CORALVILLE, Iowa (AP) — A nonprofit controlled by the former director of a popular annual Iowa bike ride is hosting a conference that features the rival event that he launched this month. T.J. Juskiewicz was director of the ride known as RAGBRAI until he and his staff resigned from the Des Moines Register, which has operated and marketed the ride since the 1970s. They immediately launched Iowa’s Ride and scheduled it for the same week and format as RAGBRAI. The move has divided cyclists and is threatening the future of a cherished state tradition.

Business filings show Juskiewicz and his wife last year formed the Iowa Festivals and Events Association. That group, which lists Juskiewicz as president, is hosting its first conference Tuesday and Wednesday in Coralville for more than 100 festival planners. Iowa’s Ride is among the featured vendors.

Juskiewicz and his Iowa’s Ride staff are among the speakers at the conference, which he calls a great “networking opportunity.” He says the nonprofit hopes to break even on the conference and is temporarily sponsoring Iowa’s Ride until a foundation is set up.

Police in Council Bluffs are asking for your help in locating a wanted, dangerous fugitive. Authorities say 29-year old Jamie Kennedy, of Council Bluffs, should be considered ARMED and DANGEROUS, and should not be approached. At around 10:30 this (Tuesday) morning, Council Bluffs Police Officers working with Federal Officers were in the area of 26th and Ave F looking for Kennedy.

Fugitive Jamie Kennedy

Officers located him parked in a driveway in the 2600 block of Avenue F. His vehicle was parked in front of another vehicle, in the driveway.  When Officers confronted Kennedy, he intentionally drove around a parked pickup and rammed a Council Bluffs officer’s car numerous times.  The officer was out of his vehicle and was taking cover behind his car at the time.

A “HELP AN OFFICER”was called and numerous other officers proceeded to the scene.  Kennedy was able to drive over a fence and push the officer’s car out of the way. Council Bluffs and Federal officers pursued the vehicle.  The vehicle went the wrong way over the I-480 bridge into Omaha.  CBPD Officers exiting at 10th and Dodge, did not see the vehicle come off the Douglas St. ramp.

Nebraska law enforcement officers located the vehicle Kennedy had been driving, abandoned near Northridge and Ida Streets in Omaha.  No injuries officers were injured during the incident. There was significant damage done to a fence at the property and to the officer’s car.

Additional warrants are being applied for Jamie Kennedy’s arrest stemming from the incident this morning. Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Jamie Kennedy are encouraged to contact 9-1-1 or Crime Stoppers at (712) 328- STOP (7867)

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Board members of an insurance program for Iowa’s municipal governments are rethinking their long-standing practice of holding public meetings at resorts in other states. Directors of the Iowa Communities Assurance Pool have faced criticism since The Associated Press reported last month that they have long held meetings once a year at getaway destinations in Florida and Michigan. Those trips have cost pool members tens of thousands of dollars and made the meetings inaccessible to the public. The pool provides insurance to hundreds of counties, cities and other local government agencies.

Board chairman Jody Smith says the board is not planning to meet in Florida in February but that members may still attend an annual insurance conference there. He says the board has gotten a refund for the $1,000 deposit that it had put down to reserve a Michigan resort for its August 2020 meeting. Smith says the location of that meeting will be determined early next year. Smith had previously defended the Michigan meetings.

SIBLEY, Iowa (AP) — Attorneys for a child who was sexually assaulted by a teacher at an Iowa school have announced a $650,000 settlement paid by four school districts. Spirit Lake attorney John Sandy says the settlement was agreed to by the school boards of Sibley-Ocheyedan, Sioux City, Akron-Westfield, and Mediapolis districts. The lawsuit stemmed from the case of Kyle Ewinger, who was convicted in February of sexually abusing a student at Sibley-Ocheyedan. Prosecutors say Ewinger was a coach and teacher at the school in 2015 when he was found sleeping in his classroom beside a 10-year-old boy and fired.

Ewinger also was convicted in Nebraska last year of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old boy and is serving decades in prison. Sandy says Ewinger was first suspected of inappropriate behavior with a student at Mediapolis in 2004, but the school district agreed not to report the behavior in exchange for his resignation. Sandy says Ewinger later taught at the Akron-Westerfield and Sioux City districts, which also didn’t report concerns.

Today (Tuesday, October 22), during a regularly scheduled public meeting, the Mills County Board of Supervisors agreed to proceed with Phase 2 of the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program property buyouts for properties located in the flood-affected areas of unincorporated Mills County, Iowa.

Phase 1 identified forty (40) residential properties that will be pursued for buyout. Phase 2 will consist of one-on-one discussions with the remaining thirty-nine (39) property owners, based upon criteria adopted by the Board of Supervisors, to determine the best course of action for all parties. The discussions will be held by the Mills County Board of Supervisors in the Board of Supervisors’ room at the Mills County Courthouse.

The Board has set aside October 29, 2019, between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.; October 30, 2019, between 8:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; and October 31, 2019 between 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to conduct the individual discussions. The Mills County Auditor’s Office will be contacting the remaining eligible property owners to schedule an appointment with the Mills County Board of Supervisors.

The Board is aware that these times may not be convenient for everyone and expressed their willingness to accommodate all eligible property owners to engage in these discussions. If these set times are not convenient the Board will make other arrangements at the convenience of property owners.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office is asking for your help in locating a man suffering from Dementia, who was discovered missing from a residence about two-miles northwest of Clarinda. 68-year old Dale Allen Hodtwalker was reported missing at around 8:30-a.m. today (Tuesday), from 1905 P Avenue, in rural Clarinda. Mr. Hodtwalker is about six-feet tall, and weighs around 140 pounds. He has grey hair, a grey beard, and blue eyes, and was last seen in the residence, wearing a grey or blue t-shirt, grey and black Pajama pants and white socks. Family members said that Hodtwalker is unstable on his feet and walks with a severe limp. He also can’t speak and can hardly hear.

Dale Hodtwalker

Family members at the residence said that no shoes or coats are missing from the residence. The Page County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of the property. Page County Emergency Management arrived and a search of the area residences / outbuildings within a mile radius was conducted. At this time Clarinda Fire Department, Clarinda Ambulance Service, and a private citizen with an airplane joined the search. Page County’s K-9 Lucas and handler were also called out to search. Montgomery County Emergency Management was then contacted and came to the scene to deploy a drone to search from the air also.

An extensive search of the area was underway over the noon hour. The photo to the right is the most recent photo, however family members have said that Hodtwalker’s beard and hair are completely grey in color at this time. Anyone with any information about Hodtwalker or his whereabouts is asked to contact the Page County Sheriff’s Office 712-246-5193, Pagecomm Dispatch 712-542-1419, or their local Law Enforcement agency.