(Anita, Iowa) – The CAM Community School District’s Board of Education will hold a public hearing and special board meeting on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.The meeting begins at 6:30-p.m. in the CAM High School Media Center. The agenda follows:

1. Opening Public Hearing on the Secure Entrance Modifications
2. Patrons may speak for or against the Secured Entrance Project
3. Close Public Hearing on the Secure Entrance Modifications

Special Meeting Agenda

1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Agenda
3. Discussion/Action Items
4. Discussion and Approval of Boyd Jones Proposal
5. Discussion and Approval of Secured Entrance Project Bids
6. Adjournment.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Rising and volunteers could be seen out delivering food boxes on Thursday, December 12th in the evening. The organization began collecting donations and nominations in early November and completed another successful program. Atlantic Rising Secretary/Treasurer, Kelsey Beschorner says “We anticipated to see an increase in nominations due to the continued challenges of grocery prices. We were over-joyed to see the constant support of our community in both donations and volunteers.”

This year, Atlantic Rising was able to provide a holiday meal to over 130 individuals and families all throughout Cass County. The donations received from the community totaled over $6,000, which allowed each nomination to be fulfilled. Atlantic Rising, again, teamed up with the Washington G.E.M, a local 4-H group, who helped assemble, pack, and load the vehicles with the Christmas boxes which made the process run smoothly.

“Atlantic Rising is proud to carry on and grow this tradition of the Christmas Box program. We are so thankful to partner with Hy-Vee and other local organizations who continue to make this big project a huge success,” Beschorner stated.

If you are interested in joining Atlantic Rising and finding out what they are involved in throughout the year, you can contact Kelsey at 712-243-3017 or kelsey@atlanticiowa.com. The membership application can also be found at www.atlanticiowa.com.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak arrested a man on burglary and drug paraphernalia charges, today (Monday). Authorities say 40-year-old Michael Scott Stafford, of Red Oak, was charged with Burglary in the 3rd Degree (a Class-D felony), and Possession of drug paraphernalia (A simple misdemeanor). Stafford was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has chosen a state senator from Le Claire to be her lieutenant governor. Chris Cournoyer took the oath of office in a ceremony at the statehouse this (Monday) morning. “It’s an honor and somewhat surreal to be standing at this podium as Iowa’s lieutenant governor,” Cournoyer said. Cournoyer has served in the Iowa Senate since 2019. Iowa has not had a lieutenant governor since September 2 when Adam Gregg resigned to become CEO of the Iowa Bankers Association. Reynolds waited until after the election to begin interviewing candidates for the position. The governor said Cournoyer will support a wide range of policy priorities. “First and foremost she’s someone that Iowans could trust to serve as governor if I were ever unable to,” Reynolds said. “I have complete confidence in her character, her judgement and her ability.”

Reynolds, who was a state senator in 2010 when Governor Terry Branstad chose her as his running mate, said Cournoyer is ideally suited to join her administration. “Chris has been a state senator, a reserve deputy and a long time leader and volunteer in her rural community of Le Claire. She’s also a small business owner and an expert in technology and A.I. and what I know she considers her most important job — a mom to four children,” Reynolds said. “Even on paper, the depth of her experience stands out.”

Cournoyer, who is 54, graduated from the University of Texas with a computer science degree and worked as a consultant in a Fortune 500 firm before becoming an independent website developer. The governor said Cournoyer’s firsthand experience — including her work teaching robotics and coding to elementary and junior high students — are major assets. “It’s exciting to think about all of the ways that we can utilize Chris’s experience in her new role,” Reynolds said. “Here’s a working mother who has known the joys and challenges of raising children while being in the workforce and owning a business.”

Cournoyer has been chairman of the Iowa Senate Technology Committee since its creation. “Growing up in the ’80s, I had a subscription to PC Magazine and a treasured dot matrix printer,” Cournoyer said. “I even did an 8th grade science fair project on Artificial Intellience, so basically I was a computer nerd before it was cool and not much has changed.” Cournoyer first met the governor in 2015, back when Reynolds was lieutenant governor, at a Davenport event focused on encouraging girls and young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. “She isn’t afraid to tackle tough problems from tax reform to education freedom to mental health and so much more,” Cournoyer said. “She also has a rare gift for getting stakeholders to the table and a tenacity to championing a cause to completion.”

Governor Kim Reynolds (on right) and Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer (official governor’s photo)

The ceremony for Cournoyer’s ascention to the role of lieutenant governor was held in Reynolds’ formal office. Cournoyer’s parents, three other statewide elected officials and the Republican leader of the state senate entered the room before the event began. Cournoyer who spoke briefly after the governor explained her choice, said she’s ready to advance the governor’s agenda in any way that she can. “I never planned on entering public office, let alone imagine that I would be second in line to Iowa’s succession,” Cournoyer said. “In other words, this is a humbling responsibility for me and Iowans can be confident that I will always approach it with the seriousness that it deserves.”

Cournoyer’s first campaign was for the Pleasant Valley School Board after she had raised a safety concern — and didn’t get a response from the board. Cournoyer won her seat in the Iowa Senate in 2018. A special election will be scheduled next year to fill the vacancy in the Iowa Senate, where Republicans will hold a super majority in 2025.

(Harlan, Iowa) – Officials with Harlan Municipal Utilities today (Monday), issued an update statement with regard to Friday’s (Dec. 13th) major gas leak that prompted evacuations for some parts of the city. You can read the entire statement, below:

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office say there were four arrests last week. Saturday night, 53-year-old Trummer Lee Washington, of Greenfield, was arrested following a traffic stop, for Contempt of Court-Violation of a No Contact Order issued in Adair County.

On Dec. 10th, 33-year-old Carlie Rae Wright, of Clive, was arrested by Adair County Sheriff’s deputies on an Adair County warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance-Marijuana/1st offense. Wright was released early the next day on a $2,000 bond.

On Dec, 8th, 60-year-old Lynne Marie Chapman, of Greenfield, was arrested by Stuart Police, for OWI/2nd offense. She was released later that evening on a $2,000 bond.

And, 29-year-old Kaleb Michael Hills, of Stuart, was arrested at around 3:50-a.m. on Dec. 8th by Stuart Police, for OWI/1st offense, and Reckless Driving. Hills was released later that morning on a $1,300 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – A Fort Dodge woman has been sentenced to federal prison for a second time for selling meth. Thirty-five-year-old Amanda Johnson — formerly known as Amanda Adams — was convicted in 2020 of possessing and distributing meth. According to a news release from the U-S Attorney’s Office, she was on parole in 2023 when she helped distribute over 15-hundred grams of meth in the Fort Dodge area. In late 2023, she sold meth to undercover agent in Waterloo. This summer, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute meth and has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

A central Iowa woman has been sentenced to federal prison in connection with the death of a 16-year-old. Court records indicate 21-year-old Nevaeh Simone Botts of Des Moines sold pills containing fentanyl to a teenager who overdosed and died. According to a news release from the U-S Attorney’s Office, a search of her apartment found hundreds of fentanyl pills — and she sold fentanyl pills to an undercover police office three times.