The Superintendent of the Nodaway Valley School District was disappointed that an $8.8-million dollar bond measure failed to garner the necessary percentage of voter approval, Tuesday, but Dr. Casey Berlau told KJAN News the need for a more modern building remains, and will likely be brought up for a vote at a later date.

Dr. Casey Berlau, Superintendent at Nodaway Valley

He says in the months to come, they will talk with district patrons and get a better feeling for what concerns they have and how they might address them, along with making any adjustments to the plan before the next time the measure is put before the voters.

The bond would have been used to build and equip a new elementary building and improve the site in the Nodaway Valley School District. Unofficial results from the Adair County Auditor’s Office show that while there were 397 “Yes” votes to 283 “No” votes for the $8.8-million dollar referendum, the measure needed 60-percent approval in order to pass. It received 58.4-percent. There were a total of 680 votes cast out of the 3,004 registered voters in the district, or about a 23-percent turnout.

Berlau said a couple of informational meetings were held prior to the vote, and the necessary information was available on the district’s website, but there wasn’t much in the line of concern from the public over the cost and taxation. He said there was a good turnout at the last meeting in Greenfield, and the questions they received tended to lean toward the design and location of the building.

Berlau said the building will still need to be replaced or undergo extensive renovations, sometime soon. He said “We have to do something in the coming years whether it’s build new or address the needs that our current building has. At this point I think our board probably still stands behind their position that it makes more sense to build new, then to dump significant money, over 6-million dollars…which is probably pretty conservative…into a 1955 building.”

In fact, officials have said it would cost $6.5-million to renovate the existing facility, which is not energy efficient, is difficult to maintain, and not ADA compliant. The new structure would have included a safe room/storm shelter, and met all energy efficiency and ADA requirements.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Any disciplinary action taken against two Iowa State Patrol supervisors for highly publicized missteps while off-duty did not affect their pay. Iowa Department of Public Safety spokesman Alex Murphy said Wednesday the internal investigations into Lt. Kelly Hindman and Capt. Ken Clary have been concluded.

Hindman faced scrutiny after joking on Facebook that he wished a sniper would shoot ESPN basketball announcer Dan Dakich in the head. He leads the patrol’s Fort Dodge office. Clary was investigated after being pulled over by a trooper for driving 92 miles per hour in a 70-mph zone and initially let go without a ticket. Murphy said both matters were addressed, but that he couldn’t elaborate because they’re confidential. He confirmed their pay wasn’t cut.

Clary earned $97,000 while Hindman earned $94,000 last year.

An accident this morning on eastbound Interstate 80 just west of Walnut, has traffic reduced to one-lane this morning. The Iowa DOT reports the left lane is blocked between Exit 40 (U-S Hwy 59) and Exit 46 (County Road M-47) , near Walnut. (update 9:16-a.m.)

(update 8:58-a.m.)

Police in Creston report a car that was stolen in the community Tuesday afternoon was recovered this (Wednesday) morning at 8:30-a.m. in an alley located in the 400 block of south Cherry Street. A resident had reported to authorities his 2006 Chevy Malibu was stolen from 406 Union Street sometime between 4-pm and 8:20-p.m., Tuesday. The keys were in the car and the tank was full of gas.

And, a resident at 315 south Walnut Street in Creston told police that “The Can Place” at 202 Russell Street had been broken into sometime between 5-p.m. Monday and 10-a.m. Tuesday. Quarters and dimes were stolen. The loss was estimated at $25.