(Iowa News Service) – Leaders in Iowa’s small towns sometimes express frustration when trying to get help from the federal government. Local and federal officials met recently to discuss the challenges in rural Iowa and ways to overcome them. Small town Iowa officials met with federal agencies at the “Connecting the Corridor” session to learn how to bridge the gap between knowing what money is available and how to put it to work locally.

Michael Holton, city administrator of Treynor, population 1,100 talked about some of the challenges. “Most of these small, rural communities don’t have dedicated staff that are necessarily right on top of things when it comes to being able to get funds to get them through the rainy days,” Holton explained. “They have to look to other people to be able to help them through this jigsaw puzzle.”

Holton pointed to Iowa’s extremely active tornado season this year, and admitted knowing how to get funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency was challenging. He noted local officials came away from the “Connecting the Corridor” session with direct federal contacts to call when problems arise in the future.

The American Rescue Plan Act made federal COVID relief funds available to even the tiniest of towns for some pretty big projects. Holton pointed out in some cases, the money was awarded in the form of Destination Iowa grants. “Treynor was fortunate enough to get a Destination Iowa grant of $800,000,” Holton recounted. “The administrative details are what bog it down.”

Holton acknowledged the importance of some red tape to avoid fraud and said the “Connecting the Corridor” session helped close the gap between local and federal agencies by reducing the amount of bureaucracy.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – Citizens of Guthrie County will have another chance to learn more about an EMS (Emergency Medical Services) measure that will be on the November 5th General Election ballot. The informational meeting will take place at the Guthrie County Courthouse on October 29th beginning at 7-p.m. The meeting will be held in the public meeting room, but the Board plans to also have the courtroom ready should there be enough people that they need a larger space.

Public Measure IU asks voters to approve a 75-cent per $1,000 of taxable value on their property with the funding to be shared by the ambulances serving Guthrie County residents. A 60 percent approval is needed for the measure to pass. Recognizing the need for a more unified and efficient EMS system, Guthrie County is proposing the establishment of a county-wide EMS framework. The revenue generated from the levy would be used to contract with the existing EMS services and enhance their capabilities, ensuring that high-quality emergency medical care is accessible throughout the entire county.

Meetings have been held by the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors around the county to provide information about EMS and the impending vote. A final meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 29th, is to allow people who may have been unable to attend the previous meeting to learn more about the matter.

For more information, please view this letter authorized by Guthrie County officials, as published in the Bayard News Gazette: EMS.Essential

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County (IA) Sheriff’s Office has released a long report on arrests that occurred from Sept. 27th through Oct. 21st. Beginning with the most recent arrests:

On October 21st, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Gino Juliano, 55, of Manitou Springs, CO, for Possession of a Controlled Substance – Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Interference with Official Acts.  Juliano was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On October 19th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Lynn Frohlich, 53, of Scranton, on a warrant for Violation of Probation.  Frohlich was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.

On October 15th, 2024: the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Alaina Abild, 20, of Atlantic, on warrants for a Drug Distribution Violation, a Controlled Substance Violation and Use of a Minor in the Drug Trade.  Abild was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held.; Trenton Baier, 34, of Lewis, was arrested on two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine.  Baier was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond; Edward Parrott JR, 30, of Atlantic, was arrested Oct. 15th on a warrant for Assault.  Parrott was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release after serving time.

On October 14th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Morgan Leeder, 33, of Lewis, on a Violation of a No Contact Order charge.  Leeder was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release after her initial appearance.

On October 12th, 2024: the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Zachary Frank, 41, of Atlantic, on a warrant for Violation of Probation.  Frank was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held; Randi Pierce, 29, of Griswold, was arrested on the charge of Domestic Abuse Assault – 1st Offense.  Pierce was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on her own recognizance.

On October 10th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Terrence Frazier, 48, of Atlantic, on two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance.  Frazier was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On October 8th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Nicholas Renner, 30, of Atlantic, on a warrant for Theft 4th Degree.  Renner was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.

On October 3rd, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested John Wreford, 59, of Saline, MI, on the charge of OWI 1st Offense.  Wreford was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release after time served.

On October 1st, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Shelby Froh, 36, of Anamosa, on a warrant for Violation of Probation.  Froh was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On September 28th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Matthew Steffens, 44, of Atlantic, for Driving while Revoked.  Steffens was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

On September 29th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Justin Hardisty, 34, of Cumberland, on the charges of Eluding – 2nd or Subsequent Offense, Operating while Intoxicated – 3rd Offense and Driving while Revoked.  Hardisty was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

On September 27th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Tyler Carter, 33, of Adair, on a warrant for Failure to Appear.  Carter was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

CORALVILLE, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Corrections reports a man sentenced to serve a 25-year sentence and a life special sentence for sexual abuse and lascivious acts convictions in Fremont County, has died. 76-year-old Roger Craig Kissel was pronounced dead at 6:35 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024 at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center.

Kissel – a former pastor at the nondenominational Sidney Cowboy Church -began his sentence on May 5, 2016. The crimes he was convicted of occurred in 2013.

Roger Craig Kissel (file photo from 2016)

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following two separate collisions last Friday. At around 7:24-a.m., vehicles driven by 37-year-old Allyn Case and 35-year-old Tony Chapman, both of Jefferson, collided on Highway 141 at the intersection with Quail Road. The sheriff’s office says a 2014 Chevy pickup driven by Allyn Case was westbound on Highway 141 behind a semi. A 1988 Ford pickup driven by Chapman was stopped to make a left turn onto Quail Road. A westbound semi was also stopped to make a left-hand turn. When Case passed the semi stopped on Highway 141, he struck the passenger side of a flatbed trailer being towed by Chapman’s pickup. Damage from the collision amounted to an estimated $12,500 altogether, according to the sheriff’s department. Allyn Case was cited for passing on the wrong side.

The second accident happened at around 9:40-a.m., Friday. Authorities say a 2024 Chevy pickup driven by 47-year-old Michael VanGundy, of Yale, was traveling north on Sycamore Avenue at 160th Road, when VanGundy failed to stop at the posted stop sign. His pickup struck a westbound 2022 Chevy pickup in the left rear. That vehicle was being driven by 42-year-old Nathan Van Zee, of Guthrie Center. Damage from the collision amounted to $6,000. VanGundy was cited for Failure to Obey a Stop Sign.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, today (Tuesday), issued a statement with regard to “Non-Citizen” voting. Pate said “It is imperative that only eligible Iowa voters vote in Iowa elections. As part of our many safeguards in protecting Iowa elections, we conduct regular audits of our voter registration lists to maintain clean voter rolls and maintain compliance with state and constitutional voting requirements.

“Through this auditing process, we recently reviewed 2.3 million voter records. We have found 87 people who have self-reported they are not citizens, after they have voted. We found an additional 67 people who have self-reported that they are not citizens, after they have registered to vote – they have not voted. We are turning the names of these individuals over to the Iowa Attorney General and the Iowa Department of Public Safety for potential prosecution. We also came across 2,022 people who have self-reported they are not citizens and voted or registered to vote after self-reporting.”

Pate says he has directed county auditors to have their poll workers challenge the ballots of any of these individuals during the 2024 General Election. All these individuals, he said, will be able to vote by casting a provisional ballot. According to the Election Secretary, “We have run into roadblocks from the federal government, as have states across the country that are involved in lawsuits with the Department of Justice and federal government agencies. We will be working with both our Attorney General and Iowa’s Congressional Delegation to ensure the federal government gives us the tools to know with certainty before a non-citizen is able to register and vote in Iowa elections. Instead of identifying non-citizens after they have voted, we will work with the Iowa legislature to strengthen our laws.

“We will continue to audit our voter registration lists,” Pate says, “to ensure only eligible, U.S. citizens are registered to vote and participating in Iowa elections. It is absolutely critical that eligible citizens are able to vote and we are not disenfranchising any eligible voters. It is a felony for non-citizens to either vote or register to vote, and we will work with the authorities to ensure that those who break the law are prosecuted to the fullest extent.”

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber, today (Tuesday), issued a statement following the conviction Monday, on double murder charges, of 30-year-old Dequanta Roland Zachary, of Eunice, Louisiana. A jury only took about an hour to convict Zachary on two-counts of Murder in the 1st Degree, one count of Theft in the 1st Degree, and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Zachary faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole on the murder charges, and five-to 10-additional years on the Felon in Possession charge. His sentence hearing was scheduled for 9:30-a.m. December 5th, in Pott. County District Court.

An investigation into Dequanta Zachary’s actions began when a gunshot victim, 36-year-old Deonte Ivory, of Omaha), was found deceased near the Tyson Foods plant in Council Bluffs on April 28th, 2024. A second gunshot victim, 25-year-old Michael Anderson, of Omaha, was found later that same morning in the driveway of the Western Historic Trails Center. An abandoned, bullet-ridden car was found the next day in rural Glenwood. A partially burned shirt was hanging out of the gas tank.

A combination of cell phone records, social media and surveillance videos, witness statements, crime scene investigation, and an interview with Zachary, led to arrest warrants being issued May 3rd. A DNA test later found one of the victim’s blood on Zachary’s clothing. The case was tried by Pott. County Attorney Matt Wilber and Chief Deputy County Attorney Jon Jacobmeier. Matt Wilber says:

“The evidence in this case was overwhelming and this is due to the thorough and professional investigation by the Council Bluffs Police Department. There were approximately 7,000 pages in this investigation file, and bringing a double murder case from date of death to trial in less than six months is only possible with that level of dedication by our local law enforcement personnel. As is usually the case today, these murders were solved by dogged and persistent police work. I am grateful to the detectives for their efforts, particularly lead detective Taylor Coffey. Double murders do not generally happen in Council Bluffs – in fact, I think this is the only double homicide case I have tried in my 22 years as County Attorney. I am happy to bring some measure of comfort to the families of Deonte and Michael, and to have brought their killer to justice.”

The case against Dequanta Zachary was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department, with assistance from the FBI Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the Iowa DCI Crime Laboratory.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Guthrie County report a man was injured during a tractor rollover accident last Friday afternoon off N. 6th Street Place, near Panora. Authorities say a small farm tractor with a front end loader attachment was hauling a large rock and attempting to move it. When the tractor backed across the roadway and onto some grass. Authorities believe the weight of the rock in the front loader caused the back tires to lose traction on the dry grass. The machine proceeded in reverse downhill, without the ability to stop.

The operator of the tractor, 65-year-old Howie Eugene Hockenberry, of Guthrie Center, took evasive action and spun the front tires around. His action, officials say, caused the tractor to overturn an unknown number of times. Hockenberry was pinned under the tractor, but managed to get himself removed through his own strength. He suffered significant injuries, though, and was transported to the Guthrie County Hospital helicopter landing zone by Panora EMS. From there, he was flown by helicopter to Iowa Methodist Medical Center, in Des Moines.

The accident happened at around 12:10-p.m., Friday. Damage to the Ford 901 tractor was estimated at $1,500.  The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Guthrie Center Fire Department and Iowa State Patrol.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County, today (Tuesday), held a public hearing on upgrading 210th Street from a Level B (dirt) to a level A (gravel) road. County Engineer Karen Albert explained the reason for the needed upgrade.

Having heard no comments from the public, the Board voted to approve the upgrade as presented. A second public hearing was with regard to the upgrading of 150th Street between O Avenue and Pine Street, from a Class-B to a Class-A road, in anticipation of the eventual closing of Bridge PG-34/05 by 150th, west of Pine Avenue.

Albert said the most recent I-DOT traffic count shows an average of five vehicles crosses the bridge on a daily basis.

Montgomery County Engineer Karen Albert. MCBOS meeting 10-22-24

She said the cost to upgrade the road (Labor and gravel) would be about $10,000. The bridge will stay open until such time as a consultant determines it needs to be closed, based on a future, more recent inspection. Two property owners were concerned about the County’s intent to close the bridge, but since that specific topic was not included on the agenda as an action item, the board voted to approve the upgrade as presented. Any further discussion with regard to the status of the bridge will be held at a later meeting. Property owner Harriett Olson said when it comes time for that decision, the bridge should also be considered for an upgrade, instead of being closed.

County Auditor Jill Ozuna called the question of whether the Public Notice that was posted and published was the same as the Resolution that was presented for a vote, due to the wording in the notice, but the Board did eventually approve the upgrade as presented and passed a resolution to that effect. In other business, the Montgomery County Supervisors passed a pledge that will be included in the County’s Safety Action Plan. District 4 Supervisors Mark Peterson…

In other business, the Board agreed to reschedule their regular, November 5th meeting, to November 6th at 8:30-a.m., due to the General Election being held on November 5th. They also scheduled a canvass of the election votes to Nov. 14th at 8:30-a.m.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Lions Club will hold their annual Pancake Supper this Thursday, Oct. 24^th, from 4:30-until 7-p.m., at the Atlantic Community Building next to the Cass County Fairgrounds. The cost is $10 per person. Those 12 and under eat for just $5.00. Carry out is available. There will also be homemade baked goods for sale. Proceeds benefit the Lions Club Charities (for example: paying for hearing aids and eye glasses when needed).

The Atlantic Lions Club will be celebrating 100^th Anniversary in four years. The Club was chartered in 1928. Club members Leon Hodges and Jim Nordskog spoke about their mission to serve. Jim Nordskog said some of the funds raised by Thursday’s pancake supper will go towards the Sunnyside Park Splash Pad features and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, as well as other local and state causes.

Leon Hodges said they test kids’ eyes at area schools, which isn’t cheap.

Since the eye testing program began about 20-years ago in Cass County, Hodges said they’ve tested about 3,800 kids.

Jim Nordskog said the Atlantic Lions Club is always looking for new members to share in the spirit of community service through their outreach programs.

Their meetings are held at the Farmers Walnut Street Diner, in Atlantic. Leon Hodges said it used to be a much larger club, but the numbers tend to shrink as their members get older and are unable to participate, or simply pass away. The hope is new members get involved in the club’s projects.

You can speak with club members, enjoy the pancake supper, and help out their causes, during the pancake supper this Thursday evening. For more information, or to purchase your ticket(s) in advance, contact any Atlantic Lions Club member, or call/text Deb Marcellus Schuler at 712-249-4321.