The Glenwood Police Department reports the arrest of 25-year-old Natalie Rogers of Omaha, NE on Wednesday for OWI 2nd Offense. Rogers was taken to the Mills County Jail and later released on $2,000 bond.

On Wednesday the Montgomery County Auditor, Recorder, and Treasurer issued a Notice of Intent to fill a vacancy on the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors. Those positions form the Supervisor Appointing Committee which will be filling a vacancy for Montgomery County Supervisor District 1. The appointment will be made on Wednesday, October 21st in the basement meeting room at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Red Oak.

Persons that interested in the appointment must submit a letter of interest, resume, and references (optional) no later than October 13th at 4:30 p.m. Those items must be sent to Carleen Bruning, Recorder, 105 E Coolbaugh Street, PO Box 469, Red Oak, Iowa 51566. They can be mailed, hand-delivered, or put in the drop box located at the Courthouse. Residency in District 1 for at least 60 days is required.

Interviews of all eligible candidates will be conducted by the committee on October 20, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. in the courtroom at the Courthouse in Red Oak. The meeting will be open to the public and also by Zoom.

The citizens of Montgomery County may request a special election to fill the vacancy by filing a petition with the Montgomery County Auditor containing 80 signatures of eligible electors within 14 days after the publication of notice or within 14 days after the appointment is made.

The appointment made by the committee will be valid until January 1, 2023 unless a special election is called for.

Ian James Lybarger

Council Bluffs Police released updated information in regards to an Officer involved shooting at the Manawa Center Drive Wal-Mart this past Friday, September 18th.

Detectives have requested that arrest warrants be issued for 29-year-old Ian James Lybarger of Omaha charging him with Aggravated Assault on a Police Officer (Class D Felony), Leaving the Scene of a Personal Injury Accident, Operation of a Motor Vehicle Without Owner’s Consent, and Theft 5th Degree. Lybarger was identified as the driver of a white Mazda CX-9 that had stolen plates and attempted to flee from Officers when confronted at Wal-Mart last Friday. Council Bluffs Police Officer John Kuebler attempted to remove Lybarger from the Mazda, resulting in Kuebler being dragged several feet before he fired one round from his handgun at Lybarger. The round struck the Mazda, but did not hit Lybarger.

At the time of the incident Lybarger was already wanted on an outstanding felony warrant out of Douglas County, NE for Theft by Receiving.

Anyone with knowledge of Lybarger’s whereabouts are encouraged to contanct CBPD Detectives at 712-328-4728 or to call 9-1-1.

Officer Kuebler remains on administrative leave while the DCI finalizes their independent investigation of the incident.

DES MOINES – Today (Wednesday), Governor Reynolds announced awards to 65 applicants for the Coronavirus Relief Fund Employer Innovation Fund Grant.  The program will assist local employers, nonprofits, community colleges, high schools, private universities, and the University of Iowa provide postsecondary training and education to Iowans whose employment has been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.  More than $4.3 million has been awarded to the winning projects. 

“Future Ready Iowa’s Employer Innovation Fund is centered around a grassroots effort to solve local workforce challenges while helping Iowans find economic opportunity in their community. The winning projects address barriers for Iowans who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic by providing training opportunities that will build on our economic recovery,” said Gov. Reynolds. “These programs not only help those affected by the pandemic, they will also focus on recruiting our minority and underrepresented communities to help us diversify our workforce and provide equal chances for success for all Iowans.”

The Coronavirus Relief Fund Employer Innovation Fund grants can be used to cover the cost of training, books, and equipment as well as often providing much needed wrap-around support that address other barriers some Iowans face when trying to obtain skills training.

“Once again, employers, nonprofits and educators have come up with amazing and innovative solutions to help their fellow Iowans by creating training opportunities in high demand occupations,” said Director Beth Townsend, Iowa Workforce Development.  “From IT, healthcare, advanced manufacturing to first responders, these programs will help expand our skilled workforce, diversify our workplaces and help those most affected by the pandemic.” 

The Future Ready Iowa goal is to have 70 percent of Iowans in the workforce with education and training beyond high school by 2025.  Approximately 60 percent of Iowa’s current workforce meets this education and training criteria.  Visit www.FutureReadyIowa.gov for more information.

The Atlantic School District has had a number of recent COVID-19 cases at different buildings in the district. Atlantic Superintendent Steve Barber issued a statement to staff and parents on Wednesday in regards to the situation.

“We continue to be notified of positive COVID-19 cases for both staff and students at multiple locations. Our partnership with Cass County Public Health is a good one, and as we are made aware of new positive cases, we work collaboratively with them in determining the appropriate response.  Public Health will be in direct communication with individuals who are determined to be in close contact with a positive case.  Additionally, the District will be communicating with those individuals who are affected by these positive cases. We continue to follow the CDC and IDPH guidelines as the spike in cases have occurred in Cass County. I would encourage everyone to follow our mitigation strategies of social distancing, hand-washing, mask usage, disinfecting, and other strategies to help stop the spread.”

The Atlantic School Board is set to hold a special meeting at 6:00 p.m. this evening in the High School Media Center.

On their agenda is discussion of long term capital project planning and an operations/maintenance update.

Action items include contract recommendations for Joseph Garvey, Night Custodian; Danielle Lyongs, Washington Food Service; and Tracy Purkapile, Substitute Car Driver/Bus Para.

The Board is also set to act on a proposal request for the athletic facilities improvement project for a center field gate.

The Board will finish the meeting by going into closed session to conduct Superintendent Steve Barber’s annual evaluation.

Their next regular board meeting is set for October 14th at 6:00 p.m.

The Iowa Department of Public Health’s Coronavirus dashboard, today (Wednesday), shows the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 jumped from 1,284 Tuesday to 1,293 today, an increase of 9. Positive test results are up by 1,059 to 81,109 since the pandemic began. The data show four more positive cases in Cass County for a total of 140.

(OMAHA, NE) — Students in grades K-12 from Nebraska and Iowa are invited to submit works of poetry on themes of emotion, connection, uncovering history, and becoming un-stuck. Selected poems will be set to music and premiered during a public concert in May 2021.

From the pool of submissions, composers Matt Browne and Frances Pollock, alumni of The American Opera Project’s Composers and the Voice training program, will select poems to set to music. This is not a contest, as the composers will select poems based on what inspires them. The selected poets will have the opportunity to participate with the composer in a workshop to further develop the piece with the composer and musicians, participating in the behind-the-scenes process. The completed works will be performed in concert by Opera Omaha’s Holland Community Opera Fellows as vocalists and local musicians.

Opera Omaha’s Poetry & Music Project is produced in partnership with Nebraska Writers Collective and The American Opera Project.

Full project information including suggested prompts created by Nebraska Writers Collective and poem submission form available on operaomaha.org/poetry.

Writing Workshops

Opera Omaha and Nebraska Writers Collective are facilitating writing workshops focused on poetry writing for music. All workshops will be virtual and created to meet teacher and classroom needs. Workshops are free and will be scheduled on a first come basis. Teachers interested in participating must submit an interest form to be contacted about scheduling a writing workshop for students, which can be accessed at operaomaha.org/poetry.

Submission Guidelines

Open to All K-12 Students in Nebraska and Iowa

Students may submit up to 2 poems

All work must be original

Poems should be in PDF or Word file format

Poems should be on the themes, but do not need to use suggested prompts

Poems may be in any structure, but will be more conducive to being set to music if they are under 250 words

Poems must be submitted with completed and signed submission form

Submission Instructions

Email Poem(s) and completed signed submission form to poetry@operaomaha.org

Poem Submission Deadline: Monday, November 30, 2020

KELLOGG, Iowa (AP) — Four people have been charged in the strangulation death of a man whose body was found burning last week in a rural central Iowa ditch. The Iowa Department of Public Safety says 31-year-old Steven Vogel, of Grinnell, was arrested Tuesday in the death of 44-year-old Michael Williams, of Grinnell. Police acknowledged that the killing of Williams, who is Black, had led to fears that he may have been targeted because of his race. But police said Williams and Vogel, who is white, were well acquainted and a police statement says investigators have found “no evidence” that race was a factor. It wasn’t immediately known whether Vogel had a lawyer who could comment on his behalf.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of 52-year-old Darren Keith Brooks of Oakland on warrants for 2 counts of Violation of Probation. Brooks was served the warrants at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Pottawattamie County Corrections. Brooks was being held on $10,000 bond.