Fears are rising among some immigrants in Iowa that the incoming Trump administration could force them to leave the country or at least make it harder for them to become U-S citizens. Janet Toering, executive director of the Webster City-based group All Cultures Equal, says lifelong Iowa residents can’t fathom the terror that’s striking some of our undocumented neighbors.

“We don’t have the capacity to understand what a new administration might mean to some people that are struggling so hard,” Toering says. “They’ve heard things, there’s lots of misinformation and lack of knowledge.” In a worst-case situation, she says hundreds of undocumented immigrants in Hamilton County alone could be forced to leave and a mass deportation would have a serious impact on the workforce.

“They’re in our school systems, they follow the rules and laws as best they can and they’re trying to make things happen,” Toering says. “When there’s a change in the administration that has threats to that, it’s not only a threat to them personally but it’s a threat to the companies and the businesses they work with and the communities they live in.”

Toering’s organization is devoted to helping immigrants with job opportunities, learning English and learning how to fit in. She says scripture instructs us to welcome strangers. “It doesn’t matter what country you’re from or if you’re just moving from town to town as a U.S. citizen, we’re strangers if we don’t know each other,” Toering says. “Sometimes it’s hard to meet each other, especially in this world where we’re all on our cell phones rather than meeting and greeting and talking to one another.”

A community discussion is planned at 10 A-M Saturday at the All Cultures Equal center in Webster City.

(Radio Iowa)

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – Loras College officials say a beloved building must be demolished because it would be too expensive to make repairs that maintain the structure’s historic value while making it more accessible to people with disabilities. A March 16 fire severely damaged the 126-year-old building, which was part of the Loras College Visitation Complex in Dubuque.

The Telegraph Herald reports officials intended to rebuild, but Loras President Jim Collins announced Monday that “fiscally it would have been irresponsible to move forward.” Collins wouldn’t say how much it would cost to fix the building, and officials are still determining how much it will cost to demolish the structure.

Officials think the fire was caused by a lightning strike.

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will meet in a Special Session Wednesday evening at the Middle School Library, to review Superintendent search survey results. The survey had been posted on the District’s website, with patrons having been asked what traits they would like a new Superintendent for the District to have. 450 surveys were returned. Ray and Associates, the search firm hired by the School Board in October, will go over the results with the Board during the meeting, which begins 5:30-p.m., Wednesday.

The Board will also act on approving the Superintendent search brochure and application, as well as review stakeholder interview groups membership, role and procedures. They’re also expected to review the search timeline. The goal, according to the Board, is to have a new Superintendent in-place by the end of February.

Current Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein will be retiring at the end of this school year.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports an investigation into a disturbance late Monday night in Cass County, resulted in the arrest of a man on a warrant. 34-year old Rodney Dale Fulton, Jr., of Council Bluffs, was arrested by Cass County Deputies at around 11-p.m. on a warrant for Failure to Appear on a charge of 5th Degree Theft/Possession of Stolen Property. Fulton was transported by Cass County Deputies to the Cass/Pott. County line and transferred into the custody of Pottawattamie County Deputies, who brought him to the Pott. County Jail.

The Pott. County Sheriff’s Office reports also, a Corrections Officer at the Pott. County Jail suffered facial cuts and bruising, during an assault by an inmate at the jail late Monday night. Officer Mitchel Fryman, of Omaha, was reportedly pulled into a cell by his protective vest, by 31-year old Michael P. Dieckmann, of Council Bluffs. The Officer fought with Dieckman for about 2-minutes. Dieckmann, who was also injured during the incident, faces a charge of Serious Assault with the Intent to Inflict Serious Injury.

Police in Red Oak report the arrest this (Tuesday) morning, of 34-year old Anthony David Smith. The Red Oak man was taken into custody at around 7:30-a.m. in the 400 block of N. Highland Avenue, on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. Smith was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail, pending an initial court appearance.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County report four recent arrests. Monday afternoon, 26-year old Laron D’Pree Hampton, of Omaha, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. Hampton was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

On Sunday, Mills County Deputies arrested 62-year old Thomas Eddie Sawyer, of Glenwood, on a Council Bluffs Police Department warrant for Assault. His bond was set at $1,000. And, 29-year old Jesscia Ann Hall, of Emerson, was arrested near the Tabor City limits, on a warrant for Assault. Her bond was set at $2,000.

And, on Saturday, Dec. 3rd, 31-year old Kuuleilani Michelle Zalopany, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested following a traffic stop in Mills County. She was taken into custody for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $1,000.

Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones, Wednesday, is expected to officially appoint Police Lt. David Erickson as Chief of Police, effective January 1st, 2017. The action will be taken during the City Council’s regular meeting, which begins at 5:30-p.m.  Erickson will succeed Chief Steve Green, who formally submitted his letter indicating he will retire at the end of the year after serving the community for more than 30-years. He recommended Erickson as his replacement. Green will move into the elected role as member of the Cass County Board of Supervisors, in January.

Erickson joined the Atlantic Police Department in January, 1997. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2008. Previously, he’s served as a Sergeant in the U-S Marine Corps’ Military Intelligence Division, attached to the Corps’ Sniper “Surveillance and Target Acquisition” (STA) Platoon. While in the Marines, he served in Central America and Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War, and after leaving the service worked for Atlantic Coca Cola Bottling company as a salesman/territory supervisor, and with the Atlantic Police Department’s Reserve Unit. Erickson is a graduate of the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and is a certified firearms instructor, field training officer and has been in charge of numerous children’s programs associated with the Police Department.

The Mayor is also expected to act on the re-appointment of Dr. Carol Trewett to the Atlantic Airport Commission, subject to Council approval. In other business, the Atlantic City Council will hold the second reading of an Ordinance “Providing for the Division of Taxes Levied on Taxable Property in the 2016 Atlantic Hotel Whitney Urban Renewal Area,” as specified in the Code of Iowa. The Ordinance is another legal step in establishing a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) for Old Whitney Hotel project area, which is expected to have an estimated property valuation of $1.5-million dollars, once the building is remodeled into affordable senior housing and commercial space.

The Council is also expected to act on approving the first reading of an Ordinance requested by the City’s Code Enforcement Officer, Kris Erickson, dealing with the improper disposal of human waste. City Administrator John Lund has stated that “We unfortunately have properties in Atlantic that are nothing more than shelters from the elements and do not have working sewers or water systems.” He says “At the moment, the City has a property where the residents are using a litter box to defecate and then dumping the litter box into their backyard.”

Lund says “This may be acceptable behavior in a third-world country, but not in Atlantic, Iowa.” He said also, that while there is nothing on local, State or Federal books to stop such actions, after speaking with and receiving the unanimous support of the Community Development Committee, the City Attorney decided that refining City Code 41.12 would be the most effective way to resolve the problem. The amendment to the Ordinance adds “To be dumped or deposited,” as part of the existing ordinance on urinating and defecating in public.