(Radio Iowa) – One of Spencer’s school buildings won’t be opening this fall due to flood damage and about 500 third, fourth and fifth graders who would have been starting school at Lincoln Elementary next month will attend classes in other buildings in the district. “We’re going to be cozy and tight in our buildings, but we’re going to be OK,” said Spencer Superintendent Terry Hemann.

Third and fourth graders will go to two other elementary buildings in the district. Fifth graders will go to Spencer’s middle school. “That comes after a lot of discussion and a lot of work by a principals to find the space for everyone that we’re moving,” Hemann said.

Classes start August 23 in Spencer. Online registration is underway through August 11.

“Additionally we will have an in-person day this year, which we haven’t done in a while, but we’ll have an in-person registration day on August 8,” Hemann said. “We’ll do that for anybody who needs a device to complete online registration. It’s kind of hard to do that on your cell phone.”

Last week, the head Iowa Department of Education said her agency was rounding up portable classrooms for Spencer and Rock Valley schools. Spencer’s superintendent said his district came up with its plan to shift students to other buildings in the district because there was greater need in Rock Valley schools for portable classrooms

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office has released a report on arrests and incidents that took place from July 4th through the 16th:

On July 4th, deputies in Mills County arrested 24-year-old Dominik Alexander Wiebusch, for  OWI/1st offense.  He was taken into custody at around 10:40-p.m. on I-29, at mile marker (mm) 28. Bond: $1,000.

July 5th: 50-year-old Lonnie Michael Downs, of Council Bluffs, was arrested near Bunge Ave. & I-29 at around 10:55-p.m., for Driving Under Suspension. Bond: $300.

There were two arrests July 6th in Mills County: 44-year-old Duane Paul Gosley, of Denver, CO., was arrested in the area of 195th Street at around 2:50-a.m., for Attempted Burglary/3rd; Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Bond: $2,000; and 30-year-old Aimee Elizabeth Ramos, of Pacific Junction, was arrested at around 2:45-a.m. on I-29 (mm 35) for OWI/1st offense. Bond: $1,000.

Mills County deputies arrested 30-year-old Daevon Deshone Sanchez, of Omaha, NE., at the Sarpy County, NE Jail  on July 7th. He was wanted on a warrant for Probation Violation. Bond: $2,000.

On the 8th of July, 26-year-old Ashley Nicole Fitzwater – Homeless – was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a Mills County warrant for Violation of Probation. Bond: $10,000.

Two people were arrested July 12th in Mills County: 24-year-old Faith Leeann Clemmons, of Emerson, was arrested at the Pott. County Jail, on a Mills County warrant for Violation of Probation. Bond: $5,000; and, 44-year-old Sarah Alayne Johnson, of Pacific Junction, was arrested on a warrant for Contempt of court. No Bond.

07-14-2024: 26-year-old Devin Donte Sattizahn, of Plattsmouth, NE was arrested at the Mills  County Jail on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Bond: $2,000.

7-16-2024: 47-year-old Shannon Don Spangler, Springfield, ME, was arrested at the Pott. County Jail on a Mills County warrant for Failure to Appear on a charge of Eluding. Bond: $2,000.

07-17-2024: Glen Eugene Gallagher, of Omaha, NE, was arrested in Mills County on a warrant for Violation of Probation – Bond: $2,000.

Incident:

07-12-2024: A woman from Hastings, IA reported a Burglary in the 3rd degree. The incident in the area of 315th St. was reported at around 4:30-p.m.

PAULLINA – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a fish kill at Mud Creek near Paullina in O’Brien County.

On July 17, the DNR Field Office in Spencer was notified of dead fish in Mud Creek, south of Paullina. Further investigation revealed Roorda Dairy of Paullina was land applying manure in a field, which entered a blown out tile that discharges to Mud Creek. The amount of manure released is unknown at this time. Dead fish have been observed for several miles in the creek.

The manure release has stopped. DNR staff from the Spencer Field Office and Spirit Lake Fisheries Office are onsite, and the investigation is ongoing.

Downstream water users should avoid using water from Mud Creek.

If you see dead or stressed fish at a lake or river, call the DNR’s 24-hour spill line at 515-725-8694 as soon as possible. Quick reporting can help DNR staff identify the cause of a fish kill and potentially stop a fish kill in progress.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowan at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee is not only a delegate, he’s a historian who has written a book about William Jennings Bryan and Hubert Humphrey — Democrats who run for president. Jeff Taylor, a political science professor at Dordt University in Sioux Center, was also a delegate at the G-O-P’s national convention in 2012. “Not only do I get new stories from this one, but the students are probably going to be able to relate to this experience a little more just because it’s happening right now,” Taylor said, with a laugh. “This fall and next year and the following year this is still going to be fresh in their mind.”

Taylor, who has a seat on the convention floor with the rest of the Iowa delegates, says he’s been observing the teleprompter on stage to see how closely speakers follow the script. “Some of the aspects of a highly disciplined, highly regulated, highly disciplined convention where the speakers are supposed to be staying on task,” Taylor says. “…I saw that in 2012 and it’s still the practice. The people who run the convention don’t want surprises, they don’t want any gaffes said from the podium. They want a united front and all that.” Taylor says that message has filtered down to Iowa delegates, too.

“We were encouraged to, especially in speaking to the media, to not to be negative, to not say things that would put our state in a poor light and while I appreciated that encouragement, I don’t think it would happen anyway,” Taylor says. “It seems like in terms of party unity, it’s there.” Taylor says that unity was illustrated when Trump entered the convention arena on Monday night and the crowd cheered, applauded and repeated Trump’s “fight, fight, fight” mantra. “It was the first time that most of us had seen him since the assassination attempt,” Taylor says. “That was an emotional moment, I think, for a lot of us as delegates.”

Taylor has been a state senator since 2021. He’s running for a second term this year and has no opposition on the General Election ballot.

(Corning, Iowa) – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office today (Thursday), said a woman from Corning was arrested June 4th, on an active warrant. 22-year-old Ashlyn Pitman was booked into the Adams County Jail and later released.

Disclaimer: “Any potential criminal charges identified above are merely allegations, and any defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”

(Radio Iowa) – After facing online criticism, John Deere has announced it will no longer sponsor “external social or cultural awareness events” like parades or festivals. Deere’s statement says the company is “always listening to feedback and looking for opportunities to improve.” The farm equipment maker announced it is auditing employee training materials to make sure there are no “socially-motivated messages.”

file photo

The company said it has never had diversity quotas or pronoun identification requirements. The statement comes after a conservative on X, formerly known as Twitter, called on John Deere to dismantle its diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s unemployment held at two-point-eight percent in June. Iowa Workforce Development director, Beth Townsend, says there weren’t any big changes during the month. “A slight decrease in the labor force participation rate of two tenths of a point, but that was primarily due to retirements, and as most people know May and June are two pretty big months for people retiring,” she says. Townsend says there were some headwinds with the national economy, along with some layoffs and the natural disasters. “Iowa employers nonetheless added 300 net jobs in June so that was good. We saw the most gains in education and health care which gained 18-hundred jobs in June,” Townsend says. “We always like to see the healthcare industry being able to hire because they have the most need, and have had for a significant period of time even pre-pandemic.” There were some job losses as well.

“Not surprising we saw manufacturing shed about a thousand jobs this month, and that was the most of any other industry. Government lost 12-hundred jobs but that’s usually related to school bus drivers not working in the summer,” she says. Townsend says the manufacturing layoffs will start showing up in the unemployment numbers in the next two months. “We did have some John Deere layoffs in May, a little bit in June, but the larger layoffs were effective more in July and August, So, if they’re going to impact the numbers I would expect we’ll see that we’ll see that in July or August,” Townsend says.

The state unemployment rate has been below three percent since hitting that mark in January. The U-S unemployment rate increased to four-point-one percent in June.

(Radio Iowa) – New state rules regulating hemp products have gone into effect this week. Iowa Hemp Alliance spokesperson Theresa Harms says up to 80 percent of the products at the businesses who’ve joined the group are prohibited under the new regulations. “Producers and retailers of consumable hemp products will now be forced to dispose of a substantial portion of their inventory,” Harms says, “even though these products are currently permitted at the federal level.” Harms says the state regulations conflict with federal limits outlined in the 2018 Farm Bill and were not fully revealed to the public until this week.

In mid-May Governor Reynolds signed the law to limit the amount of T-H-C — the ingredient that causes the high — that can be in consumable hemp products sold in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services rules have a per serving limit is four milligrams of T-H-C. Hemp retailers say that limit is not in the law and they’ve sued. Scott Selix is the co-founder of a company that makes the hemp infused “Climbing Kites” beverage. Selix says 90 percent of his products are now illegal in Iowa, he’s had to pull them out of hundreds of Iowa stores — and the warning labels the agency will require in September weren’t revealed until Tuesday.

Hemp infused products (IPR photo)

“We would tell the department all of this if they would just respond. Every time we reach out and say: ‘Please don’t do this. Please listen to us.” They say: ‘No, there’s ongoing litigation,'” Selix says. “And we’re saying: ‘We’re only litigating because you’re not listening.'” Climbing Kites had been brewed in Des Moines, but Selix says operations have been moved to Illinois and Ohio to avoid the risk of arrest. “We are the fastest growing hemp manufacturing company in the country,” Selix says. “We’re an Iowa company. I own Iowa restaurants and breweries. I invest in real estate in Des Moines, but I can’t keep this company here.”

Four Democrats on the Legislature’s Administrative Rules Review Committee voted this week to delay the regulations, but majority Republicans on the panel agreed to let the state’s new hemp rules take effect immediately.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Child Abuse Prevention Council is partnering with the Healthy Cass County Coalition and other community organizations to host a Family Fun Day at the Cass County Fair. Next Saturday, July 27th, 2024, from 12- until 4 p.m., there will be activities set up around the fairgrounds for families to find and participate in, including water fights, a duck pond, a garden story walk, hands-on S.T.E.M. activities, a tractor cab simulator, yard games and more! Depending on the activity, some may have a different starting or ending time.

Participants can pick up a map at any of the stations. The map will list the activities that will be going on all over the fairgrounds. Once a location is visited, participants will receive a stamp to indicate their participation at that location. When the map is returned to the Healthy Cass booth in the commercial building, with at least 6 stamps, a voucher will be given to the participant to redeem for food at the Chuckwagon food stand.

Organizations participating in the Family Fun Day at the Fair include: Atlantic Fire Department, Atlantic Parks & Rec, Atlantic Public Library, Cass County Child Abuse Prevention Council, Cass County Tourism, Cass County 4-H. Cass County 4-H Youth Council, Cass County Fair, Cass County Farm Bureau, Cass County Master Gardeners, Community For Kids, Healthy Cass County, Iowa Corn, Iowa Learning Farms, ISU Extension, Molina Health Care, Nishna Valley Trails, Parents as Teachers – Public Health, SHIFT ATL – Sunnyside Range. Zion Integrated Behavioral Health, and more!

When visiting the Healthy Cass County booth, fairgoers are also invited to learn and share ideas for healthy ways to take care of themselves, friends and families. There are many aspects to wellness, and taking care of ourselves allows us to better care for others.

The Cass County Child Abuse Prevention Council and Healthy Cass County encourage families to enjoy some time together at the Cass County Fair while gathering ideas for activities that can be done at home, at school and out in the community as a family. The council also reminds people that child abuse is preventable, and everyone can play a part in creating safe, healthy and nurturing environments for kids in our local communities.

For more information and updates on the Family Fun Day visit @CassCountyChildAbusePreventionCouncil on Facebook.

For a full schedule of fair activities, visit www.casscountyfairia.com!   The Cass County Fair takes place July 26th through July 30th, in Atlantic.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office report a man from Atlantic has died after drowning while swimming at Lake Anita, Wednesday evening. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office was notified just before 6:30-p.m., of a possible drowning at the lake. Deputies and several area first responders were called to the scene. First responders arriving at the Lake Anita Beach, learned 53-year old Ysota Rekis, of Atlantic, had been under water for a significant amount of time before surfacing, face down.

Family and other bystanders were able to place him on a raft and swim him to the shore.  It was determined that he was not breathing at the time and CPR was initiated.  Anita Rescue transported the patient to Cass Health E.R. where he was pronounced deceased.

There is no foul play suspected and no formal investigation ongoing at this time.