The Audubon School Board met Monday night during a regular session. Superintendent Brett Gibbs told KJAN the Board approved the second readings of four policies, and the first reading of two other policies. They also approved Iowa Learning Online as a Spanish course, because the Board was unable to find any qualified instructors following the loss of their Spanish Teacher from Spain program. He said the young lady who came from Spain to provide instruction last year and was supposed to stay for two-to-three years, had family health issues in her country. Another Spanish Teacher from Spain was found, but that person notified the district at the end of July that she was unable to come to the U-S. Gibbs said “There aren’t many candidates out there to begin with,” and it was too late in the year to secure a candidate.

The program will be an added cost to the District, but not to its students. Gibbs said also, the Board approved several contracts, including those for custodial positions, bus drivers and associate (para-educator) positions, which hopefully translates to more students and their families moving into the district. He said also, the Board tabled action on Administrative Early Retirement, and set Sept. 5^th at 6:30-p.m., as the date and time for a School Board work session. Gibbs said they will talk about the future of the District, including whether or not to continue sharing his position with Coon Rapids-Bayard, and other matters.

The Board also discussed the Sept. 11^th PPEL Vote, which is a renewal of the 10-year Physical Plant and Equipment Levy at the unchanged rate of 67-cents per thousand dollars valuation.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports 39-year old Jill Christine Currin, of Hepburn, was arrested Monday on a Page County Bench warrant for Failure to Appear in court. Currin was arrested at the Page County Courthouse in Clarinda. She was unable to post a $10,000 bond, and was transported to the Page County Jail where she is currently being held pending further court proceedings.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports six arrests over the past week. On Aug. 15th, 33-year old Joseph Leonard LeClair, Jr. of Greenfield, was arrested by Greenfield Police on a charge of Domestic Assault causing bodily injury. The report says LeClair allegedly threw a remote control at the female during an argument, causing a cut on her face, and shoved the woman against a wall, causing scratches on her neck. He was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $1,000 cash or surety bond. That same day (Aug. 15), 57-year old Andrew Dean Nelson, of Menlo, was arrested for Burglary in the 3rd Degree and Theft in the 4th Degree, after a debit card belonging to a man from Stuart was used to withdraw $300 from a bank ATM. Nelson’s picture was captured on the ATM camera, and identified by the victim, whom Nelson had worked for as a handy man.  Nelson’s bond was set at $5,000. And, 41-year old Joshua Isaac Stringfield, of Council Bluffs, was arrested by an Iowa State Patrol Trooper, following a traffic stop resulting from calls about an erratic driver. His breath alcohol level tested at .226, or nearly three-times the legal limit for intoxication. He was charged with OWI/2nd offense and held in the Adair County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

On Aug. 16th, 36-year old Timothy John Davis, of Orient, was arrested by Adair County Deputies, on an Adams County warrant for Failure to Appear in Court. He was immediately transferred to the custody of Adams County authorities. On Aug. 17th, 61-year old Richard Dean Piper, of Greenfield, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. He was later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond, with 10% acceptable. Also arrested last Friday, was 37-year old Jose Ernesto Leon Diaz, of Des Moines, who was taken into custody on a warrant out of Polk County for Felony Theft in the 2nd Degree. Diaz was turned over to Des Moines Police.

ROCKWELL, Iowa (AP) — A grain elevator that’s hampered operations at a west-central Iowa airport will be coming down. The council in Rockwell City on Monday awarded a $343,000-plus contract for demolition of the Landus Cooperative elevator, which was built in the 1950s. Project engineer Greg Broussard told The Messenger that razing the 175-foot-tall structure will let the airport use about 1,200 more feet of its runway. The elevator sits about 2,500 feet northwest of the runway.

The Iowa Transportation Department is covering 69 percent of the cost; Landus is paying the rest. Broussard expects the work to begin next month and be finished by the end of the year.

(9-a.m. News) — The Griswold School Board Monday evening, decided to accept proposals for their school buildings in Elliott and Lewis, since those buildings are no longer being used as a result of the new additions to the school in Griswold. Superintendent Dave Henrichs told KJAN News the District will begin advertising for those proposals, with some specific guidelines required in submitting the proposals. You must be prepared to disclose how much you are willing to pay for it, and what you plan to use the building for, as well as how you plan to maintain it. Proposals are due to Mr. Henrichs by Nov. 19^th. After Jan. 1^st, 2019, anyone who has submitted a proposal, will be asked to present it to the Griswold School Board, as well as the respective City Council in either Lewis or Elliott.

At the end of that process, the Board will decide who they want to sell the building(s) to. The Elliott City Council, on August 13^th, approved by a vote of 4-to 1, to purchase of the Elementary building in the community, pending successful negotiations with the Griswold School Board, and pending the acquisition of financing. There were no specifics provided as to how much they were willing to pay and what it would be used for. Henrichs says that will give the City of Elliott a few months to determine how their building would be used, if they can obtain financing. If they decide to move forward, the District reserves the right to deny any and all proposals, and turn the buildings over to the respective Cities. On the other hand, if the Cities are no longer interested, the Board will proceed with reviewing and moving forward with the other proposals.

In other business, the Board approved the hiring of Emma Lee, as Middle School/High School Para-Educator, the resignation of Sarah Black, Elementary Paraprofessional, and Laura Michael has agreed to take on another position as MS/HS TAG (Talented and Gifted) Teacher, in addition to her current duties.

There were also three, open enrollment requests approved by the Griswold School Board: two brothers who wish to Open Enroll out to Atlantic, and one student in from Atlantic who wants to O/E to Griswold. In both cases, it’s because their families have pending residential moves in the near future. The Atlantic School District will consider the open enrollment requests during their meeting this (Monday) evening.

(Update 9:27-a.m.) IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Investigators believe they have found the body of Mollie Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student who has been missing for more than a month. The 20-year-old woman was last seen July 18, jogging in her hometown of Brooklyn, in Poweshiek County. Greg Willey, the vice president of Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa, says a body found Tuesday in rural Poweshiek County, is believed to be Tibbetts. Investigators are working to identify the remains.

No further information was released about where the body was found. Some media reports say the body was found about 10-miles southeast of Brooklyn, in a rural area near Guernsey . A press conference is set to take place today at 4-p.m.at the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office.  Willey says a nearly $400,000 reward fund for her discovery will now become a reward for information leading to the capture of any suspects.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines City Council has approved construction of a memorial to Des Moines police officers who died while on duty. Station KCCI reports that the council voted for the proposal Monday. Landscape architect Lynn Kuhn says she was deeply affected by the 2016 deaths of Des Moines officers Carlos Puente-Morales, Susan Farrell and Anthony Beminio. She saw the grief and the temporary memorials, giving her the idea to build a memorial garden in front of the Des Moines police station.

Backers have been raising money for the $240,000 project.

Police in Creston report three people were arrested Monday, two of them on warrants. 21-year old Mandee Barnes, of Creston, was arrested Monday morning for Simple Domestic Assault. Barnes was being held in the Adams County Jail while awaiting bond. Monday afternoon, 25-year old James Williams, of Grand River, was arrested in Creston on a Union County warrant for Theft in the 5th Degree. His bond was set at $300. And, 23-year old Jacey Glynn, of Lenox, was arrested Monday afternoon in Creston, on a Union County warrant for Failure to Appear in Court, on original charges of Assault and 5th Degree Criminal Mischief. Glynn was later released on a $600 bond.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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