(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds is making another public pitch for her plan to establish 10-thousand state-funded accounts for parents who wish to send their kids to private schools.  “We’ve made a lot of concessions and compromises with the new bill that I put forward this year,” Reynolds says, “but we’re going to continue to work with legislators and listen and do what we can to get it across the finish line.”

The governor’s bill has yet to advance out of a legislative committee, but a Senate panel is likely to debate it this week. A key Republican, though, says the concept is stalled in the House. Reynolds says she’s not giving up. “I feel really good about it,” Reynolds says. “We are having a lot of conversations. We’re talking about what the bill actually does.”

Reynolds held a news conference at a private school in Des Moines to tout her plan for state scholarships to parents like Jessica Cashman, a single mother who’s sending her daughter to St. Theresa’s Catholic school. Cashman says she wants her daughter’s school to align with the values she’s teaching her at home. “The biggest factor is that I want to make sure I lay down a foundation…in my five-year-old child,” Cashman says. “Foundation to me is a love of God, education and country.”

Cashman has received private scholarship money to send her daughter to the school. According to the governor, 56 percent of the state’s budget is being spent on public schools and Reynolds says that’s money well spent for most, but not all families who’d be able to use the state-funded scholarships she hopes to create. “I believe with all my heart that this is going to raise all of our school districts across the state,” Reynolds says. “You know, competition does that.”

Charlotte James, a junior at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, says when she speaks with friends who don’t attend her school, they often wish for the experiences she’s having at Dowling. “By offering these scholarships to students, there’s more of an opportunity for those who want to push themselves and succeed,” she says.

The governor’s plan calls for depositing about 53-hundred dollars in state money in accounts for low and middle income parents who either move their child from a private to a public school or enroll their child in the kindergarten at a private school.

CLIVE, Iowa — A woman from Cass County (Iowa) has won a $10,000 lottery prize. Lottery officials say Amy Mardesen, of Atlantic, won the big prize in the Iowa Lottery’s “$100,000 Mega Crossword” scratch game. She purchased her winning ticket at Casey’s East (1408 E. Seventh St.) in Atlantic, and claimed her prize Friday at lottery headquarters in Clive.

Amy Mardesen

The $100,000 Mega Crossword is a $10 scratch game that features overall odds of 1 in 3.30 and 38 top prizes of $100,000. For more information about this game, and the number of prizes still available, visit ialottery.com.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department report arrests dating back to Feb. 3rd.

On February 12, 2022: 28-year-old Karla Roxana Toc Arguleta, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop. Arguleta was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with domestic abuse assault; and 52-year-old Kevin Boyd Canter, of Atlantic, was arrested following a call for service. Canter was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with disorderly conduct.

There were three arrests in Harlan on Feb. 8th: 46-year-old Tristine Ann Mackey, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant. Mackey was transported to the Shelby County Jail; 38-year-old Cory Christopher McCoy, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant. McCoy was transported to the Shelby County Jail; and 41-year-old Daniel Harvey Pash, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop. Pash was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with possession of a controlled substance, improper use of registration, no proof of insurance and driving while suspended.

February 6th, Harlan Police arrested 40-year-old Jasper William Daniel, of Atlantic, on an active Shelby County warrant. Daniel was transported to the Shelby County Jail.

On the 4th, 21-year-old Madison Marie Hansen, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop. Hansen was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with driving while revoked and fraudulent use of license plates. And, on February 3rd, 39-year-old William Joseph Bullock, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop. Bullock was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with driving while barred.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports a Cass County (IA) woman, 34-year-old Amanda Marie Belnap, of Atlantic, was sentenced Monday (Feb. 14) to 120 months (10-years) in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. Her term of imprisonment will be followed by five years of supervised release. According to court documents Belnap pleaded guilty to the charge on September 2, 2021.

Between July 2020 and May 2021, Belnap obtained approximately 16 pounds of methamphetamine at her home in Atlantic from a source in California through the mail. On May 6, 2021, in an interview with law enforcement, Belnap admitted she had received and distributed the methamphetamine. On May 8, 2021, the United States Postal Service intercepted another package mailed to Belnap from her source in California that contained approximately 900 grams of methamphetamine. As part of the conspiracy, Belnap distributed the methamphetamine to people in locations across the Southern and Northern Districts of Iowa and would send money back to the source in California.

Amanda Marie Belnap

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Muscatine County Drug Task Force, Johnson County Drug Task Force, Tri County Drug Task Force, and the Iowa State Patrol investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Glenwood Police Department reports two people from Kansas City, Missouri, were arrested Valentine’s Day. Authorities say 20-year-old’s Yasir Mohamed and Musa Abdi were taken into custody for Prohibited Acts. Their cash/surety bonds were set at $2,000 each.

(Radio Iowa) – Due to staffing issues, SkyWest Airlines plans to reduce the number of weekly flights out of Mason City and Fort Dodge. SkyWest filed the notice of intent with the US Department of Transportation on February 2nd that they intend to cut back the number of flights a week under the Essential Air Service program between Mason City and Chicago, and from Fort Dodge to Chicago and Denver, from 12 to 10.

Skywest photo

SkyWest in a handful of other markets wants to reduce the number of weekly flights from 12 to seven. SkyWest tells the US DOT that staffing issues caused by the COVID pandemic are causing the need to reduce flights across their network.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday morning, received a presentation from Aaron Sindt, from Lyman, with regard to an economic development project for an area near Lyman, that would serve as an Adult-only Retreat with cabins. Currently, he has a building pad down and a pond on the property. Other ponds will be added.

After a party check’s-in, they will be given a code and given your options.

Sindt said the plan is to build six cabins around the ponds. The fully-furnished cabins will be around 800 square feet, each.

Your food will already be in the refrigerator, ready to go, along with instructions on how to cook it. Outside the cabins will be a high end grilling area with contact information for local cattle and hog producers if a guest really likes the quality of those locally-sourced products they’re grilling.

A natural spring will supply water to the cabins. He said he wants the retreat to be a place where anyone 21 and older can get away for a night and have a high-end experience where everything is included and you can go home the next day without any problems. Along with the cabins, he wants to build an event-center of sorts, for custom farm-to-table events, small class reunions, small family events, work building seminars, etc.

He hopes to have the Adult Retreat open by the Spring of 2023. Sindt said he looked into some grant opportunities to help with funding the project, but acknowledged it’s not easy to find anything for unincorporated cities. He wasn’t asking for funds when he spoke to the Board on Tuesday. Sindt just wanted to show them his plans and for them to keep him in mind for any
Supervisor Steve Green told Sindt that they do have a tax rebate program available for economic development projects in the unincorporated parts of the county.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa today (Tuesday), said a Council Bluffs man, 34-year-old Brian Allen Christensen, was sentenced Monday, February 14th to 10-years (120 months) in prison, for Receipt of Child Pornography. His sentence was handed-down in Council Bluffs U-S District Court. Christensen’s term of imprisonment will be followed by five years of supervised release. According to court documents Christensen was found guilty by a trial jury on September 21, 2021.

In 2018 the Nebraska State Patrol conducted an undercover operation and identified a computer in Council Bluffs that shared images and videos using the Peer-2-Peer program. Iowa Internet Crimes against Children took over the investigation and found evidence Christensen had regularly searched for child pornography as early as February 2013.

The Nebraska State Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Internet Crimes Against Children section investigated the case, which was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa.

(Anita, Iowa) – The CAM School Board held their regular monthly meeting Monday evening, in Anita. Shared CAM-Nodaway Valley Superintendent Paul Croghan told KJAN News the Board acted on approving some changes in personnel.

Mr. Croghan said the Board discussed the FY 22/23 School Calendar & Budget for the benefit of new Board member, and recent board members to review the process.

The CAM School Board approved an Education Services Contract with SWCC (Southwestern Community College), with regard to a pilot program taking place across the State for a building operations pathway program.

The program takes place by Zoom Monday and Wednesdays from 8- to 9-a.m., with hands-on experience Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. That might include aerating the football field, check roof-top HVAC units, and learn how contractors adjust to different aspects of building operations. In other business, the Board approved a Budget Guarantee for 2022-23.

And they approved a lease agreement for a CAM storefront on Main street, in Anita.

The Board’s final order of business was discussion with regard to district facilities.

(Radio Iowa) – On the fourth anniversary of the deadliest high school shooting in U-S history, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley pushed for passage of his bipartisan bill called the EAGLES Act. Grassley, a Republican, says the bill would expand the role of the U-S Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center to identify and manage threats from teenagers before they result in more tragedies. Grassley says, “We would, by amending that assessment center, give it responsibility not only to do what the Secret Service already does there but to prevent school violence.”

Seventeen people were killed at a high school in Parkland, Florida, with 17 more injured. A 19-year-old former student was charged in the Valentine’s Day 2018 killings, which surpassed the Columbine High School massacre that killed 15, including the perpetrators, in Colorado in 1999. Under his bill, Grassley says trained professionals would be tasked with working to identify and manage threats at the high school level before they occur. “My bill would direct experts in child psychology to work closely with the Secret Service Threat Assessment Center to develop proven and evidence-based techniques to identify potential threats,” he says.

Passing the legislation is vital, Grassley says, in the fight to protect schools and to promote safe and healthy learning environments. The measure would establish a Safe School Initiative to expand research on school violence and how to prevent it. Grassley says, “The EAGLES Act will equip schools with needed resources to identify troubled youth and give them the intervention and treatment that they need, hopefully long before an intervention is needed by law enforcement.”

The Parkland, Florida shootings took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where the school mascot is the eagle. Grassley named his bill after that mascot and says the measure has wide bipartisan support in the Senate while an identical bill was introduced in the House. Grassley says the bill is backed by more than 40 state attorneys general.