Update 1:30-P.M. 10/15/23: Dennisha has been located and the Family has been notified.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Police in Council Bluffs today (Sunday), report 29-year-old Dennisha Kia Cook has not been heard from since last Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. Dennisha is homeless and has been staying in local hotels. Her last known location was the Motel 6 in Council Bluffs.

Dennisha’s mother is worried about her due to her having a mental capacity of a 10-year-old. Dennisha is a white female with a light complexion, who stands 5-feet 4-inches tall. She weighs about 190 pounds, has brown hair and blue eyes.

If you know the whereabouts of Dennisha Cook, please contact your local law enforcement dispatchers or Sgt Roberts in the Council Bluffs PD Criminal Investigation Division at 712-890-5212.

Dennisha Cook

Des Moines, Iowa – The Iowa State Patrol received information about a threat to the Iowa State Capitol building from the United States Capitol Police around 12:45 pm today (Saturday, Oct. 14). The threat was made via social media. The Department of Public Safety investigated and assessed the threat and determined it to be not credible.

Out of an abundance of caution, the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol swept the building and located nothing of concern. The building was cleared at 1:30 p.m. and all normal activities at the Capitol have resumed.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis backs the current nominee to be the next speaker of the U-S House.  “Jim Jordan…I don’t know if he has the votes. I would vote for him if I were there. He’s a good man. He’s a good conservative,” DeSantis says. “But here’s the thing: what they’re showing the country is that they’re like chickens with their heads cut off. They can’t shoot straight. There’s a lot of drama and palace intrigue. That’s not the way you do business.”

DeSantis served three terms in the U-S House before he was elected governor of Florida in 2018. DeSantis says Americans don’t see progress in congress on key issues like border security and controlling inflation. “In Florida, we lead on substance and we produce results…We have no sideshows. It’s not about me. It’s not about creating drama. It’s about executing the mission and delivering for the people that you represent,” DeSantis says. “…So what’s happened up there (in Washington, D.C.), I don’t see them producing results.”

DeSantis spoke with Radio Iowa this (Saturday) morning from his campaign bus, headed to events in southwest Iowa. DeSantis calls last weekend’s terrorist attacks the gravest challenge Israel has faced in modern history and DeSantis says now is not the time for former President Trump to be airing personal grievances about Israel’s leader. “In the aftermath of those attacks, Donald Trump decided to attack Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu,” DeSantis says, “and largely because Netanyahu congratulated Biden after the 2020 election and Trump has never spoken to him since and he dislikes Bibi as a result of that.”

During a speech Wednesday in Florida, Trump complained Netanyahu pulled Israel out of an operation that killed an Iranian general in 2020 and Trump said Israeli intelligence needs to step up their game. DeSantis says if he’s elected president, he won’t let personal issues cloud his judgement. Yesterday (Friday), Trump posted a message on his Truth Social network, saying he stands with Bibi. DeSantis, a Navy veteran, expressed support for Israel’s war aims.

“What they need to do — and we need to support them doing this — is completely uproot, dismantle and eliminate Hamas as a terrorist group, their terrorist infrastructure so that this never happens again,” DeSantis says. “When you have terrorists groups going in and beheading babies and massacring elderly people and raping women and putting it on video…they just can’t live with those people living on their border.” DeSantis predicts in “the days and weeks ahead,” criticism of Israel from the United Nations, other countries and some elements of the Biden Administration will ramp up.

“Think about what’s going on. Israel is telling people in Gaza, ‘Hey…leave, so you won’t get hurt.’…Hamas is telling those people to stay there so they could be used as human shields, so there is no moral equivalence in terms of what’s going on here, so we’ve got to back them to the hilt,” DeSantis says. “This is a great challenge for them, but they need to do the job and finish it.” DeSantis says the impetus for the attacks by Hamas may have been last week’s meeting among Israelis, Arabs and U-S leaders who’ve been working to create a formal diplomatic relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

“This could have been done with Saudi and Israel a long time ago. Biden has done really terrible with managing that relationship and so we are where we are” DeSantis says. “…Israel’s got to do what they’ve got to do. My sense is that the Saudis, behind the scenes, understand that.”

On Thursday, DeSantis signed an executive order authorizing planes from his state could be used to rescue Florida residents stranded in Israel. This (Saturday) morning, he said the first rescue flight from Israel should arrive in Florida tomorrow (Sunday) morning.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Community School District, in collaboration with the Iowa State Patrol, is holding a Safety Carnival for Junior and Senior High students at the High School, on Tuesday, Oct. 17th from 8:30-a.m. to 3:30-p.m.  According to AHS Principal Heather McKay, the primary goal of the program is to profoundly impact teenagers by illustrating the potentially dire consequences of alcohol consumption and distractions while driving. The Safety Carnival is designed to challenge students to contemplate the dangers of drinking, texting while driving, personal safety, and the importance of making responsible decisions when lives are at stake. The event concludes a week-long curriculum presented to Dan Vargasons Leadership class at AHS.

Nearly 13,000 people lose their lives each year in alcohol-related collisions, with thousands more falling victim to distracted drivers. Our objective is to educate our students so that they can make informed choices and steer clear of risky driving habits.

Activities that will take place during the safety carnival include:

• A Seatbelt Convincer – students are buckled into a seat that travels approximately 10 feet and mimics a slow speed (10 mph) crash.
• Golf Cart Texting Course – Students will drive golf carts through a course designed to illustrate roadway changes (curves, stops, etc.) while composing a text.  An ISP Driving instructor will be riding with each student as they attempt to navigate the course while texting.
• Pedal Car Course – Students will utilize the pedal car (it’s like an adult big wheel) while wearing Drunk goggles to illustrate challenges of navigating the roadway while intoxicated.
• Field Sobriety Testing – Students will complete the Standard Field Sobriety tests while wearing the Drunk goggles to show how impairment affects their ability to perform routine tasks.
• Virtual reality goggles – Our driving simulator that uses VR goggles will give students an opportunity to navigate different challenges presented through the simulator program.
• Crashed Camaro – Vehicle that was traveling over 149mph and crashed at 104 mph in July 2022, killing the three teenage occupants in Dubuque.  Car has not been altered (exception of reconnecting roof) so students can see firsthand the extensive damage related to high speed crashes.   The vehicle still has contents from night of the crash (Shoes, etc.) so students can see reality of choosing to drive excessive speeds.  There is also an accompanying video we will show that interviews the family and friends of the female victims, and law enforcement who covered the crash who remain affected by this tragedy. (The ISP Technical Investigator who conducted the crash reconstruction will be present to talk about the event).

There will be 6 Troopers from the Iowa State Patrol and 1 Sergeant to conduct activities and answer questions.  The public is invited to come and join the ISP and School Administrators for the event on Tuesday.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic will act, Wednesday (Oct. 18th), on making appointments to the City’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission. The Council’s meeting begins 5:30-p.m., in their Chambers at City Hall.

You may recall, the Council passed the third and final reading of an Ordinance creating the new Commission, during their meeting on Sept. 29th. The Commission consists of five individuals with a minimum of three representatives living in the City limits, and allowing for two in Cass County. A sixth, non-voting representative from the Atlantic Community School District will also serve on the Commission.

The City of Atlantic’s Personnel and Finance Committee met on October 9th to review letters of interest from prospective Commission members, and has nominated the following persons to serve on the Parks & Rec Commission: Dolly Bergman and Kevin Ferguson (Both two-year terms); Mary Strong, Shirley Jensen and Ali Pieken (One-year terms). The two seats that may be held from those outside of City limits would be occupied by Bergman and Pieken. If the Council approves those nominations, they will become effective January 1, 2024.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on approving an Order to allow the Atlantic Elks Lodge’ request to install a flagpole in the right-of-way in front of their building at 411 Walnut Street. The Personnel & Finance Committee recommends the Council approve the request for a flagpole located at the northeast corner abutting 411 Walnut.

The Council will also act on passing a Resolution “Approving of a Revolving Forgivable Loan with SHIFT ATL and providing for an Appropriation,” relating to housing rehabilitation. SHIFT has applied for a $100,000 revolving loan for the residential rehab of 201 W. 14th Street, which the Personnel and Finance Committee has unanimously endorsed.

And, the Council is expected to act on an Order to “shift future Fireworks budgets from the 4th of July to Labor Day.” The Personnel & Finance Committee met Sept. 9th to review the “Bash at the Ballfields” event that occurred over the Labor Day weekend, and concluded the event was a success. They are recommending the City hold its fireworks show on Labor Day next year, instead of the 4th of July. The Council was in agreement in an earlier meeting that the benefits of holding the event later outweigh any negative aspects, and would likely draw a bigger crowd and more entertainment.

At the end of regular business, Wednesday, the Atlantic City Council is expected to enter into a closed session to discuss legal strategy with Counsel, regarding matters of current or imminent litigation.

(Area News) – At least three area school district boards of education will hold their regular monthly meetings this coming week. First-up, at 5:30-p.m. Monday (Oct. 16th), is the Griswold School Board meeting, which takes place in the Conference Room at the High School.

During their session, the Board will receive information with regard to 2023-24 Certified Enrollment, and discuss Open Enrollment Data, in addition to their Board Goals. The Board is expected to act on approving Veteran’s Day Program Expenses, and consider the activation status of the District’s Early Retirement Policies, and act on the First Reading of some 500- and 700-series Board Polices.

The Audubon School District’s Board of Education is set to meet at 7-p.m. on Monday, in the High School Board Room. Their meeting begins with a Work Session for Policy Review, and the First Reading of a Policy pertaining to the “Discipline of Students who Make Threats of Violence or Cause Incidents of Violence.” The Board will act on approving the first reading of that policy later on in their meeting.

In other business, the Audubon School Board will act to approve: Mid-Term graduates (pending completion of Requirements); Appointing a delegate to the IASB Delegate Assembly; Appointing a member to the County Assessor Conference Board; Setting the date/time for the Audubon School Board’s annual meeting, and other matters, including the Audit Report, and a request to the SBRC (School Budget Review Committee) for Modified Supplemental amount for Asbestos Abatement ($134,066), and the exhibits associated with a Hazardous Material Mitigation request. They’re also expected to approve Early Retirement Plans and Personnel matters.

In his report to the Audubon School Board, Superintendent Eric Trager will provide updates on the District’s Building Project, Schoolhouse Fund Budget, and Certified Enrollment.

The Exira-Elk Horn Kimballton School Board will hold their monthly meeting in Elk Horn on Tuesday (Oct. 17), at 5-p.m., in the Exira-EHK Conference Room. Among their action items is:

A. A Request for Allowable Growth for LEP Allowable Costs in the amount of $2,540.88
B. An Agreement to Establish a Consortium to Jointly Administer an Instructional Program Located in space within the boundaries of the Glenwood Community School District
C. A District Renovations Contract with INVISION Architecture
D. Policy Adoption – First Reading: 503.08 – Discipline of Students Who Make Threats of Violence or Cause Incidents of Violence
E. Personnel Resignations, Hires, & Transfers….
i. Resignations: Stacie Hansen – Associate;
ii. Hires: Cody Parmley – Play Director; Jacki Piva – Associate.