MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A psychologist is returning home to northern Iowa to pursue her lifetime goal of operating an animal sanctuary in honor of her mother. The Globe Gazette reports that Judy Siems has started the Glady Mae Animal Sanctuary near Mason City and Burchinal. She says the nonprofit will give cats and dogs at risk of euthanasia a safe home. Siems says she promised her mother before she died that she’d open the animal sanctuary. She’d considered building the facility in Minnesota where she’d been living for 45 years, but realized the perfect place was in her childhood hometown.

Siems bought the 10-acre property in June. The organization is repairing four barns on the property to build kennels, runs and a play area. Siems also hopes to build a small medical building for an on-site veterinarian.

Members of the Griswold School Board, Monday evening, decided the future of next year’s second grade class. Superintendent Dave Henrichs told KJAN News the Board has been discussing the matter for the past couple of months. Henrichs says there are currently a total of 23 students in that class, and they’re split up into two buildings, one in Lewis and one in Elliott. Splitting it up makes for a section of 16 students and a section of 7. The question was, for next year, do they keep it two sections or make it one?

Henrichs said if it was another year down the road, when all the students are in one building, it would have been a really easy decision to make, but that’s not the case next year (2018-19). Monday night, the Griswold School Board voted to make 2^nd Grade one section. The plan now is to decide which building will house both sections, and iron out any transportation issues. Henrichs said the Griswold Board approved some new hires for next year and one resignation.

Jake Speer was hired as Middle School/High School PE/Health Teacher, as well as assistant high school boys basketball, Haley Schmidt was hired as Elementary Vocal & TAG Teacher, and Larissa Potter was hired as an Elementary Teacher. The Board approved the resignation of Peggy Casey, Middle School/High School English Teacher, and they accepted a one-year leave of absence from Sara Johnson, Elementary Teacher.

Henrichs said action on the Technology Plan was tabled until the meeting next month, and the Technology charge is unchanged from last year, at $40.

ORANGE CITY, Iowa (AP) — Northwestern College says it’s received a $6 million gift for its new science building, the largest single gift in school history. The $24.5 million building will be named for benefactors Jack and Mary DeWitt, who live in Holland, Michigan. The building will have classrooms, laboratories and faculty offices for the college’s biology, chemistry and nursing department, as well as space for student-faculty research. It is scheduled to open in August. Jack DeWitt served on the college board of trustees for 13 years.

(Updated) — The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest at around 12:56-a.m. today (Tuesday), of 19-year old Dalton Scott Jipsen, of Elliott. Jipsen was driving a vehicle that was pulled over at around 12-a.m. on Brothers Avenue, near the intersection with Highway 59. Mills County Deputies, with assistance from the Mills County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit, searched the vehicle, and discovered 61 grams of marijuana and THC wax. Jipsen was taken into custody for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp, and Speeding. His bond was set at $6,000.

And, 33-year old Toby Lee McCunn, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 1:50-a.m. today (Tuesday), for Driving While Revoked. His bond was set at $1,000.

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

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Officials with the Creston Police Department report two arrests took place, Monday. 31-year old Autumn Bolser, of Creston, was arrested for Assault with Injury. She was being held in the Adams County Jail on a $1,000 bond. And, 31-year old Brandon Clayton, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a Union County warrant for Failure to Serve a jail sentence on an original, OWI/2nd offense, charge. Clayton was being held in the jail to serve the balance of his sentence.

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

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MARION, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man was fatally injured when his pickup truck rolled atop him at a restaurant drive-thru in a Cedar Rapids suburb. The accident occurred just before noon Monday at a Dairy Queen in Marion. Police say the man’s pickup broke down while he was in line at the drive-thru. It rolled atop him after he got out to fix it. Police say he died at a hospital. Police identified him as 74-year-old Curtis Schantz, who lived in Alburnett.

Officials with the Iowa DCI report that at around 3:23-p.m., Monday, the Waukon Police Department was dispatched to a shooting at a residence on Jean Road in Waukon. A male subject was transported by ambulance to Waukon Veterans Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of relatives.  An autopsy will be conducted by the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office. The case remains under investigation and the public is not at risk. The Waukon Police Department was assisted by the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Road construction work for the expansion of U.S. 20 in Ida and Sac counties will require closing the roadway to traffic between Ida County Road M-25 (near Galva) and U.S. 71 (near Early) from noon Monday, Apr. 23, until Friday, Sept. 28, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 3 Office. Motorists will be directed around the work zone on a signed detour using Ida County Road M-25, Ida/Sac County Road D-15, and U.S. 71.