(Atlantic, Iowa) – Regional and local representatives of Dollar General were in Atlantic Wednesday afternoon, to make a donation for disaster relief to the Atlantic Middle School Library. Stopping at the High School for a $10,000 check presentation, was Dollar General Southwest Iowa District Manager Howie Erickson, Regional Director Paul Vilinski, and Store Manager Robyn Sullivan, and Assistant Manager Kim Ruiz.

Erickson explained the funds are made possible through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s Beyond Words grant program, and will be used to help replace books that were lost during a fire and water damage at the Middle School last Summer.

(Pictured from left to right, front row:) Howie Erickson; Deb Burton; Robyn Sullivan; Kim Ruiz. (Back row:) Paul Vilinski, Steve Barber.

The Foundation, Erickson said, was established in 1993, in honor of company co-founder J.L. Turner, who only had a third-grade education.

Atlantic School District Superintendent Steve Barber said the funds will help to replace the countless number of books lost in the summer disaster. K-12 Teacher/Librarian, K-12 Reading Specialist Deb Burton said it’s been a long time since she’s been able to take an inventory.

Deb Burton said she was happy the company’s streamlined process made it easy to apply for the funds. Superintendent Steve Barber thanked Dollar General officials for their generous contribution.

CLINTON, Iowa – In an update to our earlier reports, officials with the State Medical Examiner’s Office have identified a person found following a fire in Clinton, as 41-year-old Dustin Christopher Doran, who is formerly of Newton. His manner of death on Monday, was ruled as a homicide. A few hours after posting the victim’s ID, a suspect in the case was arrested. 30-year-old Trevor Allan Jeorge Ward, of Norwalk, was charged with Murder In The First Degree and Arson In The First Degree.

State court records show he has 14 previous convictions on simple and aggravated misdemeanor charges. Clinton County records show Ward was arrested Saturday — the same day as the murder — and charged with public intoxication and assault causing bodily injury, with notation of mental illness on the jail’s record.

Trevor Ward – Arson/murder suspect

On Saturday, March 26, 2022, the Clinton Fire Department and the Clinton Police Department responded to a 911 call reference a structure fire inside of 78 31st Ave North.  Upon arrival, their attention was drawn to Apartment N and the Fire Department quickly extinguished the fire.  A deceased individual (Doran) was found inside the apartment and the Clinton Police Department, Clinton Fire Department, Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Clinton Medical Examiner, Clinton County Attorney’s Office, Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Attorney General’s Office and the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner launched a criminal investigation.

The investigation is ongoing and the Clinton Police Department does not believe there is any cause for concern by the public of being in any danger.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has passed a bill that requires school districts to post a list of books in the school library and provide parents with an outline of how to seek removal of a book. Under the bill, teachers would have to post the titles of books and other materials they plan to use in class. Representative Phil Thompson, a Republican from Boone, says the bill creates a transparency standard that many schools already follow. “Parents deserve to know what their children are being taught,” Thompson says.

Representative Sharon Steckman, a Democrat from Mason City, says many schools will have to buy new software to meet this requirement. “This bill is targeting teachers, to the detriment of our children,” Steckman says. “I think the teachers will be spending all their time trying to enter this information and then reenter what they didn’t do or what they changed and be worried about being attacked for what they’re doing.” Representative Sue Cahill, a Democrat who’s a teacher in Marshalltown, says it will lead to more generic lesson plans. “This bill hurts students. It hurts teachers,” Cahill says. “It demoralizes a group of trusted professionals and it feels like a ‘gotcha’ to all teachers and administrators in our state.”

Republican Representative Garret Gobble teaches U.S. history to eighth graders in Ankeny. Gobble says this requirement is manageable. “I welcome a change like this that will encourage parents to engage,” Gobble says. “Transparency will strengthen trust…and rightfully turn down the temperature and rhetoric surrounding education discussions. I believe this will begin a great new period for parents and teachers to work together for the benefit of our students.”

Two Democrats in the House joined 58 Republicans in supporting the bill. One Republicans and 35 Democrats voted against it. A similar bill is on the Iowa Senate’s schedule for potential debate today (Wednesday). That bill also includes the governor’s plan to provide state money to the parents of 10-thousand kids enrolling in private schools.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Harlan Police Department reports four recent arrests. This (Wednesday) morning, 19-year-old Jaydan Halbert-Christian Fleming, of Harlan, was arrested for domestic abuse assault and simple assault. Last Sunday (March 27), Police in Harlan arrested 59-year-old William Joseph Daeges, of Harlan, on a domestic abuse assault charge.

Saturday, officers arrested 38-year-old Erika Lara-Salazar, of Council Bluffs, following a traffic stop. Lara-Salazar was charged with driving while suspended. And, on March 22nd, 42-year-old Lisa Marie Briggs, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant. Briggs was transported to the Shelby County Jail.

Clive, Iowa — Officials with the Iowa Lottery, today (Wednesday) announced a Mills County man left a late-night message on his parents’ answering machine telling them he’d won a $100,000 lottery prize.

That’s 33-year-old Jacob “Jake” Harper, from Glenwood, who won the 16th top prize in the game. He said his parents won $10,000 on a different scratch game, a couple of months ago. Jake bought his winning ticket at a Casey’s store in Glenwood, and scratched it at home late at night after a get-together with friends.

Jacob Harper (IA Lottery photo)

Harper said it felt like time stopped as soon as he realized he’d completed six words on his ticket to win one of the game’s top prizes.

“I counted again and again and I think I got up to like 10 times of going through and seeing six before it finally sunk in that I just won $100,000,” he said. Harper said his big win comes at a great time.

He plans to quit his current job to go full time at the computer business based out of Omaha, that he and his friends started.

The $100,000 Mega Crossword game he played and won, is a $10 scratch game that features overall odds of 1 in 3.30 and 38 top prizes of $100,000.

Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman, Wednesday, updated the County Board of Supervisors on various Roads Department projects and maintenance activities.

He said also he’s helped out Adams County in some matters, as per the agreement between the Counties. In other business, the Adair County Supervisors passed a resolution naming Depositories. They held a Public Hearing on the issuance of General Obligation Bonds, Series 2022, in the amount of $5.5-million. There were no comments received, therefore the Board acted to approve Resolutions to institute proceedings to take additional action, and to direct Auditor to advertise the bonds for sale, and approve electronic bidding procedures, along with an official statement.

Separately, they passed a Resolution approving a 28-E agreement for the ISAC Group Benefits Program, an Actuarial Services Agreement with Silverstone Group, LLC, and a Resolution Naming Depositories. Jocelyn Blazek, Decat/CPPC Coordinator, in Creston, appeared before the Board to request they sign a proclamation.

The proclamation was duly signed by Board Chair Matt Wedemeyer. DECAT, the Child Welfare Decategorization Project, is an effort to significantly change the child welfare system to one that is needs based, family focused, easily accessible, more intensive, less restrictive, and cost effective by “Decategorizing” services from a state level to a local level.

Decategorization projects are organized by county or clusters of counties.  Today there are 40 decategorization projects across the state of Iowa, covering all 99 counties.  The Creston Decat Cluster includes Adair, Adams, & Union Counties and the Leon Decat Cluster includes Clarke, Decatur, Lucas, Ringgold, & Wayne Counties.