(Radio Iowa) – A northwest Iowa town has established a sister-city relationship with a city that’s more than 52-hundred miles away. Junik is in western Kosovo. Joe Nelson, the superintendent of the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows School District, was part of the delegation that visited Kosovo to sign the agreement. “I can’t even tell you how well they treated us for the nine days we were there,” Nelson says. “They really, authentically want to see the partnership grow.”

Nelson says the exchanges will benefit schools, businesses, hospitals and all kinds of commerce in both cities. “I think the thing that the Kosovars want the most is they want to send their high school students here as foreign exchange students,” Nelson says. “They realize there are great opportunities in Clarion so I think that’s one of our next steps is, how can we get their kids over here in our high school?”

The flag of Kosovo.

Nelson is hesitant to send Clarion students to Kosovo at this time. “We’ve had a couple of kids that expressed interest and they want to go over there but as the geopolitical climate heats up in that part of the world, with Serbia just on the border, right now, we just haven’t felt like that’s a great time to be sending our kids over there,” he says, “but that time will come and we’re excited about it.”

Clarion has about 2700 residents, while Junik, Kosovo has a population of about 6000. Iowa and Kosovo have had a sister-state relationship since 2013.

(Radio Iowa) – A former campaign aide to U.S. Senate candidate Mike Franken asked Des Moines Police to investigate after she says Franken kissed her without her consent. Franken says it never happened.

Kimberley Strope-Boggus was political director, then the manager of Franken’s campaign two years ago. She was working as an aide on his current campaign before being fired in late February. Strope-Boggus told police she and Franken met for a drink at a Des Moines bar in mid-March and, according to Strope-Boggus, Franken offered her a new campaign job. Strope-Boggus told police that as the two walked to their cars, Franken kissed her on the mouth.

Strope-Boggus filed the police report a month after the alleged incident and told the female officer that Franken “had an old-fashioned view about how to interact with women.” The police officer’s report said Strobe-Boggus “did not describe any sexual intent nor any intent to harm.”

Mike Franken at Democrat fundraiser this weekend. (RI photo)

Des Moines Police and an assistant Polk County Attorney determined the allegation of an assault was unfounded. The Gazette reports that during a campaign event in Cedar Rapids, Franken said the incident Boggus described to police “never happened.”

Strope-Boggus’ allegations were first reported by the conservative Iowa Field Report website. Radio Iowa has been unable to speak with Strope-Boggus, whose name was misspelled in the police report.

A news release the Franken campaign issued this weekend indicated Democratic congressional candidates Liz Mathis of Hiawatha and Christina Bohannan of Iowa City would be joining Franken today at the event in Cedar Rapids, but neither was present.

A spokesperson for Mathis told Radio Iowa details from the Franken campaign were not made available in time and Mathis attended a previously scheduled event. Mathis also has released a written statement, saying although investigators found that no criminal act occurred and the case was closed, “it is an important reminder that workplaces and law enforcement should encourage women to feel comfortable coming forward with any allegations of inappropriate conduct.” Mathis added that she has a “victim-focused and zero-tolerance stance against all forms of sexual harassment.”

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two, non-injury accidents occurred over the weekend. Saturday afternoon, a 1997 Dodge driven by 55-year-old Todd Lasswell, of Red Oak, was traveling north/northeast on W. Railroad Street, approaching the intersection with 287th Street, when the vehicle went out of control and drove through the driveway of the Silver City Historical Society. The vehicle continued onto the grass and struck a utility pole, before crashing into an embankment on 287th Street, and coming to rest.

Lasswell told authorities that as he was coming down the gravel road (W. Railroad Street), he saw another (Non-contact) vehicle headed southbound on 287th. When he tried to slow down, his vehicle, which he claimed has had “Bad ball joints,” began to slide when he hit the brakes, causing the vehicle to impact the pole and embankment.

And, at around 7:50-p.m. Sunday, 65-year-old Theresa Olsen, of Omaha, was driving a 2017 BMW northbound in the left lane of I-29 in Mills County, when the car struck a square bale of hay in her lane. The bale was from an unknown source.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Coca-Cola Days will be held September 23rd and 24th in Atlantic. The event is the second largest collector’s show in the United States and includes a tailgate barbecue open to the public, a Show, Swap & Sell, and a Coca-Cola themed raffle. The theme for the 2022 Coca-Cola Days is “Best in Show”. The committee wanted to tie in a Fair theme due to the event taking place at the Cass County Fairgrounds this year.

Raffle items include: A Coca-Cola Cooler filled with Coca-Cola Product and Hy-Vee, Fareway, and BP gift cards worth $100 each. Tickets are available at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce for $5 a ticket or 5 tickets for 20. The winner will be announced Saturday, September 24th at 2 PM at the Show, Swap & Sell meet at the Cass County Fair Grounds. Tickets will also be available for purchase that day.

T-Shirts for the 2022 Coca-Cola Days Celebration are also available for purchase. The shirts are heather grey and feature the theme, “Best in Show”. T-Shirts can be purchased for $20 at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce or day-of at the Show, Swap & Sell Saturday, September 24th.

For more information on Coca-Cola Days or a full list of activities, please visit www.atlanticiowa.com, call the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712-243-3017 or email chamber@atlanticiowa.com.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous arrests from over the past week.  At around 6:40-a.m. today (Monday, 9/19), 26-year-old John Thomas Lawrence Cannon, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in the area of Ives Avenue & Highway 34, for Disorderly Conduct. (Bond: $300)

Sunday night, 39-year-old Michael David Barton, of Glenwood, was arrested for Harassment in the 3rd Degree (No Bond).

There were two arrests in Mills County on Saturday: 30-year-old Aaron Ray McDaniel, of Malvern, was arrested on a warrant for Failure to Appear on a Driving Under Suspension, charge. (Bond $2,000); and, 20-year-old Jacobb Anthony Bowman, of Missouri Valley, was arrested on I-29 at Bunge Avenue, for OWI/1st offense (Bond $1,000).

Four people were arrested on separate charges last Thursday, in Mills County: 41-year-old Donovan Edward Hankins, of Tabor, was arrested on warrants for two counts of Violation of Probation ($20,000 bond); 20-year-old Mykla Christine Montgomery (No known address), was arrested for Theft in the 3rd Degree ($2,000 bond); 45-year-old Justine Elaine Gregory, of Glenwood, and 65-year-old Jo Ann Rae Delashmutt, of Council Bluffs, were each arrested on charges of Burglary in the 3rd Degree. Their bonds were set at $5,000 each.

And, on Sept. 14th, 39-year-old Daniel Charles Meggison, of Malvern, was arrested for Assault while Displaying a Dangerous Weapon (Bond $2,000), and, 19-year-old Nolan Michael Cherek, of Plattsmouth, NE, was arrested in Mills County on two counts of Theft in the 1st Degree (Bond $20,000).

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State officials unveiled plans for a major development on the grounds of the Iowa State Center between Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum. CYTown will include a hotel and convention center, a medical clinic as well as restaurant, retail and office space.

That’s I–S-U athletic director Jamie Pollard, who says they will seek approval from the Board of Regents for phase one of the project in November. 

Iowa State athletics took over the Iowa State Center three years ago. Pollard says in total it is about a 20-year project and they hope to have some of the restaurant and retail operations up and running by the Fall of 2025.

Pollard says work will begin following approval by the Board of Regents.

The target for completion of the parking lot improvements and infrastructure is August 2025. The university plans to seek final approval from the Board of Regents later this fall to begin work on the project in January 2023.

(Creston, Iowa) – The driver of a 2007 Pontiac Grand Am fell asleep at the wheel Saturday afternoon, in Creston, and crashed into a parked pickup truck, causing a chain reaction accident. According to Creston Police, 15-year-old Jake Nelson Hoyt, of Creston, was traveling north on Sumner Avenue at around 12:19-p.m., when he fell asleep. He told authorities that he crossed two opposite lanes of traffic, and when he woke up, saw he was approaching the rear end of a truck, but it was too late to take evasive action.

The car hit a curb before hitting one parked truck, which in-turn, struck another parked truck. Hoyt was injured during the accident and transported by EMS to the hospital in Creston to be checked out and treated. Damage to the Grand Am, registered to Andrea Hoyt, of Creston, was estimate to be $5,000.

Damage to the pickups, a 2014 Ford F150, and a 2015 Dodge R25, was estimated at $200 each.

(Radio Iowa) – A policeman in southern Iowa has been fired for conduct unbecoming to an officer. Chief Tom Demry of the Centerville Police Department said in press release that Officer Jacob Downs, a member of the department since 2017, was terminated on Thursday following an internal investigation for “violation of department general orders.” According to public documents, Downs sent an explicit video to at least one person while he was on duty. The investigation also revealed that Downs took part in a sexual relationship with at least one person who has a notorious reputation in the community for criminal behavior.

The review found Downs violated rules on ethics and his “actions and associations brought the department and himself into dispute and ridicule.” A complaint was submitted to the department on August 31st and Downs was placed on paid administrative leave on September 1st.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater had a very light report for the media this (Monday) morning. In the report, the Sheriff said 24-year-old Dylan James Albaugh-Cornelison, of Adair, was pulled over on Highway 25 at around 6:24-p.m., Sept. 12th.  Albaugh-Cornelison was cited for Driving while license suspended and revoked. His license had been revoked for OWI/Test Failure and suspended for Violation of Probation. Albaugh-Cornelison was released from the scene with his citation.

(Radio Iowa) – Officials with the U-S Army Corps of Engineers will cut short the navigation season on the Missouri River this fall due to the continued drought. John Remus, chief of the Corps’ Missouri River Basin Water Management Office, says they’ve been conserving water for months. “We restrict our releases from Gavins Point, we start cutting service to navigation,” Remus says. “When that both is a lesser service during the flow support season and then if it gets worse, we will make that flow support season shorter.”

Clear signs of the drought first began to emerge in July of 2020, and Remus says one priority is to keep a reserve of water in the upstream reservoirs. “If it gets real bad, if we reach a certain level of storage in the system, we don’t support navigation at all for that year,” Remus says, “and if we ever reach that, and we never have, we could maintain that lower level of service to all the other purposes, even if we get what we call lower decile run offs which are very, very dry years.”

The Corps has cut back releases, dropping Missouri River levels by a full foot, which will impact boat traffic and could affect municipal water supplies and other utilities that rely on the river. Navigation continues on the Missouri, though barges will have to lighten their loads to float. Remus says the navigation season will end November 28th, which is three days early.