(Audubon, Iowa) – The Audubon School Board will hold a Special Work Session beginning at 6-p.m. on Wed., Oct. 25th, in the High School Board Room. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss “Options for Transitioning to a New Superintendent,” and the “Next Steps for Hiring a Superintendent.”

The meeting falls on the heels of last week’s announcement Superintendent Eric Trager is retiring at the end of the current school year.

Cedar Rapids school leaders aren’t allowed to appeal directly to voters to approve a massive bond issue next month, but the state’s second largest district is offering unprecedented public tours of its aging — and in many cases century-old — facilities. Superintendent Tawana (tah-WAH-nah) Grover says residents are being shown muddy football fields, tiny cafeterias, and popular Career and Technical Education facilities that are bursting at the seams.

Robert Johnson, an associate principal at Cedar Rapids’ Kennedy High School, says the district wants students to try out career-oriented classes like welding, but the slots go quickly. Johnson says an interested freshman likely won’t get a chance until they’re an upperclassman.

If residents say yes to the bond, the district would get Career and Technical Ed additions to three buildings, a new middle school and more. The bond issues are divided into two phases totaling 445-million dollars, making it the largest school bond in Iowa history. This November, Cedar Rapids is asking for the first 220-million. With it, all buildings in the district would be new or recently-renovated by 2037.

Republican presidential candidate Doug Burgum says he has no intention of dropping out if, as expected, he does not meet the polling and fundraising criteria for the next candidate debate on November 8th. “I’m not trying to sell a book. I’m not running for a cabinet position,” Burgum says. “…I look down that debate stage — I’ve created more jobs than all the rest of the candidates combined.” Burgum, who’s in the middle of his second term as North Dakota’s governor, invested in a software company in his home state in 1983. He became the company’s president in 1984 and sold it to Microsoft in 2001. Burgum says while national security is an important issue right now, the economy is what’s crushing Americans.

“We have to have someone from outside of Washington to actually come in and restore trust in the institution,” Burgum says. “We have to have someone who understands how the global economy works. I had people working for me in 130 countries.” Burgum says the president of the United States is the leader of the executive branch should not govern based on grievances or to benefit one party over another. “The role of the president’s more important than ever. We have to have a leader who understands they serve every American, not just serve one party” Burgum says. “Once elected, the job of the executive branch, the cabinet agencies — the limited role of the federal government is to serve everybody. That’s what you do.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has said any candidate who does not qualify for next month’s debate in Miami should drop out of the race. Burgum says that’s an insult to the Iowans he’s meeting on the campaign trail. “If you want to let a network and a party, you know, a couple of people at ‘clubhouse rules’ decide who gets to be a finalist, you don’t need an Iowa primary because you’ll be down to one candidate by January,” Burgum said.

Burgum says missing the debate is no loss for him. “There used to be gravitas around presidential debates, but there’s no gravitas. It’s political theater at best and it’s actually reality TV,” Burgum says. “These are designed to drive inter-candidate conflict. They’re not designed to help the voters understand who the candidates are.”

Burgum made his comments during an appearance on “Iowa Press” that aired this weekend on Iowa P-B-S. It appears just three of the OTHER candidates challenging former President Donald Trump have shown they have enough support in polls and from donors to qualify for the next debate. Trump is skipping the televised debates. He’ll host a rally in Florida at the same time as the November 8th debate in Miami.

(Radio Iowa) –  In an update to our previous report, authorities in northeast Iowa say a Chickasaw County firefighter died in an accident involving two department vehicles, Sunday. A report from the Iowa State Patrol says an Ionia fire truck and a U-T-V converted for firefighting were trying to pass a slow moving tractor as they responded to a fire call around 4 p-m. The fire truck struck the back of the U-T-V, causing it to roll. The driver 43-year-old Anthony Hoffman of Ionia was ejected. Hoffman was flown to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota where he later died.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Two people were arrested in Glenwood, Saturday (Oct. 21), on separate OWI charges. The Glenwood Police Department reports 20-year-old Thomas Wentz, of Fremont, NE., and 33-year-old Tabitha Kruger, of Glenwood, were each charged with OWI/1st offense. They were released after posting separate $1,000 bonds.

And, this (Monday) morning (Oct. 23), 28-year-old Nathalia Hernandez, of Ralston, NE, was arrested in Glenwood, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She posted a $300 bond, and was released.

(Radio Iowa) – A northwest Iowa high school has confirmed one of its students was the victim of a weekend hunting incident in Dickinson County. According to a “Go Fund Me” page shared by Okoboji High School, Joe Salmon was hunting waterfowl Saturday morning near Lower Gar Lake when he was shot in the head. He was airlifted to a Sioux Falls Hospital where he remains hospitalized. Salmon is considered a local hero after he and several others saved a man whose vehicle fell through the ice on East Lake Okoboji last February. Okoboji High School Activities Director Nick Mulder is also the school’s football coach. “That’s who Joe is. He doesn’t flinch. He attacks everything that’s in his way,” the coach says. “We’re real proud of Joe.”

Mulder says Salmon is an outstanding young man. “A guy that you can see always around the hallways smiling with his friends and a pure joy about him. Everything he does he attacks with passion,” he says. “In running around the track, he wanted to face the best, be a part of the best and was a part of our state qualifying sprint relay that went down to Drake last year. On the football field, we hand him the ball a lot. He would prefer to run straight and over and through you as opposed to around you a lot of times.”

Mulder says besides the Go Fund Me page, there are two local fundraising efforts have already been created to support Salmon and his family. “We had a staff member who designed a t-shirt that you can buy. They are ‘Be a Hero for a Hero’ t-shirts and there’s a picture of Joe that one of our fifth grade students drew because they look up to Joe so much,” he says. “Be a Hero for Hero is obviously relating back to the February events. All that money goes directly to an account that’s been set up in Joe’s name.”

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating the events that led up to Saturday’s incident.

The first of three days of hearings starts tonight (Monday) on a proposal for wind turbines in the Iowa Great Lakes area. Radio Iowa’s Dar Danielson reports. Invenergy is asking Dickinson County for a permit to build up to 101 turbines. A large turnout is expected, so the hearing was expanded to three nights, and they will be held at the courthouse in Spirit Lake. The company says the turbines will bring in millions in tax revenue.

Residents are concerned about the impact on their homes and properties in the area where tourism is a major part of their economy. Tonight’s hearing starts at six o’clock.

(Carroll, Iowa) – The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office today (Monday), reports a woman from Westside was arrested on sex crime charges. Authorities say 24-year-old Cassidy Sue (Branning) Kraus, a former IKM-Manning teacher, was arrested on Class-C felony charges of Sexual Abuse in the 3rd Degree, two-counts each of Lascivious Acts with a Child, and three-counts of Dissemination of Obscene Materials to a Minor (all three counts are Serious Misdemeanors).

Cassidy Sue Kraus

Authorities alleged that while employed as a teacher at the IKM-Manning School District, Kraus engaged in multiple sexually oriented acts with three different students, the youngest being 13-years -old. She posted a $10,000 bond the morning after her arrest, and was released from custody.

The case against her was investigated by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Manning Police Department, and the Carroll County Attorney’s Office.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Stuart was arrested on numerous charges at his residence, Saturday afternoon (Oct. 21st). The Sheriff’s Department says 53-year-old Donald James Noggle was taken into custody a little before 1-p.m., and charged with: 2 counts of Domestic Abuse Assault w/bodily injury – 1st offense; False Imprisonment; Obstruction of Emergency Communications; Interference with Official Acts, and Public Intoxication. He was released on his Own Recognizance (ROR) after making an initial appearance before the magistrate.

Authorities say a Stuart Police Officer responded to 508 S. Gaines Street in Stuart, following a report of a domestic assault between a woman and Donald Noggle. A Guthrie County Deputy was already on the scene in an alley behind the residence, speaking with Noggle, who hopped onto a bicycle and proceeded north in the alley. The Deputy followed in his patrol vehicle and was ordered to stop and pull over. While riding his bike, the Deputy noticed Noggle was drinking a can of beer. The Deputy was eventually able to corner Noggle and remove him from the bicycle.

When asked why he didn’t pull over, Noggle said he “Didn’t want to deal with us [law enforcement].” An interview with the female victim determined Noggle came by and began pounding on the patio door. When she refused to let him in, he pushed past her and began yelling about wanting cigarettes before trying to get her phone when she threatened to call the police. The woman said Noggle pushed her down and held her, preventing her from leaving. She said she had a hard time breathing while he held her down. The woman gave Noggle the phone and told him to leave, but he smashed it against a table.

As a result of the altercation, the woman suffered a cut to her right hand, which the deputy noted was bleeding and swollen. The woman said she ran to a neighbor’s house and asked them to call 9-1-1. The woman’s phone was located and had sustained significant damage that was beyond repair. The loss was estimated at $100. Saturday’s altercation between Noggle and the woman was the second to have occurred. Authorities say the law enforcement arrived at around 9:30-p.m. Friday at the same residence, where Noggle allegedly pushed the woman, causing her shoulder pain.

Before a deputy could speak with Noggle about Friday’s incident, Noggle had some sort of medical issue that required him to be transported to a medical facility.

Police in Creston (IA) say no injuries were reported following a collision Sunday afternoon, at the intersection of Townline and Walnut Streets, in Creston. Authorities say a 2023 Kia SUV driven by 57-year-old Amy Michelle Bertelsen, of Creston, was traveling west on Townline Street at around 1:34-p.m., and stopped to turn left onto Walnut Street, when her vehicle was struck by a 2014 Chevy Equinox SUV, that did not stop in-time.

The Chevy, driven by 45-year-old James Kenneth Roach, of Greenfield, struck the rear of the Kia, causing a total of $4,000 damage. The police report says no citations were issued.