(Red Oak, Iowa) – A collision between an SUV and a pickup truck late Saturday morning, in Red Oak, caused a total of $7,000 damage, but no one was injured. According to Red Oak Police, the accident happened at around 11-a.m. In the 500 block of 8th Street.

Authorities say a 2018 Jeep Wrangler traveling northbound on 8th, and driven by 52-year-old James P. Corliss, of Red Oak, was backing out of a driveway, when he failed to see an approaching 2015 Ford pickup, driven by 76-year-old William H. Morris, of Red Oak, Likewise, authorities say, Morris didn’t see the SUV in-time to avoid the collision.

The driver’s side rear corner of the Jeep struck the pickup in the middle of the passenger side. No citations were issued. Both vehicles were driveable, following the collision.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Officials with the U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, report 32-year-old Robert Sherman Kerber, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced on January 25, 2023, to 60 months in prison following his plea of guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography. Kerber will be required to register as a sex offender and serve five years of supervised release following his release from prison. Kerber was also ordered to pay restitution.

In May 2020, a social media application sent a cybertip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding an account that uploaded images of child pornography. The cybertip was referred to Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children and the Council Bluffs Police Department started an investigation. The investigation led to a search warrant at Kerber’s residence. A forensic analysis identified that Kerber received and possessed numerous images and videos of child pornography.

The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Council Bluffs Police Department, the United States Secret Service National Computer Forensics Institute who provided training and equipment and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – State Auditor Rob Sand today (Monday) urged community school districts (CSDs) and employees to put their attention on the collection, handling, and disbursement of student activity funds. These funds are collected through student-related activities such as admissions, fundraising events, or other co-curricular or extracurricular activities. “We are issuing this advisory because we have seen a substantial amount of misuse of student activity funds, as well as a general misunderstanding of how these funds should be collected and disbursed in accordance with Iowa law,” said Auditor of State Rob Sand. “This serves to remind school district boards of directors, faculty, and staff that student activity funds are public funds, are the property of the school district, and must be used to benefit the public.”

Student activity funds are governed by Iowa Administrative Code, chapters 281 and 282. In addition, the Iowa Department of Education (DOE) updated its guidance on student activity funds in a Student Activity Fund Handbook of Frequently Asked Questions released on March 21, 2022. The DOE guidance was reviewed by the Auditor of State Office and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.

In the last decade, the Iowa Auditor of State Office has conducted special investigations on the use of student activity funds in 15 CSDs. The special investigations identified $268,539.16 of student activity funds that were not deposited, or were improperly deposited, collected, or disbursed. The special investigations also identified improper use of CSD property, and in some instances, the organizations supported by student activity funds were not affiliated with the CSD (Table 1).
Table 1
Misused Student Activity Funds
Improper Disbursements
$ 65,041.74
Unsupported Disbursements
22,470.83
Undeposited Collections
68,649.95
Estimated Undeposited Collections
2,831.00
Uncollected Facility Usage Fees
50,400.00
Improper Deposits
48,541.78
Improperly Handled
496.00
Other Losses
10,107.86
Total Misused Funds
$ 268,539.16

The investigations also identified bank accounts held outside of the CSD which were administered by employees for student activities such as wrestling, basketball, and other sports. In some instances, the account was operated as a separate entity to provide camps not associated with the CSD. The CSD should ensure it has policies and procedures in place which protect the CSD from any liability if the CSD allows these organizations to use CSD facilities. The policies should also include fee schedules for the use of CSD facilities and equipment if deemed appropriate by the Board.

The Auditor of State Office recommends CSD boards of directors review the DOE guidance with their faculty and staff on an annual basis. The Auditor of State Office is also sharing the guidance with the associations and agencies that represent or routinely advise school boards and educators in Iowa.

(Des Moines, Iowa/IA DNR News) -The paddlefish snagging season on the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers opens Feb. 1 and goes through April 30 (sunrise to sunset). Anglers fishing for paddlefish must have a valid Iowa fishing license, along with a special paddlefish license and unused transportation tag(s). The DNR asks you to “Please keep track of your catch and effort and complete the electronic survey after the paddlefish season whether you harvested a fish or not. The information collected will help the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) evaluate the success of the season and determine what potential changes/modifications may be needed.”

Furthermore, “If you catch a jaw-tagged fish (numbered band in the lower jaw), call the phone number on the tag and report the tag number, date of capture, capture location and eye-to-fork length. The Iowa DNR and other state fisheries agencies tag paddlefish to better understand and manage populations. Tagging provides valuable information to estimate population size, fish movement and growth.”

Paddlefish catch(DNR-photo)

The DNR notes also, “Ongoing drought conditions and low river levels might affect Missouri River boat ramp access.” For more information about Iowa’s special paddlefish season regulations, visit the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/paddlefish.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports two recent arrests. Just before 1-p.m. Friday, 25-year-old Cassandra Dawn Allen, of Tingley, was arrested at the Creston Wal-Mart store, for Theft in the 5th Degree, Concealing/destroying security property under $300. Allen was released on a Promise to Appear in court.

And, at around 2:52-a.m. Sunday, 33-year-old Andrew Wayne Long, of Creston, was arrested at the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center. He was charged with OWI/2nd offense and transported to the Union County Jail, where Long was being held on a $2,000 cash or surety bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council will meet in a regular session beginning at 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, in their Chambers at City Hall. The Council is expected to act on an Order to appoint former Fire Chief Mark McNees to the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission, as a replacement for Roger Herring. The Commission serves as an advisory board to the City Council. Its seven members meet as needed, on the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30-p.m., in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall.

The Council will receive a report Wednesday, from Code Enforcement Officer Kris Erickson, and a request for funding from SHIFT ATL, for housing redevelopment. City Administrator John Lund says the non-profit organization is in the process of buying another house to “flip,” and the funds they have requested, if approved, would be used for rehabilitating the home. A similar agreement was reached with SHIFT ATL previously, and according to Lund, “went smoothly.” The withdrawal and repayment would all occur within FY Transfer 2024, and as such, would not negatively impact the City’s fund balances. After SHIFT’s presentation, the Council has the option to approve the request, or refer it to the Personnel & Finance Committee for recommendation.

The Council will also act on approving an Order for a Professional Services Agreement with the “Retail Coach.” The extension of the current agreement which is set to expire in August, is $22,500. That’s $10,000 less than the original contract price. During their last meeting, the City Council heard an update from Retail Coach President/Consultant Austin Farmer, and concluded that the extension is worth the additional expense, but also that results need to be made in 2023. To date,John Lund said the City has been provided with extensive cellular data in our trade area, and the company has executed the terms of the original contract to the City’s satisfaction.

In other business, of note, the Atlantic City Council will act to pass a Resolution “Creating the Position of Public Works Director,” approving the job description and setting of the salary. City Administrator John Lund says the Personnel & Finance Committee met last Fall to review a proposal to revamp the Street Superintendent position and create a position for Director of Public Works. That person would have authority over departments that the City Administrator oversees, and still report to John Lund. The individual would oversee/Supervise the Street Dept. (Which will become the Public Works Dept.), Parks and Rec Dept., and Code Enforcement/Animal Shelter.

Kirk Knudsen, who began working with the City of Atlantic’s Street Dept. on Dec. 19, 1985, is recommend for the promotion, which would pay an annual salary of $92,500, and would be effective the next payroll period. John Lund notes Knudsen has the experience, and has served as a critical asset to the City, controlling costs, boosting revenues, and is loved for his attention to details. Lund said “This promotion has been earned many times over,” and is recommending the Council approve the change in title and salary. In his report to the Council, John Lund will provide an update on a Wastewater Utility Rate proposal.

(Radio Iowa) – A coalition of Iowa health care providers, researchers, cancer survivors and others is releasing its five-year Iowa Cancer Plan. Rachel Schramm, program manager of the Iowa Cancer Consortium, says behind heart disease, cancer is the number-two cause of death in Iowa, so people need to take an active role in their health, and get regular screenings to stay healthy. “Whether that’s just an individual who’s scheduling that colonoscopy, or someone that hears this report and is like, ‘Oh, I should really ask my parents about our family’s health history,’ we really want just the everyday Iowan to take those steps to reduce the burden of cancer in their community,” Schramm says.

It’s projected 22-thousand Iowans will be diagnosed with cancer this year, while 63-hundred Iowans will die from it. The report says the pandemic continues to disrupt the diagnosis and treatment of cancer by closing health care facilities, disrupting employment and health insurance, and the fear of COVID-19 exposure. “Our health care systems are doing everything that they can to keep their environment safe,” Schramm says. “We know that cancer is most treatable when it is found and diagnosed early, so we really want to make sure that if people have put off a mammogram or a colonoscopy or a lung cancer screening, that they call their provider and make arrangements to do it.”

It’s estimated more than nine-million people missed cancer screenings nationwide because of the pandemic. Colonoscopies had traditionally been done starting at age 50, but in recent years, it was pushed back to age 45 — or younger if there’s a family history of colon cancer. Schramm says early detection and screening helps to ensure an early diagnosis and much greater odds of survival. “Lung cancer screening is kind of new for people,” Schramm says, “so definitely, if folks have a history of tobacco use, they should talk to their doctor about the screening that’s available for them.”

She says one goal of the Iowa Cancer Plan is to address the unique needs of communities including providing education, funding, and support for local cancer control projects. See the full report at: www.canceriowa.org.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa tax checkoff that sends funds to the Fish and Wildlife Fund has seen some ups and downs in recent years. D-N-R wildlife biologist, Stephanie Shepherd, oversees what’s called the Chickadee Checkoff. “During tax year 2020, folks were especially generous. So we did see a big drop in donations this year from 2020. But those donations in 2020, were really high,” Shepherd says. She says the bigger concern is the number of people who check the box and make a donation. “A decade ago, we had several thousand more people who were donating, and we’re down to just about, six-thousand people donating, they’re just being more generous with their donations. So kind of keeping us at the same level, ” Shepherd says.

There were 62-hundred Iowa taxpayers who used the Chickadee Checkoff in 20212– a drop of one-thousand from 2020. Shepherd says they want more people to know how the checkoff money is used in hopes of increasing donations. “It is the only program that has a 100 percent focus on all the wildlife you can’t hunt, fish or trap. So you know, game species game fish have other funding sources through hunting license, and fishing license dollars,” she says. “But non-game wildlife doesn’t really have doesn’t get a lot of money from those sources. And our major funding to support those species comes from the chickadee checkoff and the natural resources license plates.”

Shepherd says the Wildlife Diversity Fund is used for many different things. “Working to enhance habitat for non-game wildlife, finding areas to conserve for non-game wildlife and doing data surveys for species such as the Rusty Patch Bumblebee, which is a federally endangered species,” she says.  Some of the other species it helps are songbirds, bald eagles, salamanders, turtles, and monarch butterflies. Shepherd says a majority of people now are filing their taxes electronically, which she says can hinder donations. “With most tax preparers, you need to be very vocal that you’d like to donate to the Chickadee Checkoff or they will just skip right over it. Some tax preparers will even charge more if you want to donate on the contribution line. So you know, that’s a deterrent for folks,” Shepherd says. “And then also, if you’re using one of the electronic programs like TurboTax, or whatever, a lot of times it can just be easy to skip over or miss.”

She says any amount you can donate will help. “Folks can donate as little as a dollar on their state tax form….there’s four different charitable organizations on the tax form that are eligible for donations and you can throw a dollar at each of them and it makes a difference,” she says.  Shepherd says the average donation is 12 dollars. If you do miss the Chickadee Checkoff on your tax form, you can now donate directly to the Wildlife Diversity Program on the Iowa D-N-R website.

The Chickadee Checkoff has been on Iowa tax forms since the 1980s.

(Cumberland, Iowa) – Firefighters from Cumberland and Massena, along with Cass EMS personnel, responded to a residential fire southeast of Cumberland, Sunday evening. The fire at 70324 Richland Road was reported at around 6:09-p.m.  According to dispatch reports, the home’s owners were attempting to douse the flames in the ceiling, prior to firefighters’ arrival.

Cumberland Assistant Fire Chief Sean South tells KJAN News that the homeowner discovered smoke near an electrical box on the porch, and called 9-1-1. Upon arrival, fire crews found flames in the wall and attic of the residence. Crews cut access holes and were able to extinguish the flames.

Everyone got out of the home safely, and there were no injuries, but the house has extensive damage, according to South.

Waterloo, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections report 19-year-old Alexander Joseph Carman, convicted of Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon and other charges in Dubuque County, failed to report to the Waterloo Residential Correctional Facility as required, Friday.

Carman is a white male, height 5′ 6″, and weighs 138 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on 10/20/22.

Persons with information on Carman’s whereabouts should contact local police.

Alexander Carman (IDOC photo)