(Exira, Iowa) – The Exira-EHK School District, like others in our listening area, has experienced an increase in the Certified enrollment numbers. Superintendent Trevor Miller says even though it doesn’t seem like much, the numbers are going up, and that’s good news for the district, financially.

He says “In a small district, every little bit helps.”

Miller says the Exira-EHK School Board, Monday, approved bids for glass and concrete work related to the daycare center.

He said they’re working hard to find an on-site supervisor.

He says the problem is exacerbated by the worker shortage being experienced nationwide.

The board, Monday, approved a trip for high school students to Washington DC for the Spring of 2023, and Transfers, resignations as well as new hires, including Riann (RYAN) Hansen as Athletic Trainer.

(Shenandoah, Iowa) — Police in Shenandoah arrested a member of the Shenandoah School Board, who is also running for mayor. Authorities report 58-year-old Jeffrey Alan Hiser was arrested early this (Thursday morning), for OWI 1st offense. He arrest occurred after officers saw a vehicle drive over the sidewalk and hit a retaining wall in the 700 block of South Center Street. The incident happened at around 1:50 a.m. Hiser was later released from custody after posting $1,000 bond.

Jeff Hiser (Shenandoah CSD photo)

Hiser served on the Shenandoah School Board from 1985-91, and again from 2019 to the present, he also served as mayor and as a city council member of Shenandoah.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Thursday), reports three arrests. On Wednesday, 43-year-old Joshua Robert Stroud, of Glenwood, was arrested following a traffic stop at Highway 34 and 221st Street. Stroud was taken into custody at around 2-a.m. for OWI/2nd offense (Bond: $2,000). And, 40-year-old Colin Joseph Kingsley, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested on a warrant out of Council Bluffs, for Failure to Appear, and a felony warrant out of Sarpy County, NE., for Violation of his Pre-Trial Release. Kingsley was taken into custody at around 10:30-p.m. in the vicinity of Hyland Avenue (Bond: $2,000).

On Tuesday, Mills County Deputies arrested 28-year-old Thomas Nicholas Barkley, of Young, AZ., for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia. He was arrested in the area of 195/Bunge Ave. at around 2-a.m. (Bond: $1,300).

Authorities said also, there were no injuries reported following a single-vehicle accident Sunday night, in Mills County. Officials say 22-year-old Makayla Huffman, of Glenwood, was driving a 2014 Jeep southbound on Pruden Avenue at around 10-p.m., when she failed to negotiate a curve on the gravel road. They indicated she was traveling too fast at the time. Her SUV left the road and entered the south ditch before flipping onto its top.

The Creston Police Department reports the arrest early this (Thursday) morning, of a man from Ohio. 18-year-old Christopher Lamont Gaiter, Jr., of Springfield, OH, was arrested at a residence in the 300 block of N. Pine Street, at around 4:16-a.m. Gaiter was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – 1st offense, and later released from the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following a collision Wednesday afternoon. Authorities say a 2018 Chevy Equinox driven by 65-year-old Marilyn Kay Ide, of Creston, and a 2012 Ford F-250 pickup driven by 68-year-old Thomas Edward Christensen, of Van Meter, were approaching the intersection of Highways 34 and 169 at around 1:40-p.m.  As Ide pulled up to the stop sign and was preparing to turn right onto Highway 34, her vehicle was struck from behind by the pickup truck.

Her SUV sustained about $2,000 damage. No damage was reported to the pickup, which is registered to Madison County Auction, Inc., of Winterset. There were no citations issued.