The Montgomery County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Omaha Community Foundation, has established the Montgomery County Disaster Relief Fund in collaboration with the Montgomery County Emergency Management and the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors. The fund will help support nonprofit partners, communities, disaster relief
organizations, and public health organizations on the front line of tornado & flood relief efforts in Montgomery County.

Thank you for your investment and commitment to support the devastating impact of the recent storms and tornadoes that swept through Montgomery County. Below are ways that you can contribute to the Montgomery County Disaster Relief Fund with the Montgomery County Community Foundation:

GIFTS OF CASH
-Please make checks payable to the Montgomery County Disaster Relief Fund
Checks can be dropped off at the following locations in Montgomery County:

• Red Oak
  Houghton State Bank
  First Interstate Bank
  Bank Iowa
• Stanton
  First Interstate Bank
• Villisca
  Bank Iowa

Checks can also be mailed to:
Montgomery County Community Foundation
1120 S. 101st Street, Suite 320
Omaha, NE 68124

GIFTS VIA CREDIT CARD
– Contributions via credit card payment can be made online* here:
https://bit.ly/MontgomeryCountyDisasterRelief
Once the payment is submitted, you will receive an email receipt immediately.
*Please note that the standard credit card processing fee typically ranges from 1.5% to 3.5% of each transaction’s total value when making your gift.

GIFTS OF APPRECIATED STOCK
-Please email Sunni Kamp (sunni@omahafoundation.org) for instructions on how to make a gift of appreciated stock.

Donations receive a gift receipt from the Omaha Community Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) allowing maximum tax benefits. 100% of the funds raised will be distributed to nonprofit organizations that are directly serving tornado victims and survivors in Montgomery County. For questions about the Montgomery County Disaster Relief Fund, please contact Montgomery County Community Foundation staff:

Sunni Kamp
sunni@omahafoundation.org
402.933.4188

Sarah Beth Ray
sarahbeth@omahafoundation.org
402.704.7245

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office has released a report on arrests that took place from May 10th through the 28th. In order of most recent to the earliest arrests:

On May 28th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Danny Devore, 57, of Cumberland, on the charge of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Devore was transported to the Cass County jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On May 27th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Benjamin Deal, 34, of Marne, on a warrant for Theft 5th Degree. Deal was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On May 24th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ervin Suko Jr, 58, of Atlantic, for OWI 1st Offense. Suko was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On May 19th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Freedom Dole, 23, of Atlantic, on the charge of Simple Assault. Dole was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on bond.

On May 18th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Heath Nordby, 34, of Atlantic, on the charges of Harassment 3rd Degree and Trespass 1st Offense. Nordby was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

On May 18th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Amber Hoyt, 27, of Carson, on the charge of OWI 1st Offense. Hoyt was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on her own recognizance.

On May 17th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Spenser Denison, 25, of Atlantic, on the charge of Disorderly Conduct. Denison was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release after serving his time.

On May 16th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Lynn Frohlich, 53, of Atlantic, on a warrant for Failure to Appear. Frohlich was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release per court order.

On May 14th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Amber Leighty, 28, of Omaha, on the charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance – Marijuana. Leighty was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on bond.

On May 14th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Drew Miller, 25, of Omaha, on the charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance. Miller was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On May 13th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Benjamin Barnes, 33, of Griswold, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Barnes was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

On May 12th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Tiffany Wallace, 34, of Carter Lake, on the charge of Public Intoxication. Wallace was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on her own recognizance.

On May 11th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Patti Knapp Spitler, 63, of Wiota, for OWI 1st Offense. Spitler was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on her own recognizance.

On May 11th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Alexander Phillips-Johnson, 27, of Omaha, on the charges of Unlawfully Carrying Weapons and Possession of a Controlled Substance – Marijuana. Phillips-Johnson was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

On May 10th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Thomas Curtis, 39, of Griswold, on the charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Curtis was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Leaders of the Orient-Macksburg School District in southwest Iowa are considering dissolving the district, something that hasn’t happened in Iowa since the Corwith-Wesley Schools shut down in 2015.

Orient-Macksburg Superintendent Jeff Kruse says it’s not an easy decision, and there are several factors the board is considering for closing the nearly 65-year-old school district. Kruse says the primary concerns are dropping student numbers and finding qualified teachers.

“Staffing is an issue that the district’s faced, like a number of other schools,” Kruse says, “and secondly, enrollment. The district has a certified count of about 170 students, but we serve approximately 100 students because we have a large number of enrolled out compared to open enrolled in.” Kruse says financial projections show the district will be overspending its authority within the next year or so.

He says Orient-Macksburg had to spend almost all of its carryover balance to ensure requirements are met, leaving little funding flexibility. The superintendent says accreditation has been another issue due to class sizes.

“In order to be accredited, you have to offer certain curriculum and it has to be taught,” he says. “Because of our small class sizes, it’s sometimes difficult to get students in all the courses that need to be taught to meet certification.”

Last fall, Kruse says Green Hills AEA conducted a feasibility study for the district that provided several options for the district. One option included whole grade sharing with the Nodaway Valley School District at the 7-12 grade level, while continuing to operate a pre-K-6 district. Kruse says the financial side of keeping the district open doesn’t add up for the school board.

“While re-organization is an option that some districts go through,” Kruse says, “because of all the consolidation and the distance our district has, they just felt it would be better off if we explored dissolving. Then we could allow neighboring districts, if they want to be a part of that dissolution process, to acquire some of the district.”

While the voters have the final say via a ballot question requiring a simple majority, according to Iowa Code, if the school board goes in the direction of dissolution, it will have 15 days to form a seven-person dissolution committee made up of people who live in the district and are eligible to vote.

“That commission is held responsible for contacting neighboring school districts to see if they would like to acquire part of the property of Orient-Macksburg,” Kruse says. “Then, secondly, they would develop boundary lines to separate the district with those other neighboring districts.”

School board members are expected to formally consider dissolving and have a decision by the end of next month, which would not take effect until after the 2024-25 school year. Orient merged with Macksburg in 1960 to form the current district, which covers parts of Adair, Madison, Adams, and Union counties.

(Anita, Iowa) -UPDATE: The driver was out as of 12:48-p.m., the tractor DID NOT flip. Rescue crews that were enroute were told to “disregard.” Additional details are currently not available.

Rescue crews from Anita, and Cass EMS were called to the scene of an Iowa DOT tractor rollover accident, early this (Wednesday) afternoon. The accident at 750th and Keystone (Between Anita and Massena) was reported at around 12:32-p.m. The tractor was said to have rolled into a ditch. The operator was unable to get out of the vehicle. Unknown if there any injuries.

Anita Fire was requested for additional personnel at 12:41-p.m.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The annual Nine & Wine Fundraiser for the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce will be held June 21st at the Atlantic Golf & Country Club. Nine & Wine is not your typical golf tournament! The tournament features nine holes of golf in a best ball style game. Each hole has an appetizer, wine, and beer tasting. After nine holes of wine and beer tasting, participants will be served a meal.

Participants can register at atlanticiowa.com. The registration fee is $300 for teams of four. This includes appetizers and wine or beer tasting at all nine holes. Dinner will be served after the tournament as you listen to music and mingle with friends.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is seeking the public’s assistance in locating missing teen, Hayley Pelley.  The 17-year-old teen from Bellevue, NE, went missing from her home on May 4, 2024. Authorities believe that Hayley may be in Omaha, Nebraska or travel to Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Hayley Pelley is described as being Five-feet tall, and weighing approximately 90-lbs. She has blue eyes and brown hair but may currently have dyed blonde hair.

Hayley Pelley (Credit: NCMEC)

If you have any information about Hayley or her disappearance, please contact NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or the Bellevue Police Department (Nebraska) at 1-402-593-4111.