Small domestic abuse shelters throughout Iowa are scrambling to remain open amid changes by state officials that will mean a loss of funding. The state attorney general’s office last week notified 12 shelters…including the Family Crisis Support Network in Atlantic, which serves six counties in the area…that they no longer will receive state money. It’s part of an effort to more effectively spend the dwindling funding that’s available. The state will instead, devote the money to eight larger shelters, which can deliver more extensive services to victims. Wendy Richter, Executive Director of the FCSN in Atlantic, says the loss of roughly $240,000 in several funding streams from the Crime Victim Assistance Division is “Very disappointing,” but no decisions have been made on the future of the facility because that is not dictated by the State.  She says because they own their own shelter, so the decision will be made locally as to its future. If they keep it up and running, it would not specifically be geared toward domestic violence, but for now, nothing will change.

Richter says the FCSN’s Board of Directors will be meeting several times in the next few weeks to determine what the best options are. She says some of the options include continuing serving in the current capacity, including what should be done with the outreach offices in Red Oak and Harlan. Council Bluffs had earlier been approved to cover the service area that the FCSN serves, so if the organization wishes to continue serving in its current capacity, they will be going against State guidelines. Richter says tremendous community support in the past has enabled the shelter to remain open, and for them to set aside funds to continue operations through the end of the current fiscal year.

She says they were able to put funds into a “Rainy day account,” and they are viewing the cuts from the State as a “Rainy day” situation. She says if possible, they would like to use their own funds, plus any local support that is received, to maintain the shelter aspect of the facility. The State says shelters are a huge expense, and not want victims of domestic violence need. Richter agrees, to an extent. She says shelter is the least utilized aspect of family crisis services, because “No Contact” orders allow people to stay in their own homes and stay protected. She says it’s not until the situation becomes serious, that people come into the shelter. Richter says “The need is there,” but it is the most expensive service they offer, “Just because of all the red tape that goes along with having a shelter.”

Janelle Melohn, of the attorney general’s office, says the changes are needed to more effectively help victims at a time when federal funding passed through the state government has repeatedly dropped.

Iowa is about to send a new crop of job-hunting high school and college graduates into the marketplace, and some will find success much faster than others. Susan McBroom, a vocational rehabilitation counselor in Urbandale, says the quality of your resume will quickly determine your odds of going from a job-seeker to someone’s newest employee. McBroom discusses the most common resume error. “People are not matching the resume to the job that they’re applying for,” McBroom says. “It’s really important that they match their skill sets to the position they’re applying to. If they don’t know their skill set, there’s a resource called O’Net Online that they can find each job broken down to the specific skill set.”

The address for that website is: www.onetonline.org. While a one-page resume was once the rule, McBroom says a two-page resume is now standard, but she says don’t go beyond two pages. “It takes a recruiter about 15 seconds to look through a resume,” McBroom says. “What I tell new grads is to be sure that if you don’t have a long work history, put things in there that would be internships, big projects, things like that.”

About 90-percent of employers now hire electronically, so having an e-resume that can be attached to an email cover letter is a must. Resumes need to be kept simple, using plain lettering and nothing fancy. Despite the economic downturn of the past few years, McBroom is optimistic about the job market, adding, it’s excellent if you’re looking for positions in the medical field. “Anything in nursing, certified medical assistant, medication aid, psych aid, and the last two don’t require a four-year degree,” McBroom says. “The job market is getting better. The unemployment rate for ages 19 to 24 is about 12% but that does include new graduates so, it’s really important to have a perfect resume out there.”

Iowa’s jobless rate is about five-percent, well below the national jobless rate of about seven-and-a-half percent. Being aggressive is key. Many ads say “no calls” but she says to call anyway, a week after you send your resume, just to see if they got it or have any questions. While social media sites are popular, McBroom doesn’t recommend being on one unless it’s private and visible by only a limited number of people. If you’re on Facebook or Twitter, she says: “Be careful what you put out there. Employers do research social media. If possible, set your Facebook to private. Keep in mind, others may access information from it.”

(Radio Iowa)

Atlantic Fire and Rescue and Medivac Ambulance have responded to the scene of a personal injury accident this morning near the Wal-Mart store. The Cass County Communications Center said the crash between a pickup and a van happened at around 8:55-a.m. on 7th Street, at the stop-lights in between the Wal-Mart and Atlantic Super 8 motel.

One person, described as a middle-aged female, suffered head injuries. She was not wearing a seat belt. Officials say her vehicle’s airbags did deploy upon impact. Additional details are currently not available.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reports four men from Louisiana were found guilty of poaching Iowa deer from a case that started when someone made a call to the Turn in Poachers hotline. The four men pleaded guilty to various wildlife crimes in Kansas as well.

Michael Fralick, of Ponchatoula, La., was convicted on all 32 counts of deer hunting violations in four southwest Iowa counties. Fralick was assessed $6,123.90 in fines and court costs, forfeited two rifles and received a five year license suspension. He was ordered to pay $22,500 in civil damages.

James Moore, of Ponchatoula, La., pleaded guilty to discharge firearm from roadway, having a loaded gun in vehicle, failure to tag deer, illegal method of take in Adams County, Iowa, and was fined $604.50.  He also pleaded guilty to two counts unlawful transportation/possession of whitetail deer, no valid non-resident hunting license, no valid non-resident any-sex deer license, no habitat fee, illegal method of take in Montgomery County, Iowa, and was assessed $1,688.50 total fines and court costs. Moore received a five year license suspension and was ordered to pay $10,000 in civil damages. Moore was in possession of an illegal deer in Oklahoma when he was served with the Iowa citations by officials in Oklahoma.

Stanley Russel, of Roseland La., and William “Heath” Chambliss, of Kentwood, La., were both found guilty in Montgomery County, Iowa, of no valid non-resident hunting license, no valid non-resident any sex deer license, no valid non-resident antlerless deer license (required) and no habitat fee. Their fines and court costs totaled $1,433.40 each and they received a two year license suspension. 

The investigation into the men’s activities began in late November 2011 when the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Department received a TIP call from a concerned citizen about the activities of these men. The information led authorities to possible illegal activity in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources received a TIP call about illegal deer activity around the same time that linked the two cases together.

The convictions were the result of a 10 month investigation by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Bureau, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Louisiana Department of Game & Fish, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Officials say information received through the TIP hotline in both Iowa and Kansas was critical in this investigation.  If you have information on wildlife crimes call TIP of Iowa at 1-800-532-2020. You can remain anonymous.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, approved the first reading of a 5.5-percent rate increase for sewer service. Two more readings are necessary before the increase is passed. City Administrator Doug Harris says if approved on the third and final reading, the monthly base fee for usage up to 3,000 gallons will increase $1.50 per month, from $27.00 to $28.50. Additional usage above 3,000 gallons will increase 30-cents, from $5.50 to $5.80 per thousand gallons over 3,000.Harris said the increase is needed to fund Debt Service and Operating costs of the new wastewater treatment plant.

The Council also held a public hearing on the sale of a lot at 314 Walnut Street. After receiving no written or oral comments on the matter, the Council gave its permission to sell the property for $30,000 to Jacob Weitzel, who plans to build a restaurant/sports bar on the site, with office space and luxury condominiums possible in the future, for the structure’s upper floors. The sale was contingent on the City having the first right of refusal to buy back the property, if a building is no erected on the site within a reasonable time frame.

And, the Atlantic City Council approved the issuance of General Obligation Bonds for $2.7-million. The G-O bonds will fund the cost of construction for various infrastructure improvements and a grant to Iowa Western Community College for building improvements. The Council tabled action pertaining to a purchase agreement for just over $7-million in Sewer Revenue Bonds, until their June 5th meeting.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a man and his 2-year-old daughter have escaped unharmed from a Council Bluffs house fire. The Daily Nonpareil reports  that the fire was reported just after 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Michael Large told the newspaper that he smelled smoke and then discovered flames on the outside of the house. He says he grabbed his daughter, ran outside and then across the street to safety.   The fire cause is being investigated.

The National Weather Service in Des Moines says scattered thunderstorms are possible today over far southern and western Iowa. The focus for thunderstorms will shift to northern Iowa overnight before ending on Friday. Saturday will be mostly sunny and warm ahead of a system that will impact the state Sunday and Monday. Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to develop Sunday afternoon into Monday. Large hail, damaging winds and even a few tornadoes will be possible with this activity. Wednesday set the Iowa tornado free consecutive day streak with 356 straight days.

Convicts who’re guilty of many aggravated misdemeanors in Iowa will have to submit a D-N-A sample after July 1st. That’s when the bill Governor Terry Branstad signed into law Wednesday goes into effect. “Justice is a balance and I believe that DNA is a valuable tool that can help us both convict people that have committed dangerous crimes and also exonerate people that have been convicted of crimes they didn’t commit,” Branstad told reporters. Representative Clel Baudler, a Republican from Greenfield who is a retired state trooper, has been trying to pass this law since 2003. “I’ve been opposed by the extreme left and the extreme right and this year we kind of whipped ’em,” Baudler says.

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller predicts a “significant number of cases” will be solved with the D-N-A evidence that will be collected. “We can look a little bit to New York. It’s a little different state, but it gives us some idea,” Miller says. “Since 2006 when they went into the misdemeanor field, they solved and had matches for 965 cases — 51 of which were murder cases.”  People convicted of third offense drunk driving and aggravated misdemeanors involving assault, drug crimes and burglary will now have to submit a D-N-A sample to authorities. “The experience has been that for some sort of property crimes — larceny crimes — for some reason there is a significant match to violent crimes,” Miller says.

Felons in Iowa’s prison system have been required to submit their D-N-A for years. Supporters of expanding D-N-A collection to those guilty of aggravated misdemeanors say it may help solve some future crimes. Critics call it a violation of civil liberties, as the D-N-A evidence won’t be erased from the database once a criminal has paid his or her debt to society by serving their time, paying their fines to the court and paying restitution to their victims.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa legislators have approved a compromise budget plan for the state justice system.  On Wednesday, lawmakers in the state House and Senate approved $547 million in spending that largely goes to prisons and public safety.

The budget plan is an increase over the spending in the current fiscal year. It is more than the $534 million proposed by the House and less than the $560 million pushed by the Senate.  It includes some of the funding sought by Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller to regionalize state domestic abuse and sexual assault assistance. Miller wants to shut down some domestic abuse shelters and hire more advocates to assist victims. Miller had wanted $6 million and the plan offers nearly $4 million.

Next, the plan moves to the governor’s office.