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Creston man arrested for more than 18-counts of Child Sexual Abuse & related charges

News

December 5th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department reports 41-year-old Gregory James Clair, of Creston, was arrested Thursday night (12/1/22) at the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center. Clair faces charges that include 18-counts of Sex Abuse of a Child Under 12, four-counts of Incest, and two-counts of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child. He was being held in the Union County Jail on a $495,000 cash or surety bond.

Authorities said also, 35-year-old Brandon Hurshel Whitfield, of Creston, was arrested at a residence in the 300 block of Pine Street, Friday morning, on two Union County warrants. The first warrant was for Failure to Appear (FTA) on a charge of Eluding/speeding 25 mph or more over the legal limit. The second warrant was for FTA on an original charge of Domestic Abuse Assault (With injury of mental illness)/1st offense. He later posted bond and was released from the Union County Jail.

And, 44-year-old Michelle Robin Spaulding, of Creston, was arrested following a traffic stop Sunday morning. She was charged with OWI/1st offense, and later released on bond.

The Creston Police Department said also, that a woman residing in the 800 block of W. Adams Street, in Creston, reported Saturday morning, that her green, Chevy Suburban was stolen from her driveway. The vehicle does not run, and has a broken-out back window. The loss was estimated at $500.

SANDRA HANSON, 84, of Atlantic (& formerly of Manilla) – Svcs. 12/8/22

Obituaries

December 5th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

SANDRA HANSON, 84, of Atlantic (& formerly of Manilla), died Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, at the Heritage House, in Atlantic. Funeral services for SANDRA HANSON will be held 2-p.m. Thursday, December 8, 2022, at the Ohde Funeral Home in Manilla.

Visitation at the funeral home is from 12:30-p.m. until the time of service, Thursday.

Burial will take place in the Nishnabotna Cemetery in Manilla.

SANDRA HANSON is survived by:

Her daughters – Julie (Doug) Schechinger, of Manilla; Jody (Reed) Chittenden, of Omaha; Jill (Kevin) Andresen, of Schleswig, and Jena (Chris) Larson of Atlantic.

Her sons – Joel (Julieann) Hanson, of Lincoln, NE, and Richard (Christy) Hanson, of Westside.

17 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.

Adair County Sheriff’s report: Taylor man arrested on a Cass County warrant

News

December 5th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports five arrests from over the past week. Among them was 37-year-old Barrett Martin Driskill, of Blockton, who was arrested Nov. 28th, by Stuart Police. Driskill was wanted on a warrant out of Cass County (IA) for Failure to Appear for his Pre-Trial Conference, Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd or subsequent offense, Theft in the 2nd Degree, and OWI/1st Offense. His arrest followed the pursuit of a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee that began during a traffic stop in Stuart at around 1-a.m., on Nov. 28th.

The chase eventually entered a field where the SUV stopped after reaching a fence line near Interstate 80. Driskill took-off on foot and was tracked north across the Interstate in a field, with the assistance of a Guthrie County K9. He was found hiding in a waterway. He refused to answer questions and advised officers that he was walking down the creek, collecting rocks. Officers noted he did not appear to have any dirt or mud on him, and did not have the appropriate clothing on for the weather conditions. An odor of alcoholic beverage was detected coming from his body. An open container of alcohol was seen in the Jeep.

Driskill was transported to the Adair County Hospital and then to the Adair County Jail, where, in addition to the Cass County charges, he was charged with: Felony eluding; Possession of a Controlled Substance-Marijuana/3rd or subsequent offense; Failure to stop at a stop sign; Speeding; Improper rear lamps, and Open Container by a person over 21-years of age. He was turned-over to Cass County Deputies to answer to the charges in our county.

Elsewhere in Adair County arrests

  • 26-year-old Jesse Andrew Queener, of Stuart, was arrested by Stuart Police, on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation. He was released the following day on a $5,000 cash or surety bond
  • 32-year-old Cody Neil Daughtery, of Greenfield, was arrested Nov. 29th by Adair County Deputies, on an Adair County warrant charging him with Assault causing bodily injury or mental illness. He was released the same day on a $1,000 c/s bond.
  • 50-year-old Jason Edward Caldwell, of Stuart, was arrested Nov. 29th by Adair County Deputies, on a charge of Driving While Barred. He was released the following day on a $2,000 c/s bond.
  • On November 30th, 45-year-old Michael Price Griffin, of Adair, was arrested by Adair Police at the Casey’s store in Adair. Griffin was charged with Driving While Barred and held on a $2,000 c/s bond.
  • And, on Dec. 3rd, 21-year-old Dylan Roger Holste, of Orient, was transported to the Adair County Jail in Greenfield, following a traffic stop. Upon contact with the vehicles’ occupants, the Deputy said he could immediately tell a passenger was extremely intoxicated. Holste, who was driving the vehicle, admitted to having had a beer. Following a Standardized Field Sobriety Test, and his refusal to submit to a Preliminary Breath Test, Dylan Holste was transported to the Jail. The report says while he was on the phone to his father, Dylan admitted he had four-or five-drinks. The report says he refused to provide a specimen of his breath on the Datamaster DMT. He was cited for OWI/offense, and released from the Sheriff’s Office

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Monday, Dec. 5, 2022

Weather

December 5th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

Today: Partly cloudy. High 42. Winds SW-N @ 10-15.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Low 23. NE @ 5-10.
Tomorrow: P/Cldy to Mo. Cldy. High 38. E/SE @ 5-10.
Wednesday: P/Cldy to Cldy. High 38.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy w/a chance of light rain in the afternoon. High 36.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 46. The Low was 20. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 52 and the Low was 23. The Record High on this date was 66 in 2001. The Record Low was -14 in 2005.

Man arrested on a NE warrant Sunday, in Red Oak

News

December 5th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak) – Officials with the Red Oak Police Department report a man from Nebraska was arrested Sunday evening. Authorities say 44-year-old Juan Avalos, Jr., of Omaha, was taken into custody at around 5:15-p.m., in the 300 block of 2nd Avenue. Avalos wanted on a warrant out of Omaha, associated with a fraudulent check.

Avalos, Jr., was transported to the Montgomery County Jail for being a fugitive from justice, and was being held, pending extradition to Nebraska.

Iowa will debut a new quarterback in the Music City Bowl

Sports

December 5th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

It will be Iowa against Kentucky New Year’s Eve in the Music City Bowl in Nashville and the Hawkeyes will debut a new starting quarterback. Starter Spencer Petras injured a shoulder against Nebraska and backup Alex Padilla is in the transfer portal. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz.

The starter will be either redshirt freshman Joe Labas or true freshman Carson May. Neither has played a down.

Ferentz says they will make a decision on a starter based on bowl practice.

Ferentz says while it is an unusual situation injuries are a part of football and the Hawks will be forced to adjust.

Defensive back Cooper DeJean was injured in the loss to Nebraska and tight end Sam LaPorta missed that game due to injury. Ferentz expects both to be ready for the bowl game.

No. 23 Iowa State men beat St. John’s 71-60

Sports

December 5th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

Iowa State’s defense smothered St. John’s early as the 23rd ranked Cyclones posted a 71-60 win in Ames. The Red Storm shot 36 percent, including three of 16 from three point range.

That’s coach T.J. Otzelberger. The Cyclones were able to slow down a St. John’s team that likes to push the tempo.

Otzelberger felt the Cyclones played well overall as they improved to 7-1.

No. 10 Iowa women win at Wisconsin

Sports

December 5th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

The 10th ranked Iowa Hawkeye women outscored Wisconsin 32-14 in the second quarter won at Wisconsin 102-71 in their Big Ten opener. Caitlin Clark had the seventh triple-double of her career with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

That’s Iowa coach Lisa Bluder. The Hawkeyes shot 63 percent for the game and held the Badgers to 37 percent.

Iowa Senate GOP to be ‘laser focused’ on property tax reform

News

December 5th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A key lawmaker says Republicans in the Iowa Senate intend to reform Iowa’s property tax system in 2023. Senator Dan Dawson, a Republican from Council Bluffs, is chairman of the Senate committee that drafts tax policy. “We are going to be laser focused on property taxes this upcoming session,” Dawson says. “Frankly, it may be one of the only few topics that the Ways and Means Committee from the Senate is prepared to look at.”

Dawson says the system has been on auto pilot and it’s time for meaningful reform of property tax levies. Senator Pam Jochum of Dubuque, is the top-ranking Democrat on the Iowa Senate’s tax-writing committee. “If we’re going to make that kind of a change, I hope we use a scalpel and not an ax,” Jochum says, “because right now, local governments are way too dependent on one tax — and that is property.”

A couple of years ago, state officials agreed to spend about 100 million dollars on Iowa’s mental health system, paying bills that have been covered by county property taxes — but Dawson says that’s barely, if at all, reduced Iowans’ property taxes.”What we have done thus far appears to not be producing a result to make us a competitive state for property taxes,” Dawson says. Jochum says lawmakers should have a broader discussion that might let local governments diversify their tax base.

“To start reducing the pressure of property taxation to support the police, fire, emergency services, snow removal, recreation,” she said, “all of the things that we rely on our local government to do.” The biggest chunk of local property taxes supports local public schools and Jochum says lawmakers should consider increasing state funding for public schools to offset those dollars.

Jochum and Dawson made their comments at the winter meeting of the Iowa Taxpayers Association.

UNI looks to expand programs in accounting, big data to attract more students

News

December 5th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – University of Northern president Mark Nook says U-N-I’s plan to start a nursing program is part of a reassessment of university programs. “We’re looking at several other areas in this academic positioning,” Nook says. “…What are the programs the state needs or the programs that students really want to get into and how do we grow those programs and do they make sense on our campus?”

U-N-I administrators say the new bachelor of science in nursing should be launched in 2024, to help address the nursing shortage. There’s also a shortage of accountants and C-P-As. U-N-I already offers an accounting degree to students at the Cedar Falls campus, but Nook says that could expand soon. “It is a program where we’ve recently got approval from our accrediting agency to offer courses here in Des Moines,” Nook says, “and we’re looking at how we might be able to manage that and make that work out.”

Nook says he and other U-N-I officials are looking at how to expand academic programs in applied engineering and what some call “big data” because students are seeking those skills. “We’ve got a data analytics program in the College of Business, but we also recognize that data analytics is important in every other field, whether it’s education, the sciences, the humanities,” Nook says. “And so how can we make data analytics available to students, regardless of their discipline, so they have a better understanding of how to use the data that’s in their field?”

Nook says colleges and universities around the country are facing enrollment headwinds, because fewer high school graduates are pursing a four-year degree, so figuring out which majors are most attractive to students that do intend to go to college is key.  “That’ll help us grow our enrollment,” Nook says, “because we’ll have the programs students want and the state needs as well.” U-N-I’s enrolllment peaked in 2000, at more than 14-thousand students. This fall’s enrollment is just under nine-thousand students.

Nook made his comments during a weekend appearance on Iowa Press on Iowa P-B-S.