(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three recent arrests. Wednesday night (March 6th), 33-year-old Taylor Christian Shanks, of Omaha, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on two Mills County warrants for Violation of Probation. His bond was set at $10,000. Later that same night, 40-year-old Shannon Nichole Brewer, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested for OWI/1st offense. Her bond was set at $1,000.

Late Tuesday night, Mills County Deputies arrested 18-year-old Tate Marshall Sharp, of Omaha, on a warrant for Failure To Appear on an original charge for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Sharp’s bond was set at $500.

(JOHNSTON, Iowa) – Four Iowa dentists are the 2024 recipients of educational loan repayment awards from the Fulfilling Iowa’s Need for Dentists (FIND) project, a collaborative public-private partnership. Among the 2024 FIND award recipients was:

Dr. Chet Meneely, Family Dental Center, Atlantic & Avoca – Dr. Meneely is a 2019 graduate of the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics. Following graduation, he returned to his hometown and joined Family Dental Center as an associate with Dr. Tim Kreifils and became the sole owner in 2020. And, Dr. Zachary Johnson, Fuller Family Dental, Lenox & Corning – Dr. Johnson completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Iowa. After receiving his Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree in 2023, he returned to southwest Iowa to become an associate with Dr. Maria Fuller’s new satellite practice in Lenox.

The FIND program engages dentists to establish dental practices in designated Iowa priority counties where access to dental care is limited. Recipients must devote a percentage of their practice to individuals who disproportionately face barriers to access care such as those enrolled in Medicaid, older adults, and other historically underserviced populations. Since Delta Dental began the Loan Repayment program in 2002, 61 private-practice dentists have received awards and have provided 352,000 patient visits and more than 942,000 dental services to underserved Iowans in priority counties.

Initial investments in a dental practice are significant and the FIND project can help dentists to establish their practices. The average new practice can require $500,000 for construction costs or remodeling of an existing facility, along with new equipment and technology purchases. This is in addition to educational debt, which for most dentists averages more than $300,000.
Based on the status of their practicing counties, FIND recipients receive funding of $125,000 (priority county) or $200,000 (high priority county) in return for a five-year commitment. This includes $120,000 or $195,000 from Delta Dental of Iowa and the State of Iowa, respectively, and a community match of $5,000.

The other 2024 FIND award recipients are: Dr. Kale Floyd, Anderson and Floyd Dentistry, Eldora – Dr. Floyd is a 2017 graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry. Through an Iowa family connection, he learned about the Eldora practice opportunity and joined Dr. Sarah Anderson as an associate, and in 2019, became a partner in the practice; and, Dr. Maxwell Loew, Prairie Trails Family Dental, Corydon – Dr. Loew grew up in Wisconsin and completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics in 2022. After graduation, he moved to Corydon to join his brother in practice at Prairie Trails Family Dental.

FIND project partners include Delta Dental of Iowa and the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation, Iowa Area Development Group, the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Iowa Dental Association, and the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, as well as numerous local organizations.

The Loan Repayment Program is a component of Delta Dental of Iowa’s Community Impact program that invests in projects that strengthen and transform the health and smiles of all Iowans. For more information, visit www.iowafindproject.com.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston, Wednesday night, arrested 40-year-old Alicia Ellen Lovell, of Creston. Lovell was taken into custody at around 9:40-p.m. at 806 Laurel Street, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd of subsequent offense. She posted a $5,000 cash or surety bond before being released.

(Harlan, Iowa) – During their meeting Tuesday morning in Harlan, Steve Kenkel, Chairman of Shelby County Board of Supervisors announced that after 12 years on the Board of Supervisors he has decided not to run for supervisor again in the upcoming primary in June. In other news from the meeting, in his minutes of the session, Board Secretary/Shelby County Auditor Mark Maxwell, said the Supervisors approved the appointments of Denny Gross, Darrin Haake, and Robbie Bissen, to the Board of Adjustment, and an FY25 3-percent cost-of-living wage increase for all non-union employees, as well as for the employees qualified to receive the increase. All of those employees are eligible for a 1% increase in pay on January 1st, 2025, if they have the merit pay increase approved by their Department Head.

Shelby County GIS director Mark Maxwell asked the Supervisors for, and was granted permission to, sign documents approving the flights and associated costs for aerial photography used by the Assessor and Shelby County as well as other individuals and organizations that use the online photographs of Shelby County property. The new contract is again for six years and include a $204.76 a year increase in costs for the six-year duration of the contract.

The Supervisors then considered a resolution setting the Tax levy Hearing for fiscal Year 2025. The hearing was set for 9-a.m. April 1st, in the Supervisor’s Chambers at the Courthouse in Harlan. A public hearing will also be held at 9-a.m. on April 2nd, with regard to the Annex Building, which was initially purchased and renovated as additional Shelby County office space, housing the County funded Community Services, Juvenile Court, Sheriff’s department storage and County Attorney. The technology and the reorganization of those departments has left the building mostly vacated by Shelby County departments.  The hearing is to receive public input on the proposed disposition of the parcel containing the Annex.

In other business, Secondary Roads Engineer Chris Fredericksen, reported that the rock piles are being replenished and that adding rock or blading to roads at this time with dry conditions would worsen conditions. Moisture is needed, Fredericksen said, before regular maintenance of those types are resumed in full. Fredericksen also asked and recommended approval for a utility permit by the local Rural Water Association, the work would not cross the right of way but all be done in a ditch. The request was approved as presented.

(Urbandale, Iowa) – The Iowa Board of Regents could increase University parking rates and violations/sanctions for the upcoming year for the University of Iowa, Northern Iowa University and Iowa State University. Action on the issue is scheduled for the April Board meeting.

The University of Iowa last approved increases for permits in FY 2016. On average, rates will increase $2.30/month for faculty/staff permits, $1.50/month for student permits, and $9.00 for citations. No hourly rate increases are proposed.

Iowa State University’s parking system, including the Memorial Union parking ramp, would, on average, see a 3-percent increase in annual and an academic-year basis. Hourly rates are unchanged for FY24.

The University of Northern Iowa‘s proposal has no change in the meter rates over FY24, and a general increase of 2.5% for most other parking fees, except for Resident Hall preferred (an 8.1% increase), and a Student Temporary parking fee increase of 4%.

Additional revenue generated from the proposed rate increases, effective August 1, 2024, would be used to help: (1) fund reserves used for parking lot repair and renewal; and (2) cover inflationary costs.

DALLAS COUNTY, Iowa [KCCI] — Dallas County prosecutors have reached a plea agreement with a Johnston woman accused of neglecting dozens of horses on her property. According to court records, Linda Kilbourne intends to plead guilty in a written plea. The records do not indicate the specific charge Kilbourne will be pleading guilty to.

Kilbourne was initially charged in November with livestock neglect causing serious injury or death, a serious misdemeanor, as well as 47 counts of simple misdemeanor livestock neglect. The simple misdemeanor charges are on hold while the serious misdemeanor case is resolved.

Kilbourne must submit her written guilty plea by March 28.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa State Patrol said the daily death rate on Iowa’s roads for 2023 was 20% higher than the 5-year average.

Last year, the state of Iowa teamed up with several other states to try and reduce the number of fatalities, but the Iowa State Patrol says it hasn’t worked. State Trooper Bob Conrad said they were seeing more people not just speeding, but hitting the triple digits. The state patrol has had numerous social media posts showing cars it pulled over going in excess of 100-mph, like a car just outside Dubuque clocked at 115-mph, or a driver in Johnson County who was traveling at 123-mph. In the first two months of the year, the patrol has written 117 tickets to drivers going more than 100-mph, and a speed that’s leading to deaths.

Trooper Conrad said it boiled down to distracted driving; people not noticing how fast they’re going. With warmer weather approaching, the Trooper worries about how many more people won’t be able to make it home safely.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — A former Des Moines news anchor has lost an age discrimination lawsuit after an eight-day trial in Polk County District Court. Sonya Heitshusen had been at WHO-TV for 17 years when, she says, she was denied an on-air contract in 2020. In August 2021, she filed an age and gender discrimination lawsuit against WHO-TV and its parent company, Nexstar Media Group, Inc., challenging what she called a widespread practice of removing older, female staffers from the air because of their looks. Station news director Rod Peterson and general manager Bobby Totsch were also named in the suit.

Nexstar, however, characterized Heitshusen’s firing as a reduction in its workforce. The lawsuit went to trial in Polk County last week, with the jury returning a verdict in favor of the defendants on Wednesday afternoon. It’s unclear if she will appeal the verdict.

Heitshusen is currently the public information officer for the Iowa Auditor of State.