The Griswold Community School District’s Facilities Committee will hold a work session 5:30-p.m. Friday in the Middle School/High School Library. The purpose of the work session is to assess the current educational facilities. Afterward, available school board members will attend a Community Meeting in the Middle School/High School Auditorium, where members of the Facilities Committee will share details with the public, about a potential elementary building project.

The Community meeting gets underway at 7-p.m., Friday.

A traffic stop at around 7-a.m. today (Thursday) in Adams County resulted in the driver of a vehicle being arrested for OWI/2nd offense and Driving While Revoked. 28-year old Trisha Mitchell, of Lenox, was brought to the Adams County Jail, where she refused to take a test for impairment. She was being held in the jail on a $2,000 cash bond.

If you’re looking for a fun, enriching adventure for the kids this summer, keep in mind six Iowa state parks will host the popular University of Iowa Wildlife Camps for local families. The conservation education day-camp program will be offered at Maquoketa Caves, Mines of Spain, George Wyth, Springbrook, Viking Lake and Ledges state parks.

The camps are for students entering 3rd-6th grade. Campers can expect to spend a week exploring, playing and learning about the natural environment and unique features of their state park, its wildlife and their habitats. Cost of the 5-day camp is $100 per child.

In southwest Iowa the dates of each day camp are:

·         Viking Lake State Park (Stanton): June 12-16

·         Springbrook State Park (Guthrie Center): June 26-30

Enrollment is limited to 40 students per camp and the camps have a history of filling fast. For details about each camp and to register, visit recserv.uiowa.edu/wildlife-camps-state-parks

The expansion of the University of Iowa program comes after the camps received a Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) grant from the Department of Natural Resources to pilot the program in Iowa state parks. Wildlife Camps is operated under University of Iowa Recreational Services.

Officials with the Creston Police Department report 24-year old Noble Murren, of Lamoni, was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Creston, on a Union County Warrant for Violation of Probation on the original charge, of Possession of a Controlled Substance. Murren was subsequently released from the Union County Jail on a $1000 bond.

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

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Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports nomination papers may be circulated now in advance of the September 12th School Board elections. Nomination papers for offices to be filled in 2017 can be filed with the school board secretary anytime from July 10th through August 3rd, 2017. All offices are for four-year terms.

In Cass County, for the Atlantic Community School District, there are two At-Large local directors seats open on the School Board. Incumbents are Kristy Pellett and Josh E. McLaren, both of Atlantic.

In the CAM School District, there is an At-Large local director seat open, as well as a North District local director, and a South District local director. The incumbents include: Chuck Kinze, of Anita – North Director; Gary Dinkla, of Massena – South Director, and Nick Kaufman, of Adair – At Large.

And in the Griswold School District, there are two At-Large local director seats open, and one seat each in District 3 and District 4. Incumbents include: Scott C. Peterson of Elliott – District 3; Donald K. Smith – District 4; Steve Baier, of Griswold, and Robert Peterson, of Elliott – At Large.

Election information, including the candidate nomination form, is available online at the Iowa Secretary of State’s website, from the local school board secretary’s offices, and the Cass County Auditor’s Office. Check with your local school board secretary for local school board director district boundaries.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A state senator serving his first year in office says he’s running for governor. Nate Boulton announced Thursday that he’ll seek the Democratic nomination in 2018. He’s making a formal announcement in his hometown of Columbus and will embark on a six-day trip around the state.

He was elected to his first term last November. His District 16 includes Pleasant Hill and northeast Des Moines. Boulton told The Des Moines Register that he’d emphasize support for education and worker training to make the state more economically competitive.

He’s joining a crowded Democratic field. Former party chairwoman Andy McGuire announced her candidacy last month and state Rep. Todd Prichard has formed a fundraising committee. Polk County Conservation Director Rich Leopold and party activist Jon Neiderbach also say they’re running.

Authorities in Montgomery County say a Pottawattamie County man was arrested early this (Thursday) morning on an OWI charge. According to Red Oak Police, 54-year old David Lee Wettengel, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody at around 12:07-a.m. at the intersection of N. 4th Street and Senate Avenue. Wettengel was transported to the Montgomery County Jail on a charge of OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.

The jail inmate accused of killing a Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s deputy Monday was in a Douglas County, Nebraska courtroom Wednesday.  A judge set bond at $10 million for Wesley Correa-Carmenaty, who faces charges in Nebraska that include kidnapping, and is scheduled to appear in a Nebraska courtroom this afternoon (Thursday) for an extradition hearing.

Pottawattamie County Attorney, Matt Wilber, expects Correa-Carmenaty to come back to Iowa without a challenge. “I think he’s gonna waive, but if he decides to fight it, then we have to go through a long convoluted process of getting a governor’s warrant,” Wilber says. “Nobody ever successfully fights extradition, but it can delay us for a couple of months.”

Correa-Carmenaty is accused of killing Deputy Mark Burbridge, and shooting and injuring Deputy Pat Morgan during the escape, and then fleeing to Nebraska where he was caught. If the extradition proceeds without a challenge, then Wilbur says Nebraska will dismiss the charges there.

At his court hearing Wednesday in Nebraska, Correa-Carmenaty was surrounded by officers and wore handcuffs and ankle shackles that were connected to a chain at his waist. Douglas County, NE. Attorney Don Kleine said “We’ve got a person who has a history here that’s very dangerous, so the sheriff’s office and correctional facility will do everything they can to make sure everybody’s safe.”

The violence that took place Monday morning followed a sentencing hearing for Correa-Carmenaty. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison for a 2016 killing. He allegedly attacked the deputies as they were escorting him back into the jail, then took a transport van, shot another man in Council Bluffs in an attempt to take his pickup, and moments later carjacked a woman and let her go in front of a liquor store before he stole her vehicle and ended-up crashing during a pursuit into Nebraska.

Pott. County Attorney Matt Wilver says the next step is to find a place to hold Correa-Carmenaty once he’s extradited to Iowa.”I don’t think any of us think it is a great idea to put him in the Pott County jail again.  Not because we are worried about security — more because we are concerned about safety, liability —  if he gets a hangnail he is going to sue us saying retaliation,” Wilber says.

Wilber says finding the right place is an issue as most of the surrounding counties have smaller jails that raise security concerns for keeping such a dangerous prisoner.  Once Correa-Carmenaty is returned to the state, the warrant against him is read and formal charges are made. If he pleads not guilty, then Wilber says things could go to trial as quickly as 100 days. He says realistically he anticipate Correa-Carmenaty will get an attorney and the attorney will say he can’t be prepared in three months and will ask for a continuance, which could mean waiting up to one year before trial.

Wilber says his office would be ready to go in a a short time despite having three major crime scenes to deal with here and other crime scenes also in Nebraska.   “There’s a lot of information to get through.  I feel very good about where we are at,” Wilber says.  Correa-Carmenaty also could decide to plead guilty and that would speed up the process.  Wilber says he had a chance to visit deputy Morgan — and although he is in a lot of pain — he says Morgan is going to recover.

“He’s tough, he was smiling, his brother was there and it meant a lot to me to be able to see Pat sitting up. Just the same Pat that I’ve know working for the county for years,” according to Wilber. “I  know he’s got a little bit of a road to recover ahead of him, but he’s doing amazingly well under the circumstances.”

(Reporting by Karla James & Pat Curtis w/Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CDT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Funeral arrangements have been announced for a western Iowa sheriff’s deputy who was shot to death during a jail break this week. The funeral for Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Burbridge will be 10 a.m. Monday at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It will be open to the public.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Jury deliberations have begun in a discrimination lawsuit filed by a former athletics administrator against the University of Iowa. Attorneys gave closing statements Wednesday in the suit filed by Jane Meyer. She sued after being transferred to another department following the firing of her partner, Iowa field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum. Meyer’s job was eliminated in 2016. Meyer alleges she suffered workplace discrimination as a gay woman in a relationship with a coach.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood are suing to block a measure set to be signed into Iowa law this week that would impose a three-day waiting period on women seeking abortions. The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Polk County District Court seeks an emergency injunction to block the waiting period that would go into effect immediately upon being signed by Gov. Terry Branstad. Branstad says he’ll sign it Friday morning.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has ordered all flags on the Capitol grounds to be flown at half-staff on Friday to observe the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony. During the ceremony, state leaders will honor four officers killed in the line of duty, including Urbandale Officer Justin Scott Martin and Des Moines Sgt. Anthony David Beminio, who were killed minutes apart on Nov. 2 in separate ambushes as they sat in their patrol cars.