An activist for veterans is asking the Iowa House and Senate veterans affairs committees to investigate the psychiatric care operations at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown. Bob Krause says he is concerned that veterans aren’t getting the treatment they need. “My fear is that the Iowa Veterans Home has been actively avoiding treatment of P-T-S-D war wounded, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” Krause says. He says the involuntary discharge of several patients last year raised concern. “And there’s been statements made that there are very few people coming in for P-T-S-D, but at the same time we had a person that went down and checked in the area, and they said that the psychiatric care unit were these people would normally be was actually closed,” Krause says. “So it’s confusing, and we want some clarification and we can’t seem to get it. So we are hoping for a legislative investigation.”

Krause says he has a suspicion about why veterans are not getting treatment. “I’m not really sure, but I think it’s a likelihood a cost and convenience issue,” according to Krause. Krause says the director of the home has made a public statement about the issue. “Basically the director has come out and said they don’t need it. I think he’s wrong on that,” Krause says. Krause wants legislators to look into the situation and give some clarification on the situation. Krause is a veteran and a former state legislator. He leads a charity that helps veterans with issues such as P-T-S-D.

(Radio Iowa)

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports five people were arrested over the past week. On April 9th, 33-year old Juhwaski Sintel Girley, of Ralston, NE, was arrested for being a Fugitive from Justice. Girley was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail. The following day, 22-year old Adam James Houchin, of Glenwood, was arrested on a Warrant for Eluding. His bond was set at $1,000.

On Saturday, April 13th, 28-year old Brett Allen Coyle, of Glenwood, and, 24-year old Erika Kathryn Powers, of Council Bluffs, were both arrested for Public Intoxication, after the vehicle they were in was pulled over on Interstate 29. The pair were being held in the Mills County Jail on $300 bond, each.

And, on Sunday, 43-year old Mark Alan Anderson, of Omaha, was arrested in Mills County on a charge of OWI/3rd offense. His bond was set at $5,000.

Voters in the Atlantic Community School District are likely to head to the polls on June 25^th for a Special Election with regard to an $11-million dollar bond issue for Capital Improvement Projects within the district. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein said school administrators are circulating a petition trying to get 400 signatures which will enable the election to take place. Amstein said the expansion and improvements are needed because of both the current and Department of Education projected, increases in enrollment. He said for the past few years, the projected enrollment for kindergarten aged students has consistently increased. In 2009, the projected enrollment was 111 students. For the 2013-2014 school year, the numbers come in at 140.5, but the district is anticipating 150 based on the current preschool numbers and current figures.

Amstein says since 2010, the district has surpassed the Dept. of Education’s projected kindergarten enrollment figures by as much as 15-to 20-students. The enrollment numbers for years 2014 through 2017 continue to show a consistently high number of students entering kindergarten. The result, is that the district is literally bursting at the seams, especially at the Middle School, which has already undergone a renovation project, but still requires the use of a mobile classroom.

If approved by the voters, the bond issue will pay for improvements at each of the district’s buildings. At the Washington Elementary School, that means four new classrooms and a cafeteria area. Amstein says right now, the current building occupancy is designed for 380 students, but there are 525 students occupying the facility, not counting the two preschool classes that were moved to the old Lincoln Building. The district is not only trying to expand building space, but even-out the classroom numbers.

The bond would also help to add 11 classrooms onto the Schuler building, with the third graders being moved to that facility once the work is complete. There would also be a commons/cafeteria area for the Middle School, and the addition of seven classrooms to the High School, plus an expansion of the art room. It will also cover the replacement of aging heat pumps at the High School, and help to relieve traffic congestion by building an access road for buses behind Washington Elementary.

The bond would increase the Debt Service Levy 90-cents, from the current 88-cents, to $1.78 per thousand dollars of taxable valuation, which is not the highest it’s been in recent times.  Amstein says in 1994, when there was an $8.3-million dollar issue for the new high school, the debt service levy was $2.70 per thousand. The high school is ready to come off of debt service, with the last payment expected to be made in May. Amstein says they are proposing the bond issue now, in-part because the economic climate is conducive to making additions and improvements to the district’s facilities. The other reason is because of the increased enrollment and decreasing classroom space.

Officials in Monona County say one man died and another suffered serious injury from all-terrain vehicle accidents Saturday evening. The Monona County Communications received a 911 call around 8:50pm Saturday, stating two all-terrain vehicles (ATV) had been involved in a collision on 185th Street, west of Birch Avenue. The Sheriff’s and ambulance were called to the scene. Once on the scene, officers and medical personnel located one ATV, a Yamaha, on the roadway and that driver in the south ditch. The other ATV was a Honda and was located in the north ditch while that driver was located just north of the vehicle. The driver of the Yamaha was identified as 31 year old Nathan Derocher of Onawa died at the scene as a result of his injuries. The driver of the Honda ATV, 21 year old Dalton Brown of Onawa was life-flighted to a Sioux City hospital in serious condition. The Iowa State Patrol, Burgess Ambulance, Whiting Fire and Rescue, Whiting Police Department, Mac One and Life Net all assisted at the scene. The collision remains under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol and Monona County Sheriff’s Office.

The last of three Cass County legislative coffees with state representatives and an area senator will be held in Griswold, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 20 at the newly-remodeled Griswold Library. The event is sponsored by PRIDE (The Progressive Rural Iowa Development Enterprise group). Following the coffee and conversation, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held for the re-opening of the Griswold Public Library, following its extensive remodeling.

For more information on the legislative coffee, or about PRIDE, contact group President Kenner Baxter at 712-781-2395, or Vice President Clarke Gerlock at 712-774-5476.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office has released its report on recent arrests and incidents. Officials said today (Monday), that 28-year old Cody Donovan Michel, of Clarinda, was arrested last Thursday, for revocation of his probation. And, as we had reported last week, 37-year old Lisa Marie Ferguson, of Hamburg, was arrested for forgery. On April 3rd, 23-year old Andrew Joseph Hughes, of Randolph, was arrested for a probation violation, as well as Possession of Contraband in Jail.

Fremont County deputies also investigated: A simple assault on Saturday; A motor vehicle theft on April 9th;and, an incident of 5th degree theft on April 7th.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Office has given another update on the Fire Danger warning signs in the county. The signs were at the “Moderate” category last week. However, with the moisture received in the area over the past few days, the signs are now at the “Low” Category. The next update from the Shelby County EMA will be on Thursday.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources say a 13-year-old Sergeant Bluff girl was injured Sunday afternoon after falling from an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) on a public wildlife area southwest of Sergeant Bluff, in Woodbury County.

Jayden Vanwyk was a passenger on an ATV being operated by her brother, 17-year old Tanner Vanwyk, when she fell off and broke her leg. The incident occurred on the Weedland Access Area shortly before 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Both of the riders were wearing helmets at the time of the mishap.

Jayden Vanwyk was transported by ambulance to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City. The incident remains under investigation by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.