A high-ranking official in the Ottumwa School District is being linked with financial fraud at his former job.  An audit has found that the Mason City Community School District shows that more than $2 million was misused by several administrators over an eight year period.  John Berg, the Ottumwa Schools chief financial officer, was an accountant for Mason City Schools starting in 2012 and then was appointed director of finance in 2015.  Berg took his current job in Ottumwa in 2017.  Ottumwa Superintendent Nicole Kooiker issued a statement Wednesday saying the School District “is confident that Mr. Berg did not engage in any unlawful or dishonest activity while employed in Mason City and that he is serving the Ottumwa Community School District very well.”

The Mahaska County Board began its new year Wednesday (1/2).  County Supervisors Steve Wanders and Steve Parker took their oaths of office after being elected last November.  County Attorney Andrew Ritland, Treasurer Connie Van Polen and Recorder Diane Upton Crookham were also sworn into office. Once the County Board got down to business, they approved a resolution approving up to $5.5 million in local option sales tax bonds for a new radio communication system for the County.  County Board Chairman Mark Groenendyk says while the Board hasn’t signed the contract with Racom for the radio system, that will be done once new County Attorney Andrew Ritland and consultant Ray Freeman go over the contract.

“Both parties understand that through the holidays, everything changing over over the (change in the) County Attorney (position)…..everybody’s just trying to get on the same page.  Everybody understands where we’re going.  It will be signed, it’s just a matter of where everybody’s comfortable with the contract and move forward.”

Groenendyk also says the County needs to find three sites to build towers for the radio system.  One would be south of New Sharon, another in Oskaloosa and the third north of Eddyville.