(Iowa News Service): New data rank Iowa seventh in the nation for the overall health and well-being of its kids. The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s “Kids Count Data Book” shows while Iowa did well among many of the 16 key indicators, some areas need improvement. The report focuses in part on educational indicators and shows a drastic drop in the performance of the state’s public schools, which are historically among Iowa’s crown jewels. Iowa Common Good Executive Director Anne Dichser calls the school’s performance numbers “concerning.”

Iowa dropped to 17th in fourth-grade reading proficiency and 16th in eighth-grade math proficiency. The research used numbers from the 2022 school year, and Discher says some of the lower scores could be a lingering effect of the pandemic. She adds policy solutions are in place to address the deficiencies. The state also improved in the category of “Family and Community Issues.”

For the first time in more than 20 years, Iowa slipped as the leader in high school graduation rates into a tie for seventh among the states. Discher says the poor school performance numbers hit especially hard in a state that has a reputation for making its public schools a top priority.

The state saw important improvements in the “Kids Count” numbers. Fewer children are living in poverty and in single-parent families. The teen birth rate also dropped.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Fire & Rescue along with Cass EMS were dispatched at around 3:10-p.m., Sunday (Today), to the scene of a collision between a pickup and an SUV. The collision occurred at W. 22nd and Chestnut Streets. Additional information is currently unavailable.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston today (Sunday), released details about two non-injury accidents that occurred Thursday. At around 2:50-p.m., a 1993 Toyota Corolla driven by 15-year-old Alexander Reno, of Creston, was traveling east on Russell Street, when the vehicle left the road for reasons unknown, and struck a utility pole a few feet from the roadway. The car sustained (a police estimated) $2,000 damage.

The other accident happened at around 11:55-a.m., Thursday, when a 2022 Western Star semi, driven by 39-year-old Jesse Rhoades, of Ackworth, was making a right-hand turn to enter an alley off of Mills Street. The rear, driver’s side end of the semi’s trailer struck a legally diagonally parked 2015 Ford F-150 pickup in front of an insurance agency.  The pickup sustained $2,500 damage. Damage to the trailer was estimated at $200.

No citations were issued in either accident.,

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak arrested a man on an OWI charge, following an investigation into an accident that occurred Friday night. Authorities say Officers were dispatched to the intersection of Highway 34 and N. 8th Street in Red Oak, for a two-vehicle accident. 23-year-old Cameron Michael Eshelman, of Red Oak, was subsequently arrested for OWI/1st offense. Eshelman was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, and held on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – An adult female was arrested in connection with a stabbing incident early this (Sunday) morning, in Atlantic. Atlantic Police Sgt. Brock Thompson told KJAN News that around 12:10-am., Officers were dispatched to 17 West 4th Street apt. 4 in Atlantic, for a report of a domestic assault in progress. It was reported to Officers that the caller was stabbed by his girlfriend and the dispatcher was unable to get additional information.

Upon arrival Officers would speak to a male subject that would later be identified as Eseuk Phylon. He informed Officers he was injured. Officers would observe a laceration on his left shoulder blade. The laceration was approximately 6 inches wide and 1/4 inch deep. There did not appear to be blood seeping from the wound. Phylon was removed from his residence and treated by Cass EMS, who advised him that stitches may be required in order for the wound to heal correctly. The injury did not appear to be life threatening.

Sgt. Thompson said Phylon appeared to be disoriented and intoxicated at the time they spoke with to him. Officers entered Apartment number 4 at 17 W. 4th and located 42-year-old Atrin Farek in the back bedroom with their one year old child. No other persons were located inside of the apartment. Police say the child was apparently present during the time of the assault.

The  woman was detained and placed in handcuffs. Eseuk Phylon told Officers that Atrin was his wife, but she was not the individual who stabbed him. It was noted that he appeared to hesitate while making this statement. He told Officers that he was stabbed by a female named Steri, but he did not know where she lives. Phylon told Officers that Steri had fled the scene prior to Officer’s arrival. It is noted that Officer Hood arrived on scene approximately nine seconds after Officers were dispatched. Officers would ask Phylon why he told dispatch that his girlfriend had stabbed him. He stated that it was a mistake and he did not mean to say “girlfriend.

Phylon’s English was broken and Officers would use a family member to translate, due to his poor English. Through translation, Phylon continued to state that it was not his wife that had stabbed him, but instead it was the female he identified as Steri. Officers searched the apartment but located no traces of blood or the knife used in the assault.

Atrin Farek told Police that Eseuk had left the apartment at approximately 10-p.m. Saturday and returned about an hour later, and she did not know where he had been. She said Eseuk Phylon had returned to the apartment with the injury already sustained to his back, and she denied assaulting him, adding she had no knowledge of how Phylon had suffered his injury. She also told Officers there were no other females inside of the apartment that she was aware of just prior to Police being dispatched. Phylon told Officers that he was stabbed inside of his apartment and not at another location.

Atrin Farek was arrested for willful injury – causing bodily injury, and child endangerment. Her bond was set at $7,000.