(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports a man was arrested Tuesday on a Mills County warrant. 26-year-old Kameron Myers, of Glenwood, was arrested on the warrant for Disorderly Conduct. Myers was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $300 cash-only bond.

(Lenox, Iowa) – A joint meeting of the Griswold and Lenox Community School District Boards of Directors will take place today (Wed., Jan. 25) at 6-p.m., in Lenox. The Board will gather in the Lenox High School Commons at 600 S. Locust Street, to consider extending the sharing agreement for the position of Superintendent – currently held by Dave Henrichs – and consider extending his individual contract. The meeting was postponed from last Wednesday, due to the weather.

Following discussion and a public comment period on the matter, the Boards will consider entering into a closed session. Upon return from the closed session, they will consider/act on renewal of the sharing agreement and consider/act on Henrich’s individual contract.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says it is seeking people who enjoy the outdoors, camping and meeting new people, to consider becoming volunteer campground hosts for the upcoming recreation season. Volunteer campground hosts live in state parks from one to five months assisting DNR staff with light maintenance duties, checking in campers, and being a resource for visitors enjoying state parks and forests. Campground hosts are provided a free campsite while they are actively hosting during the camping season. Hosts volunteer 20 – 40 hours per week, including weekends and holidays, while living on site in their own camper.

Host positions in the KJAN listening area are available at the Springbrook State Park.

Information about campgrounds and state parks is available online at https://www.iowadnr.gov/about-dnr/volunteer-opportunities To discuss the host position, contact the state park directly, or call 515-443-2533.

(Rural Villisca, Iowa) – A traffic stop Tuesday evening in Montgomery County, resulted in the arrest of a woman from Cass County (IA). The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 45-year-old Jessica Craddock, of Griswold, was taken into custody at around 6-p.m., in the 2300 block of Highway 71 (north of Villisca), on a Benton County warrant for Operating a Vehicle without the owner’s consent. Craddock was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The new Woodbury Jail construction is moving along with early work happening out of state. Jail Authority chairman, Ron Wieck, says the new cells are modular units.  “The cells were actually built north of Atlanta in Georgia and they have been built we were able to buy the material early on and get the cells built so that saved us some money in the project,” Wieck says. He showed off pictures of the cells to the media, and says they are self contained.

“Every cell has its own shower in it, as well as the bunks you could see the little workbench, you could see a mirror and a combi unit — which is a combination toilet lavatory,” he says. There are different sized cells that can hold two or four inmates, and some are designed for handicapped inmates. Shane Albrecht of the Baker group is overseeing the jail construction, and says the new cells will be very different than the ones in the current jail.

“These cells have a polyurea coating on them that allows for easy cleaning, and easy maintenance. It’s all assembled so the cell is actually finished. This is all assembled off site ahead of time. It’s all inspected before it comes. You’re rolling in a finish cell,” according to Wieck. “It’s part of the modulized construction that’s going on, where we build things off site, bring them to the site that was done under higher standards, higher scrutiny, and you know, everyone’s built the exact same.”

The cells will nearly double the current capacity of the jail, which can hold 236 inmates. The cell modules are expected to be delivered on February 6th, with jail construction slated for completion by September 1st.

(Red Oak, Iowa) — An unoccupied home in rural Red Oak was destroyed Monday evening. According to Red Oak Fire Chief John Bruce, the Fire Department received a call around 7 p.m. from the property owner at 2439 Aspen Avenue, stating he was advised that the house on the property had burned down.

By the time firefighters from Red Oak and Emerson arrived on the scene, the house was a complete loss. The incident remains under investigation.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 712-623-5107 or the Red Oak Fire Department at 712-623-6504.

(Radio Iowa) – Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is the new leader of the Des Moines based foundation that awards the annual “World Food Prize.”  “I don’t intend to do this for a long time,” Branstad says, “but I intend to do it, say, at least for a year.” In October of each year the foundation presents the World Food Prize and it’s 250-thousand dollar award to people at the forefront of efforts to improve the quality, quantity and availability of food.

“I’ve seen all the international leaders who have received this award,” Branstad says. Branstad, who served as U-S Ambassador to China, was governor when Des Moines businessman John Ruan donated the seed money for the World Food Prize and its headquarters in Des Moines. Norman Borlaug, the Cresco native who won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his research that developed high-yielding wheat, took the lead in creating the World Food Prize in 1986.

“I knew both John Ruan and Norman Borlaug very well. I have the greatest respect for what they did and I want to maintain that legacy,” Branstad says. “Also, I’m a farm kid, from Iowa, and I want Iowa to be recognized as the local for this Nobel like prize for food and agriculture.”

Branstad, who is 76, is America’s longest serving governor. He was U.S. Ambassador to China from mid-2017 to the fall of 2020. As president of the World Food Prize, Branstad will be a lead fundraiser and host of the annual World Food Prize symposium. The event attracts global leaders in research, government and commerce to Des Moines for discussions about advances in food production and food security.

Barbara Stinson, who had 30 years of experience in environmental policy and business management, stepped down last week after three years as president of the World Food Prize.

(Washington, Iowa) –  Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety report Jaron Rosien, the Mayor of Washington (Iowa), turned himself-in this (Tuesday) afternoon. Rosien was wanted by Washington County Law Enforcement authorities on criminal charge of Sex Abuse 3rd Degree (Class C Felony).

The charges are a result of an investigation into an incident that allegedly took place January 8th. On January 11th, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) conducted an interview with a 27-year-old male who alleged he was sexually abused by Rosien at a bar on January 8th. Iowa DCI obtained a search warrant for the internal security surveillance footage of the bar on January 12th.

Investigators say footage from the bar shows an individual believed to be Rosien approaching the victim at approximately 1:39 am. Footage shows the individual making sexual contact multiple times with the victim. According to the criminal complaint, Rosien told officials he had behaved “flirtatiously” with an individual matching the victim’s description, but that he could not recall specific incidents due to his own level of intoxication.

Rosien has served the city of Washington since 2014, first as a council member from 2014-2018 and as Mayor from 2018 to present. He released the following statement in response to the allegations:

“I take these allegations very seriously. I also take this job, its duties, and those that rely on me to complete them, very seriously. For this reason I will respectfully step back from the formal role in order to focus on what is required. During this time I think of and wish to thank my family, friends, and community for their support.”

Millie Younquist will step in to carry the duties of mayor during this time.

The investigation into this matter was conducted by Agents within the Major Crime Unit of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation; assisted by the Office of the Washington County Attorney and the Office of the Iowa Attorney General – Area Prosecutions Division.

Link to Complaint/Affidavit

(Radio Iowa)  – It’s officially tax season as the Internal Revenue Service has started accepting digital tax returns. Christopher Miller, the I-R-S spokesman for Iowa, says most Americans qualify to file their taxes online for free. “Each software provider in the Free File program sets up their own eligibility requirements, so it’s important to check them out,” Miller says. “We have a special tool on the Free File site that will help you decide.” Miller says electronic filing of your taxes is the safest, easiest, fastest method to use, and it also means a speedier refund check, if you’re due one.

Miller says, “You could do your taxes 24/7 in the comfort of your own home, using a smartphone or a tablet, or of course, your computer.” Miller says there’s a wide variety of free e-filing software available online. “Free File lets anyone who earned $73,000 or less in 2022 use brand-name tax software to file their taxes online for free,” he says.

Learn more at I-R-S-dot-gov. This year’s tax filing deadline is April 18th.