Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren wants to set the record straight about rumors flying around concerning his status and supposed recent events. He said in a statement to the media, and online, that “It’s a sad day when as Cass County Sheriff I have to address fake news and social media garbage. For those of you who do not understand what I am talking about, a social media frenzy has made it necessary for me to address a rumor racing across the area.”

McLaren went on to say that “Media outlets have been inquiring about these rumors, to a point where I found it necessary that I be direct with an answer. I am not, nor is any person in the Sheriff’s Office, under investigation by any agency for illegal or unethical activity. The rumors and accusations are false. My deputies and I are dedicated to the people of Cass County and the accusations have no merit.”

The Sheriff concluded by saying “As citizens, I encourage you to exercise due diligence by getting your news from sources you know are reputable, doing your research, and reading beyond the headlines. The most effective way to stop a false story from spreading is to not share it.”

Cass County Attorney David Wiederstein said in a previous statement to the media, that “As County Attorney, I serve as the chief law enforcement official of Cass County. In response to media inquiries about reports of investigations and illegal activity occurring within the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, I can confirm and verify that all such reports are blatantly false and unfounded.”

An investigation by the State Auditor’s office has revealed over 48-thousand dollars ($48,000), collected from events involving students in a southwest Iowa school district, were deposited into bank accounts outside the district’s oversight. State Auditor Mary Mosiman says the superintendent of Clarinda Schools started looking into the matter last year after learning of one such bank account tied to student activities. “And it was determined that there were a total of 10 bank accounts that had been established and maintained outside of the district’s accounting system,” Mosiman said.

State auditors reviewed the bank accounts covering a period between January 2015 and May of this year. According to Mosiman, six of the 10 accounts should have been maintained by the district. Those bank accounts were administered by Clarinda School District employees. “We identified that six of these bank accounts had a little over $48,000 of collections improperly deposited into the six unauthorized bank accounts,” Mosiman said. “Of those deposits, $6,200 was considered improper disbursements and $14,000 unsupported disbursements.”

Under Iowa law, money collected through school activities are public funds and should be under the local school board’s control. “By maintaining bank accounts outside of the school district’s accounting system, there’s no opportunity for the proper review and approval by the school board for the collections and the disbursements,” Mosiman said.  The auditor’s report also found district funds were commingled with one individual’s personal funds in their joint bank account. While $48,541 was the amount documented in the report, it’s possible more district collections weren’t identified. “We did state that because of the lack of documentation and available records, this is the amount of money that we could verify,” Mosiman said.

Copies of the State Auditor’s report have been filed with the Page County Attorney’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office and the Division of Criminal Investigation. Clarinda Schools Superintendent Deron Stender issued a statement saying the district “has consulted with its attorney to take preliminary action to address identified concerns.” Stender added the district “has implemented controls, policies and procedures to ensure compliance with acceptable accounting practices.”

(Radio Iowa)

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports that on Tuesday, November 7th, 2017, United States Senior District Court Judge James E. Gritzner sentenced 30-year old Charles Jesse Beuterbaugh, of Pottawattamie County, to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute a fentanyl analogue that caused death or serious bodily injury. Beuterbaugh will serve five years of supervised release following imprisonment and pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund. Beuterbaugh was part of a drug trafficking organization that was responsible for receiving and distributing fentanyl analogues obtained from a source in China to users in western Iowa and eastern Nebraska.

The investigation into the drug trafficking group began on June 28, 2015, when law enforcement was called to a Carter Lake residence regarding an unresponsive male. Law enforcement found the body of a 20-year-old male in Beuterbaugh’s living area. In addition, law enforcement learned that a second male had been transported to a local hospital from the Beuterbaugh residence prior to law enforcement being called, and had been placed on life support. The investigation revealed that Beuterbaugh had provided “acetyl fentanyl” to both victims, which was determined to be the cause of death of the 20-year-old male, and the reason for the hospitalization for the second male. Beuterbaugh had obtained the acetyl fentanyl through an organization that began distributing fentanyl, or an analogue of fentanyl, in November of 2014 and continued to distribute in April of 2016. All members involved in the distribution of the acetyl fentanyl have entered guilty pleas.

On October 26, 2017, Senior Judge James E. Gritzner sentenced Beuterbaughs’ codefendants, 27-year old Dustin C. Sullivan, of Council Bluffs, to 162 months in prison, and 31-year old Cody Lanus, of Omaha, Nebraska, to 144 months in prison. Both Sullivan and Lanus were also ordered to serve five years of supervised release following imprisonment. Michael David Redmond, Jr. was previously sentenced by Senior Judge James E. Gritzner to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Redmond, Jr., Sullivan, and Lanus were also ordered to pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund. Amalia N. Pandis and Walter John O’Donohue, III are pending sentencing in February of 2018.

The investigation was conducted by the Carter Lake Police Department, the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, the Council Bluffs Police Department, the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, the Omaha, Nebraska, Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa Division of Narcotic Enforcement, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration in Nebraska. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors, today (Wednesday), approved a Resolution calling for a Special Election on March 6^th, 2018, with regard to passing an additional bond for the courthouse elevator project. Adair County Auditor Mindy Schaefer told KJAN News the need for a new elevator to replace one that was installed back in the 1980’s, became clear when officials with the State said the elevator does not meet current standards. The State says it will no longer approve the elevator for inspection. Schaefer says when it was installed in the 1980’s it was never intended for commercial use. Some of the current wheelchairs and motor scooters are difficult to maneuver into the elevator.  (Click the PDF for images of the project:   Revised 3D for SHPO

A feasibility study determined a new, bigger elevator cannot be placed inside the courthouse, to it must be attached to it from the outside. She said a Public Hearing was held last May to go out for a bond sale. $600,000 of that bond was designated for a new elevator. Schaefer said the initial feasibility studies placed the price tag for the project at $550,000. She says the County has a statutory limit of $600,000 that it cannot exceed without a special election. The County went ahead and bonded for the $600,000. The bids for the project came in two weeks ago, and were shockingly higher than expected. The lowest bid was $749,000. The highest was $1-million, $25,000. There were five bids in between. Mindy said the $600,000 limit was for the entire project, and did not take into account architects, soil surveys and other factors. The Board stripped everything possible to reduce costs, but the final answer was to ask the public for a bond to help pay for the rest.

The Special Election will ask voters of Adair County “Shall the Board of Supervisors bond for an amount not to exceed $650,000 for the purpose of installing an elevator?” The $650,000 is in addition to the $600,000 the County already has bonded for. That means the project is capped at $1.25-million, but they do not expect to reach that amount, according to Schaefer. The architects came up with a formula to derive from the high and low ends of the bids the $1.25-million figure. Schaefer says the County believes it will come in at under $1-million altogether.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday) approved the latest version of Cass County Public Safety Communication Commission 28E Articles of Agreement. Mike Kennon, Cass County 911 and EMA Director, said the last time the articles were updated was 1999. He said the basic agreement was fine, much has changed since then. He said they moved across the street, the commission was rearranged from six members to four, and other, less noticeable changes.

The Cass Supervisors also discussed with Nishna Valley Cycle’s Dennis Murphy, the latest proposed a draft of an ordinance that would authorize the use of ATV’s and UTV’s on county roadways. There was some question about whether they would be allowed on Level B and Level C roads when they are wet. That issue, and some minor editing is now in the hands of the Supervisors.

Later, once the ordinance is in the final version, the Board will set the dates and times for Public Hearings.

Advocates for disabled patients are speaking out about upcoming changes in Iowa’s privately-managed Medicaid program. One of the for-profit companies managing the program is ending its contract with the state on November 30th. Critics say it will be a difficult for the 18-thousand patients who need services including daily feeding and bathing to change case managers and providers by December 1st. Lori Allen of Ames serves on the state Medical Assistance Advisory Council. “And while it may seem like paperwork and like moving names and numbers from one computer program to another, it has real-life consequences for the people who have to change care providers,” she says.

Iowa Department of Human Services director Jerry Foxhoven says 215-thousand Iowa Medicaid patients have had their care managed by the exiting company and all of them will be switched to United Health Care.
Everybody has to scramble and it’s been a scramble for us as well,” Foxhoven says. “I think we’re going to make it work and I think United has really committed well.” But State Senator Joe Bolkcom, of Iowa City, says vulnerable Iowans who depend on Medicaid for the basic functions of life deserve better. Bolkcom is a member of the advisory panel that met with Foxhoven Tuesday and the two has a tense exchange.
“You’re flippantly telling me it’s no big deal they’ve left the state. I have no confidence in your ability to manage anything at this point,” Bolkcom said. Foxhoven replied: “Well, I want to tell you that I’m not flippant about this, senator. We’re doing everything that we can to make sure these people get their care.”

Iowa’s Medicaid program had been managed by state employees, but Governor Branstad oversaw the switch to having three private companies manage care for all Medicaid patients in Iowa. That switch happened on April 1st of 2016. A 10-member legislative panel has convened to conduct its own review of the Medicaid switch.

(Radio Iowa)

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports the Clarinda Police Department will begin “Operation Blessing 2017,” on November 20th. He says the community project embodies the spirit of Christmas by helping to make sure every child in Clarinda receives a gift on Christmas day. Retired Police Chief Joe Newton and retired 911 Communications Supervisor Diane Newton will be managing the program again this year.

Children, ages infant-through seventeen (17) may be signed up for involvement in the program by calling the police department records office during regular business hours at 712-542-2194 extension 203 The caller will be asked to provide the child’s name, age, sex, address and two gift requests per child. Names of children can be submitted beginning Monday, November 20^th and will be accepted through Wednesday, December 20th.

Cash donations in c/o of Operation Blessing 2017 can be delivered to Chief Brothers at the police department or mailed to the Clarinda Police Department, Attn: Operation Blessing, 200 South 15th Street, Clarinda, Iowa 51632. Cash donations will be used by the Clarinda Police Department to purchase gifts for the children. If you wish to purchase a specific gift for a child, please contact the Clarinda Police Department and ask to speak with Joe and Diane Newton regarding purchasing a specific requested gift item(s).

Families will be contacted by the Clarinda Police Department when the gift items are ready to be picked up. If a family is unable to pick up the gifts, uniformed officers of the Clarinda Police Department will deliver the gifts.

A man from Adair County died in a grain wagon accident Tuesday morning. The Adair County Sheriff’s Office received a cellular 9-1-1 call at around 8:20-a.m., with regard to a wagon full of corn had rolled over and came to rest on top of a man in the 2400 block of 270th Street or approximately 4.5 miles southeast of Greenfield, in Adair County. The Adair County Ambulance, Greenfield Fire Department, Adair County Sheriff, Iowa State Patrol, and the assistant Adair County Medical Examiner were dispatched to the scene.

Upon their arrival, the victim, 57 year old Edward Charles Carl of Greenfield, was found underneath the wagon. Carl was removed from underneath the wagon and was declared deceased by the assistant Adair County Medical Examiner. It was determined that Carl and two others were off-loading a wagon of corn onto a grain cart via a grain vacuum. The process was taking place on a hillside. It is believed that the weight transfer of the grain during the off-loading process coupled with the unstable ground contributed to the wagon rolling onto its side.

Carl was transported to the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny where an autopsy will be performed.

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

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The opioid epidemic is making headlines across the country, but in Iowa, officials say they’re not losing sight of abuse of other drugs. Steve Lukan (LOO-kin), director of the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy, says methamphetamine trafficking in the state may be at an all-time high. “The purity in the last number of years has gone up while, at the same time, the price has become a lot less than what it used to be,” Lukan said. “So, it’s just a really powerful drug that’s out there today.”

Lukan’s agency has released an annual report that outlines the state’s drug threats. It shows in the last fiscal year over 46-thousand (46,000) people sought treatment for substance abuse in Iowa and those citing meth as their primary substance reached a record high level of nearly one-in-five (19.8%). Alcohol remains the most cited substance by those in treatment (45.2%) followed by marijuana (25.3%). Lukan is disturbed by a survey that found one-fourth of 11th graders in Iowa “perceive no risk” in smoking marijuana. “We have a lot of concern about that because we know that can really get young people off on the wrong path. A very large percentage, 76-percent, of the young people who end up in drug treatment in Iowa are there because of marijuana,” Lukan said.

The report, called the 2018 Iowa Drug Control Strategy, highlights the many challenges the state faces with alcohol and drug abuse – in addition to some accomplishments. “We do feel like there’s been some good progress made. We’ve seen our state maintain one of the lowest levels of drug use in the country. We do see fewer young people engaging with alcohol and tobacco products. That’s been a really steady and remarkable decline,” Lukan said.

Iowa’s overall rate of illegal drug use, at 6.27-percent, is second only to South Dakota’s 5.82-percent. One major concern is fatal traffic crashes in Iowa involving drugs OR drugs and alcohol combined rose to an all-time high of 84 last year. That topped the previous high of 72 alcohol and drug-related fatalities in 2005. “It’s the drunken driving like we’ve known about for many years, but at the same time, there’s more incidents of people using prescription drugs or other drugs and getting behind the wheel,” Lukan said.

There were 107 fatal crashes involving ALCOHOL ONLY in Iowa last year. That marked the highest total since 111 in 2007. Iowa hasn’t been untouched by the opioid epidemic, far from it, according to the report. Opioid-related overdose deaths in Iowa rose to an all-time high of 180 in 2016. For more info., go to: https://odcp.iowa.gov
(Radio Iowa)