Year in Review 12-19-14 by SouthwestIowaNews.com

The Daily Nonpareil

Friday, December 19, 2014

Tuesday: Part 1 T Wednesday: Part 2 T Thursday: Part 3 T TODAY: PART 4

End of 2014 caps off year of vibrant, eventful stories John Schreier jschreier@nonpareilonline.com

Though the final three months of 2014 aren’t yet over, it’s safe to say southwest Iowa provided more than enough news to fill the final section of Year in Review. And what a wild ride it was – that was, if it didn’t knock you off your seat. Southwest Iowa was shaken, quite literally, by an earthquake that originated in Kansas. A Wisconsin man’s apparent self-inflicted

stabbing at a ghastly attraction in Villisca garnered the region national headlines. A small fire in a tackling dummy led Abraham Lincoln High School students to evacuate. A clerk used a bat to fend off a would-be robber who, once he realized the cashier’s defense, began a futile attempt to throw items from the convenience store at the counter. A student’s journey to Africa on a charity trip to led a voluntary quarantine amid Ebola fears.

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Another website measuring crime data claimed Council Bluffs was Iowa’s most dangerous city. If you got through those – and many other – crazy stories that made the end of 2014 memorable, the ups and downs of the final three months quite evident. A Thanksgiving weekend wreck killed brothers heading home from the holidays, and a 5-year-old girl died of injuries suffered in a sledding accident. An Oakland man was also convicted of murder for a March shooting death, the town’s first in at least

seven years. Beyond tragedy, however, was thoughtfulness and triumph. Whether it was athletic (Logan-Magnolia and Harlan brought home state titles this fall), visionary (plans to renovate Fairmount and Playland parks in Council Bluffs) or big (such as a 75-foot sculpture on the riverfront), the region saw massive changes in October, November and December. With that, take a look at the months’ and year’s top stories – and here’s to a 2015 that’s just as eventful and vibrant as 2014.

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2014 Year in Review: Top Stories

2C Friday, December 19, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

TOP NEWS STORIES OF 2014 TUESDAY: Stories 10-12

DOG DAYS 1 NO MORE

News Stories

After 30 years, local greyhound racing is nearing the finish line for good

WEDNESDAY: Stories: 7-9 THURSDAY: Stories 4-6 4. The saga of Griffin Pipe 5. County tax increase 6. The Random Dead 7. Traffic Turmoil 8. Crazy Weather 9. Year of the Big Name Doughnut 10. Changes in city leadership 11. Key anniversaries 12. Extension vote fails

Tim Rohwer

Greyhounds race at the Bluffs Run greyhound park. Bo Guidry, executive director of the Council Bluffs Harrah’s and Horseshoe casinos, said Horseshoe has had to provide up to $10 million a year in subsidies to keep Bluffs Run going. According to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, only $4.3 million was wagered on the dogs at Bluffs Run in 2010, the last year figures were available to the commission. This compared to 1991, the heyday at Bluffs Run, when $66.8 million was wagered. Not surprisingly, both the Council Bluffs City Council and the local Chamber of Commerce went on record supporting the track’s closure. “We want the Legislature

A POSITIVE 2 PLACE TO GO

News Stories

Mike Brownlee

mbrownlee@nonpareilonline.com

Over the past year, the people, organizations and businesses of Council Bluffs have stepped up to help bring the new YMCA facility in the city closer to reality. The total raised currently stands at $10.8 million, based on figures from former mayor Tom Hanafan, a member of the committee raising funds, and a donation from family and friends of former Y director Kate McRae. If the YMCA hit $11 million within 90 days of Sept. 11, it would’ve been eligible for another $1 million from Vision Iowa. Officials with the organization declined to release details until an announcement later in the month. One donation definitely on the books came from family and friends of Kate McRae, a former director of the Council Bluffs YMCA. McRae, a member of the 1980 Olympic handball team until the U.S. decided to boycott the games, was executive director of the Y for almost four years before breast cancer cut short her tenure – and her life – on July 9, 2008. She was director of youth sports at the Southwest Omaha and Maple Street YMCAs before taking over in Council Bluffs. She also worked with the organization’s camp program. A $35,000 donation from family and friends of McRae prompted the new Charles E. Lakin YMCA to call its office suite the “Kate McRae Administrative Offices.” “Her family and friends are excited about keeping her name alive at the YMCA,” current director Leo McIntosh said. McRae’s was one of many lives touched by the YMCA throughout its years in Council Bluffs. Tom and Kyoko Peterson have been swimming and working out at the YMCA for the past two decades. But one year, the older couple decided to try out a fitness center catering to residents their age. They liked the gym well enough, but they found the pool to be lacking. What they really missed, though, was the friendly, supportive environment at the Council Bluffs YMCA. “We know about everybody,” Tom Peterson said. “The people are friendly, and it is just a fun place to be.”

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After a three-decade run in Council Bluffs, greyhound racing is nearing the permanent finish line, a move that created headlines this year as lawmakers and interested parties spent long hours finding a solution suitable for all. In the end, Gov. Terry Branstad on May 20 put his signature on a bill earlier approved by the Iowa Legislature that will end dog racing next December at the Bluffs Run Track at Horseshoe Casino and a track in Dubuque. The official ending date at Bluffs Run will be Dec. 18, 2015, which was recently approved by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. The effort to end racing didn’t come quickly, according to local lawmaker Mary Ann Hanusa. “I’m happy, along with the many others who have worked on this legislation to end dog racing,” she said following the governor’s signature. “I’ve worked on this ever since I was in the Legislature, and I’m grateful for the support of community leaders who made their voices known to the Legislature and the governor to end dog racing.” There was plenty of local voices wanting this form of gaming to fold. For example,

TODAY: Stories 1-3

to pass a bill to remove the requirement that Horseshoe (Casino) continue live greyhound racing,” Councilman Al Ringgenberg said. “If it’s not viable, (Horseshoe) should not be required by the state to keep losing money.” Chamber directors were convinced the elimination of live greyhound racing would allow for redevelopment of the current track grounds for new business opportunities. “As a main entrance to our city and as part of the everexpanding southwest corridor,” a chamber resolution read, “the race track site offers tremendous potential for future redevelopment, increased tax base,

job creation and adding to our commercial/retail mix.” The bill Branstad signed that the lawmakers had approved represented an agreement between the dog industry and the two Iowa casinos that have been subsidizing dog racing. Besides the Council Bluffs Horseshoe Casino, owned by Caesars Entertainment, the other is the Mystique Casino in Dubuque. The bill called for the end of racing at both casinos at the end of 2015 but allowed dog supporters to privately fund racing at Mystique after December of next year. The bill also provided a “soft landing” fund to those whose livelihood will end or be affected by the end of casino-subsidized racing. Caesars will pay the greyhound association and dog owners $65 million over seven years, while Mystique will contribute $7 million toward the fund over the same period. A plan on how to distribute the $72 million has not yet been finalized. Turning to the post-2015 plans for the Council Bluffs dog track, Samir Mowad, Horseshoe’s assistant general manager, recently said, “We’ve had preliminary discussions with a couple of groups, but it would be speculative for me to say what will be there.”

New YMCA fundraising campaign nears end Kyoko Peterson has symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, and Tom Peterson is a stroke patient. They both take sessions with a personal trainer, Beth Long, who helps them with balance and other special goals. “We’ve really felt we get a lot of benefit from it,” Tom Peterson said. “We work with this special trainer a couple times a week.” The couple goes to the YMCA every day except Sunday, socializing with staff and friends. Tom Peterson said he is fond of the coffee table, which gives the facility a congregation point. “I see people coming in there from all walks of life,” he said. “It is really catching on.” As the YMCA has grown, it’s seen unprecedented growth and is seeking to offer new initiatives in early childhood education, teen programs, summer day camps and family programs. When Rebecca Koontz and her family moved to Council Bluffs, she knew they would join the YMCA. As one of six children, the Norfolk, Neb., native spent a lot of time at the Y’s facilities in the northeastern Nebraska town. “You feel comfortable there, and you know that early on,” Koontz said. “For me, it was second nature to join the YMCA when I moved to a different town.” Nowadays, Koontz takes her 6-year-old twins, Weston and Barrett, to the Y because staff will watch her children for free while she exercises. During colder months, Koontz said she will visit the Y two to three times a week. “They loved it,” she said. “The teachers down there were always super nice and friendly. They were wonderful, and my kids really enjoyed it.” Koontz described the Y’s environment as a “positive place to go,” and one in which her children could learn work ethic and get in touch with the community.

News Stories

Student dies after incident in school’s commons area Scott Stewart

sstewart@nonpareilonline.com

A fight at Abraham Lincoln High School on Sept. 25 left Dakota Escritt lying on the ground after striking his head on the tile floor of the commons area. Escritt, 17, died Sept. 27 at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha. His classmate, Gregary Teer, was investigated by Council Bluffs police but ultimately cleared of any legal wrongdoing on Oct. 1. Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber said the evidence, including a video of the incident released publicly, showed Teer, 16, used legally justified force in defending himself during the altercation. The Council Bluffs Community School District, however, still gave Teer a 10 day suspension from school for throwing the punch. The district Escritt also removed him from Abraham Lincoln and he is now in the mainstream program at Kanesville Alternative Learning Center. Attorney Chad Primmer, who was retained by Teer’s family, threatened to file a federal civil rights lawsuit against the district. However, no lawsuit had been filed as of early December. Diane Ostrowksi, a spokeswoman for the district, said Teer’s “original placement plan” was followed. The junior was placed at an academic reassignment center at Kanesville Alternative Learning Center for the rest of the first trimester. “We believe that the decision was the best to provide for the needs of the students who were involved or who were emotionally affected by the tragedy,” Superintendent Martha Bruckner said. Bruckner said the district’s plan would be to allow Teer to return to Abraham Lincoln for his senior year. The school required time to return to normal. Police Chief Tim Carmody said that witnesses reported Escritt had his earbuds in and was turned away from the back-and-forth between a friend of Teer and one of Escritt’s friends until he happened to hear Teer yelling at his friend. Surveillance video shows Escritt initiated the incident by shoving Teer after the verbal altercation between his friend and a friend of Teer’s. In the video, Escritt pushes Teer several times, with Teer first ignoring the smaller student before eventually shoving Escritt back. The pair trade shoves before both raise their hands to throw a punch, with Teer landing his. The entire incident took place over the course of five minutes. Authorities originally charged Teer with assault causing serious injury, a felony. Wilber said that charge was dropped and no further charges against Teer would be pursued. The county attorney called the matter “an unfortunate situation.” Hundreds turned out for Escritt’s funeral, and events were held by the Council Bluffs YMCA and the Council Bluffs Public Library to support friends and family. College View Elementary School’s “Day of Peace” celebration Sept. 28 became an opportunity to mourn, followed by a candlelight vigil at Bayliss Park that night. Traci Stoop, a science and engineering teacher at Abraham Lincoln, was at the scene of the fight immediately after it happened. “I was standing by him, and it was just awful,” she said. “It was something that a teacher never wants to experience or a student doesn’t want to experience.”

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2014 Year in Review

The Daily Nonpareil

Friday, December 19, 2014

NONPAREIL STARS OF 2014 TODAY: John Nelson V Molly Noon V Matt Wilber

TUESDAY: Mark Alba V City of Avoca V Steve Gilfillan and Tank the Turtle WEDNESDAY: Google V Hy-Vee V Kirn Middle School THURSDAY: Jason LeMaster V Mary Lou McGinn V Ron & Suzanne Mahoney

NELSON

lives out belief in giving back Tim Johnson

tjohnson@nonpareilonline.com

“A

merica is a unique country. If you look at the statistics, there’s almost a minimal amount of private charity in Western Europe. They rely more on the government.” Over the years, John P. Nelson and his wife, Anne, have supported several high-profile projects and have quietly contributed to many charities. “The biggest thing I’m proud of is Iowa West because, 30 years ago when that was founded, I was a member of the committee,” said John Nelson, CEO of SilverStone Group, who served on the Iowa West Foundation Board for many years. “The foundation is obviously a wonderful thing for Council Bluffs and has been a catalyst for so many of the community projects.” Education is an area of special interest for the Nelsons. “The better educated the people are, the better chance they have to have a good life and make a contribution to the community and society,” Nelson said. He’s proud to have served as co-chairman of the campaign to pass a 1 cent sales tax for local schools. “It’s driven considerable renovations to all our elementary and high schools,” he said. Nelson was chairman of the campaign to get the Western Historic Trails Center built and helped with the fund drive for construction of the Council Bluffs Public Library. “Getting that library built was a major effort I was involved in,” he said. The Nelson family has been a longtime supporter of Iowa Western Community College, and John and Anne Nelson were honored by the college with the Investment in Excellence Award in 2003. The couple, in combination with the H.H. “Red” and Ruth H. Nelson Foundation (now the Nelson Foundation), donated a Steinway concert grand piano to Iowa Western Community College when the college’s arts center opened in March 2001 and has long supported the college’s scholarship fund. The Nelson Foundation was a key factor in establishing the Boys & Girls Club of Council Bluffs. “Boys & Girls Clubs came to me and wanted me and my wife to lead a campaign to raise significant dollars for Boys & Girls Clubs in Omaha,” Nelson said. “They wanted to open three new clubs, and I said only if one of the clubs was in Council Bluffs. My father was very much interested in kids, and

he gave $1 million to fund that club” through the foundation. Nelson grew up in Council Bluffs and was greatly influenced by his parents – especially his father, who founded the SilverStone Group. “He was involved civically in lots of things and believed that you give back to the place where you make your living,” Nelson said. His father also helped people on a personal level, if a friend or neighbor was in need, he said. “He did everything from pay their mortgage payment to pay up their medical bills,” he said. “My mother was very active, too,” Nelson said. She participated in the Council Bluffs Service League, church groups and other charitable groups, he said. Nelson and his siblings were taught to live a frugal lifestyle and not waste money. “I can only remember going out to eat one time when I was growing up,” he said. “We went out for chicken. A chicken dinner was 30 cents but, if you ordered all white meat, it was 35 cents.” Nelson liked white meat and decided to order that. “My mom was so mad – she didn’t say anything at the time, but afterwards she was so mad that I had spent 5 cents extra.” Nelson started to work cleaning offices after school when he was in eighth grade. He graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1958. He, a Council Bluffs native, and Anne, born in New York, met while attending Carleton

College in Northfield, Minn. After graduation, he served as an officer in the Navy from 1962-65. In 1967, Nelson began his career at SilverStone. His wife taught at Lewis Central Community Schools and, more recently, has done some freelance editing. Nelson became president of the Junior Chamber and, later, president of the Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce and president of the industrial foundation. He became president in 1972 and CEO in 1999. He remains CEO, but son John is president. The SilverStone Group generally gives away 8 to 10 percent of its earnings, Nelson said. Currently, John and Anne Nelson are involved in a gala for the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Cancer Center and are honorary chairs of the Midlands Humane Society shelter, which is scheduled to open in January. “My mother was particularly involved with animal welfare, so we’re making a significant contribution to the campaign,” he said. The couple also gave its support to the YMCA campaign, he said. Another area of focus is art, Nelson said. “I’m very interested in public art,” he said. “Although some of it has been controversial, I think, for one thing, the community’s image has been improved and has the impact of making it a place where multiple artists’ works can be seen

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in one location.” Nelson believes public art by noted artists raises the city’s profile. “We have some very significant art here now,” he said. Nelson also supports efforts to beautify the entrances to the city, including the project to remove dead trees along North Broadway and plant new ones and do some landscaping, he said. “That’s an endeavor where our family is partnering with the city on,” he said. The Nelsons also support

Violin Sprouts – a program in Omaha that offers violin lessons and orchestra experience to young children, he said. “It’ll start next fall in Council Bluffs schools,” he said. “That’s a significant contribution of our foundation to do that.” Meanwhile, the family provides ongoing support to charities, Nelson said. “We continue to support Children’s Square, Boys & Girls Clubs, Big Brothers-Big Sisters,” and other organizations.

Nelson has served as a board member for Bellevue University, treasurer, Council Bluffs Public Library Foundation; finance committee chairman, Doane College; board member, Iowa West Foundation; board member, Iowa Western Community College Foundation; trustee, Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital; investment committee member, Methodist Health System; president, Nelson Family Foundation; board member, Southwest Iowa Foundation; consultation committee, Stratcom; chairman, United Way Foundation; executive and joint audit committee, United Way. He was named Outstanding Young Man of Council Bluffs and Outstanding Young Man of Iowa in 1971, and many other honors followed. He has been recognized with the Harry Voss Award for community involvement (Council Bluffs Volunteer Bureau, 1984), President’s Award (Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce, 1985), Jason Award (Children’s Square, 1986), Honorary Doctorate of Commerce (Bellevue University, 2000), Heritage Award (Mercy Hospital Guild, 2001), Outstanding Humanitarian Award (Sertoma, 2001), Citizen of the Year (United Way of the Midlands, 2002), Investment in Excellence Award (IWCC, 2003), People of the Year Award (Goodwill Industries, 2004), Humanitarian Award (National Conference for Community & Justice, 2005), Citizen of the Year (Boy Scouts of America, 2006), and other awards. The couple has three adult children and seven grandchildren.

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2014 Year in Review: Top Stories

4C Friday, December 19, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

TOP CRIME STORIES OF 2014 TUESDAY: Stories 10-12

‘I’VE DONE WRONG’

Crime Stories

WEDNESDAY: Stories: 7-9 THURDAY: Stories 4-6 TODAY: Stories 1-3 4. Cox pleads guilty in wife’s murder case 5. Fifth Avenue stabbing death 6. Oakland murder 7. Shooting at Iowa Western Community College 8. Harris arrest, trial and conviction for 2003 murder 9. Beyer found guilty of abusing disabled stepson 10. Fortner gets 20 years in Glenwood death 11. Underwood teacher pleads guilty in drug theft case 12. Driver in fatal crash gets 25 years

Jones sentenced to prison time for child porn, abuse Scott Stewart

sstewart@nonpareilonline.com

Dr. Dennis Jones will spend the next decade behind bars. The Council Bluffs physician was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for one count of possession of child pornography. The state court sentenced him to 10 years, to be served concurrent with his federal sentence, for lascivious acts with a child. Jones will also spend the rest of his life on the sex-offender registry, if he is released from prison, and he will face 10 years of supervised release. In addition, he will face at least $110,000 in fines. The federal prison system does not offer parole, so he will serve the full time on his sentences. Jones also permanently surrendered his medical license. The legal cases began May 20, 2013, when Jones turned himself in to authorities to face charges he sexually abused a 5-yearold girl. The investigation found Jones had recorded examinations of many of his patients secretly. Victims family members said that their daughters or granddaughters had become more isolated and distant since learning of the crimes, going from outgoing to introverted, carefree to almost paranoid about the world around them. One victim reportedly won’t go to a doctor or therapist because of fear of being victimized again, while another was found in a doctor’s examination room curled in the fetal position before a check up. The federal trial revolved around an estimated 1.2 million images and 9,300 videos of child pornography found in Jones’ possession, including 24 to 30 patients at his medical clinic taken secretly by the then-doctor using a pen camera. Jones took the videos during what he purported to be necessary medical examinations, done without the consent of the

Crime Stories

patient, the children’s parents or Methodist Physicians Clinic, where Jones practiced. “He did this knowing the damage it would do,” a mother whose daughter was a patient of Jones and was in the videos told the court. “Lucky for Mr. Jones I don’t pick the punishment. You are the epitome of evil.” The state charge began as second-degree sexual abuse but was reduced as part of an agreement with the prosecution. Throughout both proceedings, Jones maintained his innocence: “I maintain nothing happened,” he told the state judge after being sentenced. Jones received a bench trial before Fourth Judicial District Court Judge Richard Davidson as part of an agreement with the attorney general’s office. He waived his right to appeal the decision, while avoiding the need to have the victim testify. “I’m just glad we can come to a just resolution,” said Assistant Attorney General Denise Timmins, who prosecuted the case because Jones had served as an expert witness for the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office in the past. “Hopefully the truth is accepted by the community.” Thirteen families, including one of a then-3-year-old, joined a civil lawsuit against Jones that is still making its way through the legal system. The lawsuit also names Methodist Physicians Clinic. At the federal sentencing, Jones admitted to recording the videos at the clinic, telling Judge James Gritzner he planned to use them for educational purposes. “I realize I’ve done wrong,” Jones said. “I’m profoundly sad of the shame I’ve brought on my family, friends and coworkers and sad about the trouble I’ve caused for my patients.”

TRAGIC CASE CLOSED

Teen ruled not guilty by reason of insanity to the Iowa Medical & Classification Center – also called Oakdale prison – in Coralville, where he was expected to be admitted to the psychiatric hospital for assessment.

Tim Johnson

tjohnson@nonpareilonline.com

Cody Metzker-Madsen was found not guilty of firstdegree murder in the death of his foster brother by reason of insanity Nov. 7 at the Harrison County Courthouse in Logan. Fourth Judicial District Judge Kathleen Kilnoski ruled that the state had proved all the elements of first-degree murder, but the preponderance of evidence indicated MetzkerMadsen was not capable of distinguishing right from wrong. Both sides presented their closing arguments before Kilnoski made her decision. For the state, Attorney Denise Timmins with the Iowa Attorney General’s Office argued Metzker-Madsen intentionally and with forethought had beaten 5-year-old Dominic Elkins on Aug. 31, 2013, saying the defendant had shown an “extreme” indifference to human life. Metzker-Madsen was arrested last year over the Labor Day weekend after authorities found Dominic’s body in a wooded ravine outside the 20-acre property north of Logan belonging to Don and Julie Coolman, the boys’ foster parents. The prosecution argued against the validity of the teen’s insanity defense in part because he had told authorities several stories about what happened, each one crafted in the interest of self-preservation. Metzker-Madsen told authorities that Dominic had fallen down the ravine, that the two were “playing bricks,” that Dominic had hit himself with a brick and that a cloaked man had committed the murder. Metzker-Madsen testified on Wednesday that he had entered a fantasy world – called “Codyland” by some witnesses – and had killed a goblin, not realizing it was his foster brother. Timmins pointed to testimony that showed MetzkerMadsen had a prior history of violence that occurs when the teenager doesn’t get what he wants or doesn’t want to do something when told. She also noted Metzker-Madsen’s testimony about creating games for himself and that the teenager had told law enforcement Dominic wasn’t playing the game right. The teen’s lawyer, Michael Williams of Sioux City, argued his client’s “wiring was not right.” Furthermore, he said, Metzker-Madsen’s testimony illustrated that he was in a psychotic state and didn’t recognize his foster brother as

25 YEARS 3 IN PRISON

Crime Stories

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Schondelmeyer found guilty in sexual abuse case GLENWOOD – A Nebraska man was found guilty Feb. 25 on all charges related to a sex abuse case in Mills County last September. John Schondelmeyer, 64, of Bellevue, Neb., was found guilty of two counts of second-degree sexual abuse, a Class B felony, and two counts of lascivious acts with a child, a Class C felony. The jury issued its verdict after less than an hour of deliberation. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, and must serve 17.5 years before he is eligible for parole. Fourth District Judge James S. Heckerman said Schondelmeyer will serve his sentences concurrently because he will be at least 80 years old before he is eligible for release. Schondelmeyer was arrested Oct. 17, 2013, at his home by the Bellevue Police Department. When arrested, he was in the process of moving to Fayetteville, N.C., according to the Mills County Sheriff’s Office. Mills County Attorney Eric Hansen said the victims have to live with the memories of the incident involving Schondelmeyer. Schondelmeyer has since been transferred to Sarpy County, Neb. There he is charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child less than 12 years of age, a Class IB felony. He also was charged with two counts of incest, a Class III felony. Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov originally said he did not expect to file charges in Nebraska. Instead, Polikov charged Schondelmeyer as a fugitive from justice, and Sarpy County Judge Todd Hutton extradited him to Iowa after an Oct. 21, 2013 hearing. Bellevue Police Det. David Chizek said, in an affidavit filed in Sarpy County Court on Oct. 30, a Mills County deputy told Bellevue police that sexual assaults took place in Schondelmeyer’s home between Sept. 19 and Sept. 22. Chizek said the children were interviewed at Project Harmony in Omaha on Oct. 16. They described being touched and penetrated by Schondelmeyer at both his Bellevue and an Iowa residence, according to Chizek’s affidavit. The 7-year-old and 8-year-old victims are relatives of Schondelmeyer. If convicted, each of the sexual assault charges carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. The Nebraska Criminal Code lists 20 years as the recommended minimum sentence for a Class IB felony and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. For the incest charges, Schondelmeyer would face a minimum of one year imprisonment and a maximum of 20 years in jail and a $25,000 fine if he is found guilty.

File photo

Cody Metzker-Madsen talks to his lawyer during his murder trial in November. human. “You have to know the person you’re killing is human,” Williams said in refuting the assertion about his client’s indifference for human life. “He didn’t know that was Dominic.” Throughout the trial, Williams brought in witnesses who had dealt with MetzkerMadsen in a variety of roles, many of whom testified about the teen’s trips to “Codyland”

and his often violent behavior, which was frequently followed by Metzker-Madsen not remembering what had happened or that he’d been violent. Kilnoski agreed with the assertion that Metzker-Madsen is insane in finding him not guilty. Moments after the judge gave her decision, Dominic Elkins’ family left the courtroom in tears. Metzker-Madsen was sent

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2014 Year in Review

The Daily Nonpareil

Friday, December 19, 2014

NONPAREIL STARS OF 2014 TODAY: John Nelson V Molly Noon V Matt Wilber

TUESDAY: Mark Alba V City of Avoca V Steve Gilfillan and Tank the Turtle WEDNESDAY: Google V Hy-Vee V Kirn Middle School THURSDAY: Jason LeMaster V Mary Lou McGinn V Ron & Suzanne Mahoney

NOON M couple years before coming to the Arts Center. “I love the environment of Iowa Western, and I wanted to get back in Council Bluffs,” she said. As director, Noon worked with an advisory committee which researches and votes on the artists Noon vetted, based on pricing, tour availability, genre and local audience desires. Changes under her tenure included adding more performances and changing the season ticket format to a flexible ticket series. “Musicals and comedies are always the top draws,” she said. “We get a lot of people for those.” Each year, more than 4,000 students, from kindergarten through 12th grade come to the Arts Center to see professional arts programs, Noon said. Teaming up with the Council Bluffs community School District, the Arts Center confers with teachers to find a program right for them. For instance, working with third grade teachers so their classes can come to the theater. But theater is more than stage presence, Noon said, so she worked to expand the center’s programming to include more shows that provide a greater interaction between performers and the community. Whether it is performances in a classroom or a community question-and-answer session following a show, Noon said the interaction enriched the experience of the patron. “You can come and sit for two hours and simply enjoy

‘I love the environment of Iowa Western, and I wanted to get back in Council Bluffs.’ – Molly Noon, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Iowa Western Community College

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olly Noon was promoted to vice president of Institutional Advancement at Iowa Western Community College in August, after several years as director of the Arts Center at the college. As director, Noon was dedicated to bringing more national performing acts to Council Bluffs, like Chris Mann, Cinema Vivant and “The Church Basement Ladies.” “Molly has been the driving force behind the resurgence of our arts center,” said Don Kohler, manager of the arts center and IWCC vice president of marketing and public relations. “She has focused her attention on bringing quality entertainment to the center, while also emphasizing the need for youth programming for children of all ages. “She has taken our venue to another level in terms of programming and outreach in our community.” “I try to attend as much as I can within the community – both Council Bluffs and Omaha,” she said as director. “It’s nice to support them, and it’s also nice to see the different artists in different venues. Sometimes we discover people we’d like to have here in the future.” Tim Dickmeyer was chosen as the new director after Noon’s promotion. Noon grew up in Texas but graduated from high school in Dubuque. She earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing at the University of Iowa with a minor in Japanese. She has been living in Council Bluffs since 1996, except for a couple years in Omaha, she said. After her first job in the area, she worked at the Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce for two years, then at Harveys (now Harrah’s) CasinoHotel for almost eight years, where she got involved in booking and marketing entertainment acts. She worked in Omaha a

was ‘driving force’ behind Arts Center resurgence; dedicated to Iowa Western

2014 Year in Review: Top Stories

6C Friday, December 19, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

TOP ATHLETES OF 2014 TODAY: Jake Waters u Jess Schaben u Austin Simmons

TUESDAY: Kaitlin Floerchinger u Lauren Nahnsen u Aly Dawson WEDNESDAY: Brady Charbonneau u Eldon Warner u Colton Tracy THURSDAY: RJ Hemmingsen u Mykenzie Leehy u Kylie Ferguson Top Athletes

Top Athletes

WATERS makes name for himself in college football

Harlan’s SCHABEN lives up to the honors

SIMMONS instrumental in LC’s football success

The former St. Albert and Iowa Western star has done what few southwest Iowa athletes have achieved. He’s become one of the best Division I college football players in the country at his position. Waters is one of 20 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award, which goes to the nation’s top overall player. He’s one of 16 semifinalists for the O’Brien Award, which goes to the nation’s top quarterback. Entering Kansas State’s bowl game versus UCLA, Waters was the leader among Big 12 starters in passing efficiency. He had completed 231 of 349 Waters passes for 3,163 yards and 20 touchdowns with only six interceptions. He also was second on the team with 471 rushing yards and eight scores. Despite a 37-2 record as a starter at St. Albert, Waters went virtually unrecruited. He didn’t receive a single offer from a four-year school at any level, so he joined the new junior college program in his hometown. He led Iowa Western to a national title before heading to Kansas State. Wildcats receiver Curry Sexton said Waters’ talent was evident right away. “Day one, you could see the ability that he had as far as being able to throw balls that we hadn’t really seen before on the receiver’s end of it,” he said.

Anchoring a pair of state championship teams, Jess Schaben enjoyed success rarely seen in southwest Iowa in 2014. The 6-foot-2 standout provided a formidable post presence as Harlan Community went a perfect 26-0 en route to the Class 4-A state title in girls basketball. Then she guided the Cyclones to a 41-2 record and 4-A championship in volleyball to begin her senior year. Schaben earned The Daily Nonpareil’s Area Player of the Year in both sports as well as its Athlete of the Year honor. In basketball, Schaben averaged 12.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and finished Schaben second in the state with 5.1 blocks per game. The Iowa State volleyball recruit then rolled in her future college sport, leading 4-A in kills per set (5.33), hitting efficiency (.484) and total kills (560) for the second consecutive year. Also an offensive force from the back row, she averaged 2.04 digs per set as an all-around player. Both sports saw her collect an array of local, state and even national awards. But her unassuming approach to the attention has been part of her makeup since she crashed the prep scene as a freshman. “I know I say this a lot, but it really isn’t just me getting awards – it’s everyone,” Schaben said. “The whole team deserves it, so it’s pretty cool.”

Austin Simmons made his last prep football season count. After a successful junior year, he was instrumental as a senior, leading Lewis Central to new heights in its first season competing in Class 4-A. The Titans finished 9-2 and became the first Council Bluffs school in the class to win a postseason game. Along the way, Simmons shattered just about every school record for a quarterback. He accounted for 3,260 yards and 46 touchdowns in his senior year alone, and he was recognized as The Daily Nonpareil’s City Football Player of the Year. “He was a very important piece of the puzzle this year, obviously,” L.C. coach Jim Duggan said. “The thing that set him apart was that he always showed a tremendous amount of humility with regard to playing quarterback and to his teammates. They Simmons respected him for that and for what he accomplished this year as a quarterback and leader of our football team.” It wasn’t only his senior year that made Simmons special. He leaves Lewis Central with 7,570 combined yards rushing and passing in his career. While totals from the 2014 season have yet to be compiled around the state, that figure would put him second in Iowa history behind Ankeny’s Joel Lanning (8,562 yards) among 11-man players. After a 4-1 start, the calendar turned to October, and the L.C. offense came alive. The Titans finished the regular season with four consecutive wins, averaging 45.5 points per game. “His best football is still ahead of him,” Duggan said. “The person that gets him and develops him and gives him the opportunity to grow as a quarterback, people will still be talking about him years from now. “He’s going to do some special things for somebody.”

TOP SPORTS STORIES OF 2014 TUESDAY: Stories 10-12

WEDNESDAY: Stories: 7-9 TODAY: Stories 4-6 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 4. IWCC baseball wins national title 5. IWCC football in national title game 6. LC football goes 9-2 in first 4A year 7. SA football’s streaks end 8. Kammrad leaves AL for LC 9. IWCC volleyball ends 5th at nationals 10. RJ Hemmingsen wins state title in record time 11. Crowl hits state-record 13 3’s in substate game 12. Treynor boys third in state basketball

2 GIRL POWER

Sports Stories

Harlan girls win titles AP

Kansas State quarterback Jake Waters (15) throws under pressure from a Baylor rush in the first half of an NCAA college football game Dec. 6, in Waco, Texas.

HOMETOWN 1 HERO

Sports Stories

Jake Waters leads KSU into college football elite

By now you know the story. Local boy leads high school football program to two state championships but is ignored by colleges. Decides to take a shot at the local junior college, and leads that program to a national championship. If you’ve lived in the area in recent years, you’ve followed Jake Waters’ rise from St. Albert to Iowa Western to Kansas State. When you step back and consider his football journey, it’s one of the most remarkable we’ve seen from a Council Bluffs native. In his senior year, Waters led Kansas State -– one of the nation’s worst programs for decades – into the top 10 of the national rankings. On Senior Day in his home finale, Waters completed 21 of 27 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns, and ran for 21 yards and a fifth score. “It seems like I just got here, and it’s already Senior Day,’’ Waters said. “Memories started flooding in my head – how I got here and everything – seeing all my guys out there and knowing it’s my last time playing in front of these fans. It was pretty emotional, but after that you had to focus on the game and start fast, and that’s what we did.’’ After he led Iowa Western to a national championship, his decision came down to Penn State and Kansas State. Penn State coach Bill O’Brien recruited him hard, but Waters chose Snyder, the legendary five-time national coach of the year. Now O’Brien is in the NFL, leading the Houston Texans. Waters said those memories entered his mind during the week leading up to the game. “That one decision would have changed everything,’’ he said. “I’m so lucky I made the right decision to come here. I wouldn’t trade these guys or anything that I’ve been through.’’ Waters is a semifinalist for the Maxwell (nation’s top player) and O’Brien (nation’s top quarterback) awards. He leads the Big 12 in quarterback rating on third down. Waters is drawing attention from NFL scouts. One scouting service had him rated as the eighth-best prospect at the position, and considered him a potential late-round draft pick. It seems absurd that neither Nebraska, Iowa nor Iowa State gave him much attention, considering the quarterback struggles they’ve endured at times this year. That’s the furthest thing from Waters’ mind. He found a home, and that’s what matters.

Within the span of about nine months, Harlan Community pulled off a first in southwest Iowa by capturing state championships in both girls basketball and volleyball in the same calendar year. Making its third basketball title game in 11 state appearances in March, Harlan earned the gold trophy for the first time, completing a 26-0 season and erasing the heartbreak of a 53-52 championship-game loss to Cedar Rapids Xavier the year before. It topped Western Dubuque 55-51 in the Class 4-A contest in Des Moines. Six-foot-2 junior Jess Schaben made 10 of 11 field goals in a 24-point, nine-rebound effort and was named captain of the all-tournament team. The top-rated Cyclones then repeated as 4-A state volleyball champs in Cedar Rapids in November. They wrapped up a 41-2 season by beating No. 2 West Delaware 16-25, 25-18, 25-19, 25-10. After earning the first-ever volleyball title for southwest Iowa in 2013, most of the same girls dogpiled on the court again in wild celebration. But this party included far more crying and hugging between friends who knew their collective journey was coming to an end. “(This title) feels the same, I guess, but it means a lot more because it’s our last one together,” Schaben said. “It just means a lot more because it’s the last one. I’m glad we went out with a bang.” Schaben, a middle, nearly tripled the output of any other player in the finals match with 33 kills – coming at a .433 efficiency on a whopping 67 swings – while supplying her usual net presence and back-row consistency. The Iowa State recruit was named captain of the 4-A all-tournament team for a second straight year, while teammates Kenzie Swanson (48 set assists) and Taylor Frederick (10 kills, two blocks) joined her on the honorary squad. Appropriately, Swanson clinched Harlan’s back-to-back titles with back-to-back service aces. The volleyball final marked the fourth appearance in a statetitle setting between volleyball and basketball for Schaben, Elle Kloewer, Taylor Wagner, Swanson, Frederick and junior Jordyn Moser. Other seniors are libero Asia Kloewer and reserves Megan Euchner and Morgan Perkins. Harlan’s latest basketball season also began in noteworthy fashion, as 4-A’s No. 1 team traveled to beat 5-A No. 1 and fellow defending state champ West Des Moines Dowling 51-48 on Dec. 2.

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TODAY: Stories 1-3

REASON TO 3 CELEBRATE

Sports Stories

Lo-Ma wins first state football title in 24 years

It came down to one play. Logan-Magnolia’s players and coaches were prepared. Fourth down and a long 1 at the Gladbrook-Reinbeck 8. Just 1:04 left in the game, trailing 24-21 in the Class A football championship. After calling two straight timeouts, Logan-Magnolia called Brady Charbonneau’s number. The Panther blockers delivered and so did Charbonneau. He sprinted 8 yards around left end, completing a 234-yard rushing day with the winning score in top-rated Logan-Magnolia’s 28-24 win over No. 3 GladbrookReinbeck at the UNI-Dome. One year after missing the playoffs, Logan-Magnolia completed a 14-0 season and won the school’s second state title, following the 1990 triumph in which coach Matt Straight was the star quarterback before going on to start at safety at Iowa State. Straight became the first man in Iowa history to win a state title as a player and as a head coach. He also was an assistant on West Marshall’s title team in 1999 under Ken Winkler. When asked how the program made such a huge leap after last year’s struggles, Straight wasn’t about to talk about himself. “The players,” he said. “How much they bought into what we were doing. And the unselfishness. They just bought into their roles. We had a lot of guys, I think probably, who wanted bigger roles to start the season than they had. But they bought into what we were doing, and that was the difference.” In a game featuring four lead changes, Logan-Magnolia took possession at its 27 with 6:06 left in the game, trailing 24-21. The Panthers were one time-consuming drive from realizing their dreams. Logan-Magnolia offensive linemen Ty Pitt, Jameson Muxfeldt, Jacob Stueve, Jason Yost and Dillon Bonham started blowing the Rebels off the ball, and the running backs started attacking the openings. Charbonneau for 14. Morgan Melby for 2 and then 7. Charbonneau for 9. Riley Wohlers for 9. Charbonneau for 3 and then 6. Wohlers for 6. Melby for 1 and then Austin Haner and Charbonneau for 4 each. That brought up fourth-and-1 at the 8 with 1:04 remaining. Fisher unsuccessfully tried to pull the Rebels offsides and called timeout. Straight said he thought about having freshman Nic Hiller try a tying 25-yard field goal. “He’s kicked really well all year,” Straight said. “But it’s fourth-and-1, we’re a run offense, and you’ve got some good backs, so go get it.” Logan-Magnolia went unbalanced and called a pitch play, but it saw that the Rebels’ outside linebacker was going to blitz right into it, so Straight called a second timeout. Straight said assistant Jeff Kuhl in the coaches’ box often has a good feel for what will work. “He said, ‘Let’s go unbalanced to the left side and see if Charby can go get it,’ “ Straight said. “I liked it, and we went with it.” The 5-foot-5, 162-pound Charbonneau raced past a would-be tackler and found smooth sailing around left end.

2014

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2014 Year in Review

The Daily Nonpareil

Friday, December 19, 2014

NONPAREIL STARS OF 2014 TODAY: John Nelson V Molly Noon V Matt Wilber

TUESDAY: Mark Alba V City of Avoca V Steve Gilfillan and Tank the Turtle WEDNESDAY: Google V Hy-Vee V Kirn Middle School THURSDAY: Jason LeMaster V Mary Lou McGinn V Ron & Suzanne Mahoney

WILBER

met ‘moral obligation’ for investigation transparency ‘Whether or not I have a legal obligation to do what I did, I have somewhat of a moral obligation to defuse the situation at the school. If we have an opportunity to defuse potential situations, that’s much better than doing something that exacerbates them.’

Scott Stewart

sstewart@nonpareilonline.com

Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber’s office faced a challenge after Abraham Lincoln High School student Dakota Escritt died following a fight at the school. Rumors were swirling, with a false narrative blaming the incident on bullying quickly emerging. Some students began splitting into factions, while others worked with school officials to call for unity in the face of the unexpected tragedy. Wilber said the challenge was taking the time to be accurate – with fact finding the prosecutor’s No. 1 concern – while also being as quick as possible so the community could continue to heal. “There was a lot of misinformation going around,” he said. “We had this whole bullying narrative going around that the initial information didn’t seem to support, but we definitely wanted to run that down.” Seeing false statements made publicly, especially on social media, was difficult for Wilber. But he knew how to approach the situation: “I really analogize it to the officer-involved shootings we’ve dealt with.” The key to those investigation, he said, is to gather the facts, make a prosecutorial determination and then share as much information as possible with the public, answer any questions and try to move on with the next step – whether that’s a court proceeding or an exoneration. Once the facts led Wilber to conclude Abraham Lincoln student Gregary Teer acted in self-defense and was not legally responsible for Escritt’s death, he held a marathon press conference showing the video of the altercation and outlining each step of the investigation. “I knew that the kids at the school were in turmoil,” he said. “We really felt like it was important that we got a lot of detail out there.” Unlike the public spectacle in Ferguson, Mo., Wilber said he avoids grand juries when possible because they are a “big secretive process” that obstructs transparency about the process and findings. While the Ferguson case has many other complications, Wilber was able to act quickly and resolve the case. “I felt very lucky that we had that whole interaction captured on tape because it really allowed us to see who had given accurate witness statements,” he said. Some concern was raised about whether to release the surveillance video, but Wilber said he believes the public knows better than to simply trust an official when they could see for themselves. “For me to stand up to say trust me this is what we found out, that doesn’t fly in an age where people knew things were on video,” he said. The video is given a lot of attention for about a day, he said, “and then it’s over.” He said he did sit down with Escritt’s family in the conference room of his office before making the public announcement so they weren’t caught off guard. “We tried to take them through a miniature version of what we did with the press conference,” he said. “It was just a horrible tragic situation and it got way out of hand, and it was heartbreaking.” At the end of the day, Wilber said he believes his office owed it to the public to release the same information it would give prosecuting a case. “I’m a public servant,” he

– Matt Wilber, Pottawattamie County Attorney

ATTORNEYS AT LAW Top, Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber, right, and Council Bluffs Police Chief Tim Carmody, left, address the media about the death of Abraham Lincoln High School student Dakota Escritt on Oct. 1.

• JAMIE L. COX • LONNY L. KOLLN II • LEE R. RANKIN • BENJAMIN J. WISCHNOWSKI • FRANK W. PECHACEK, JR.

said. “I’m answerable to the public.” He said he doesn’t generally apologize for his decisions, but he is happy to explaining his rationale. Transparency helps promote understanding and makes situations better. “I’m not saying everyone is going to agree with every decision I make,” he said. “When we make mistakes, when we own up to them, they tend to

be news for a day.” Simply issuing a statement or avoiding a detailed overview of the decision not to charge Teer with a crime would have left too many questions unanswered, and it could have caused additional problems at Abraham Lincoln that he could have avoided. “Whether or not I have a legal obligation to do what I did, I have somewhat of a

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2014 Year in Review: Top Stories

8C Friday, December 19, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

TOP BUSINESS STORIES OF 2014 Tuesday: Stories 10-12

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

4. Changes at CVB office 5. Dick’s Sporting Goods to build near Target 6. Famous Dave’s moves to Metro Crossing 7. Renovations at The Center 8. MidStates Bank buys Shoppes of Madison Ave. 9. Casey’s: The King of Convience Stores 10. New cement plant 11. Broadway’s fast food changes 12. Gorilla Car Wash gorilla gets a name Business Stories

WALMART NUMBER TWO New store to open soon Tim Rohwer

trohwer@nonpareilonline.com

Within weeks, a new Walmart store will open in Council Bluffs. It’s to be located on North 16th Street by Nash Boulevard. “We continue to plan for an early 2015 grand opening,” Walmart spokeswoman Delia Garcia said recently. It will be the second Council Bluffs Walmart store, joining the one in the Manawa Power Centre. Besides general retailing, the 186,528-square-foot store will feature a pharmacy, grocery, bakery, deli, optical, seasonal items like lawn/garden products, etc, though no car care. The entry will face the south and feature large grassy areas as part of a new look for the national retailer. It is being built on land where a former RichmanGordman store once stood, as well as a motel. Approximately 240,000 cubic yards of fill, or dirt, had to be hauled in for the groundwork to construct the store, according to Steve Carmichael, the city’s chief building official. Besides a new shopping option, especially for those who live in northern Council Bluffs and north of the city itself, hundreds of jobs are being created. Approximately 300 full- and part-time workers are in the process of being hired for the store, Garcia said. “The majority of new associates will begin work in December to help prepare the store for its grand opening,” Garcia said. “I’m excited to bring great jobs and career opportunities to this community,” said Clayton Casey, store manager. said. Walmart provides a benefits program to eligible full- and part-time associates, such as: health-care coverage with no lifetime maximum, matching 401(k) contributions of up to 6 percent of pay, discounts on general merchandise, stock options and company-paid life insurance. Additionally, eligible employees receive a quarterly incentive based on store performance, according to Garcia. Through Walmart’s Veterans Welcome Home Commitment, the company will offer a job to any qualified veteran who has been honorably discharged within the past 12 months. Since launching the initiative on Memorial Day 2013, Walmart has hired more than 58,000 veterans across the United States, including more than 650 in Iowa, and projects that it will hire more than 100,000 veterans over the next five years. Interested veterans may find out more at http://walmartcareerswithamission.com.

WEDNEDAY: Stories: 7-9 THURSDAY: Stories 4-6

PATIENT CHI Health Alegent 2 CARE Creighton Clinic opens

Business Stories

A new health clinic opened in Council Bluffs in April, giving CHI Health patients another options for care. The new CHI Health Alegent Creighton Clinic opened on April 24 at 3135 W. Broadway. “I really think this is probably the initiation of the renaissance of West Broadway,” Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh said at the ribbon cutting for the care center. Ground was broken April 3, 2013, for construction of the 28,000-square-foot building on property that was between two grain elevators when work began. Both elevators have since been demolished, and the new clinic has given that section of West Broadway a dramatically different look. “This is a spectacular facility that is truly designed to improve care,” said Dr. Cliff Robertson, president and CEO of Alegent Creighton Health, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony in the spacious atrium that serves as the building’s lobby and waiting area. “One of the tenets of Alegent Creighton Clinic is to be the best place to get care and the best place to give care.” “We believe this is the next step for Alegent Creighton Clinic for providing health care not only for Council Bluffs but for the entire area,” said Dr. Rick Rolston, president and CEO of Alegent Creighton Clinic. “It is a beautiful facility, but it is only walls and chairs.” The staff – providers, nurses, support staff and custodians – make it a good place to receive health care services, he said. The clinic, which opened to the public on April 28, offers family medicine, pediatrics, physical therapy and basic lab and diagnostic services. The new facility replaced, in part, clinics at 2201 W. Broadway and 715

100 BLOCK ADDITIONS

Business Stories

Harmony St. The new building has its own X-ray equipment, including a unit accessible by wheelchair. Some physical therapy will remain at 2201 W. Broadway. All of the providers at the two previous clinics will be moving to the new location, said Dr. Anthony Hatcher, chief administrative officer of Alegent Creighton Clinic. An in-house pharmacy will open soon, and daily urgent care will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. “We’re going to be adding behavioral health services, and there will be ob/gyn services in the near future,” he said. Ultrasound equipment will be added with the women’s services, he said. Initially, providers will include six family physicians, two pediatricians, two physician’s assistants and two advanced practice nurse practitioners, according CHI Health. “I’m very excited to be able to practice in a state-of-the-art facility,” said Dr. J. Gregory Thomas after the ceremony. “Also, since I’m involved in education, I think it will be a recruiting tool as well to bring new physicians and new blood into Council Bluffs.” The facility’s design reflects the trend in Alegent Creighton Health, Sorensen said. “This was a hybrid model of (the clinic at) 96th and Giles,” known as the LaVista (Neb.) Clinic, he said. “We’re certainly trying to pursue copying this exact design at 42nd and L (in Omaha).” The facility features three identical pods – each with its own nurses’ station, lab area and conference room, Sorensen said. Primary care is offered Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to noon. The pharmacy is opened Mondays through Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Mike Brownlee

mbrownlee@nonpareilonline.com

TODAY: Stories 1-3

New retail, apartment space coming downtown Scott Stewart

sstewart@nonpareilonline.com

The 100 Block will have 26 new apartments and 9,000 square feet of retail space this summer. A three-story structure, dubbed the Sawyer Building, is being built next to the Hughes-Irons Building along the historic stretch of West Broadway. Julie Stavneak, a principal with J Development Co., said the project was delayed by a couple months by heavy rain but is on track to open in the summer. She said an additional 10 row houses along Pierce Street will open in the fall. The complex will have retail space along the first floor, as well as a parking garage with 38 stalls for residents as well as commercial parking. Stavneak said one entity is already interested in a bay for the retail portion, but she could not disclose its identity as of early December. She said the space can be split up to accommodate several stores or restaurants. She previously described the project as “fabulous,” and city officials have praised the decision to make improvements in the historic shopping district. The Sawyer Building is named for the lot’s original use, a lumber yard. Stavneak said a sawyer is someone who saws wood. “This is a worthwhile project,” Stavneak said in April. “There is a study that showed that for every couple that lives in a downtown area, the value of what they spend, such as rent, food and gas, is between $19,000 and $38,000 to that area.” Nineteen of the apartments will be available for those earning no more than 80 percent of the median family income, making the mixed-use development part affordable housing. A ground-breaking ceremony was held in May for the $8.9 million project. The City of Council Bluffs offered three years of property tax abatement, a rebate on sales and utility taxes and an investment tax credit of 10 percent. The project also received $900,000 in tax-increment financing, $2.4 million from a grant for flood relief and $500,000 in federal funds through the city, Councilman Al Ringgenberg said.

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2014 Year in Review

The Daily Nonpareil

Friday, December 19, 2014

TOP WEIRD STORIES OF 2014 TUESDAY: Stories 7-8

WEDNESDAY: Stories: 5-6 THURSDAY: Stories 3-4

BAR RESCUE? 2 NOT SO MUCH

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Weird Stories

3. C.B. a Top 10 ‘Sexy Suburb’ 4. Council approves ban on feeding turkeys 5. Treynor ebola ‘scare’ 6. Frankenrat on display at Missouri Valley shop 7. Man traces roots back to 1500s 8. Tractor murals in Mills County

John Schreier

jschreier@nonpareilonline.com

When Jon Taffer walked out, trouble rushed in for the O Face Bar. After the host of popular Spike TV reality show “Bar Rescue” left a Council Bluffs bar without renovating it, the backlash from what residents saw on the March episode was swift. Like most episodes, this one displayed foul-mouthed staff, fiscal irresponsibility and failure to deal with the large crowds of the “stress test.” But this one also featured smoking in a back room and multiple physical fights between employees – the last of which led Taffer to not rehabilitate the bar for the only time in the show’s history. Locals began fuming during the episode, taking to social media to express their feelings about the damage done to Council Bluffs’ reputation. The owners reported receiving death threats following the show’s airing and kept their kids home from school for a week for their safety. Instead, the owners claimed, they walked away from the show. “We had no clue they were going to depict us this way,” they said, “and once we saw what direction they wanted to take this with the fighting and arguing, we didn’t want to be part of that.” When the liquor license for the bar, 2400 Ninth Ave., was up for renewal in May, the city council voted it down, 3-2. “I understand this is a reality show, but the depiction of this inaccuracy has caused irreparable harm to the city,”

STRAAAANGE

Weird Stories

Man stabs himself at Axe Murder House John Schreier

jschreier@nonpareilonline.com

A Wisconsin man conducting a paranormal investigation was taken to the hospital in serious condition on Nov. 7 for an apparent self-inflicted stab wound in the chest he suffered at the Villisca Axe Murder House. Montgomery County Sheriff Joe Sampson said Robert Laursen Jr., of Rhinelander, Wisc., was alone in a room of the house when other paranormal investigators heard him yell for help. When they arrived, they found him with a stab wound to the chest and called 911. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office didn’t file charges because it found no indication of foul play. Sampson said an investigation showed no indication the stab wound was caused by an accident or fall. The sheriff added that there’s never been a report of a similar situation at the restored home at 508 E. Second St., which is on the National Register of Historic Places, despite its international renown among those seeking evidence of paranormal activity. The Wisconsin man was visiting the house – famed for eight brutal, unsolved axe murders that took place under its roof on June 10, 1912 – for what authorities called a “recreational paranormal investigation.”

A+ Rating

FRIDAY: Stories 1-2

Spike TV show causes problems for O Face Bar

Mayor Matt Walsh said at the meeting. In response, the owners said the events depicted on the show were staged and exaggerated to generate drama. They later said exposure on the show hurt business – the opposite effect they hoped to have by agreeing to be on it. The O Face’s liquor license was eventually reinstated by a state board upon appeal in August, as a state administrative law judge ruled the “record was insufficient to show a pattern of liquor law violations sufficient to justify denying the license renewal application on good moral character grounds.” Though the bar had its liquor license suspended for a week in October for an unrelated 2012 incident – the business’ only recorded liquor-law violation – it remains open for business on Ninth Avenue.

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2014 Year in Review

10C Friday, December 19, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

PEOPLE WHO MOVED ON IN 2014 TODAY: John Sciortino u Dan Smith u Steve Van Riper

TUESDAY: Joe Ankenbauer u Mike Barker u Keith Bartels u Lisa Fox WEDNESDAY: Eric Hansen u Chris Higginbotham u Art Hill u Loren Knauss THURSDAY: The Rev. Noel Kropp u Lynn Leaders u Ralph O’Donnell u Matt Schultz

SCIORTINO

says goodbye to County Recorder’s Office, hello to retirement When John Sciortino first came to the Pottawattamie County Courthouse, Jimmy Carter was U.S. president and there were no computers in the office where he worked, just typewriters. That’s how long he’s been involved in county business, but the end has come. Sciortino decided not to seek a ninth term as county recorder in the Nov. 4 election. He’ll be replaced by Mark Brandenburg. In January 1979, Sciortino was named deputy recorder and won his first election in November 1982. Up until now, he was the longest serving

VAN RIPER Steve Van Riper, ranger for the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, retired on Jan. 10 after 29 years of helping people enjoy nature. The 62-year-old Missouri Valley man planned to spend more time with his wife, Linda, and his family. The couple plans to visit the Amazon Basin and Machu Picchu. “I’m looking for that next chapter,” he said. “I’m looking for something a little different.” Aside from a large migration of snow geese that visit the refuge every year, Van Riper said he would miss his colleagues who had become an extended family. “They became family and friends,” he said. “You’re working side-by-side and doing everything from lake monitoring to checking on deer. You become close to a lot of those people.” Van Riper, an Omaha native, attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha and worked for several agencies in eight different states.

SMITH led airport expansion

A new era began this year at the Council Bluffs Municipal Airport with the departure of Dan Smith, who came there in 1992. “It’s a great loss for the airport,” said his daughter, Lisa LaMantia, president of the Advanced Air operation located at the airport. His annual contract was not renewed by the Airport Authority’s Board of Directors. “I was surprised,” Smith said. “All my evaluations were good. I was involved in getting $31 million in improvements.” When Smith came to the airport, only 28 airplanes were stationed there and “not a lot going on,” Smith said. Today, more than 100 planes call the airport home with annual operations making it one of the busier airports in the state. Along the way, Smith led the charge for a major expansion project, including a much larger runway and improved features to help pilots land and depart. A new terminal was also built. The Iowa Public Airport Association has awarded Smith not once, but twice with its Presidential Award honoring those who made a big aviation impact in Iowa. “If you look at the airport today to what it was when he arrived, it’s been a big improvement,” said former Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan. “He did a nice job.” Today, Smith works parttime at the airport. Smith was replaced by Andy Biller, who has more than 30 years experience in aviation.

elected official in the county, a distinction now held by County Auditor Marilyn Jo Drake. Needless to say, Sciortino has seen changes through the years. “It wasn’t until July 1, 1989, that we had computerized records.” Real estate documents were kept on microfilms, which were developed right there in the office, he said. “Today, it’s all electronic imagining and scanning.” In retirement, Sciortino and his wife plan to travel, including taking many camping trips.

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Van Riper started his career at Aransas and Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuges on the Texas coast in 1978. He then went to southern Oklahoma to Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge. His career took him to the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona and back to Texas to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge before moving to DeSoto and Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuges. His work included restora-

tion to wetland and upland habitats for private land owners. Van Riper said the 2011 Missouri River flooding created challenges for him and fellow staff members, but they were able to band together to work through it. “That was a huge undertaking,” he said. “There’s always those types of things when you’ve got a family of 15 to 10 people working together and lots of different things going on.”

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2014 Year in Review

The Daily Nonpareil

Friday, December 19, 2014

11C

PEOPLE & THINGS TO WATCH IN 2015 TODAY: New PCCF Director u Andy Biller u St. Patrick’s Church

TUESDAY: Presidential Candidates u Mark Eckman u New Superintendents WEDNESDAY: Joni Ernst & David Young u Tom Hanafan & Justin Schultz u Mark Brandenburg THURSDAY: Tim Carmody u Justin James u Timothy Dickmeyer

Mathiasen temporarily takes the helm of the Jerry Mathiasen, current senior vice president of the Iowa West Foundation, was named interim president of the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation. Mathiasen is a Council Bluffs native and chairs the Iowa Council of Foundations, the state association of Iowa’s top foundations, which includes many of Iowa’s community foundations. He helped author both the Endow Iowa tax credit law to benefit community foundation donors in their effort to help meet community needs and the state’s County Endowment Program. He will start at PCCF on Dec. 2 after retiring from the Iowa West Foundation. Before joining the foundation, he worked in the administration of Gov. Terry Branstad for 14 years as chief of staff. “The community foundation is getting a proven leader. PCCF will benefit greatly from Jerry’s leadership,” said Pete Tulipana, president and CEO of the Iowa West Foundation. He and his wife Cindy established the Cindy and Jerry Mathiasen Family Fund at the PCCF a couple of years ago. Their fund has made grants to local charities, such as the MICAH House homeless shelter last year. “This is very exciting for us to get a state philanthropic leader to help put us back on a steady track after several months,” said Kelly Summy, PCCF chair. “With all his connections, we asked Jerry recently for advice on our search, and he said one option was exploring an interim director. Next thing you know, we were able to get him.” Marie Knedler, PCCF vice-chair, echoed Summy’s excitement. “He knows how community foundations work, has great marketing skills, and will also help us keep an eye open for a full-time president,” she said. “This is quite a coup for us at PCCF.” Summy and Knedler said that “it’s an important time” for the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation, adding Mathiasen

PCCF

will continue at times to assist the Iowa West organization when needed. They said his commitment to PCCF is a “great opportunity for us.” Asked if he would seek the permanent, fulltime position as PCCF’s president, Mathiasen said, “We’ll cross the interim bridge first.” During his time with the Iowa West Foundation, Mathiasen twice served as the foundation’s interim president and CEO. He currently serves on the state of Iowa commission for Terrace Hill, a national historic landmark and the residence of Iowa’s governor. The son of Dr. Emmett and Arlene Mathiasen, he is a 1972 graduate of St. Albert High School and Buena Vista University, where he earned a degree in political science and communications. Like other community foundations, PCCF is a tax exempt public charity which improves the quality of life in an area. Individuals, families, businesses and organizations can create funds, small or large, to meet community needs. “That’s the beauty of community foundations. People can become philanthropists with a small donation like our family fund and help meet future needs that they think are important,” Mathiasen said. “I’m looking forward to continue serving my home county.”

BILLER

brings experience to new job at airport

Andy Biller was named the new director of the Council Bluffs Municipal Airport, bringing his 30 years of experience with him to his new job. A Bluffs resident since 1984, Biller was selected in June by the airport’s Board of Directors for a one-year contract. “He’s been in business most of his work career,” said Rick Crowl, board member. His professional career began as a pilot before leading to a job in the sales and marketing of aircraft. “I’ve been interested in airplanes since high school,” he said. Working at some prestigious aircraft firms in the area, he sold the Mayo Clinic its first aircraft ambulance. Biller worked with Groom Aviation Sales, an aircraft brokerage and acquisition service provider that deals in Council Bluffs. The company was later absorbed by Holstein Aviation. He has also assisted with airport marketing duties. Biller learned to fly while still in high school and even taught it in college. He was a professional pilot for a time after graduating from the University of Northern Iowa in 1984, but learned of sales and marketing opportunities at Omaha’s Elliott Aviation and moved here. Besides Elliott, Biller also worked for the large Duncan Aviation firm in Lincoln, Neb. “Airports create a positive first impression,” said Biller. “If businesses are looking to expand and if we do it right, it can reflect positively upon the community.” The airport is funded partly by taxpayers, as well as revenue from gasoline sales and the rental of hanger space and aircraft. Investments were made in the past, said Board Chairman Brad Knott, who added, “We’re moving on. We’re trying to keep making improvements. We’re managing the airport to the best of our abilities.” The airport already has numbers that look positive for economic growth.

There are 103 planes based there with more than 45,000 annual operations, making it the fourth-busiest airport in the state. Since he took over from longtime director Dan Smith, Biller has studied all aspects of operations for the airport in preparations for future goals. There is plenty of information available to help in that preparation, including the city’s new master plan that offered numerous suggestions, including the expansion of hangars and pilot facilities. “We would like to see growth in aircraft storage facilities built by aircraft owners,” Biller said. Located in the rolling hills in the eastern portion of the city, the airport is 250 feet higher than Omaha’s Eppley Airfield, situated near the Missouri River. The master plan, known as Bluffs Tomorrow: 2030, sees advantages to this and suggested the airport should “leverage their protected location from floodwaters to host operations during flooding events.” The Council Bluffs airport is a general aviation reliever to Eppley Airfield, meaning that business planes and those used for personal and recreational flights could land there – but not large commercial planes, Biller said. There are no plans for extending the airport runways to accommodate larger planes, he added. There’s also plenty of room for its own expansion or businesses to build on its land, he added. But, the airport isn’t letting that land just sit there. “We have 200 acres of tillable ground, and we have two farming organizations who are leasing the ground and farming it,” Biller said. To have modern facilities and equipment, as well as an aviation mechanics school and a high elevation from flooding are advantages the airport plans to promote, he said. “These will help us compete for business in the Council Bluffs-Omaha area. We want to understand our niche and determine what we have to offer that others don’t and focus on promoting those.”

ST. PATRICK’S CATHOLIC CHURCH parish continues fundraising campaign for new building project St. Patrick Catholic Church is continuing its campaign to build a new church near College View Elementary School and Iowa Western Community College. The parish has begun groundwork on its property at the southeast corner of Valley View Drive and College Road. Phase one of the project is estimated to cost $5.9 million in May 2014 plans. Plans for a new church have been underway since 2007, with a building committee forming in 2012. St. Patrick’s was founded in 1924, although a church stood at its spot at 223 Harmony St. before it was built. The church conducted a campaign planning assessment earlier this year. A summary released June 4 showed 81 percent of respondents were wiling to contribute to the parish-

building project. A projection by The Steier Group estimates St. Patrick Parish will raise between $2.3 million and $2.8 million for the project in three years, according to the summary. St. Patrick’s has been exempted from the Catholic Diocese of Des Moines capital campaign as it works to raise money for its new parish. The group found the interest in the campaign to be strong, with overall participation in the survey at 34 percent, in excess of the goal of 20 percent to 25 percent. An average number of participants volunteered for the campaign. “The response by St. Patrick’s parishioners was extremely strong,” a summary of key findings said. “The majority of parishioners feel building a new church is necessary.” On a scale from 0 to 10, the survey found a

TOP HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES IN 2014 2014 Graduates with a GPA of 3.5 or higher St. Albert High School Emma Munger, Felicia Roppe, John McGinn, Eric Johnson, John Theulen, Courtney Fostvedt, Sam Sneed, Nick Allmon, Lindsey Hunter, Lauren Archer, Haley Klusman, Trey Bowman, Jennifer Rew, Josie Thomas, Gus Doll, Mason Beezley, Kylie Ferguson, Josh Kramer and Wyatt Lewis. Lewis Central High School Alexis Albertsen, Mallory Allen, Mia Blackman, Riley Blay, Steven Brickey, Mason Brinkman, Kyle Brown, Derek Bruun, Jacob Cannon, Haley Cleaver, Demi Cloyd, Jacob Cook, Colton Cubrich, Brooke DeForest, Brook DeMarque, Frasier Dew, Anna Dieatrick, Hannah Dmyterko, Dana Doebelin, Megan Driver, Sarah Drummey, Harper Emswiler, Amy Epperson, Chelsea Eret, Christian Fricke, Hunter Furler, Kirsten Gallant, Madeline Hahn, Mackenzie Hatcher, Robert Hemmingsen, Shelby Hickey, Riley Higgins, Carey Jacobs, Chelsea Jacobs, Derek Jensen, Brendan Johnson, Matthew Johnstone, Austin

Jones, Morgan Jones, Kyle Larson, Lauren Leehy, Suraj Mahathantila, Brandon Michaelsen, Allison Montgormery, Dakota Moore, Emily Moore, Weston Morgan, McKenzie Pettepier, Lincoln Rodenburg, Jacob Rodgers, Joshua Rolles, Alicia Root, Michael Rose, Olivia Rowen, Ethan Ruby, Jordan Schaeffer, Madison Sharp, Madison Short, Shelby Simonin, Madeline Smith, Mason Stoufer, Nathaniel Suhr, Henry Terry, Brittany Turner, Taylor Underwood, Sonia Valley, Kristina Vang and Kelsey Walker. Abraham Lincoln High School Joi Albertus, Rebecca Barker, Tristin Barnhart, Alivia Bascue, Kayla K. Beck, Kayla M. Beck, Jamie Bernhards, Delaney Bolton, Jaidlyn Bookout, Sara Borgaila, Olivia Burgher, Michelle Capulin, Natalie Carlon, Jakson Cole, Megan Frush, Grayson Harvey, Jared Holcomb, Victoria Holcomb, Krystal Hopkins, Britteny Johnson, Victoria Krohn, Christopher Lavy, Sidnie Lewis, Ashtyne Madsen, Melissa MartinezValdez, Melanie Mathiesen, Kirstina Michl, Alexis Nadler, Thanh Thi-Thien Nguyen, Hope Philbrick, Emma Preston, Ashley Pruitt, Jesse Sayles,

Cassandra Schilling, Leigha Stark, Colton Tracy, Jessica Valdez, Payton Whiteaker, Courtney Wilson and Natalie Wilson. Thomas Jefferson High School Samantha Arnold, Faye Arthur, Vanessa Banderas, Alicia Beckman, Trevor Ceder, Aaron DeSantiago, Melissa Duschanek, Steven Eidem, Kelly Espinoa, Andrea Fuentes, Jamie Gilbert, Fatima Gonzalez-

Espinoza, Samantha Goodwin, Jaimie Granger, Itzel Hernandez, Erich Hilske, Mistie Kackley, Tristan Kern, Zachary Lacombe, Elizabeth Lundvall, Ashley Mace, Josie Malone, Tiffany Malvin, Madison Mann, Mariah Parker, Kimberly Pemberton, Matthew Raes, Anthony Rea, Hannah Reed, Brandon TaylorAshbaugh, Eric Wheaton, Zachary Williamson and Jamie Wredt.

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6.73 average rating for building at the Valley View property, which The Steier Group reported represented a high priority. Rarely does the consultant see responses in excess of 8 on the scale. Plans released by St. Patrick shows a building with a 25,300-square-foot main floor with seating for nearly 400 in pews. The parking lot would accommodate about 250 vehicles, and the building’s second floor would be 3,100 square feet. An architectural firm, Clark Architects Collaborative 3, and an architect, Kevin Clark, have been hired for the project. The firm has designed St. Partirck Cathocli Church, in Lincoln, Nebraska, as well as several other Catholic churches in and around Nebraska’s capital city. The Rev. Glen Wilwerding did not return phone calls by press time.

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2014 Year in Review: Monthly Recaps

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Clockwise from top left, Lindsey Kolhof, 6, selects a pumpkin to take home while her first-grade classmates wait to do the same at Carter Lake Elementary School Oct. 21. Dave Smith donated more than 400 pumpkins to select Council Bluffs Community School District schools for the students to take home for free. Center, CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs employees kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month by releasing pink balloons outside the hospital on Oct. 7, 2014. Low Cost Lawns of Omaha also painted pink ribbons across the lawn on the hospital’s campus for free. Simeon Dunker, a retired miltary police dog handler living in Omaha, right, keeps spirits high with others while making a 23-mile on-foot trek to Omaha during the Ruck Up for Life event Oct. 25. Phoenix House’s Domestic Violence Advocate Ashleigh Heide Wiltgen, left, and Public Relations Specialist Martha Wight hang t-shirts - each designed with positive messages and calls to end domestic violence - during the Clothesline Project at Bayliss Park Oct. 30. A costumed Scott Smith, left, and Madison Haugland decide how to distribute their raffle tickets Thursday night during the MICAH House Guild Open Hearts Campaign’s Costumes for a Cause fundraiser at Barley’s. The MICAH House Guild hosts a series of fundraisers throughout the year to support the MICAH House.

port the parent group’s events. Attempted murder charges filed against a Council Bluffs man were dismissed Oct. 13. Vaughn White, 21, was arrested in July for his alleged role in a June 14 shooting at 37 Bluff St. Around 3 p.m. that Saturday, Council Bluffs Police officers were called to an apartment complex at the address where they found a 16-year-old girl suffering from a gunshot wound. After investigating, officers located and arrested White on July 5. According to Iowa court records and the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office, attempted murder and intimidation with a dangerous weapon charges have been dismissed. The county attorney’s office said a witness at the scene of the shooting could not identify the suspect during a deposition. The victim, who was treated and released at a local hospital after being shot, also could not identify her shooter. On Oct. 6, nationally-known speaker and former pro-wrestler Chris Hollyfield spoke to some 80 parents and students in Bayliss Park as part of National Anti-Bullying Week. Hollyfield, who

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n Oct. 30, Mark Eckman, director of the Ottumwa Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, was hired for a similar position in Council Bluffs, according to Kathy Fiscus, the local interim director. The Board of Directors of the Council Bluffs CVB selected Eckman after a three-month search and interviews with three finalists, she said. Eckman began his duties in Council Bluffs on Dec. 1 In late October, students at Kirn Middle School held a Socktober campaign to collect donations to support the homeless. Socktober was started four years ago by YouTube personality Kid President, a show produced by SoulPancake.com, hosted by Robby Novak and directed by Brad Montague. The campaign was brought to Kirn with the help of Mandi Jones, a seventh-grade math teacher. The initial goal was to have each student, on average, donate two pairs of socks, but the drive was expanded, and students began to complete against one another to win a movie and popcorn afternoon for the top performing grade as well as an egg and pancake breakfast for the advisement rooms with the most donations at each of Kirn’s three grade levels. As of Oct. 29, the students at Kirn more than quadrupled the initial goal of 1,980 items for the school. Dunkin’ Donuts, the nationally-known donut/coffee restaurant opened its first Council Bluffs location at 2200 W. Broadway. Founded in 1950, Dunkin’ Donuts is based in Canton, Mass. Dunkin’ Donuts has a wide variety of donuts, including glazed, chocolate frosted, Bavarian kreme, powdered, French cruller, butternut, and Long Johns in vanilla, chocolate and maple to name just a few. Coffees include regular flavor, lattes, cappuccino, vanilla chai, hot or iced tea, plus many soda flavors. A full line of sandwiches are available, plus breads. It was the second new Dunkin’ Donuts to open in October in the metro area. The first opened at 705 S. 72nd St. in Omaha, on Oct. 15. The first-degree murder trial for Cody Metzker-Madsen, who was accused of killing his 5-year-old foster brother, began Oct. 28 in Harrison County District Court. Last year over Labor Day weekend, authorities found Metzker-Madsen’s foster brother, 5-year-old Dominic Elkins, dead in a wooded ravine. Metzker-Madsen, then 17, said the two were “playing bricks” on Aug. 31, 2013, outside their rural home north of Logan, according to court documents. An autopsy determined the boy died as a result of blunt-force head injuries and drowning. On Oct. 27, the Council Bluffs City Council approved the preliminary plans for a large subdivision on the eastern portion of town. Called Greenview Estates, the 388-lot project is to be located north of Greenview Road and west of Franklin Avenue and developed by the BHI firm of Omaha. The project, according to its developer, would be similar to Shadow Lake outside of Papillion, Nebraska, with houses ranging from $275,000 to $475,000 and up. Various builders would be sought to offer different home styles. “It’s taking a corn field and creating 400 tax-paying homes,” said Councilman Nate Watson. On Oct. 25, the first Council Bluffs-Omaha Ruck Up for Life march departed from Bayliss Park at 8 a.m., with about 150-200 making the 23-mile trek, which ended at the Veterans of Foreign Wars location at 89th Street and Military Avenue in Omaha. The march honored military members who have taken their own lives and to raise awareness that help is out there. Twenty-two veterans take their own lives every day, according to the Ruck Up for Life website, based on numbers from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Google held its Googlefest event Oct. 21 at the Holiday Inn at Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs. Googlefest is a free conference for small business owners, educators and nonprofits to learn how to use Google products like Google+, AdWords, Places and Calendar, said spokeswoman Lisa Russell. The event builds on Iowa’s Get Your Business Online, a seminar to help businesses launch websites and build a presence on social media. In the past year, Google has helped more than 2,000 businesses and others launch websites through the seminar. The event highlighted Google’s investments in Council Bluffs, including its data center, which was built in 2007. The technology company has made more than $1.5 billion in investments at its data center, bringing more than 500 direct and contracting jobs to the community, said Andrew Silvestri, Google’s public policy and government relations manager for the central region. The company also focuses a large area of its community efforts in education. The company also uses grants as a major vehicle for it to help the community. Since 2009, the company has awarded more than $825,000 to Iowa nonprofits and schools. Grant recipients include the Council Bluffs and Lewis Central districts and foundations, Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa, the AIM Institute, the Boys & Girls Clubs, MICAH House and Iowa Western Community College. About 700 people came out for the annual Buddy Walk, held at the Lied Multipurpose Complex at Iowa School for the Deaf on Oct. 18. The event was organized by the Southwest Iowa Down Syndrome Parent Group members Shannon Stafford, Mary Jensen, Rhonda Haitz, Dawn Bonsall, Melody Osbahr and Katie Meyer, along with other volunteer support. The goal of the event was to raise awareness and acceptance. The fundraising conducted during the event – which included a calendar featuring local children, a silent auction and a pancake breakfast – collects money to sup-

OCTOBER The Daily Nonpareil

had a tough time growing up because of his height, told students about the four types of bullying – cyber, social, verbal and physical. “There is not one that is good,” he said. The 60-minute event, which included music and a magic act, was sponsored by the Council Bluffs Anti-Bully Committee. On Oct. 1, it was announced that no charges would be filed against Gregary Teer for his role in the death of Dakota Escritt. At a press conference, Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber said an investigation by his office found that Teer, 16, used legally justified force in defending himself during an altercation with Escritt, 17, at Abraham Lincoln High School. During the incident, Teer punched Escritt, a blow that left the latter unconscious as he fell and hit his head on tile floor in the school’s commons area. Escritt died from injuries suffered in the fall on Sept. 27 at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha.

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Elections, resignations and leaks in tim johnson

tjohnson@nonpareilonline.com

ovember brought historic changes to the national and state political landscapes, new developments in southwest Iowa and a few tragic incidents. The TS Banking Group has officially acquired The Bank of Tioga of Tioga, N.D., the bank announced Nov. 1. The banking group announced plans to purchase the bank in May for an undisclosed amount. The TS Banking Group is a joint venture between Treynor Bancshares Inc., the bank holding company of Treynor State Bank (TS Bank), with banking assets of $290 million, and the newly-formed TS Contrarian Bancshares, Inc., according to a release. In June, TS Bank Group announced plans to purchase Farmers State Bank of Crosby, N.D. Michael Lee faces up to five years in prison for his actions during a high-speed vehicle pursuit in December of 2013 in Council Bluffs. Fourth District Court Judge Gregory Steensland sentenced Lee, 29, of Council Bluffs, after the defendant pleaded guilty to felony eluding, operating a vehicle while intoxicated-first offense, inference with official acts and operating a vehicle without owner’s consent as part of an agreement with the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office. On Dec. 1, 2013, Lee led authorities on a high-speed chase near the South Expressway and Veterans Memorial Highway. The pursuit ended with the truck Lee was in upside down and the suspect suffering from a gunshot wound. Lee admitted to authorities that he’d smoked K2, a synthetic marijuana, and that he had no recollection of the incident until waking up in the hospital with a gunshot wound. Republicans won the day in the Nov. general election, capturing more seats in Iowa and both chambers of Congress. Joni Ernst, R-Red Oak, defeated Democrat Bruce Braley to become Iowa’s first woman in the U.S. Senate in the general election Nov. 4. The two were competing for the seat being vacated by longtime Sen. Tom Harkin, who did not seek reelection. Ernst, 44, ran a disciplined campaign and projected the persona of a small-town Iowan, military veteran and state legislator. Braley, 57, a four-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, focused more on presenting issue differences and billed himself as a consumer advocate. Nationally, the Republican Party claimed control of the Senate. Voters in southwest Iowa chose to send Republican David Young to represent the 3rd Congressional District as one of the state’s two new members of Congress, tilting the balance of power in the delegation to the GOP. Young of Van Meter defeated former state Sen. Staci Appel of Ackworth, a Democrat who was contending to become the first woman ever elected to Congress from Iowa. The seat representing the 3rd Congressional District came open when 10-term incumbent Rep. Tom Latham retired. In Iowa’s other open House race, Dubuque businessman Rod Blum defeated former Iowa House Speaker Pat Murphy in a tight race to represent northeastern Iowa. Iowa’s two incumbent congressmen, however, both cruised to re election. GOP Rep. Steve King of Kiron won a seventh term by defeating Iraq War veteran Jim Mowrer, a Boone Democrat. Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack of Iowa City, fended off a challenge from Ottumwa eye doctor Mariannette Miller-Meeks, the state’s former public health director. Republican Terry Branstad cruised to re-election for a sixth term as Iowa’s governor, overcoming a poorly funded Democratic state senator. Voters Tuesday overwhelmingly favored Branstad, who was

13C

NOVEMBER

first elected governor in 1982. After serving four terms, he took a 12-year break from politics before being elected again in 2010. Branstad had no trouble with his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Jack Hatch of Des Moines. Incumbent Mary Ann Hanusa won re election to the Iowa House Tuesday, defeating attorney Marti Nerenstone. The vote was 4,470 to 2,794 for the District 16 seat. In District 15, Democratic newcomer Charlie McConkey defeated Republican John Blue, 3,067 to 2,994. Carter Lake residents overwhelmingly – with more than 67 percent of the votes – supported an estimated $736,137 bond issue to purchase a $475,000 pumper truck to replace an existing 30-year-old engine that has proved unreliable. Pottawattamie County residents failed to pass a tax levy increase for West Pottawattamie County Extension. In total, 10,805 – or 54.88 percent – voted no on Measure B, which would have increased the levy from $112,500 to a maximum of $337,000 with an additional $9,000 increase for each subsequent fiscal year after 2015. Of voters, 8,882 – or 45.12 percent – supported the increase. Two Council Bluffs women died from injuries suffered in a two-vehicle crash Nov. 4 in Council Bluffs. Wendy Hastie, 47, and Tammi Murray, 50, both of Council Bluffs, died as a result of the wreck, which occurred around 9:45 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Highway and South Expressway, according to the Council Bluffs Police Department. Damian Morgan, 31, of Council Bluffs, was eastbound on Veterans Memorial Highway in a Dodge Intrepid with Hastie and Murray as passengers. Morgan turned north onto the South Expressway, allegedly pulling into the path of a westbound van driven by Armando Mendez, police said. Police believe alcohol or drugs may have been a factor in the crash. Hastie was in the front passenger seat and was pronounced dead at the scene. Council Bluffs Rescue transported Murray to CHI Creighton University Medical Center, where she later died as result of her injuries. A Council Bluffs man on the run after skipping a sentencing hearing is in custody. The Metro Area Fugitive Task Force arrested Luke Bird, 27, around 1 p.m. Nov. 4 at a home in the 1100 block of Sixth Avenue, according to the Council Bluffs Police Department. For his role in an August shooting and police pursuit in Council Bluffs, Bird pleaded guilty on Oct. 7 – as part of an agreement with prosecutors – to intimidation with a serious weapon, going armed with intent, possession of a firearm, assault while participating in a felony, unauthorized possession of an offensive weapon and eluding police while participating in a felony, all Class D felonies, and operating a vehicle while barred, an aggravated misdemeanor, according to Iowa court records. Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber said the agreement meant Bird would face a sentence of 20 years in prison, a mix of consecutive and concurrent (at the same time) sentences for the various crimes. The agreement allowed Bird to have a week of freedom – with a GPS monitoring device tracking his movement – and included provisions that if Bird skipped sentencing or committed a crime while free, he’d receive consecutive sentences for the offenses, which would bring Bird’s total prison time to 32 years. A sentencing hearing in the matter was scheduled for Oct. 16, but Bird cut his GPS device off and was a no-show. Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber said his office will apply for a warrant to charge Bird with felony failure to appear in court, a Class D felony. A new sentencing hearing will be scheduled in the matter.

Clockwise from top, from left, Brody Gradoville, 16 months, his mother April, family friend Anisa Taylor, and Brody’s twin brother Miles, march around the Council Bluffs Public Library during the annual Thanksgiving Day parade Nov. 26. About 40 kids and parents walked around both floors of the library, where staff and patrons cheered them on. The library provided the children with crafted turkey hats and percussive instruments to add to the festivities. Tom Hanafan, right, celebrates his Pottawattamie County Supervisor seat win with Barry Cleaveland, middle, at the Pottawattamie County Courthouse on Nov. 4. Scott Belt and Justin Schultz were elected to the other two remaining seats. Cheri Garrison rings up customers at the 2200 W. Broadway Dunkin’ Donuts on Nov. 6.

Bird was held on no bond at the Pottawattamie County Jail. Shenandoah Community School District Superintendent Jeff Hiser was fired Nov. 5 following an investigation by the district claiming to have uncovered evidence of fraud, policy violations and a cover-up of misdeeds. Members of the Shenandoah school board unanimously approved immediately terminating Hiser’s employment after spending about an hour and 40 minutes in closed session during a special meeting. Board President Dwight Mayer said the board conducted an investigation but the information gathered is confidential because it is a personnel issue. Monte Munsinger, the district’s special education and curriculum coordinator, was appointed the interim superintendent since Hiser went on leave in October. Hiser, who did not attend the meeting, served as superintendent since 2011. He could not be reached for comment. Carter Lake Elementary School students received an unexpected long weekend after a water valve failed Nov. 17 and began flooding the building. School resumed the next day, and the district said students will not have to make up the lost day of instruction. Spokeswoman Diane Ostrowski said water was found in hallways, the kitchen, the gymnasium, the art room, the All Care Health Center clinic and the adjacent Carter Lake Resource Center. Custodian Greg Rangel found the water about 5 a.m. Nov. 17, Ostrowski said. Staci Pettit, director of facilities, maintenance and custodial services, said carpet would be replaced in two rooms the next day. Teachers went ahead and worked and also met for their regular Monday professional development time, Principal Doreen Knuth told Ostrowski. No estimate was available on the cost of the damages. Ostrowski said some student artwork was lost in addition to supplies and replacement costs for carpet, woodwork, vinyl baseboards and other damage to the building. A southwest Iowa school superintendent simply walked off the job Nov. 17. Chuck Scott, the interim superintendent of the Woodbine Community School District, abruptly resigned during a regular school board meeting. He was just over a third of the way through his contract upon resignation, and school board president Beth Fouts said Scott had been putting in additional time to address the district’s budget issues. Scott’s contract was for $43,500 for the school year, with two work days a week, said Kelli Gray, board secretary. Scott’s resignation came as the district was working to cut spending in this year’s general fund budget by $100,000, a target that won’t itself remedy the spending the district has done in excess of

the state’s spending caps. The $100,000 in anticipated cuts are expected to involve classified staff positions for this year. Because of contractual requirements, teachers and administrator positions can’t be cut this year, but they could be targeted for reductions next year. A former superintendent of the Lewis Central Community School District, Scott remains a Council Bluffs resident but has served as interim superintendent for Prairie Valley in Gowrie, for Creston and for AHST in Avoca, where he briefly served as the permanent superintendent. Woodbine hired Scott after the retirement of Tom Vint, who also served as the superintendent of Boyer Valley. The Boyer Valley school district decided to hire a superintendent-principal combination instead of continuing to share, which left Woodbine in a bind. Glenwood welcomed a new farm supply store to town Nov. 20 as the retailer settles into a new community. Bomgaars, a Sioux-City based, family-owned company, opened a 23,000-square-foot shop at 1306 S. Locust St. last Wednesday. Manager Michael Jensen, a transplant from Sioux City, said the store provides for 20 jobs, including his own, a mix of full- and part-time positions. Dave Meyer, senior vice president and chief operating officer for the company, said Glenwood lacked a farm and ranch store. He said Bomgaars worked with the city government and found a place to set up shop. A True Value hardware store closed last year, which was a bonus but not a key reason for Bomgaars’ decision, Meyer said. Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh on Nov. 20 announced a major project, “Return to Fairmount Park,” that is being made possible, in part, by a $100,000 lead donation from the Rotary Club of Council Bluffs. Walsh and Parks Director Larry Foster said the city will be initiating the nearly $1 million project over the coming year. The woodlands of Fairmount Park will be restored, and new trails will be established to improve pedestrian access to the city’s oldest park from surrounding neighborhoods. The highlight of the project will be a plaza on the site of the former Fairmount Lodge overlooking a new water playground, the first of its kind in Council Bluffs. In addition to $100,000 provided by the Rotary Club of Council Bluffs, funding for the project was also made possible by the City Council and a state of Iowa Resource Enhancement and Protection grant. Robert Reynolds, 63, Oakland, was found guilty of firstdegree murder Nov. 21 for the shooting death of Patricia Kinkade-Dorsey, 64, of Atlantic, during the early morning hours of April 8. A jury of nine women and three men deliberated for about three hours before handing a

verdict to Fourth District Court Judge Greg Steensland. Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber said he was grateful for the verdict. On the morning of April 8, around 3 a.m. at his home, Reynolds fatally shot the victim just above the right eye with a 9mm handgun. KinkadeDorsey was a friend of Theresa Reynolds and was staying at the home before heading to Omaha to catch a flight to California to see her grandson off for a deployment with the Air Force. The three had spent the previous evening drinking with the Reynolds’ neighbors, who left around 10:30 p.m. Around 3 a.m. that night, Theresa Reynolds awoke to find her husband screaming at Kinkade-Dorsey in the kitchen. After she entered the fray, telling Robert Reynolds to stop yelling, he left the kitchen and returned with the gun. After more shouting – including from Theresa and her daughter Amber Hoyt, who begged the victim to leave the house and her stepfather to put the gun down – he shot KinkadeDorsey. During his closing arguments, Wilber first played a phone call Reynolds made to his mother and stepfather’s home around 11:30 a.m. April 8 from the Pottawattamie County Jail. When asked by his stepfather what’s going on, Reynolds said, “I killed a woman last night.” Reynolds is scheduled to be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2015. A Philadelphia-based logistics company has been awarded tax benefits to build a warehouse facility in Council Bluffs and provide at least 50 jobs, the Iowa Economic Development Authority board announced Nov. 21. XTL Inc. is planning to invest $62 million in construction of an automated warehouse at South 24th Street and Veterans Memorial Highway, said Bob Mundt, president and CEO of the Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce. The company plans to begin the project early next year, he said. XTL received tax benefits through the High-Quality Jobs Program to create 50 jobs, of which 16 are incented, at a qualifying hourly wage of $17.06. Waiting in line to see the show, theatergoers in Missouri Valley will once more stand in a neon glow. The Rialto Theater Association in Missouri Valley recently wrapped up repairs on the theatre’s marquee. On Nov. 21, a lighting ceremony was held with the Missouri Valley Chamber of Commerce and residents. Dennis Collier, president of the association, said repairs and renovations on the theatre have been an ongoing mission. The group formed in 1989 to save the building from demolition after it had languished from lack of use for years. After an association board meeting to decide which direction to go next, Collier said it was time to fix the marquee. The sign hasn’t worked right in nearly 20 years, he said. The association tried to fix it themselves, but it was difficult to match the right colors of neon for the lights, meaning different letters were several varying shades of red. The Harrison County Community Foundation made the repairs possible with a grant of $17,000 to the association. Signworks Inc. of Omaha completed the work for $15,967. The Council Bluffs City Council, in a 4-1 vote Nov. 24, approved the contracts for services involving the construction of the Playland Park project. The council authorized Mayor Matt Walsh to execute an agreement with the Council Bluffs office of HDR Inc. for engineering services for the project. A similar agreement was approved with Omaha -based Noddle Development Co. for the implementation of the project. The city agreed to pay Noddle an annual fee equal to $100,000. The payment for HDR was not immediately available in coun-

Friday, December 19, 2014

cil meeting documents. Recently, the council approved a new master plan for Playland Park that would include two multi level office buildings, two condominium towers that could be up to 10 stories tall as well as three levels of apartments and other residential buildings. The Iowa West Foundation has plans to move its headquarters to one of the buildings, the nonprofit previously announced. The two office buildings could employ up to 1,000 people. City officials have said new Avenue A would be built through the heart of the project and would have a bike trail alongside. A key factor for the project was the creation of the recently opened Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park, according to developer Jay Noddle. Councilman Al Ringgenberg, who voted against the master plan, did the same at the Nov. 24 meeting, expressing concerns about possible tax burdens for the city. He said there are many other projects going on that might seek tax incentives. Kreft Primary School students went on Thanksgiving break early. A water line break at the school shortly afternoon Nov. 24 had water coming up through the floor of one of the school’s main hallways. Superintendent Mark Schweer said the water leak spread throughout the afternoon, and the district decided to cancel classes Nov. 25 to address the problem. The Lewis Central Community School District’s three other buildings remained open Nov. 25, Schweer said. A Council Bluffs man faces five years in prison for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Stephanie Rose sentenced Anthony J. Wesolowski, 42, to 60 months of incarceration for the offense and ordered the defendant to serve 10 years of supervised release following his imprisonment, the office of U.S. Attorney Nicholas Klinefeldt announced Nov. 25. An extensive investigation began when law enforcement determined that Wesolowski was using a file sharing program to obtain images containing child pornography over the Internet for a period of several years, the release said. On July 8, Wesolowski pleaded guilty and admitted that on Oct. 31, 2013, he had images on his home computer that depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Construction permits have been issued for a Z Wireless store, as well as a new Pizza Hut restaurant for the mall at 2200 W. Broadway, the Council Bluffs Building Division said Nov. 25. Both permits are for interior finish work, the office said. The Z Wireless store will offer 1,800 square feet of retail space, while the Pizza Hut will have 1,448 square feet. The Pizza Hut at 1738 Madison Ave. closed its doors on Nov. 30 and will move its operations to the store on East Pierce Street, which will become a carry-out and delivery store only, a Pizza Hut employee said. A 66-year-old Riverton man died in a house fire Nov. 25. William Daniel was unable to escape the residence and died in the fire, according to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office, along with fire and rescue crews from Riverton, Sidney and Hamburg, were called to 911 Meadow Avenue in Riverton at about 6:20 a.m. “There were no working smoke detectors in the home, so my office will be working with the Riverton Fire Department,” said State Fire Marshall Special Agent John Ticer. “The department has expressed an interest in our smoke detector campaign as far as getting smoke detectors out into the community, so we’re going to be working with their department over the next few weeks to try to facilitate that.” An investigation concluded that a discarded cigarette had started the fire.

14C Friday, December 19, 2014

Students say goodbye, special election held in Tim Rohwer

trohwer@nonpareilonline.com

2014 Year in Review: Monthly Recaps

The Daily Nonpareil

DECEMBER

ecember opened on a sad note. On Monday, Dec. 1, a somber environment overtook Kreft Elementary School as teachers and students remembered a little girl who had recently died from a sledding accident. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just a sweet little darling girl,â&#x20AC;? said Principal Barb Grell. She was referring to 5-year-old Kailey Maloney, who died the previous day from injuries suffered when she was struck by a truck while sledding on Nov. 15. School counselor Marcia Raymer spoke with students in Kaileâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kindergarten class. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are a resilient bunch,â&#x20AC;? Anaise Letner, the class teacher, said of her students. Students and teachers also wore green ribbons in the little girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s memory. The youngster donated her organs, and green is the color for organ donation. Three southwest Iowa school districts held special elections on Dec. 2, with a reorganization in Fremont County failing by a sevenvote margin while a tax increase was approved in Avoca. Voters in the Hamburg and Farragut school districts were asked to reorganize their districts into a combined Nishnabotna Community School District. While voters in Farragut overwhelming approved the proposal 372-32, voters in Hamburg narrowly defeated the merger with a 271-264 decision. Both school districtsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; voters had to approve the reorganization by a simple majority. In Pottawattamie County, voters in Avoca, Hancock, Shelby and Tennant approved a tax increase for school infrastructure projects, including transportation, facility repairs and technology. A total of 450 ballots were cast, with a 273-177 split meeting the needed 60 percent majority. An expanded physical plant and equipment levy allows the AHST Community School District to collect up to $1 per $1,000 of taxable valuation for those specific purposes. The levy will be a combination of property taxes and an income sales tax. The district does not have to collect the full amount each year. Also on Dec. 2, it was announced that a Woodbine native gave a $4 million bequest to her alma mater to establish a scholarship for Iowa residents. Grinnell College announced that Marilyn Walsh, who spent her career as a tax attorney in New York City, made the gift to the private college which sits between Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. Walsh earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Grinnell in 1950. She made her bequest in memory of her mother, Dorrit Walsh, in appreciation for her advice, encouragement and love. Shane Jacobson, the vice president for development and alumni relations, said the investment was one of the largest one-time gifts in the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history. Marilyn Walsh passed away Sept. 2, 2013. The scholarship will be open to students who have lived in Iowa for five or more years immediately prior to receiving the award. Any such student will be automatically considered for a Dorrit Walsh Endowed Scholarship upon application. Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh said on Dec. 5 that he has received complaints about the ever-decreasing number of holiday lights in the downtown area, particularly Bayliss Park. The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fund these lights, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If there is an interest in raising money, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m willing to facilitate the discussion,â&#x20AC;? he said. A Council Bluffs man, Damian Morgan, 31, was arrested on Dec. 5 on suspicion of two counts of motor vehicle homicide in the deaths of two women in a car crash in November. Morgan was allegedly operating his vehicle under the influence of methamphetamine and alcohol when the accident occurred on Nov. 4 on Veterans Memorial Highway. He allegedly turned his vehicle into the path of oncoming traffic as he attempted to turn onto the South Expressway. It was announced in early December that the Community Education Foundation awarded 66 grants totaling nearly $52,000 to the Council Bluffs School District to fund classroom projects and supplies. The City Council of Carter Lake held a special meeting Dec. 17 to continue the Dec. 15 meeting that ended in uproar. The items of the agenda remained the same from the previous meeting with calm kept as the council voted to overturn Mayor Gerald Waltripâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s veto of City Clerk Doreen Moweryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pay raise. During the Dec. 15 meeting, accusations from Councilman Ed Aldmeyer that Waltrip bullied Mowery led to heated exchanges between the two and residents. Eventually, Councilwomen Barb Hawkins and Barb Melonis motioned to adjourn the meeting and left without the vote being finished. On Dec. 17, the vote passed unanimously. However, Councilman Ronald Cumberledge paused for a moment before voting yes. After the vote he said he believed Mowery was entitled to the raise. Melonis said she has offered her assistance to Waltrip to come up with a method to have meetings that go more like last nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instead of like Dec. 15. Waltrip said the Dec. 15 meeting had gotten out of hand but that he would never allow the publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right to speak be infringed, referencing how the meeting had ended with representatives leaving. Public comment was held after the vote with several residents speaking their minds about what had happened Dec. 15. Bill Patterson stepped forward and said the council, City Attorney Joseph Thornton and Mowery have shown Waltrip no respect. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think [Waltrip] can be a jerk, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve told him that and have pleaded with him to calm down, but the [four incumbent council members] have done as much to cause this friction as [Waltrip] has,â&#x20AC;? Patterson said.

From top Lewis and Clark Elementary second-grader Preslie Girres, bottom, writes a critiques of other another studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art with her mother, Sarah, at a student art showcase at the Council Bluffs Community School District offices at the Omni Center Dec. 16. Dozens of families from the school district filtered thorugh the gallery to view this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s featured student pieces. The event was the second of a series of student art showcases in 2014, with another one happening in March next year. Wilson Middle School seventh-grader Gabe Torres, 12, and his peers answer true-or-false questions with colored paddles during an online privacy and safety presentation from Google at the school on Dec. 2. Officer Bret Burns with the Council Bluffs Police Department wears a uniform camera. In December, law enforcement officials discussed the pros and cons of the surveillance equipment. The fountain at Bayliss Park glows as holiday lights brighten surrounding trees Dec. 6. Misty Kuiper and her son Brennan, 6, read a book at Carter Lake Elementary Dec. 5 during the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cozy Family Reading Night. Families were given a free book, snacks, and bookmarks that has prompts to encourage discussion about different elements in books that their children read. More than 100 preschool through fifth-grade students showed up for the event.

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2014 Year in Review: Final Farewells

16C Friday, December 19, 2014

The Daily Nonpareil

FINAL FAREWELLS: PEOPLE WE SAID GOODBYE TO IN 2014 *LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER* TUESDAY: January-March WEDNESDAY: April-June THURSDAY: July-September TODAY: October-December

Dr. John Okerbloom

“Always, the patient came first,” said Connie Casson, clinic manager at Heartland Oncology & Hematology, who worked with Dr. John Okerbloom for more than 30 years. Okerbloom, 62, founder and medical oncologist at Heartland Oncology, died Oct. 27 after a more than nine-year battle with prostate cancer. “He was excellent to work with and very supportive –

• An Abraham Lincoln High School and Creighton University graduate, Dr. Donald Gardner became a leader in the toxicology field for nearly 50 years of scientific work. Born in Council Bluffs in 1931, he received bachelor’s and master’s degrees at A.L. before receiving his doctorate at the University of Cincinnati. In the meantime, he served in the military, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the Environmental Protection Agency. In 1988, Gardner founded the Journal of Inhalation Toxicology, where he remained the editor-in-chief for more than 25 years until his retirement in September, a month before his death at age 82. His stature in the field made the journal a great success and established an international focal point for inhalation toxicology, for which he was honored with awards from NASA, the U.S. Surgeon General and the EPA. He was also a lifetime national associate member of the National Academy of Sciences. Gardner received Creighton’s Outstanding Alumni Merit Award in 1980 and was inducted into the Abraham Lincoln High School Hall of Fame in 2001. • Southwest Iowa lost a longtime nurse, both in the medical community and local schools, in October. Emily Storey, 77, graduated from Treynor High School in 1954 and the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing three years later. She worked as a registered at Mercy Hospital and Cogley Clinic before becoming a school nurse for nowclosed Lakeview and Kreft elementary schools in the Lewis Central Community School District in Council Bluffs. Storey, a resident of both Council Bluffs and Sidney during her professional career, moved to Missouri and retired to the Lake of the Ozarks before returning to Plattsmouth, Neb., for the last years of her life. • A nurse who dedicated her professional career to the Council Bluffs-Omaha metro area died in October at age 50. Lisa Kaufman, who grew up in Silver City and graduated from Glenwood High School in 1982, was the valedictorian of her class at the Jennie Edmundson School of Nursing. She then attended Clarkson College in Omaha, where she received her bachelor’s degree and more honors as a valedictorian. Though her first job was as an intensive-care unit nurse at Midlands Hospital in Papillion, Neb., she bounced around before landing a job at Thomas Jefferson High School. Kaufman moved to Council Bluffs, Omaha and Mineola during her life, but she ultimately returned to live in Glenwood. • Council Bluffs lost an hard-working farmer turned entrepreneur. Clark Christiansen Jr. was born in Mapleton in 1930, but he moved to Council Bluffs to farm in the late 1940s. He also worked at the Swift packing plant for 17 years. In addition to his work on the farm, Christiansen founded Cleaning C’s Janitorial Service, which he owned and operated for a quarter-century. The variety of work he encountered led family members to remember him as a “jack of all trades” in his obituary. • The Council Bluffs Police Department lost an officer in October. Sgt. Matt Cushing died at age 46 on Oct. 10. He was survived by his wife, two children and seven siblings. • A lifetime of service to Council Bluffs children ended with Eleanor Olson-Schultz’s death on Oct. 29. The 91-year-old, a native of Lake Mills who received her bachelor’s degree from Luther College in Decorah and a master’s from Creighton University, spent 37 years teaching in Council Bluffs elementary schools. Over the course of her career, she taught at Edison, Hoover and Bloomer elemen-

very caring, very, very knowledgeable,” Casson said. “His expertise was outstanding,” and he was “very patient-centered.” Nine years after he was first diagnosed with cancer, an oncology doctor who had spent a career helping patients lost his battle with the devastating disease. Okerbloom was described by patients as a “a blessing to Council Bluffs.” That description, however, fails to do justice

tary schools. Even after her retirement, she remained active in numerous local church, social and professional groups. • Joyce E. Schoeppner, age 76, passed away at her residence on Oct. 31, 2014. She graduated from Omaha Technical High School in 1956. She received her BS from Omaha University in 1960, and was united in marriage to Richard J. Schoeppner on Aug. 23, 1958, in Omaha. Joyce taught English at Thomas Jefferson High School for 16 years and was also a homemaker. Her memberships include Saint Patrick’s Church, PEO Chapter MQ, Federated Women Club, Retired Teachers and Delta Kappa Gamma. Following her passing, memorials were suggested to the Richard and Joyce Schoeppner Memorial Scholarship Fund care of the Community Education Foundation. • Paula Wolfson Kessler, age 62, passed away Nov. 2, 2014.She was born on March 29, 1952. She was a finance manager at Wolfson Used Cars for 30 years. • Robert C. Griffith, age 78, Council Bluffs, passed away Monday, Nov. 3, 2014. Robert was born March 16, 1936, in Council Bluffs, to Howard and Mona (Frence) Griffith and graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1954. He was united in marriage to Sandra Petrus on Nov. 29, 1958, in Council Bluffs, and served his country in the U.S. Army. Robert formerly owned R.C. Griffith Walnut and for many years worked at Midwest Walnut as a buyer. He was a member of First Christian Church. • Alyce J. Birdsong, age 85, of Council Bluffs, passed away Nov. 7, 2014, at Fox Run Assisted Living Center. Alyce was born March 17, 1929, in Council Bluffs, to the late Leo and Flossie (Bowman) Carter. She married LeRoy Birdsong in 1951 and to this union two sons were born, Rick and Craig. Alyce worked for many years as a cafeteria worker for Council Bluffs Community Schools. She was a long-time member of First Assembly of God Church, where she volunteered, and taught Sunday School. Alyce was a Cub Scout Den Mother and a voter poll worker. • Jean M. “Jeannie” Andersen, age 69, of Treynor, passed away on Friday, Oct. 31, 2014, after a courageous and short battle with cancer. She was a beloved elementary school teacher in the Lewis Central School system for more than 25 years, teaching a variety of grades and substitute teaching once she retired. She received the Rotary Outstanding Teacher Award in 2001. Jeannie was very active in the community as a founding member and first president of the former Jaceeettes (currently JTW), La-Leche League Leader, the Child Care Task Force and A&E Book Club. She was also active in many other organizations, book clubs, retired Lewis Central teachers, ADK, St. Paul Lutheran pre-school governing board and was always willing to lend a hand where she could. Jeannie was an avid reader and a beloved teacher and friend. She loved taking care of her grandchildren and loved spending time with her family and friends. She attended many Iowa games over the years and loved traveling with her friends and family making each trip memorable. • Former Iowa legislator Dennis Butler, age 74, of Atlantic and formerly of Council Bluffs, passed away Monday, Nov. 10, 2014, at Heritage House in Atlantic. Dennis Eugene Butler was born in Lenox, Iowa, to Dr. Elliott and Elizabeth (DeVoe) Butler. He graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs and was awarded a Navy ROTC scholarship to the University of Missouri where he received a bachelor of arts in political science.

to the miles he traveled to visit patients in outlying areas. Fremont-Mills High School’s valedictorian of the Class of 1970 attended Drake University for his undergraduate work and the University of Iowa for medical school. After residencies and fellowships in Des Moines and Omaha, Okerbloom returned to southwest Iowa. He was diagnosed with cancer, the same disease he helped so many fight, of the

prostate in May 2005 when trying to identify the source of back pain. Despite his cancer, he worked a nearly full schedule – taking time off only when he was very ill – until this year. “He loved what he did, and he absolutely concentrated on the patient aspect of the practice,” said Penny Malcolm, office manager, whose husband’s sister, Barbara, married Okerbloom. “He just liked to know about the people. He

Following graduation, he served four years in the Navy, leaving as a lieutenant, j.g. On discharge from the Navy he sold life insurance while earning a teaching certificate from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He then joined the faculty at his alma mater – Abraham Lincoln High School – where he entered one of the most rewarding periods of his life. His work as a government studies teacher and debate coach combined his interests and skills in government, debating and teaching with his total delight in working with teenagers. A few weeks before his death he was still hearing from former students and colleagues. He left teaching for one of the other great joys of his life – politics. In 1972, he was elected to a two-year term in the Iowa House of Representative from the district that included Carter Lake. Dennis could and would happily talk politics with anyone of any persuasion at any time for as long as the other person or people were willing to continue participating in the discussion. He felt particularly honored when, at an Atlantic luncheon that was part of recent mid-year election events, Iowa Senator Charles Grassley introduced him and spoke of the time they served together in the Iowa House along with current Iowa Governor Terry Branstad. Dennis began his career path as a Chamber of Commerce executive in Harlan in 1976. He went on to lead chambers in Fergus Falls, Minn., Williston, N.D., Ottumwa and Gillette, Wyo. A Kiwanis member since 1973, he served as president of both the Council Bluffs and Atlantic clubs. He also was Lt. Governor for the Nebraska-Iowa Kiwanis District and held a number of other leadership roles in the organization. • Naomi Ruth (Ohrtman) Northwall, age 89, of Council Bluffs, passed away Nov. 10, at Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs. She taught rural schools and later she attained her degree from the University of Iowa, She then taught in upper grades was a substitute teacher. • Mary Gertrude Moran, 84, of Le Mars, formerly of Council Bluffs, passed away Nov. 11, at the Good Samaritan Society in Le Mars. She attended school in Le Mars and following graduation, she attended Briar Cliff College in Sioux City where she received her teaching certificate. Following college, she began teaching in the area before settling in Council Bluffs, where she also taught school. Following her retirement, she continued to live in Council Bluffs until moving to Le Mars in December of 2011 to be closer to family. While living in Council Bluffs, Mary was an active member of Holy Family Catholic Church. She volunteered her time with many church functions. She was also a member of Catholic Daughters of the Americas. • David John Nelson, Sr., age 71, of Neola, passed away at home on Nov. 10, surrounded by his loving family after battling cancer. He served as the Fire Chief for the City of Neola. • Vernetta Jean Rold, age 92, passed away Thursday, Nov. 20, at her home surrounded by her family. Vernetta was a school teacher in the Council Bluffs area for 37 years, after starting her career as a teacher in a one room schoolhouse. She was a longtime member of Timothy Lutheran Church where she was involved in Stephen Ministries, Bible class and the Evangelism Committee. Vernetta and her husband, Leonard, were members of the Circle and Swing Square Dance Club and together traveled around the world seven times. Vernetta continued to tutor children and was known for her herbs. • Robert J. Swentor “aka” Bob Ampe, age 73,

really wanted to know who the patient was and something about them. He would always ask about the rest of their family or their pet, because he wanted to relate to them on a personal level.” He received a Spirit of Courage Award from the Jennie Edmundson Foundation in 2006. “He was a fighter,” said Michelle Kaufman, director of oncology services at Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital.

Council Bluffs, passed away Nov. 24, in Omaha. Bob was a longtime Restaurant owner with Ampes on Ames Avenue in Omaha for 13 years, Ampes in Carter Lake from 19902009 and Sam’s Italian Villa in Council Bluffs from 2009 to present. Bob was a member of the VFW Club in Carter Lake. • Kailey Marie Maloney, age 5, of Council Bluffs, passed away at the Nebraska Medical Center. She was born in Council Bluffs on July 23, 2009. She is survived by her parents, Brian Maloney and Amy Fastnacht; sister, Katelyn Maloney; maternal grandparents, Earl and Virginia Fastnacht; paternal grandmother, Michelle Maloney; aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family. • Jeanne M. Tjaden, age 88,of Council Bluffs, passed away Dec. 1. After graduating from Manchester High School, she attended and graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. Jeanne etired after a long teaching career. • Ronald Eugene Rohatsch, age 72, of Crescent, passed away Dec. 3. He worked for the US Postal Service as a Letter Carrier for 39 years. Ron served his country in the National Guard. He was co-owner of Loess Hills Vineyard and Winery in Crescent. He served as past president of the National Association of Letter Carriers for 13 years and was a member of St. Patrick’s Church in Neola. Ron was an avid outdoorsman, New York Yankee fan and loved to attend his grandchildren’s activities. • Owen A. Darrington, age 86, of Underwood, passed away Dec. 3, at CHI Mercy Hospital. Upon graduation from high school, Owen began farming and feeding cattle. Owen was named Outstanding Young Farmer by the Chamber of Commerce in 1962. He was a 4-H leader for 10 years and his family was named Outstanding 4-H Family in 1974. Owen received the 4-H Alumni and Service award and his family was honored as WOW Farm Family of the Week in 1961. He was named outstanding producer for the Pott. Co. Cattleman in 1995 and received the Conservation District Owner-Operator Award in 1995. Owen received the Agri-Pro Seeds Appreciation Award in 1996. He was a member of Underwood Lutheran Church; Treynor Lamar Hartje American Legion Post No. 725; charter member of the National Cattleman’s Association, Iowa Corn Growers, Soybean Association, Farm Bureau, and National Federation of Independent Businessmen. He served on the Westfair Board for numerous years and was inducted into the Westfair Hall of Fame in 1996. He retired in 1994. Owen is an active supporter of the Share-A-Calf Program and Apple Pie Auctions, volunteer for many years for the UMBA 4th of July Celebration; served as chairman of the West Pott. Co. Extension Council, former church council member, school board member and was known to the 4-H kids as the man with the sawdust. • Winifred Anne Shipley-Johnson – “Win” “Aunt Win” “Miss Shipley” to many – passed away Dec. 10 at her home in Risen Son Christian Village. Win attended Riverview School, Missouri Valley High School, Buena Vista University graduating after many summers of classes Summa Cum Laude and Valedictorian. Having started her teaching career in a one-room school in rural Little Sioux, following high school she taught for 43 years at schools including: “Hard Scratch” – Logan, Riverview and retiring after decades at Rose Hill in Omaha. Many of her former students (some of which received her scholarships to further their education), pay tribute to her influence in their lives by keeping in touch.

IN MEMORIAM: Remembering those who left us in 2014 OCTOBER Albert “Bud” Zabel Alice N. Gerard Anderia Lynn Robb Anna M. Bryant Arla Y. Rediger Betty June Woolsoncroft Charlene Betts Charles F. “Chuck” Stuck Clark C. Christiansen, Jr. Craig Robert Jensen Dakota M. Escritt Darrell Dean Moore David C. Hill Debra A. Avey Delwood (Del) L. Maurice Dennis Eugene McGee Donald “Terry” Hawkins Donaleen “Dona” Brooks Dorothy Mae Maxfield Dr. Donald E. Gardner Edna Jean Whalen Shields Eleanor B. Olson Schultz Elizabeth Pearl White Elsie Lucille Killpack Emily K. Storey F. Leona Points Frank F. Gindelsperger Garnet Marie Bower Genevieve J. Conaway Gordon Lee Poulson Harriett Irene Mass

Harvey A. Leinen Ivan L. Allen Jason Alexander Hilt Jessica Marie Greer Joanne A. Bersane John Albert Okerbloom, M.D. John S. Vallinch Karen H. Bradley Kaye A. Boyer Kenneth Eugene Martin Kevin Michael Yost Kurtis Lund Larry Herbert Reams LaVerne F. (Vern) Pierson Lisa Kaufman Lynn E. Denton Marc L. Hipsher Marcella Schechinger Mary D. Caudillo Mary Virginia “Ginny” Berger Matthew L. Cushing Max D. Jones Maxwell E. Wright Michael S. Torgerson Norma Grace Kroeger Norma Jean (Cole) Tyrrell Paul Raymond Butts, Jr. Peter M. Dinovo, Sr. Raymond Lee Myers Reverend Karen Ann Capel Rian Howard Cole Richard C. MayBee Merrifield, Jr.

Richard James Castillo Robert L. Hansen Robert M. Blake Ronald Oscar Boren Sally M. McKinley Scott A. Good Sherman D. Livengood Sherry Rae “Mouse” English Stanley L. Hansen Steven D. Fletcher, Sr. Teddy William Knapp Tena Pierce-Grover Thelma M. Skadal Theresa A. “Terri” Cooper Thomas Michael “Mikie” McCann Wallace F. “Wally” Corrin William F. Moore William F. Somerville William J. (Bill) Thomas Danny Schmidt NOVEMBER Adeline Funk-Thompson Alyce J. Birdsong Amy Sue (Morel, Jones) Lakins Ashley R. Clayton Bette J. Hansen Betty J. Borchman Beverly Marlene Webster Carol Marie Osbourn Casey Jo Sedam-Heisler Charles H. “Chuck” Tiarks Charlotte J. Hecht

Colleen M. Ross Dale Austin Sillik, Jr. Dale D. Herrick Danny Joe Eberl David Bailey David John Nelson, Sr. Denise Marie O’Toole Dennis Butler Donald L. Olson Donita P. (McCarty) Awalt Dorothy Mae Maxfield Edwin K. Fender Eleanor B. Olson Schultz Eugene Joseph Pursell Frank F. Gindelsperger Fred W. “Freddie” Graham Galen Michael Dobbs Genevieve M. Goodwin Harry Leonard “Bill” Gaines III Helen (Kmezich) Vaughan Howard L. “Mick” Garrett, Jr. Jack Thomas Jean M. “Jeannie” Andersen Jeffrey T. Drabek Joyce E. Schoeppner Juanita Gardner Kathleen A. Lathrop Turk Kenneth L. Morgan Larry Allen Moss Larry Charles McKern Lauri L. Crist Lois C. Graybill

Lorraine E. Kish Loyd E. O’Neill Lynn F. Grap Mabel Ethel Hogan Schweers Marilynn E. Houser Marjorie Kramer Marlene A. Gittins Marshall R. Clark Mary Elizabeth “Liz” Connell Mary Gertrude Moran Milton C. “Charlie” Allen, Jr. Nancy June (Hopewell) Christian Naomi Ruth (Ohrtman) Northwall Oscar Auten, Sr. Paul D. Beck Paula Wolfson Kessler Phyllis Jean Baer Rae Jean Namanny Ralph Morris Randy R. Elsey Ricky L. Hensley Robert C. Griffith Robert D. Johnson Robert J. Swentor “aka” Bob Ampe Robert Kenneth “Bob” Mott Robert Lowell Coons Robert “Bob” Ruby, Jr. Robert W. Martins Roger R. Swanger Ronald J. Kuta Rosella “Sally” Kobold Shirley A. Heinrich

Shirley Jean Archer Tammi Lynn Murray Tracie Ann Clark Valdemars “Val” Juris Deklavs Vernelle M. (Plummer) Fritz Vernetta Jean Rold Wendy Lee Hastie LuAnn (Brown) Mead Robert Pryor Ronald F. Dirks DECEMBER Anna Lee Atkinson Barbara S. White Bobby Gene Munyon Charlene Caruso David D. Blanchard Delia Irene Seidel Delmar Delbert Pullen Diana Lee Holmbeck (nee Gohlinghorst) Eugene E. Glynn Gary Earl Saunders George F. Doumis Gerald T. “Jerry” Kelsey Helen L. Nelson James A. Marr Jeanne M. Tjaden John B. Conlon June Marie Sillik Kailey Marie Maloney Katherine Sayers Kay Ellen (Scott) Neil

Larry Lee Kirkpatrick Lee Null Leta June Wilkinson Lori K. Pummel Manuel V. Bello Marilyn Jane Nichols Mark William Goraczkowski Marlene A. Mills Marty Furne Mavis J. DiMauro Millard T. Baughman (Sonny) Monica N. Kleffman Nancy J. Vance Owen A. Darrington Patricia A. Johnson Peggy May Stephens Peter John Larmon Phillip Martin Rocha Reva M. Towers Richard G. Probst Robert J. “Buck” Williams Robert “Bob” Ruby, Jr. Roger Keith Miller Ronald Eugene Rohatsch Ronald L. Shaw Rose Mary Jones Ruth Josephine Stanley Estelle Sarah “Dixie” Fleming Steven Wayne Donnelly Virginia M. (Hough) Hemmingsen Walter A. Leick Winifred Anne Shipley-Johnson Jeremy J. Torske Obed J. Elland

The names listed above are from Obituaries & Funeral Notices published in The Daily Nonpareil during 2014 (through December 14th). The list may not be a complete list of all area deaths. This tribute sponsored by your friends at...

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Underwood Community School District www.underwoodeagles.org

Elementary, Middle School & District Office: 601 Third Street, Underwood High School: 629 North Street, Underwood

Glenwood Lake Park, the pride of Glenwood, offers area residents a chance to “kick back and enjoy” a beautiful picnic area surrounding a scenic Glenwood Lake. Adjacent to the park is a five-acre recreation and sports complex, complete with tennis courts, ball diamonds, soccer fields, lighted basketball courts, and sand volleyball. Sports and recreation can also be found at the Glenwood Golf Course, Pony Creek Recreational Area, Glenwood YMCA as well as the Glenwood Sports complex. Glenwood is also served by sixteen churches (one Roman Catholic and fifteen Protestant), some old, some new. The old retain the foundation on which our community was built while modern new churches show our commitment to the future. Keep up with Glenwood’s proud athletic teams – school sports and club sports. Glenwood also has its own local theater group, the Mills Masquers. The group performs comedies, melodramas, and musicals several Glenwood’s newest & only times each year, utilizing Sports Bar & Grill the amphitheater and its GREAT FOOD newly constructed play12 BEERS ON TAP house.

FUN FOR THE FAMILY

Glenwood School District, with an enrollment of 1,800, includes two elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. Recent additions to the elementary and high schools help the system keep pace with an ever increasing enrollment.

712-800-1122 419 Sharp St. Glenwood, IA

1/2 PRICE APPETIZER Expires 6/30/15

www.gridirongarage.com

Treynor Treynor, originally named Four Corners, is located in southwest Iowa, 12 miles east of Council Bluffs, Iowa on Highway 92. Treynor’s motto “Treynor takes pride in its people”; is demonstrated in all aspects of living, to include: academic, athletic, business, and recreation. Visit our friendly community. In 1893, a salesman by the name of Fritz Ehrig was visiting town and he recommended that a post office be established here. The salesman told the postmaster that if he approved the post office, they would name the town Proud Supporter of the after him. PostTreynor Community master Treynor accepted the offer and a post office was established Farm land, Acreages, Residential & Commercial and the name 124 E. Main Street Treynor, Iowa of the town For more information contact Byron Menke at was changed to 712-487-3542 www.MenkeAuction.com Treynor.

Byron Menke

• 24 Hour Skilled Nursing Care. • Physical, Occupational, & Speech Therapy • Resident Outings to local attractions. (Casino, Zoo, etc.) • Assisted Living with Meals, Laundry & Housekeeping Glen Haven Home & Linnwood Estates Assisted Living focus on our residents’ physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. We are committed to providing compassionate support for both resident and family members. 302 Sixth Street • Glenwood, IA 51534 • glenhavenhome.com For Skilled Admission, please contact Denise Chambers, Social Services,

712-527-3101

For Assisted Living, please contact Linda Wiser, LPN,

712-527-1035

SOUTHWEST IOWA’S PREMIER HOSPITAL Our recent renovations make Jennie the standard for healthcare throughout the region. The Meaning of Care. bestcare.org

The meaning of care.