Home News Thursday News, May 19th

Thursday News, May 19th

Former Boyden City Clerk Under Investigation 

A special investigation by the state auditor’s office concludes the former city clerk in the Sioux County town of Boyden made more than 36-thousand dollars worth of “improper and unsupported” transactions with city money.

Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports.

The City of Boyden has about 700 residents.

The state auditor has forwarded the report on Sipma to state and county law enforcement.

 

GRASSLEY SUPPORTS TRUMP’S LIST OF POSSIBLE SUPCO NOMINEES

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says he’s impressed by likely Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s list of potential picks to serve on the Supreme Court.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says Trump’s list is made up of eleven judges who “understand and respect the fundamental principle that the role of the courts is limited and subject to the Constitution and the rule of law.”

Trump included an Iowan on his list.

Steven Colloton sits on the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
He was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush in 2003.

Grassley says understanding what kind of justices a president would appoint to the nation’s high court is an important part of the election debate.

He says that gives the American people “a voice in the direction of the Supreme Court for the next generation.”

 

UNI President Leaving To Accept Position At Ohio College 

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) – The University of Northern Iowa president is leaving Iowa to accept a position at an Ohio college.

University officials announced Wednesday that President Bill Ruud is leaving UNI after three years and will become the president of the Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio on July 3.

An interim president will be named at the Iowa Board of Regents meeting in June.

He became the university’s tenth president in 2013. Before coming to Iowa he served as the president of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.

 

Iowa Sees Big Drop In Number Of Calls To Runaway Hotline

A report from the National Runaway Safeline shows a dramatic decrease in the number of Iowans calling in — both young people and concerned parents. Last year, 281 Iowans called the Runaway Safeline, a big drop from 566 calls the previous year. Maureen Blaha (BLAH-hah), executive director of the service, says conflict in the home is the primary reason most callers reach out.

The reason for the drop in calls from Iowa is unclear, but one official says it may simply equate to fewer teens on the run in Iowa and happier families. The average caller to the Safeline is 17 years old and female. While equal numbers of boys and girls run away, Blaha says girls are more apt to reach out for help.

 

While the Safeline primarily targets young people, plenty of parents call in as well. Blaha says there are signs moms and dads can be on the lookout that may be a clue their child is considering the drastic move.

 

Other signs include: stockpiling of possessions or money and making threats to leave. As many as 2.8 million youth run away each year. If all of them lived in one city, it would be the fifth-largest city in the United States. The Chicago-based Safeline is available around the clock at 1-800-RUNAWAY or online at 1800RUNAWAY.org.