(Clarinda, Iowa) (Updated 9:40-p.m. w/the name of the 2nd driver)  – A head-on crash Tuesday afternoon (July 11) in Page County claimed the life of both drivers. The Iowa State Patrol reports the accident happened on Highway 2, just west of N Avenue, at around 2:30-p.m.

Authorities say a 2019 Nissan Sentra driven by 71-year-old Denise James, from Omaha, NE, was traveling west on Highway 2 at the 45 mile marker, at the same time a 2019 Nissan Rogue driven by 78-year-old Sandra Aparo, of Clarinda, was traveling eastbound.

For reasons unknown, James’ Sentra crossed the center line of the road and collided with the SUV. Both drivers died at the scene. The Patrol says the were wearing their seat belts. The crash remains under investigation.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Page County Sheriff’s Office and Clarinda Fire and Rescue.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Board of Directors of the Atlantic CSD will meet at 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, July 12th, for a regular board meeting. Normally held in the High School Media Center, the Board will instead gather in the Schuler Elementary Library (located at 501 E 11th Street), due to construction activities take place in the HS Media Center.

The board meeting will be streaming live on YouTube at the following link: https://youtube.com/live/FDu_R4-86tI?feature=share

Wednesday’s tentative agenda is as follows:

Call to Order
I. Roll Call
II. Approve Meeting Agenda
III. Welcome Visitors/Public Comment
IV. Principal Reports
V. Superintendent Report
VI. Board Report- Committees
VII. Financial Reports
VIII. Discussion Items

A. Kickoff Staff PD Days
B. IASB Priorities for upcoming legislative session

IX. Consent Items

A. Meeting Minutes
B. Bills
C. Open Enrollment
D. General Education & Special Education Contracts
E. Resignations
F. Contract Recommendations/Letters of Assignment
G. Gifts, Grants & Bequests
H. Approved Fundraiser

X. Action Items

A. Board Secretary Sworn In
B. Approval of name change on Bank Accounts
C. .5 FTE Homeschool Assistance Teacher
1. Job description
D. Sealed bid for 2003 Ford Van sale
E. Purchase of Truck
F. Varsity Bound Service Agreement 23-24

XI. Upcoming Dates
A. Board Retreat – July 19, 2023; 2-6 PM
XII. Adjourn

Council Bluffs, Iowa – On Saturday July 8, 2023 the Council Bluffs Police Department requested assistance from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) with an officer involved shooting that occurred at the intersection of Valley View Drive and College Road in Council Bluffs.

Officers from multiple agencies were involved in a high-speed pursuit of a subject who was suspected to be involved in multiple violent incidents throughout the morning of July 8th in and around Omaha, and Bellevue, Nebraska. The suspect was identified as Matthew Briggs (41 years old) of Omaha Nebraska. Briggs was known to be armed with multiple weapons. The pursuit crossed into Iowa with Briggs driving 100+ mph at times during the pursuit. The pursuit ended in Council Bluffs when a Council Bluffs Patrol Officer performed a P.I.T. maneuver on the vehicle Briggs was operating, ending the pursuit.

Briggs pointed a weapon at the officers and two officers fired their weapons at Briggs. Law enforcement and EMS immediately performed life-saving measures on Briggs. Briggs was transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha where he was pronounced deceased. Briggs was later transported to the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny, Iowa. On July 10, 2023, a forensic autopsy was performed on Briggs. Briggs died of a fatal gun-shot wound.

On July 10, 2023, Agents from the DCI interviewed the officers who were involved in the shooting. The officers have been identified as Lieutenant Chad Geer who is a 27-years veteran of the Council Bluffs Police Department, and Lieutenant Martin Stiles who is a 23-years veteran of the Omaha Police Department.

This is an ongoing investigation, and no further details are being released at this time. At the conclusion of the DCI’s investigation, the case will be reviewed by the Pottawattamie County Attorney and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa State Fair will have 64 new foods when it opens the gates in August. Some of the new offerings for this year include Bacon and Sweet Corn Lobster Rolls, a Bacon Cheddar Pretzel Dog, Blueberry Mini Donuts, a Bucket of Soda, and Butterbeer Ice Cream.

For those who like their food on a stick, there’s the Crunch Cool Ranch Pickle on a Stick and Deep Fried Strawberry Shortcake on a Stick and Catfish in on a Stick and Grilled Shrimp on a Stick.

The Fair will pick three of the new foods next Tuesday to be voted on by fairgoers as the best new food at the Fair.

2023 New Food List

(Banh Mi) Vietnamese Sandwich; (Café Muoi) Salted Coffee; A-Hootenanny Ice Cream; Amish Donuts; Apple Pie Cookie Ice Cream; Bacon and Sweet Corn Lobster Rolls; Bacon Cheddar Pretzel Dog; Bauder’s Cherry Dream Ice Cream; Berry Bowl-Frozen Sorbet; Birch Beer Soda; Blueberry Mini Donuts; Bubble Tea; Bucket of Soda; Buffalo Chicken Bacon Ranch Fries; Burrito Bowl; Butterbeer Ice Cream; Byrd Dawg Crispy Chicken Sandwich; Caramel Apple Cake Pops; Catfish in a Boat or on a Stick; Chicken Salad Hoagie; Chopped Brisket Sandwich; Chopped Italian Chicken Hoagie; Chopped Italian Ham Hoagie;Chopped Italian Roast Beef Hoagie; Citrus Boost Energy Drink; Cookie Dough Sundae, Cotton Candy Art, Cotton Candy Cheese Cake, Craft Link on a Stick,  Crunch Cool Ranch Pickle on a Stick, Deep Fried Bacon Brisket Mac-N-Cheese Grilled Cheese, Deep Fried Strawberry Shortcake on a Stick, Deep Fried Sweet Corn Nugget. Dill Pickle Flavored Cheese Curds, Dough Crazy (Chocolate Chip, Cake Batter, Brownie Batter, Brookie, CC Dough w/o CC, Monster, Cherry Chocolate Chip, Cookies and Cream) Sweet Stick, Fried Caramel Apple Cow Tail, Grilled Shrimp on a Stick, Grinder Ball, Hot Stuff Grilled Cheese, Iowa Sweet Corn Sundae, Iowa Twinkie-Jalapeno Filled with Pulled Pork, Corn and Cream Cheese, Wrapped in Bacon, Smoked with Sweet and Sticky BBQ, Finished with Ranch. Korean Bacon Egg Dog. Korean Egg Dog, Lamb Gyro Salad, Made from Scratch Bacon Maple Monkey Bread, Orange (with Peppermint) Sipper, Orange Float, Orange Slush, Orange-Frosty, Oreo Brownie Blast, Peanut Butter Cream Donuts, Pop Corn Shrimp, Pork Belly Pinwheel, Raspberry Chipotle Grilled Cheese, Shrimp Ceviche, Shrimp Poke Bowl, Shrimp Tacos, Soft Serve Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae,Southern Fried Corn on the Cob, The Ooey Gooey All American Grilled Cheese, Ube Funnel Cake, Walking Banana Dessert,Walking Smores Dessert, Walleye in a Boat or on a Stick.

(Radio Iowa) – A blackberry farmer from Indiana has made it to central Iowa in his walk across the United States in an effort to raise awareness and funds for Feeding America, a non-profit organization representing 200 food banks nationwide. Brian Christner visited the Food Bank of Iowa in Des Moines today (Tuesday), as the agency struggles to keep up with an unprecedented demand for food.

“It’s a tough time right now, no doubt, especially the summertime,” Christner says. “This is when donations go down to food banks and kids no longer are getting those meals from schools. The solution is, we all need to get together and help out those that are doing the heavy lifting.” Christner is planning to walk 48-hundred miles across the U-S. The hike began February 18th in Delaware and will end at Point Reyes National Seashore State Park in California in November. He says the best way for Iowans to help other Iowans who are food insecure is with their money and their time.

“One dollar to Feeding America represents ten meals. Since they are such a large organization, they’re able to purchase things in quantity,” Christner says. “The other way is volunteering, going in and helping at a food bank. That really helps keep the costs down and then they’re able to purchase more food.” Christner has already made stops at the River Bend Food Bank in Davenport and at the Northern Iowa Food Bank in Waterloo, and in another ten days or so, he’ll reach the Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha/Council Bluffs.

“Blackberry” Brian Christner (Photo from Feeding America)

“I am so incredibly amazed at the people that work at the pantries,” Christner says. “These people are angels that are out there helping and giving. It’s really a beautiful thing. I feel blessed to be able to meet these people as I move along in my journey.”

You can follow his hike at Blackberry Brian on Facebook or via the website: https://www.hikingamerica.com/blackberry-brian/

(Radio Iowa) – A few dozen Iowans have shared their views on a six week abortion ban at public hearings at the Iowa Capitol. The Iowa House and Senate convened early this (Tuesday) morning for a one-day special legislative session to consider a bill to ban abortions after fetal cardiac activity can be detected.

Maggie DeWitte, executive director of Pulse Life Advocates, urged legislators to act. “It is beyond time to once and for all have this heartbeat law passed for the second time, signed into law for the second time, but now be able to be enforced,” DeWitte said. Dr. Deborah Ann Turner, president of the League of Women Voters of the United States, is an O-B-G-Y-N who was medical director at Planned Parenthood North Central States. She previously practiced at hospitals in Davenport, Mason City and Des Moines.

“Respect the people seeking abortion as individuals,” Turner said “…You have no license or right to make medical decisions about anyone’s health except your own.” Samantha Fett, chair of the Warren County chapter of Moms for Liberty, thanked the governor and G-O-P legislators in advance for acting on the bill, but she ultimately wants to see all abortions outlawed.

Special-session-protests.-RI-photo

“There’s no more important calling on this earth than to have children,” Fett said. “It’s the fundamental part of our society that is true and beautiful.” Reverend Brigit Stevens is the executive minister for the Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota Conferences of the United Church of Christ. She says abortion will not go away, it will go underground if the bill becomes law.

“The interpretation imposed by this legislation represents a narrow Christian view that is not appropriate criteria for public policy,” she said. Terry Aman, pastor of the Church of the Way in Des Moines, urged legislators to vote for the bill. “Everyone in this room is going to stand before a holy God and give an account,” Aman said, “and woe to the one who says, ‘I arbitrarily chose death.'” Hundreds of opponents of the bill gathered for a midday rally in the Capitol rotunda. Waverly Zhou urged the crowd to defeat G-O-P legislators running for reelection in 2024.

“We know we can’t change their minds, but we can do what voters and citizens of this country do best and that is vote them out,” she said, prompting the crowd to chant: “vote them out.” Reverend Debbie Griffin of a downtown Des Moines Disciples of Christ church told the crowd pregnancy is complicated. “My faith compels me to protec the freedom of choice of my neighbors,” she said.

As the rally was underway, a group of people who backed the bill gathered in a small Capitol meeting room to pray for passage of the legislation. The House and Senate are expected to begin debating the bill around 4 p.m. It will be around 10 p.m. when the House takes a final vote and the Senate will vote around on the bill after 11 p.m.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest Tuesday afternoon of 61-year-old Shellie Renee Shuffler of Red Oak on a Montgomery County Warrant for Littering. Shuffler was arrested on West Coolbaugh Street in Red Oak at 1:25 p.m. and taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond before later being released.

(Radio Iowa) – The rail traffic coming into Iowa is providing some mixed signals on economic conditions. The D-O-T’s Stuart Anderson says the volume of some items shipped by rail continues to increase. “Increased car loads in motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts, crushed stone, and sand. Both those measures really are viewed as measures of what the overall economy is looking like, so those are positive measures,” Anderson says.

He says those increases can signal the economy is doing okay. “Not not really moving into a recession, but as we know there’s a lot of other measures out there that would tell you we are, so real conflicting messages on the economy overall but at least from the rail perspective where these have been leading indicators they are positive,” he says. Anderson says on the other side, the number of containers with consumer goods coming in has dropped. “Those have been down significantly although starting to show some improvement here in May,” Anderson says. “But still that would be an indicator that things aren’t necessarily so great from a consumer spending perspective.”

Anderson made his comments during a report to the state Transportation Commission today (Tuesday).

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday morning, received a report from County Zoning Administrator Mike Kennon, with regard to issues of excessive scrap metal and inoperable vehicles on rural properties. Kennon handed the Board a sheet defining what is a junkyard, and junk. He said the reason for bringing the issue to the Board’s attention, is because of a number of complaints the Zoning Board has received, especially with regard to four specific properties.

Supervisor Steve Green said he had some concerns about the definition of junk, and suggested the County Attorney review the definition of terms.

The Board suggested Kennon focus on the most serious offender and send that owner a letter from the Zoning Board. They also suggested he check with other counties, to see what kind of Ordinance they have or what their Zoning Requirements are, in hopes of finding something with “more teeth,” than what Cass County has or may have.

The Board discussed and acted on approving a Resolution making appropriations and transfers for Fiscal Year 2023-2024. The matter was previously covered in budget discussions, and it simply gives the County spending authority.

Cass County BOS, 7-11-23

The Cass County Supervisors acted to pass a Resolution allocating the final ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) payments to fire departments. The resolution approved allots $75,000 to each of the departments in Cass County, as previously discussed. And, they approved applied for homestead and military tax credits, as recommended by the County Assessor.

In other business, Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken updated the Board on Secondary Roads Department maintenance and activities.

And, Cass County Mental Health/General Relief Coordinator Deb Schuler provided the Board with a quarterly report for April through June.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors met in a regular weekly session this (Tuesday) morning, in Red Oak. Montgomery County Engineer Karen Albert kicked-off the session with her weekly update.

She said also a construction project on Page-Montgomery Road south of Villisca is expected to start the week of July 26 with the laying of rock. The project is expected to last some three-to four-weeks.

Under New Business, the Board passed by a vote of 4-to 1(with Supervisor Donna Robinson opposed), a Revised Resolution pertaining to a half financial support agreement between the City of Red Oak and Montgomery County, and with regard to the Red Oak rail, track spur current maintenance. The agreement includes all the legal descriptions which were inadvertently omitted from the first proposed agreement.

Montgomery County BOS meeting, 7-11-23

Board Chair Mike Peterson….

The Supervisors passed (by a similar vote) a Revised MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between the County and the Montgomery County Development Corporation (MCDC). The County had budgeted $30,000 to the MCDC, and may provide additional funds for specific programs provided by MCDC and may allocate $18,000 to MCDC to take ownership of and complete the needed repairs of the Burlington Northern Spur.

In other business, the Board passed a Resolution for the County 5-year Montgomery County Secondary Roads. They also approved a revised funding agreement for the 250th Street Bridge, and financial administrative matters, including the Sheriff’s and Recorders reports of fees for the month of June, claims payable for July 12th, and the Treasurer’s Ending Fund Balance for the month of June.