(Radio Iowa) – After nearly 34 years, the city of Sheldon is finally connected to a water system that serves northwest Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota. Troy Larson is executive director of the Lewis and Clark Regional Water system. “Exciting news of the community of Sheldon that on the 19th of December, 2023 we can mark that as their long wait finally over,” Larson says. “They are now officially connected…and receiving Lewis and Clark water.”

What became the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System was discussed in the late 1980s and incorporated in January of 1990. It wasn’t authorized by Congress until July of 2000. The first water started flowing over 11 years ago and Sheldon is the 18th water system to be connected. Larson says the benefits are significant.

“Improved quality of life, economic development vitality for years to come,” he says, “I mean, this has just been a godsend for the other 17 members that have been connected, especially with this drought.” Rock Rapids, Sioux Center, and Hull have been connected to the system one by one over the last five years.

It is anticipated that Madison, South Dakota, will be connected by mid-2024 and Sibley, Iowa, will be the last to join — in the spring or summer of 2025

(Radio Iowa) – The Administrator of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is leaving the job in January. Commission Chair Daryl Olsen of Audubon spoke about it during a special meeting today (Tuesday). “On November 19th regrettably the Commission received and accepted Brian Ohorilko letter of resignation effective at the end of the working day on January 2nd 2024,” he says.

Ohorilko has been the administrator for 12 years overseeing the state’s gambling industry. He served 20 years total with Racing and Gaming.”Brian has served our commission and the industry well and with great integrity we appreciate his 20 years of public service to the state and wish him well as returns to the private sector,” he says.

Ohorilko has not yet revealed what his next position will be. The Commission appointed Deputy Director Tina Eick (eye-k) to serve as interim administrator. Chair Olsen indicated they would expect to appoint a new administrator in January.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Director Kelly Garcia says the state is still evaluating offering additional federal food assistance to low-income kids during the summer.

“We believe in feeding kids, period, full stop. But there are a lot of operational details we’re needing to plan for because Congress didn’t lay out a full package of how to operationalize this program,” Garcia says. The deadline to apply is January first. Garcia says the fact that the state hasn’t decided yet shouldn’t be taken as a sign that it won’t participate.

Democratic State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott Sarah Trone Garriott says she wants the state to join the program. “We want to make sure that our state has that opportunity, and if there’s anything we can do to assist in making sure that can happen. If that means talking with federal folks, whatever assistance we can provide-because it’s going to help a lot of kids,” she says.

The Summer EBT program would give families about $40 each month in the summer for kids who are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch. It’s meant to help ensure kids get enough to eat when they’re not in school.

DES MOINES — U.S. Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) today (Tuesday) announced that he has nominated four remarkable young Iowans to the U.S. service academies. After completing a rigorous nomination process, four young people have been selected to receive nominations to continue their education at U.S. service academies.

“As a 20-year member of our country’s military, one of the highest honors I have is the opportunity to nominate young Iowans to attend one of the U.S. Service Academies,” said Rep. Nunn. “My experience in the military has been transformative, and I’m grateful to be able to help other young people have the same experience. Each of these young men have shown commitment to our country and service over self through a challenging, competitive nomination process. I am proud to nominate them to represent Iowa at a Service Academy.”

The following individuals from Iowa’s Third District will receive a nomination to a U.S. Service Academy:

• Colton Manock, Polk City
• Tobin McArthur, Atlantic 
• Aidan Murphy, Chariton
• Mitchell Swarthout, Mount Ayr

Nominees completed a rigorous application process conducted by a selection panel including Iowa veterans and community leaders. The U.S. service academies will inform the final nominees regarding their admission decision over the coming months.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest at around 11:45-a.m., Monday, of 40-year-old Gordan Leroy Curnin III, of Red Oak. Curnin was taken into custody on a warrant for Violation of Parole. He was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

(Adair, Iowa) – An organizational meeting of the new Adair-Casey Community School District Board of Education will take place 7-p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20th, at the AC-GC Junior High Media Center, in Adair. That meeting will be followed by the Regular Board meeting. The agenda for both sessions is as follows:

I. Organizational Meeting of New Board
A. Call to Order (Board Secretary presiding)
B. Administer Oath of Office to Newly Elected Board Members
C. Roll Call
D. Approve Meeting Agenda
E. Election of Board President & Vice-President (Oath of Office)
F. Appoint Board Treasurer & Board Secretary (Oath of Office)
G. Appoint Adair County Conference Board Representative
G. Recommendation is needed for one Adair County Conference Board Representative.
H. Appoint Title IX/Equity Coordinator
H. Recommend to approve Mrs. Kara Mahaffey as the Title IX/Equity Coordinator for Adair-Casey CSD. Mrs. Mahaffey currently serves in this role for both the Adair-Casey and Guthrie Center School Districts.
I. Adopt Rules & Procedures for Conducting Board Meetings
I. Recommend Roberts Rules of Order  as the rules and procedures for conducting board meetings.
J. Set Regular Meeting Date, Time & Place of Board Meetings
J. Recommend the third Wednesday of the month, 7:00 PM, alternating locations between the Junior High and High School.
K. Resolution – Name Official Publication
K. Recommend the Adair News as the official publication of Adair-Casey CSD.
L. Resolution – Appoint Legal Counsel
L. Recommend Ahlers and Cooney, P.C., as the legal council for Adair-Casey CSD.
M. Adjourn Organizational Meeting

II. Regular Meeting
A. Call to Order/Roll Call
B. Approve Meeting Agenda
C. Welcome Visitors/Public Comment
D. Principal Reports
E. Superintendent Report
F. Board Report
G. Financial Reports
1. Cash Balances & Bank Reconciliation
2. Nutrition Fund Monthly Report
3. Student Activity Fund Monthly Report
4. All Other Funds Monthly Report
5. General Fund: Line Item Budget Monthly Report
6. General Fund: Year-to-Date Revenue/Expenditure Summary
7. General Fund: Salaries & Benefits Comparison Report
H. Consent Items
1. Special Education Contracts
2. Jason Calhoun- JH Basketball Volunteer
3. Amber Gettler- JH Basketball Volunteer
I. Discussion Items
1. Board Member Committees
2. Transportation Update
3. Marketing & Retention
4. Comprehensive Financial Projection Model (CFPM)
J. Upcoming Dates
1. 2-Hour Early Dismissal – December 22nd
2. No School (Winter Break) – December 25th – January 2nd
3. IASB Workshop – New Board Member Onboarding – January (multiple dates)
4. ISFIS Workshop- January 4th, 6:00 PM
5. End of 2nd Quarter – January 10th
6. No School (Teacher PD) – January 15th
7. Regular Board Meeting – January 17th
K. Action Items
1. SBRC Application – Open Enrollment Out
1. Authorize the district’s administration to submit a request to the School Budget Review Committee for a modified supplemental amount of $110,345.36 for open enrolled out students who were not included in the district’s previous year certified enrollment count.
2. IASB Fall 2023 Policy Primer Updates- 1st Reading:  Recommend approving the 1st reading of the Fall 2023 IASB Policy Primer updates.

Due to some Simbli copy/paste issues, the PDF documents below are incorrectly titled. Here are the correct titles:

701.05- Fiscal management (new, not required)
701.05 R(1)- Fiscal management-Financial Metrics (new, not required)
701.05 moved to 701.06 to match IASB Policy Reference Manual-Business Operations Disaster Recovery Plan
3. Pay App #2 – JH Bleacher Replacement Project
3. Approve pay app #2 to Larson Construction for the JH bleachers, as presented.
L. Adjourn Regular Meeting.

(Radio Iowa) – The organization that presents Iowa superintendents and principals is recommending the 2024 Iowa legislature increase state funding for preschool programs for four year olds. The state currently finances 10 hours of preschool per student, per week. Lisa Remy, executive director of the School Administrators of Iowa, says expanded preschool funding and early literacy are tied together. “We really believe that to have students be able to read by third grade, it’s important to have full-day preschool programs funded fully,” Remy says.

Remy says preschool doesn’t replace kindergarten, but full-day preschool helps kids develop a good “word bank” by the time they enter kindergarten. “It’s still important for our preschool kiddos to have some play and how much they learn through play, but also that rich literacy environment,” Remy says, “so that they are prepared when they step into kindergarten.”

Estherville Lincoln Central superintendent Tara Paul says preschool is really important because there’s a ton of research showing a young child’s vocabulary is a predictor of how well they’ll be able to read. “A five year old going into kindergarten should have a 10,000 word vocabulary,” Paul says. “A majority of our students are coming with 3000 to 4000 words and so we want to make sure that we can build from that 3000 to 4000 at a preschool level to that 10,000 or as close to 10,000 as they enter kindergarten as possible.”

In November, Governor Kim Reynolds told reporters her 2024 legislative agenda will include a focus on early literacy efforts. The governor will present her priorities to lawmakers in the annual “Condition of the State” message on January 9th.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors’ regular weekly meeting takes place 9-a.m. Wednesday, at the Courthouse in Greenfield. The conference phone will still be used for those who cannot attend in person and can be accessed by using the following dial in information: in Number: (605) 313-6157 Access Code: 526272#.

Here’s their agenda for Tuesday:

9:00 a.m. Brenda Wallace, County Treasurer

• New Hire

Jayne Lents, Compensation Board

•  FY25 Compensation Board Recommendation

Ryan Berven, Assured Partners

• FY25 Insurance Rates & Plan Options

9:45 a.m. Nick Kauffman, County Engineer

• Sign Contract and Performance Bonds for N24 Prussia Culvert Project LFM-LRCBN24P—7X-01
• Report of Maintenance & Activities

Minutes

Claims

Taxable Mileage

Temporary Liquor License

Safety Committee Appointment

Stuart Meal Site Funding Request

FFA Safety Initiative Funding Request

Child Abuse Prevention Grant Draw Down

Beacon Site Add-ons

Mandy Berg, County Auditor

• FY24 Budget Amendment
• Set Public Hearing for Budget Amendment

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the following individuals were arrested between November 27th and Dec. 18th:

• 11-27-2023 Joseph Michael Greiner – 33 – Glenwood, IA – Driving While Barred – Bond: $2,000.00 – Loc. of Arrest: I29 mm39 – Time of Arrest: 1733
• 11-28-2023 Jarod Dewaine Paul – 38 – Glenwood, IA – Warrant for Theft 3rd – Bond: $2,000.00 – Loc. of Arrest: Mills County Sheriff’s Office – Time of Arrest: 1430
• 11-30-2023 Laini Grace Richardson – 32 – Malvern, IA – Warrant for FTA re: Theft 5th – Bond: $300.00 – Loc. of Arrest: 11th St Malvern – Time of Arrest: 1244; John Leroy Adams – 42 – Council Bluffs, IA – Theft 2nd – Bond: $5,000.00 – Loc. of Arrest: Raleigh Rd Glenwood – Time of Arrest: 2056; Lee Alfred Miles – 47 – Tabor, IA – Theft 2nd – Bond: $5,000.00 – Loc. of Arrest: Raleigh Rd Glenwood – Time of Arrest: 2312.
• 12-01-2023 Jacorey Nathaniel Battles – 22 – Council Bluffs, IA – Warrant out of Council Bluffs, IA – No Bond – Loc. of Arrest: I29/Hwy 34 – Time of Arrest: 0141
• 12-04-2023 Catherine Janell Brown – 41 – Glenwood, IA – Violation Custodial Order – Bond: $1,000.00 – Loc. of Arrest: Sharp St – Time of Arrest: 1451
• 12-05-2023 Arrington Leondo Blackwell – 29 – Papillion, NE – Contempt/violation No Contact Order – Bond: $300.00 – Loc. of Arrest: 380th St/Hwy 34 – Time of Arrest: 1330
• 12-06-2023 Maxwell Lee Conoan – 42 – Omaha, NE – Warrant for Identity Theft, Fraud and Theft 2nd – Bond: $15,000.00 – Loc. of Arrest Douglas County NE – Time of Arrest: 1438; Ciera Nycole Ayala – 19 – Omaha, NE – Possession of Controlled Substance – Bond: $300.00 – Loc. of Arrest: Allis Rd – Time of Arrest: 1900
• 12-07-2023 Darnell Dawaun Thornton – 31 – Omaha, NE – Warrant for Violation of Probation – No Bond – Loc. of Arrest: Douglas County NE – Time of Arrest: 0001
• 12-09-2023 Alexander William McCall – 34 – Omaha, NE – OWI 1st – Bond: $1,000.00 – Loc. of Arrest: I29 – Time of Arrest: 0242; Andrew Jason McCord – 38 – Glenwood, IA – OWI 1st – Bond: $1,000.00 – Loc. of Arrest: 221st St/Ellington Ave – Time of Arrest: 0522
• 12-10-2023 Ashley Marie Hall – 42 – Red Oak, IA – Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and DUS – Bond: $2,600.00 – Loc. of Arrest: 330yh St/Hwy 34 – Time of Arrest: 1442
• 12-11-2023 Taylor Christian Shanks – 33 – Omaha, NE – Warrant for Theft 1st and OWI 1st – Bond: $11,000.00 – Loc. of Arrest: Pottawattamie County – Time of Arrest: 2130
• 12-12-2023 Laini Grace Richardson – 32 – Malvern, IA – Warrant for FTA – Bond: $300.00- Loc. of Arrest: 11th St Malvern – Time of Arrest: 1946
• 12-14-2023 Abbey Christine Bates – 28 – Omaha, NE – Warrant for Compulsory Education Violation 1st – Bond: $300.00 – Mills County Sheriff’s Office – Time of Arrest: 0824
• 12-17-2023 Keith Allen Fink – 39 – Council Bluffs, IA – Domestic Abuse Assault, 5cts of Child Endangerment and Criminal Mischief 4th – No Bond – Loc. of Arrest: Waubonsie Ave – Time of Arrest: 1004; Gene Edward Jerome – 61 – Glenwood, IA – Domestic Abuse Assault – No Bond – Loc. of Arrest: Garfield Ln Glenwood – Time of Arrest: 1836
• 12-18-2023 Caleb Michael Solari – 24 – Corning, IA – Warrant out of Union County – No Bond – Loc. of Arrest: Sharp St – Time of Arrest: 0951; Rebecca Ann Gorup – 47 – Bellevue, NE warrant for Violation of Probation – Bond: $1,000.00 – Loc. of Arrest: Douglas County – Time of Arrest: 1131; Robert Alan Mukka – 49 – Omaha, NE – Warrant for Violation of Probation – Bond: $2,000.00 – Loc. of Arrest: Jackson County, MO – Time of Arrest: 1925

Incidents:

• 11-27-2023 Konnie Brandon of Pacific Junction, IA reported a Theft 3rd – Loc. of Report: 195th St – Time of Report: 1531
• 11-27-2023 Vander Haags of Council Bluffs, IA reported a Theft 3rd – Loc. of Report: 189th St – Time of Report: 1456
• 12-08-2023 Kent Keller Glenwood, IA reported a Theft 1st – Loc. of Report: Dill Ln – Time of Report: 1248
• 12-16-2023 William Schaben of Glenwood, IA reported a Theft 4th – Loc. of Report: Brookside Cir – Time of Report: 1131