A single-vehicle accident Tuesday morning in Montgomery County caused $5,000 damage to the vehicle, but no one was injured. The Sheriff’s Office says 63-year old Jonette Otte, of Henderson, was traveling east on 150th Street at around 7:30-a.m., when the tires on the passenger side of her 2005 Dodge Stratus left the pavement and entered a very minimal shoulder area. When Otte attempted to prevent the car from entering the ditch, she over-corrected, and went into the south ditch and came to rest in the ditch. Otte was checked at the scene for injuries by Red Oak Fire and Rescue, but did not require transport to the hospital.

No citations were issued.

The driver of a dump truck was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Omaha Tuesday, after the vehicle he was driving rear-ended another dump truck, in Fremont County. Sheriff’s Officials say 47-year old John Everett Miner, of Emerson, was flown from the scene near the intersection of 150th Street and 380th Avenue to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, for treatment of serious injuries. The driver of the other truck, 24-year old Jacob Ryan Miner, of Red Oak, was transported by Shenandoah Rescue to the Shenandoah Medical Center, for treatment of minor injuries.

Authorities say a 1996 Peterbilt dump truck driven by Jacob Miner was rear-ended by a 1994 Peterbilt dump truck driven by John Miner, as Jacob was slowing down to turn north onto 380th Avenue from eastbound 150th Street. The accident remains under investigation.

The author of a book that was the basis for the “Mean Girls” movie told an Iowa audience the nation’s democracy will suffer if the epidemic of bullying isn’t stopped. Rosalind Wiseman wrote “Queen Bees” as a guidebook for parents trying to help their child navigate cliques and gossip from their peers. Wiseman offered this challenge during yesterday’s statewide bullying prevention summit: “Put aside the word bullying. It’s about social justice and dignity and our children wanting to feel like they belong and are participating members of our democracy, that they count, that we value them.”

Wiseman urged teachers and administrators in the audience to become the “personification of ethical leadership” in their schools — making it clear what kind of language and behavior is not acceptable. “These children are our sacred responsibilities,” she said, “not only their brains, but their hearts and their bodies.” Wiseman, who spoke for about an hour, offered some examples of how to confront bullies — all of it directed to the educators and parents in the room.

“What school has always been about — always — is about young people understanding, for better and for worse, the social contract,” Wiseman said. “It has always been about what democracy really looks like and how they learn what we stand for on a very concrete, day-to-day basis.” Wiseman also cautioned adults not to “bully back” when they confront a kid who’s said or done something objectionable, as she said it’s often the “second hit” that gets noticed rather than the first. Over a thousand students, parents and educators gathered for yesterday’s statewide bullying prevention summit in Des Moines.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

The Iowa Utilities Board has approved a request by Alliant Energy’s subsidiary Iowa Power and Light (I-P-L) to raise the delivery cost charged to customers for natural gas. Alliant spokesman, Justin Foss, says the company will use tax credits it has from projects to do a three-year phase in program. “What that means now is that when customers see their bills, they will see the increase on there, however, they will also see a credit on there, and that will negate the increase,” Foss explains. “And customers really won’t experience the affects of this rate case until at least 2016.”

Natural gas customers pay the utility the cost of delivering the gas, and the second part of their bill is for the actual gas itself.
“For residential customers, that’s about 60 to 70-percent of the cost of gas. There’s another 30 to 40-percent that they see, and that cost is the cost of providing the service — and that’s really what this rate case is addressing. And while there is a small increase in providing the service, the majority of the cost is made up of the cost of gas itself,” Foss says.

He says the company has put some 70-million dollars into the delivery system the company uses to bring the gas to homes and the increase lets them recover that cost. Alliant customers will see a couple of changes on their bills. Foss says they will see the customer charge go up about three dollars a month and the cost for the amount of gas they use will go down slightly.

The cost of natural gas has dropped over the last couple of years, which has led to an average 20-percent drop in a customer’s bill.
“Supply and demand has really benefited customers and consumers right now. There is a large supply of natural gas, and demand has stayed relatively unchanged. And so as supply and demand work their way together, consumers right now are benefiting with some really low natural gas costs,” Foss says.

Alliant’s I-P-L subsidiary supplies natural gas to some 220-thousand Iowans in 240 communities.

(Radio Iowa)

Today (Tuesday), at the Governor’s Bullying Prevention Summit, Governor Branstad announced the launch of a new “go-to” resource where youth, parents, school personnel and all concerned Iowans can get help and information about bullying and youth suicide. Available 24/7, Your Life Iowa is a phone call or text away at www.Yourlifeiowa.org or 855-581-8111.

Trained counselors will provide guidance and support about bullying, and critical help to youth who feel they’ve run out of options and are considering suicide. Your Life Iowa is funded by the Iowa Department of Public Health in partnership with Boys Town, the State of Iowa Youth Advisory Committee, and the Iowa Department of Education Bullying Prevention, Intervention and Reporting Initiative.

Officers with the Atlantic Police Department have been keeping busy early this week. Today (Tuesday), they arrested 33-year old Ryan Richards and 26-year old Justin Knutsen, both of Atlantic, on charges of Theft in the 5th Degree. Richards was also cited for Criminal Trespassing and subsequently released, while Knutsen was booked in to the Cass County Jail.

And, on Monday, 24-year old Jonathan Poeppe, of Atlantic, was arrested for Driving While Suspended. In addition, 33-year old Essex Mullins, of Atlantic, was arrested for Theft in the 5th Degree/Shoplifting. Both were booked in to the Cass County Jail.

Members of the Exira and Elk Horn-Kimballton Community School District’s Boards of Education met Monday night in Exira for a joint Board meeting on the topic of reorganization. Exira-EHK Superintendent Dean Schnoes said no action could be taken due to the lack of a quorum from the EHK Board. Schnoes said the meeting essentially turned into a work session, which featured Area Education Agency (AEA) representatives Paula Vincent and Lane Plugge.

Schnoes said a few members of the community showed up to listen and ask questions about reorganization and consolidation of the two school districts. He says the Q-and-A and discussion process won’t stop with the most recent meeting. Schnoes said they will continue to hold community meetings every time there is new information that’s made available. Information will also be available on the district’s website and their related FaceBook page.

Once the final petition is put together and approved, the matter could be put to a vote of members in both school districts, by early April 2013. He says if other issues crop up, the vote might end-up being pushed back until June of next year, but he hopes that doesn’t happen.