the extent that we have employees and programs that are reliant on federal funds, we’ve been pretty careful to steward those funds over the years,” Daugaard says. “We’ve got some that are available that can carry us at least to the end of the month, of October. Some will carry longer than that but some won’t.”

The three governors meet every year, with the meetings rotating around the Sioux City area of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.

(Radio Iowa)

A portion of Interstate 80 in western Iowa that was closed overnight to repair a collapsed portion of the shoulder that could have affected the entire width of the three-lane road, re-opened this morning, just in time for the rush hour. Troy Jerman, with the Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 4 Office in Atlantic, told KJAN News the road re-opened today (Thursday) at 8-a.m.

Jerman says contrary to some earlier reports, the Interstate itself did not collapse at around 8:15-p.m. Wednesday, and create a 10-foot gap, two-to three-feet deep. He says it was just the shoulder that gave way. Immediately afterward, crews stopped working and investigated how extensive the void was.

Jerman says the situation began to unfold while crews were installing a pipe beneath the road located between Exits 1-A and 4, in Council Bluffs. Workers discovered a void that ran under the eastbound lanes, so they were closed to traffic. Jerman says they’re still not sure what caused the void.

Jerman says crews worked throughout the night to make sure the road would be open as quickly as possible.

(He says they cut a 10-foot section of the interstate out where the void was, backfilled it with granular materials and put a patch of pavement on top.)

w/ Ric Hanson

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Transportation Department expects to reopen eastbound Interstate 80 this (Thursday) morning.  District 4 engineer Troy Jerman says the pavement patch should be cured and ready for use by 8 a.m.

Jerman says a portion of the interstate shoulder collapsed about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday as workers were installing a pipe under the roadway. They discovered a void that ran under the eastbound lanes, so they were closed to traffic.

Drivers trying to cross from Nebraska into Iowa had been advised to seek other routes on Thursday. They were directed north to the Interstate 680 or south to the Veterans Memorial Bridge in southern Omaha. Westbound lanes remained in use.

(Note: Red Oak Police issued a correction on the name of the female.  Her name is Nicole SMITH, not Barker. This post edited at 7:51-a.m.)

The Red Oak Police Department reports a man and a woman were arrested early this morning on theft-related charges. 38-year old Markus Eugene Johnson, and 25-year old Nicole Ann Smith, both of Red Oak, were taken into custody at around 4:30-a.m. at 301 W. 4th Avenue in Red Oak. Both face a charge of Aiding and Abetting (Theft in the 2nd degree). The pair were being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 cash bond, each.

w/ Ric Hanson

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