DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A California man has been charged with setting up fake businesses in three states, then using names taken from temporary visas issued to students to obtain more than $355,000 in unemployment benefits for nonexistent workers.

Nikolai Monastyrski is charged in federal court in Iowa with wire and mail fraud related to the scheme that prosecutors say he perpetrated there as well as in Illinois and Pennsylvania.

A complaint filed Nov. 10 says Monastyrski received $114,215 from Iowa, $230,000 from Illinois and more than $11,300 from Pennsylvania. He appeared at a hearing in Des Moines on Thursday and was ordered held by federal marshals until a Jan. 6 hearing in Davenport, where he’ll be tried. His federal public defender and a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney prosecuting the case declined comment.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An eastern Iowa woman has reunited with her son nearly 40 years after she placed him for adoption. Television station KCRG reports Cheryl Janss embraced Sam Lane at a Cedar Rapids airport Thursday. Janss, of Cedar Rapids, says she was 16 when Lane was placed for adoption. Lane, now 39 and living in the Dallas area in Texas, began searching for his mother about five years ago. The station says he used an ancestry research website and Facebook to make contact.

Janss says the adoption was aimed at giving her son a better life. Lane, who praised his adoptive parents, says he wanted to thank his biological mother for giving him life. The pair will spend a few days together before Lane returns to Texas on Sunday.

More people have died on bicycles in Iowa this year than in any year since 2005. The Iowa Bicycle Coalition says 11 cyclists died while riding this year. The coalition’s executive director, Mark Wyatt, says he fears this year is not an anomaly. “We’ve seen vehicle miles traveled increase over the last year, and if fuel prices stay where they are, we anticipate that will continue to go up. I think we need to take action now and create some steps to make bicycling in traffic safer,” Wyatt says.

The Iowa Bicycle Coalition has been calling on lawmakers to pass a law that would require motorists to change lanes to pass a bicycle. “This is easily taught in drivers’ ed classes. It is easy for law enforcement to differentiate between a motorist being in one lane or the other, and it’s something that’s easy for Iowa drivers to follow,” Wyatt says.

A bill requiring motorists to change lanes when passing a bicycle passed the Iowa Senate last year, but did not make it out of committee in the House. Wyatt says five of the cyclists who died while riding this year where struck from behind while operating legally on roads.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Board of Supervisors approved two Professional Services Agreements (PSA’s) with Snyder and Associates Engineers, with regard to Elite Octane Ethanol plant infrastructure, and by a vote of four-to-1 (with Supervisor Frank Waters the lone “Nay” vote), a Resolution for use of County matching funds amounting to $25,000, to secure an Enhance Iowa grant for Schildberg Recreation Area campground improvements.

Snyder and Associates Engineer Tim Teig was asked to attend the meeting to better explain the break-down of costs and services with regard to the ethanol plant Gray water transmission line project and road paving project. Teig said the agreements cover the $9,750 costs associated with the study phase for the gray water project, and $158,300 for the study and design phase of the Echo, Buck Creek and Glacier Road paving project. The total PSA for the roads amounts to $208, 950. That includes the full redesign, bid and construction services.

Teig said everything they’ve done to date with regard to the gray water project, has been very basic, and there is no firm estimate of the volumes of water or other detailed information available from the ethanol company as to how they want to receive the water from the Atlantic Wastewater Treatment Plant.  He says the agreement spells out a preliminary report will be created with the best routes for the gray water line and related property easements, as needed.

Once the study is complete, the Board of Supervisors will be presented with more detailed information, including the firm fees for the design phase. Teig said the PSA for the roads paving project, is inclusive of a new topographic analysis, because the last time a 100-percent design study was done on those roads was 10-years ago.

Teig said the road has likely changed over the past 10-years, with regard to height, shoulder conditions and other factors. Only the profile of the roads may change, due to age and wear, but not the design. Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Seth Staashelm told the Board his request for a Resolution pertaining to the use of County funds, was the result of recommended changes to the CAT (Community Attraction and Tourism) grant application from the Vision Iowa Program Manager, with regard to the Schildberg Recreation Area. The program manager recommended the application that was submitted be pulled, and revised. The other reason a new application must be submitted along with a resolution for financial commitment from the County, is because the Vision Iowa Board was dissolved and a new “Enhance Iowa” Board was established.

If the grant is approved in 2017, it will help to cover phase 1 of the project, which involves electrical and water hook-ups to the camping pads, along with a new storm-safe shower and shelter house.  The application being submitted in 2017, will specifically pertain to the Phase 1 part of the improvements. The Atlantic City Council will also be asked to approve an updated Resolution for $100,000, as part of its commitment to the project.

Two members of the Cass County Board of Supervisors were recognized today (Friday), by Board Chair Gaylord Schelling, for their years of service to the County. Board members Duane McFadden and Chuck Rieken chose not to run for re-election in 2016, and will be replaced by Steve Baier, of Griswold and Steve Green, of Atlantic, who were elected in November, and will represent the District’s 4 and 1, respectively.

Board of Supervisors members, from left to right: Duane McFadden, Gaylord Schelling, Chuck Rieken, Frank Waters and Mark Wedemeyer.

McFadden received a certificate for his 12 years of service. Rieken for his 26-years of service to the County. Rieken chuckled when he said “It hasn’t been easy, I can tell you that.” The Board acknowledged the years of knowledge and experience both men are leaving with, and thanked them for helping make some tough decisions in years past.