The Harlan Police Department has released a report on arrested that have taken place over the past week. Last Friday, 27-year old Jacob Bernal, of Harlan, was arrested after officers were called to serve notification that he was trespassing on a property in the 900 block of Laurel Street.  Bernal was taken to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with providing false information to law enforcement when he signed a fictitious name on the no trespass order. And, 45-year old Frankie Jo Garren, of Irwin, was arrested Friday for public intoxication when she arrived at the Shelby County Jail to serve time.  Jailers suspected Garren was intoxicated and called officers to determine if she was indeed intoxicated. 18-year old Austin Foss, of Harlan, was taken into custody Friday also, following a traffic stop.  Foss was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and cited for failure to maintain control.

And, on Dec. 13th, Harlan Police arrested 18-year old Cameron Jacobsen, of Harlan,  following an investigation by Harlan officers who were called in reference to a missing juvenile.  Jacobsen was taken to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with interference with official acts.  The juvenile was located and cited for a curfew violation.

Harlan Police said also, no injuries were reported following two separate accidents, Friday. In one incident, Ann Hansen, of Harlan, was driving a 2013 Chevrolet and traveling in the west lane of the west driveway of the Harlan Hy-Vee. A 2007 Ford driven by Alan Schmitz, of Harlan, was in the east lane of the same entrance. Schmitz and Hansen were waiting to pull onto Chatburn Avenue, when a 1992 Jeep driven by Preston Russell, of Kirkman tried to turn into the west Hy-Vee driveway and lost control on the ice covered pavement. His Jeep hit the front passenger side of Hansen’s vehicle, bounced off it and into the front passenger side of Schmitz’ vehicle. Damage to all three vehicles amounted to $9,000.

In the second incident, a 2001 Chevy driven by Mark Bieler, of Manilla, was eastbound on Highway 44 in Harlan, Friday, and attempted to stop at the intersection with Highway 59. Due to the ice covered road, Bieler’s vehicle made contact with a 2010 Chevy, driven by Thomas Hosack, of West Des Moines, which was northbound on Highway 59. Damage from the collision amounted to $5,500. Bieler was cited for Failure to Obey a Stop or Yield sign.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – A Davenport attorney has filed a lawsuit that alleges Iowa’s school funding system is unfair because some districts receive more money per student than others. The Quad-City Times reports Catherine Cartee filed the class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of two graduates of Davenport school district high schools. The lawsuit says 176 school districts in Iowa collect up to $175 more per student than the Davenport school district does when using the same funding formula.

The Iowa Department of Education recently filed an ethics complaint against Davenport schools superintendent Art Tate, saying the school district openly broke the law by using money in a reserve account to pay for ongoing programming. Tate has declined to comment on the complaint.

Tate and school board members have previously noted the funding inequity.

Cultural organizations and arts projects in 15 Iowa communities received a boost today (Tuesday), with $124,727 awarded in Cultural Trust Stability and Art Project grants from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. Among the communities awarded grant funds was Council Bluffs and Greenfield.

The Greenfield, Adair County Historical Society, Inc. was awarded $2,500 for Strategic Planning, so that The Adair County Historical Society will train its staff and board in developing new strategic and fundraising plans.

And, the City of Council Bluffs received $10,000 for The Council Bluffs Guild of the Omaha Symphony’s “Mission Imagination in Space,” an interactive music education program that introduces area youth to the orchestra through an engaging concert experience.

Cultural Trust Stability grants help non-profit arts and cultural organizations achieve fiscal stability through strategic planning and management, while Art Project grants create vitality in the arts and support job creation, arts learning and rural arts access. Administered by the Iowa Arts Council, Cultural Trust Stability grants are funded through the Iowa Cultural Trust, and Art Project grants are funded through the Iowa Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Iowa Arts Council is a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.

More information is available at www.iowaculture.gov or by calling the Iowa Arts Council at 515-281-5111.

The Audubon School District’s Board of Education Monday night, decided to approve a revised Early Retirement incentive package to District staff. Superintendent Brett Gibbs said because of declining enrollment and the uncertain status of State Supplement Aid for the next two-years, they need to look for some savings in the Audubon School District.

They changed the early retirement policy from staff required to be 55-years old and 15-years of service with the District, to 55-years old and 12-years with the District. They also increased the amount of pay from $30,000 two years ago spread over two-years, to $40,000 in the same amount of time under the current proposal.

The offer will be limited to seven District employees, even though 14 will qualify. And, the Board made the statement that they do not intend to offer Early Retirement again for three-more years. Those persons who are qualified for the program will be notified after the first of the year to give them a chance to consult with IPERS personnel, a financial planner and the employees’ spouse to decide if that’s the course of action they want to pursue.

He said there’s a good side and bad side to offering Early Retirement. Financially, it makes sense in terms of savings, because your older, more experienced teachers are typically paid more. And it offers the chance to bring in younger, less experienced teachers at a reduced cost. The downside he say, is they’ll be losing older, more experienced teachers who know the students, understand the system and how to teach. Gibbs said they will be sorry to see them go and it’s a shame for those students who will miss out on the expert teachers’ knowledge and experience.

The CAM School District’s Board of Education, Monday evening, held discussion but took no action, on several matters before them. Superintendent Dr. Casey Berlau said Tim Teig, with Snyder and Associates Engineers presented mostly complete drawings on the new addition planned for the Massena Elementary Building. He said the project is “Coming along pretty well.”

The Board also heard a presentation from the Spanish Instructor Maribel Manjavacas, who is part of the State of Iowa’s Visiting Teacher’s Program.

And, they discussed Early Retirement.

(He said they discussed offering the same incentive as in the past few years, which is $1,000 if a prospective retiree lets the District know of their plans prior to February. Berlau said some schools use that in lieu of “Reduction in force” notices or reductions in staff, but he said CAM is not a situation where they’re looking to make any reductions.)

The Board will take action on an Early Retirement package or incentive program, during their meeting next month. So far, he says he knows of no one who has expressed an interest in Early Retirement. And, the CAM School Board discussed having a year around Greenhouse to supplement the existing, seasonal Greenhouse on the Massena School grounds. They’re still in the exploratory phase of that discussion.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa woman who played Mrs. Claus on yearly holiday rounds with her husband as Santa has been killed in a traffic accident on an icy road.
The Des Moines Register reports 79-year-old Joyce Daniels was killed and her husband, 79-year-old Jack Daniels, was injured in the Saturday morning accident.
The St. Charles couple was heading home after playing Santa and Mrs. Claus at a bank in the town of Winterset. Authorities say the vehicle hit ice on the road and rolled over once before landing upside-down in a ditch.

Jack’s brother, Larry Daniels, tells the newspaper Jack remains hospitalized with broken bones and other injuries. He says the couple had been playing the holiday roles for at least 15 years.