Latest news with #MadisonCountyBoardofSupervisors
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-Madison County Treasurer to be back in court Monday in theft, records tampering case
DES MOINES, Iowa — Former Madison County Treasurer Amanda DeVos is due in court Monday for a pre-trial hearing. Back in January, DeVos was arrested for alleged misconduct in office, tampering with records, and third-degree theft, among other charges. Criminal complaints filed in the case claim she used her access as county treasurer to alter documents to make it look like she paid the $758 registration fee for her vehicle when she hadn't. Scientists studying gravity waves in Des Moines Roughly a month later, the Madison County Sheriff's Office announced similar criminal charges were being filed against her in connection with property taxes owed by DeVos for 2023/2024. DeVos was relieved of her duties after a vote during a Madison County Board of Supervisors meeting in February, however it appears she continued to collect her salary for more than two months until a petition to formally remove her from office was filed in April. Pending litigation, county officials have since been ordered not to pay DeVos' $80,000 salary and benefits. A public hearing about this other matter is scheduled for July 18th. The pretrial hearing is being held at the Madison County Courthouse in Winterset at 9:30 a.m. Monday. Public safety leaders across Iowa to discuss impact of 911 systems charge Scholastic Spotlight: Griff visits Norwalk classroom Ex-Madison County Treasurer to be back in court Monday in theft, records tampering case Scientists studying gravity waves in Des Moines 107-year-old man finally receives high school diploma Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge orders temporary pause on paying Madison County treasurer amid criminal charges, hearing set
MADISON COUNTY, Iowa – A hearing has been set regarding a petition to remove the embattled Madison County Treasurer from office after she was asked to resign, but did not. In the meantime, county officials have been ordered not to pay her salary, benefits, or any other compensation. Amanda DeVos was elected to a four-year term in November 2022 and began serving that termon Jan. 1, 2023, according to court records. On January 31, 2025, she was arrested for alleged felonious misconduct in office, tampering with records, fraudulent practice in the third degree, and third-degree theft. A criminal complaint states investigators were tipped off in late November of 2024 that DeVos may have used her access as county treasurer to alter government records to make it look like she paid $758 for her vehicle registration plates when she had not. Roughly a month later, the Madison County Sheriff's Office announced additional criminal charges were pending against DeVos. 'These charges are separate from earlier charges filed in relation to vehicle registrations and stem from an investigation into DeVos' own property taxes that were owed for 2023/2024,' said Sheriff Jason Barnes in a written statement at the time. Those charges are expected to be filed by the Iowa Attorney General's Office, which is reportedly conducting an investigation of its own. DeVos was relieved of her duties after a vote during a Madison County Board of Supervisors meeting on Feb. 6. However, it appears she continued to collect her salary and potential benefits for more than two months. She was asked to resign from her position, according to County Attorney Stephen Swanson. When she did not, Swanson took the legal step dictated by Iowa Code Section 66 to force her out of her elected office. It was unclear how much time had passed between when DeVos was asked to resign and when the legal action was taken, but last Friday, Swanson filed a petition to formally remove her from her position and also petitioned for an injunction that would prohibit 'Madison County from distributing salary, benefits, or other compensation to Defendant during the pendency of this action.' DeVosPetitionforRemoval_aef1fbDownload The court filing points to purported investigations by the state AG's Office and the State Auditor's Office and to several incidents of alleged money mishandling by Devos, like when the City of Winterset erroneously received more than a quarter of a million dollars in a series of erroneous financial deposits from the Treasurer's office that were meant for other municipalities. The filing went on to allege, 'the Defendant's continued receipt of public funds while facing felony charges and allegations of gross mismanagement is contrary to the public interest and unjustly enriches her at taxpayer expense.' Devos was making $78,787.13 this year after getting a 3.57% raise, according to online public records posted by the Iowa State Association of Counties. District Judge Stacy Ritchie, for Iowa's Fifth Judicial District, set a public hearing for May 5 at 10 a.m. at the Madison County Courthouse and ruled that 'pending the outcome of these proceedings, Madison County, its officers and agents are temporarily enjoined from disbursing any salary, benefits or other compensation to Amanda DeVos.' DeVos's elected term is set to expire on December 31, 2026. After her initial arrest, WHO-13 discovered that the Winterset Community School District said it was forced to withdraw investment funds to cover payroll after late payments from the Madison County Treasurer. DeVos allegedly blamed many of the financial issues on a third-party systems management company that the county retained. However, multiple leaders of small municipalities and local school districts within Madison County provided documentation to WHO-13 that showed financial errors that impacted their organizations went unacknowledged by the Treasurer for months, despite repeated efforts to notify her. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New high school program helps Indianola students with disabilities join the workforce
INDIANOLA, Iowa — A new program at Indianola High School is helping students with disabilities join the workforce. The Transition Alliance Program, or TAP, is a partnership between the school district and Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Other school districts across Iowa already have the program, but this is Indianola's first year with the initiative. Indianola's TAP coordinator, Alivia Nelson, helps special education students determine what fields they find interesting to pursue after graduating from high school. She meets with students during a non-core class, like study hall, to gauge their interest. Transparency concerns on the mind at Madison County Board of Supervisors meeting 'I really focus on what kids are telling me that they like. I try to ask them what they're interested in. If they don't know, that's okay, and I can say here's what we've done before,' she said. Nelson then organizes field trips to different colleges and workplaces so students can see firsthand what different professionals do day-to-day. Students also get to job-shadow and intern, while some even get offered jobs as a result of the program. 'I encourage kids if they're not really sure to go on field trips if they can because it gives them that exposure to something new that they didn't know existed,' said Nelson. Nelson has even connected with the community by taking students to local businesses across Indianola. One of her students now works at Savor the Rise, a local cafe, and another works at Pipsy's Wee Care and Pre School, a local daycare. The program is important for students, according to Nelson, because not only is she helping them explore their interests and see if a specific career is suited for them, but she also helps them understand and navigate employment while they're still in high school. 'Indianola is a growing school district and it's amazing for all of the students to have opportunities, but I think special education students tend to be missed for one reason or another, and it's a great opportunity for those students to get involved with some activities and different ideas that they may not be exposed to before,' she said. 'Before They Were Soldiers' profiles Iowans who did not return from Vietnam Students receive help applying for jobs, creating resumes, and perfecting interview skills. Once they secure an internship or job, she helps them understand expectations and navigate conflicts. 'Most of these kids are extremely capable of working, it's just they need to have the exposure and right support to get put in that position,' Nelson said. Despite this being the first year of TAP, around 60 Indianola high schoolers are already enrolled. Nelson said her goal is to continue to grow the program. Indianola daycare provider charged with murder in 4-month-old's death New high school program helps Indianola students with disabilities join the workforce Transparency concerns on the mind at Madison County Board of Supervisors meeting 'Before They Were Soldiers' profiles Iowans who did not return from Vietnam A family affair at the Grand Blue Mile Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gluckstadt assisted living facility breaks ground after search for new location. See where
The Oaks Residence Luxury Assisted Living broke ground on its Gluckstadt home Thursday morning, March 27, after a months-long search for a new location. A 15-bed facility, The Oaks, will serve elderly patients and those who cannot live on their own. The staff will include trained nurses and a five-to-one caregiver-to-resident ratio. Chad and Crystal Phillips, the husband-and-wife duo behind the Oaks, have long held the dream to open an assisted living facility. Chad, a Madison native and charge nurse, saw first-hand the need for such a facility in the Madison area. His desire to create the facility aligned with Crystal's knowledge as a realtor. The developers originally intended to build The Oaks in Livingston, an unincorporated community in Madison County near Flora dotted with restaurants and commercial businesses. In early January 2024, Livingston business owners and nearby residents gathered at a Madison County Board of Supervisors meeting to make their opposition known during a public hearing that lasted nearly three hours. Follow this Mississippi singer: Meridian man wins golden ticket, joins 'American Idol' season 23. See his audition round The owners and residents felt an assisted living facility would disrupt Livingston's established character. The area has few residential properties and is known more for its entertainment scene, including restaurants, commercial businesses, music festivals, farmers markets and wedding venues. The proposal, originally approved by the Madison County Planning and Zoning Commission in October 2023, went through several months of back and forth within Board of Supervisors meetings. The Mannsdale-Livingston Heritage Preservation Commission fervently pushed back against the planning and zoning approval. In late May, the proposal was still awaiting voting from the Madison County Board of Supervisors when Chad announced he and Crystal had chosen to withdraw the proposal entirely. The Phillips sold the Livingston property on May 24, 2024. Chad told the Clarion Ledger in early June 2024 that he and Crystal had found a new home for The Oaks, and on July 9, Gluckstadt Mayor Walter C. Morrison and the Board of Alderman unanimously approved a conditional use permit. Late Thursday morning, March 27, the Phillips officially broke ground in Gluckstadt. The new site is located on 5 acres of land on the corner of Calhoun Parkway and Stout Road. Chad and Crystal were joined by their children, Reese, 8, Hudson, 6, and James, 7 months, and representatives from Mills Contracting as they symbolically broke ground with shovels adorned with yellow ribbons. Mills Contracting also celebrated new beginnings. The company's freshly built office sits directly adjacent to The Oaks property. After the groundbreaking ceremony, the Phillips and Mills team celebrated with a crowd of about three dozen people, eating crawfish and listening to live music in the porch area of the new Mills building. Chad said the last year of hard work made Thursday's ground breaking even more rewarding. He added that the long process of praying and shifting plans has brought his family closer together. "The beautiful part about Gluckstadt is they haven't had any kind of nursing services, no assisted living memory care for seniors," Chad said. "So, when I approached the mayor, he was very excited that we would be able to bring this offering to the city because they just didn't have that." A car wreck, bitter cold, tornado fears: How lost dog Finnley finally reunited with family When looking for a new site, Chad said he was drawn to the Gluckstadt property. "I'd like to drive around a lot and think, and I drove by this piece of property, saw a sign on it, and within a month we were under contract, and within another month the property was approved by the city," Chad said. "We just immediately saw God's hand in the process … it was such a blessing." The Oaks will keep the original building plans, with a few tweaks so the exterior flows with existing infrastructure. This facility comes at a time of significant growth for Gluckstadt, which officially became a city in 2021. A couple miles down Calhoun Parkway, two days prior to The Oaks groundbreaking, Germantown High School cut the ribbon on a new 55,000 square foot state-of-the-art performing arts center, part of a $44 million project which includes a wing of new classrooms. Got a news tip? Contact Mary Boyte at mboyte@ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Gluckstadt assisted living facility finds new location, breaks ground
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Madison County Supervisors argue with each other, citizens, during contentious meeting
WINTERSET, Iowa – A Madison County Board of Supervisors meeting grew contentious on Tuesday morning after supervisors disagreed on an agenda resolution. 'Let's move on,' said Sheriff Jason Barnes to the board. 'Let's move on right now.' Sheriff Barnes was standing in the back of a packed meeting room behind dozens of residents who showed up to attend. The room, located on the lower floor of the Madison County Annex, had reached its maximum occupancy of 49 people and had only standing room available. The meeting started with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance but began to grow contentious during public comments when the work Auditor Teri Kaczinski has been doing was questioned. 'She's not even there. She leaves every day at 2:30 to pick up her kids,' said Mike Fletcher as he addressed Supervisor Heather Stancil, the board's Chairman. His comments drew some pushback. 'Mike, if you have an issue with the auditor, please address it with the auditor,' she responded. Work requirements for Medicaid, public assistance programs passes through Iowa Senate Fletcher is a City Council member for the City of Winterset. However, he stated during his public comments that he was making the remarks as a private citizen, not as an elected official. 'Mike, you are a city councilman. You do not know what goes on in county business,' Supervisor Stancil said. 'I suggest if you want to do county business, run for Supervisor.' The back and forth continued until a resident who had joined the meeting by phone interrupted to complain about the unorthodox nature of the public comment session. Public speakers are allotted three minutes to address the board. Supervisor Stancil then provided Fletcher an extra minute to speak since she had engaged him. However, the major source of discord came a short time later after a vote to approve the hiring of a new, part-time Second Deputy for Auditor Kaczinski's office. The woman at the center of it, Leslie Beck, is Auditor Kaczinski's former campaign manager. Beck also recently created a 'GiveSendGo' fundraiser for Supervisor Stancil and her husband to help cover his medical bills after a lengthy hospital stay. According to the crowdsourcing fundraiser, Supervisor Stancil's husband has been battling a life-threatening condition since last year. In addition, there have been multiple efforts over the past several months to employ Beck, including twice as an employee of Auditor Kaczinski's office and a third time as an employee of a third-party consulting agency hired by Auditor Kaczinski in late January, called the RMG (Robert Morris Group). RMG charged the county $250 an hour for 'consulting services,' according to documents obtained by WHO 13. Each previous attempt to hire Beck was met with public scrutiny. Some Madison County residents feel Beck's potential hiring would be a conflict of interest. Meanwhile, supporters of the move point out that the job opening was posted and opened to public applicants recently. During the meeting, Supervisor Stancil said that Auditor Kaczinski could not disclose how many people were interviewed for the position. Iowa bill prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion advanced by Senate Republican majority Supervisor Stancil recused herself from the vote on Beck's employment due to the financial fundraiser. Supervisor Diane Fitch and Supervisor Jessica Hobbs were left without anyone to be the tie-breaker. Supervisor Fitch voted 'Nay,' and cited a lack of transparency as one of her reasons. Supervisor Hobbs voted 'Yay' and pointed out that Beck cannot be discriminated against due to political affiliation. Madison County Attorney Stephen Swanson told WHO 13 that a conflict of interest connected to the hiring of Beck at the Auditor's office was not a concern, and added that he had helped Beck coordinate with the Ethics Board before she created the online fundraiser. The tie vote meant the resolution did not pass and Beck's hire was not approved. Supervisor Stancil immediately voiced her agitation. 'I am very disappointed,' she said. Supervisor Stancil lamented about not being able to vote due to her personal information coming to light regarding the fundraiser. Her angst was directed at Supervisor Fitch. Supervisor Stancil attempted to pressure Supervisor Fitch into discussing the reason behind her vote. 'Diane, the only time I have to talk to you about this stuff is now in a meeting. Are you saying you don't want to talk to me about it?' said Supervisor Stancil. 'My concern is because every other time an election official has come before us, we've approved them. Every single one.' Her comments continued, much to the chagrin of some people in the public gallery. 'For the first time in four years I've been here, you vote against someone and you vote against her. I don't understand that,' she continued. 'It seems to me that you are intentionally sabotaging this particular political office because your preferred political candidate did not win.' Iowa law banning school library books that depict sex acts on hold again after a new federal ruling That statement prompted an outcry from some in attendance. 'You are so out of order!' yelled one woman. 'I'm done. Just stop!' eventually replied Supervisor Fitch to Heather Stancil. Members of the public began to stand up in their seats. Several of them yelled toward the board. That is when Supervisor Stancil called on the Sheriff to step in and he directed the board to move on to the next item on their agenda immediately. The meeting then continued without incident. The Madison County government has been struggling to find peace after the January arrest of its Treasurer, Amanda DeVos, 37, for fraud and other charges. That development uncovered months of alleged money mismanagement and began to stir up distrust amongst residents. WHO 13 has been reporting on the county's public meetings for several months, which have often included scathing public comments aimed at elected leaders. Supervisor Hobbs spoke to WHO 13's Katie Kaplan after the meeting. She claims much of the tension is due to public misinformation. 'This meeting was not in order. And I'm hoping that we can make some changes in the future so we can have better decorum and more professional conduct,' she said. 'That is my hope. And all that I can do to control that is to continue to try to work hard to serve the citizens as I've committed to doing and continue to try to bring the facts to light and reality somewhat to counter some of the lies and misinformation that are being shared.' Hobbs said the misinformation pertains to several topics. Supervisor Stancil declined to be interviewed with WHO 13 after the meeting, accusing the station of 'misquoting' her in a previous interview following a board meeting in early February when she stated on camera that she did not know about any issues regarding the Treasurer's office. She claimed on Tuesday that she meant 'criminal' issues. WHO 13 attempted to reach Auditor Kaczinski for comment. She had already left her office for the day when the reporter stopped by at noon on Tuesday, according to County Attorney Swanson. A phone call later in the day was not immediately returned. Final Grandstand act for 2025 Iowa State Fair announced Madison County Supervisors argue with each other, citizens, during contentious meeting McCollum talks championships, John Sears reports New Iowa Head Coach McCollum already has ties with new fans Work requirements for Medicaid, public assistance programs passes through Iowa Senate Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
