(Atlantic, Iowa) – The attorney for an Atlantic man facing felony charges of Attempted Murder and Willful Injury Causing Serious Injury, has filed a request for Waiver of a Speedy Trial. The document was filed Tuesday in Cass County District Court, according Iowa Courts Online. A preliminary hearing for 34-year-old  Richard J. Doss, JR., was held Tuesday. Doss’ attorney entered his client’s plea of not guilty to the charges on Jan. 7th.

Doss Jr., was arrested Dec. 6th, hours after a man arrived at the Cass County Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Room Jan.5th, after being stabbed. Atlantic Police said the incident happened at an apartment complex across the street from the hospital. The victim was treated at the hospital and then transported by helicopter to UNMC in Omaha for further treatment. The victims’ identity has not been released.

Doss JR.’s trial remains set for Feb. 22nd.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Attorney Vanessa Strazdas, Tuesday, waived her rights and entered a plea of guilty to the charge of Operating a Motor Vehicle while under the Influence (OWI) -1st Offense. Atlantic Police say she was arrested after crashing her car near the Atlantic Airport on Jan. 16. Court documents indicate Strazdas blew a BAC (Breath Alcohol Content) of .159 (nearly twice the legal limit), after being taken to the sheriff’s office due to cold weather.

Her preliminary hearing had previously been set for February 14th. Iowa Courts Online did not indicated when she will be sentenced. Since her arrest, Strazdus has completed a court required course on drunken driving and has requested a temporary, restricted license.

Strazdas became the Cass County Attorney in Feb., 2019, after Governor Kim Reynolds announced the appointment of former County Attorney Michael Hooper to serve as a Fourth Judicial District Judge.

(Radio Iowa) – A Virginia man has pleaded guilty to laundering thousands of dollars in federal Paycheck Protection Program money he received through a former Iowa man. Thirty-one-year-old Benjamin Sakyi pled guilty in federal court in Sioux City to one count of conspiracy to launder money. Evidence at his plea hearing showed that Sakyi fraudulently received more than 900-thousand dollars in the names of two Virginia corporations from former Armstrong Iowa resident Donald Trosin.

Trosin had filed more than 20 fraudulent federal loan applications claiming he had 120 employees with more than five million dollars in payroll expenses. Trosin is serving 40 months in prison for his role in the money laundering and Sakyi is waiting for a sentencing date.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is encouraging every high school in Iowa to conduct a voter registration drive on Tuesday, February 22. The date coincides with the birthday of first U.S. President George Washington and will also be “Twosday” on the numerical calendar, 2/22/22.

Pate says “Engaging young people in civics is a great way to inspire them to be active citizens throughout their lives. It’s vital for students to learn that registering to vote and participating in elections is the best way to make sure their voices are heard. I hope every high school in Iowa will participate in this statewide event.”

State law allows 17-year-olds to register to vote and there are more than 3,500 17-year-olds currently registered. They can also participate in the upcoming June primary elections if they turn 18 by the time of the November general election. Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo says “Voting is both a fundamental right and an important way for individuals to take part in shaping the world that we live in. Participating in high school voter registration day is a great opportunity to engage students and foster a culture of civic engagement among our next generation of voters.”

To check your voter registration status, register to vote or update your information, visit VoterReady.Iowa.gov. Governor Reynolds plans to issue an official proclamation declaring Tuesday, February 22 as “Iowa High School Voter Registration Day.” Kelli Hutt, communications director for the Iowa Council for the Social Studies, says “The Iowa Council for the Social Studies commends the Secretary of State’s Office for its High School Voter Registration Day initiative and its ongoing collaboration with Iowa social studies teachers to encourage our young people to engage in one of their fundamental rights and responsibilities as citizens of our democracy. Encouraging good citizenship is one of the centerpieces of a quality social studies program and the Carrie Chapman Catt Award is a wonderful way to recognize the ongoing efforts of Iowa’s social studies teachers to support our next generation of citizens.”

(Radio Iowa) – A bill to mandate that doctors prescribing medication abortions tell patients another drug could reverse the process has resurfaced in the Iowa House. Republican Representative Shannon Lundgren of Peosta says the bill has been a priority of hers for three years. “I think it gives women another choice is they get home and their family decides that it is something they don’t want to go through,” Lundgren says, “and I think it will save a lifetime of mental and brain health issues and heartache.”

Karla Fultz McHenry is a lobbyist for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa and Iowa Independent Physician Group. She says the bill would force Iowa doctors to give inaccurate information to their patients. “This bill also puts clinics and physicians at risk of malpractice claims because they are breaking their ethical duty,” she says.

Ten states have passed similar legislation and the American Medical Association sued North Dakota in 2019 to block that state’s law. The Iowa House Hunan Resources Committee approved this bill in 2021, but it was never debated in the full House. It cleared a House subcommittee this (Wednesday) morning.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, this (Wednesday) morning, heard from Assistant County Engineer Sawyer Hansen, with regard to a FY22 Farm-to-Market road rock contract, and a Cass-Adair County Road G-61 paving project. As previously mentioned, the Cass County Board of Supervisors approved the Cass County share of costs for the project – 10% – reimbursable to Adair County.

Hansen said bid letting for those projects will take place Feb. 28th. He also reported on Secondary Roads Dept. Maintenance and other activities.

The Board then spent a good amount of time discussing the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget.

(Griswold, Iowa) – Members of the Griswold School Board will meet during a Work Session that’s schedule to begin 6-p.m., Thursday. The meeting takes place in the Conference Room at the High School, and includes discussion with regard to Hiring and Staff Retention Strategies/Options.

The Board may then consider entering into a closed session (as allowed in the Iowa Code), for the purpose of discussing negotiations strategy with a Certified Bargaining Unit. Following their session, their meeting will adjourn

(Radio Iowa) -Morningside University in Sioux City is welcoming more than 40 high school jazz bands to take part in their 49th annual jazz festival in Eppley Auditorium beginning today (Wednesday) and running through Friday. Erik Mahon is the university’s director of jazz studies. “Forty-eight bands total. There’s a number of schools that are bringing two bands — so not quite 48 schools. But, certainly, the most bands that we’ve had in a number of years, maybe ever,” Mahon says.

Photo via https://www.morningside.edu/news/

The high school students will not just compete, but also learn from a host of jazz clinicians from around the midwest: “My main priority is to make it an educational experience. Certainly, it is a competition and we’re awarding trophies and things like that — but the clinics and the comments are a priority for me. So we do have clinicians coming in from Topeka, Kansas, from Lincoln, Nebraska as well as our Siouxland region,” according to Mahon.

The festival is free to the public and includes opportunities to listen to some great music. “We are actually going to be doing three mini concerts each day right during, kind of the lunch hour, so on Wednesday and Thursday it’ll be just afternoon, and on Friday just after 12:30,” he says.

He says they will feature the guest clinicians and judges in the concerts. The high school bands begin competing at 8 a-m each day, wrapping up by late afternoon or early evening.

(Radio Iowa) – Marshalltown police have arrested four juveniles they say were involved in a recent vandalism spree. On January 13th, Marshalltown police began taking reports of vandalism throughout the community. The information from each incident was consistent and quickly believed to be linked together. A preliminary investigation by police revealed that several houses, businesses and other personal property had been shot at with BB guns, causing more than $10,000 in damage. On January 18th, the police identified and located the vehicle involved in the incidents. Upon further examination, officers located three juveniles inside the vehicle.

A search warrant was then obtained, which led to the discovery of a BB gun and a large quantity of BBs inside the vehicle. Upon further investigation, it was learned that four juvenile males had recently stolen multiple BB guns from a local business. It was later learned that the stolen BB guns had been used to inflict damage throughout Marshalltown.

The four juvenile males have each been charged with first degree criminal mischief and fifth degree theft. The case has been referred to juvenile court services.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston arrested a man on two warrants out of Cass County (IA). Authorities say 30-year-old Dalton James Cormeny, of Creston, was arrested at around 10:34-p.m. Tuesday at the Union County Jail, on the Cass County warrants for Failure to Appear on original charges that include: Driving While Barred; Possession of Controlled Substance/Meth – 1st offense; 2nd Degree Theft; Burglary in the 3rd Degree, and Criminal; Mischief in the 2nd Degree.

Cormeny was being held in the Union County until he’s finished serving his time. He will then be transferred to Cass County.