Southwest Iowa’s Ringgold County was one of two Counties in the state to have recorded the lowest number of child abuse cases last year. Worth County, in northern Iowa also had a low number of cases. Both reported 38. Statewide, the number of Iowa children who were abused or neglected declined last year, reversing two years of increases. The Iowa Department of Human Services released its annual report on child abuse today (Tuesday) and spokesman Roger Munns says abuse cases were down nearly seven-percent (7%) from 2010. “We can’t make too much of this,” Munns says. “Obviously the numbers are going in the right direction, but there are a lot of factors involved and the numbers have waffled back and forth for the last decade or so.” The primary reason for the decline in child abuse cases, according to Munns, is the state’s improved economy.

“It’s pretty well known when families are under financial stress, there’s more stress in every area of their lives including their kids,” Munns says. “So when economic conditions improve, some of that stress is removed.” The number of children in Iowa who were subjected to either a “founded” abuse or a less serious “confirmed” abuse last year was 11,747. Around 79-percent of all abuses were cases of neglect. “Neglect can mean a lot of things. Many times it’s the caretaker or parents who’s capacities are compromised by drug or alcohol abuse,” Munns says. “But, there are other examples too. There are cases where mom or dad goes to the casino and leaves the kid in the car…somebody finds them and no harm is done, but the kid was placed in harm’s way.” Ten-percent of abuses were physical, while four-percent were sexual — similar to past years. Slightly more than half of all abused children, 51-percent, were age five or under. Munns says Iowa’s numbers continue to be consistent with national trends.

“We send out social workers to do assessments on abuse and two-thirds of the time there is a finding of ‘no finding.’ This is comparable to what we see nationally as well,” Munns says. Polk County, Iowa’s most heavily populated county, recorded the most child abuse cases in 2011 with 4,147. That was followed by Scott County (2,194), Linn County (2,016), Black Hawk County (1,613) and Woodbury County (1,244).

(Pat Curtis/Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic Police Department reports 54-year old Devin McDermott, of Atlantic, was arrested Monday. McDermott was booked into the Cass County Jail on a charge of Criminal Trespassing.

A former teacher with the Anita School District scheduled to appear in court Thursday, will answer to charges he sexually exploited a minor female. 65-year old William Glenn Foulkes, of Anita,  has a 1-p.m. appearance set to take place in Cass County District Court March 22^nd. 

William Glenn Foulkes

Foulkes, a former long-time Math teacher at the Anita High School, and Anita Elementary School, was arrested last Thursday (March 15^th), on a felony warrant for Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee, and 49-Aggravated Misdemeanor counts of Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee.

Foulkes served the Anita Community School District from 1969, until his resignation in November, 2010. A complaint filed with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office said “On several occasions between August 1st 2009, and Nov. 11, 2010, Foulkes engaged in sexual conduct with a minor female while teaching the student in a math program. During these tutoring sessions, Foulkes would at times, kiss the minor female student on the cheek, mouth and breasts. These incidents occurred at the Anita Elementary School, Foulkes’ residence, and Lake Anita State Park. The Sheriff says on every occasion, Foulkes was acting in a teaching capacity and was employed by the CAM School District.”

Foulkes posted a $50,000 bond following his arrest. As a condition of his release, he was ordered to have no contact with his alleged victim.

Trees Forever is wrapping up an industrious, two-year tree-planting project that will help make more than a dozen Iowa cities greener and more energy efficient, while helping other towns replace trees lost to natural disasters. Meredith Borchardt of Marion, the group’s program manager and field coordinator, says it was a massive undertaking. “We ended up planting 2,456 trees and those were spread out over about 20 communities,” Borchardt says. “That included 72 different projects.” Ten Iowa communities were originally chosen to take part in the project after they were impacted by floods or severe storms and tornadoes. Additional disaster-impacted communities, like Mapleton, also benefitted from the Trees Forever program during its second year. Other cities that saw plantings include: Greenfield and Jefferson.

“The projects basically fell into two categories,” Borchardt says. “They were either windbreak projects that can help save energy in the winter or they were large shade tree plantings near buildings to help with energy savings in the summer.” It’s estimated the trees will generate an average of 108-thousand dollars in energy savings each year for the next 40 years. In addition to energy savings, she says trees provide other benefits to the community, including enhanced property values, reduced stormwater runoff and removal of pollutants and carbon dioxide from the air. 

Borchardt says, “We tried to work with each local community to identify if, for example, a school didn’t have many trees or if the need was really in residential areas or if there was a new fire station or a new public building that really needed trees, then we tried to make our program match with what those local needs were.” Projects included tree plantings at more than a dozen schools, numerous public facilities, several low-income and senior housing projects and in residential neighborhoods. She says the trees will remove about 957 tons of carbon dioxide from the air each year, on average, for the next 40 years, the same as taking 170 passenger vehicles off the road every year. The trees will also intercept an average of 5.3-million gallons of rainfall in these communities each year, significantly reducing the amount of runoff into our streams and rivers, helping reduce the potential of future flooding. Learn more at: www.treesforever.org

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) says a public meeting will be held Tuesday, April 3rd, in Council Bluffs, to discuss the Council Bluffs Interstate System (CBIS) segment 3 project impacts. Segment 3, on Interstate 80, begins at Indian Creek and proceeds east to east of Madison Avenue. On I-29, segment 3 begins south of the U.S. 275/Iowa 92 interchange and continues north to the east system interchange. The meeting will be held in rooms K and L of the Mid-America Center at One Arena Way in Council Bluffs. No formal presentation will be made. Iowa DOT staff will be available anytime between 5 and 7 p.m. to individually discuss the project. 

General information about the project is available from John Carns, CBIS project coordinator, Iowa Department of Transportation, 2210 E. Seventh St., Atlantic, Iowa 50022, telephone 712-243-3355 or 800-289-4368, or email john.carns@dot.iowa.gov. Visit the Iowa DOT’s project-related public involvement event website at www.iowadot.gov/pim for information about scheduled public meetings and hearings, and opportunities to offer input to the Iowa DOT during the development of certain projects.

Fees for some of the Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Programs will increase this year, while others remain unchanged. The Parks and Rec Board Monday voted to raise the price of sponsorships for men’s Slow Pitch Softball teams to $300 from $150. Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring says the fee is more in line with what other communities of similar size are charging, and it helps covers the cost of a 2-by 3-foot weather-resistant sponsor banner (which will be hung on the outfield fence), new fencing, and new surfacing on the in-fields. The cost of the banner is a one-time fee. The fee also pays for the service of an umpire for all three games each night. The season runs June 1^st to August 12th, three nights per week, with three games per night.

The fee for joining the Swim Team has been bumped up from $20- to $25 for each participant. The team will be in action from June 1^st to July 15^th.Herring says the swimming pool at Sunnyside Park will be open May 23rd through September 3rd. Admission fees are unchanged from last year, at $4 for those 3-years of age and older. Children under the age of two will be admitted for free. Season passes are also unchanged from last year, and will run $105 for a family, and $70 for a single adult season pass. A family pass covers immediate family members residing at the same street address, and includes: children of divorced parents who have joint custody; step- and foster-children. Herring says each person will receive a laminated picture ID which must be presented on the day they plan to swim. Daycare providers will be offered a punch card for $4 per day. A 15 punch card will cost $50, which is a discount of $10. In the event of inclement weather, the passes will be honored at the Nishna Valley YMCA for use at their indoor pool.

In other business, Roger Herring said Monday, that the skate park will be open for use in about six-weeks. He says skate board enthusiasts will be able to enjoy a refurbished half-pipe. The ends of the half-pipe will be closed-off and vented to prevent debris and moisture from damaging the equipment. Herring says if enough money is left over, a couple of other, smaller pieces of skate board equipment, such as a ramp, a wedge and a “kicker” might be purchased, to add to the attraction.

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Schildberg Quarry Recreational Trails Mileage Chart

The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department’s Board of Directors, Monday, approved various Summer Recreation Programs, the opening of Sunnyside Park facilities and streets, and the City Park restrooms, and Sunday concerts at the Sunnyside Bandshell. Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring said visitors to the Schildberg Quarry Recreation Area will soon notice over a dozen new benches along the trails surrounding the Schildberg Lakes. The benches were first proposed by Atlantic Eagle Scout Casey Ihnen during the board’s meeting last month. At the time, Ihnen said he would try to get sponsors for the 13 benches, who would pay $120 each. Herring said it didn’t take long for the Ihnen to meet his goal. All of the benches were sold in a matter of 48-hours. In addition, two manufactured benches which were provided by the family of Joe O’Brien, have been installed and are getting lots of use.

Herring said also, color-coded mileage charts will be published in the local paper, and eventually on the City’s Parks and Recreation website, and at the Schildberg area, indicating (depending on which end you start at and which loop you use), how far you will have walked on the trail. He said an east- and west-legend has been put together. The (1:53) green trail is one-mile, the blue trail is 1.2-miles, and the red trail is 1.5-miles, from start-to-finish. He says mileage was computed by Snyder and Associates Engineers, using G.P.S (Global Positioning System), so they are very accurate.

Herring said also, registration for the Summer Recreation Program will begin in May. Some changes this year include the running of a SWITA bus to transport kids for the Playground Program.  Children will be picked up from three different locations in Atlantic to the Washington School, between 9:15- and 9:30-a.m. At 5^th and Mulberry, Cedar Park, and at the entrance to Sunnyside Park, located at 10^th and Mahogany. Parents will need to pick their children up when the program ends at 11:30-a.m. each day, at the Nishna Valley YMCA. The Parks Board voted to discontinue the Special Needs Playground Program this year, after consulting with the City Attorney, who cited liability and cost in his recommendation to end the program.

One person suffered possible neck injuries during a collision between a pickup and a car Monday afternoon, in Atlantic. According to Police, 80-year old Lester Duede, of Cumberland, was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, after the car he was driving was rear-ended by a pickup, on southwest 7^th Street.

Duede was waiting to make a turn into a business driveway near 14th Street from southbound 7^th Street just after 2-p.m., when his 2007 Chevy Cobalt was hit from behind by a 1997 Ford pickup, driven by 25-year old Dustin Applegate, of Oakland. The collision caused the car to spin around before it came to rest facing northbound.

Authorities say Applegate was cited for failure to maintain control. Damage from the crash amounted to approximately $6,000.