SEASONS GREETINGS
CENTRAL WRESTLING
DEAR SANTA Page 8A EXCELS AT HOME
Page 12A
Volume 142, Issue 51
www.Polkio.com
December 20, 2017
$1.00
Toy gun
found at
LaCreole
IN
YOUR
TOWN
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS
DALLAS — A juvenile
was referred for disor-
derly conduct after
bringing a fake gun to
LaCreole Middle School
on Dec. 12.
Students reported to
school officials that there
was a possible gun in a
locker at the school at
about 10 a.m. on Dec. 12.
“Our school heard
about a potential weapon
in the school,” Superin-
tendent Michelle John-
stone said. “Within six
minutes, we had secured
the toy and secured the
student. Our first job was
to secure the weapon and
secure the kids.”
Some parents of LaCre-
ole students are upset
with how the district han-
dled the report of a possi-
ble weapon on school
grounds, and have gone
to Dallas Police Depart-
ment to discuss it at least
twice, according to police
logs. School administra-
tors called Dallas Police at
11:36 a.m.
Lt. Jerry Mott said the
goal of every responder,
from school administra-
tion and staff to police of-
ficers, is to keep children
safe.
“When staff have an
immediate opportunity to
secure the weapon to
make students safe, that
is the right action,” he
said. “The school did ex-
actly what they should
have. It would have taken
us longer to get a 911 call
than the school staff se-
curing the fake gun and
securing the student.
They handled it the
quickest way possible, ef-
ficiently as possible.”
Some parents are con-
cerned also with the af-
termath of the event, say-
ing their children are
being harassed by other
students for “telling” on
the student who brought
the toy gun.
See SCHOOL, Page 5A
Letter to santa
found; Dallas girl’s
dreams filled.
»Page 3A
FALLS CITY
Domenica Protheroe
retires from Falls City
city clerk.
»Page 2A
PERRYDALE
JOLEnE guzman/Itemizer-Observer
Keagan Graves, 8, delivers his collection of donated toys to the Polk Resource Center on Monday.
MISTLETOE FOR A CAUSE
Keagan, 8, raises cash to buy toys for kids in need this Christmas
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Keagan Graves
took the baton from his
older brother, Collin, and
now he’s the adorable boy
peddling mistletoe during
the holiday season.
Like Collin before him, he’s
raising money to buy toys for
children who might not re-
ceive gifts this Christmas. His
big brother started the proj-
ect seven years ago at the
age of 10.
“When I saw some kids
who were sad, I said, ‘Don’t
worry. I’ll sell some mistle-
toe and buy you some toys,’”
said Keagan, 8.
Keagan began selling
handmade mistletoe bunch-
es around town and through
Facebook in early Decem-
ber, and raised more than
$225 in his first few days.
“When I was at school, I
saw somebody who was
sad, and they wanted a
present,” Keagan said. “I’m
going to buy everybody a
present.”
His ambition is as big as
his heart, said Keagan’s
JOLEnE guzman/Itemizer-Observer
Keagan Graves displays a few finished mistletoe bundles.
He took over his brother’s project selling the plant to
raise money for toys for children in need.
mom, Julie Graves.
“I’m so happy. On top of
being blessed with two
beautiful children, they have
such beautiful hearts,” Julie
Graves said. “You don’t see
kids these days that want to
give back and I’m blessed I
have two.”
She said Keagan’s gen-
erosity was on display early
when he would tag along
with Collin on his door-to-
door sales trips.
“I wanted to give people
candy,” Keagan said.
Keagan waged a friendly
competition with his broth-
er in his first year.
“In Collin’s first year, he
made well over $500,” Julie
Graves said. “Keagan told
him he’s going to make
more.”
He’s off to a good start,
says older brother Collin
Graves, now 17, admitting
the wide-eyed Keagan might
have an advantage over him
if the two were to go head-
to-head now.
“It’s pretty cool, honestly.
I’ve gotten bigger and it’s eas-
ier for him to sell it than me,”
he said. “If we were both sell-
ing it, he would sell more
than me, I’m pretty sure.”
Saturday, Julie and Kea-
gan made a trip to Toys R Us
to purchase toys to donate
to Salvation Army.
Between Keagan’s gift for
selling the $1 bundles and
his mom’s “couponing”
prowess, the two hope to de-
liver a haul to brighten
Christmas morning for chil-
dren in need.
Julie and Keagan coordi-
nated with Nicole Bats, the
Salvation Army’s Polk Coun-
ty Social Services Represen-
tative, to find recipients for
the toys.
See TOYS, Page 3A
Perrydale FFa stu-
dents collect roughly
350,000 pounds of food
through Food For all.
»Page 7A
POLK COUNTY
Judge Rafael Caso re-
places sally avera.
»Page 2A
RICKREALL
Rickreall Christmas
Pageant costumes on
display at Polk County
museum.
»Page 6A
SPORTS
Dallas wrestling
places first at the Liber-
ty Invitational.
»Page 12A
EDUCATION
Perrydale schools re-
ceived a grant to re-
model its workshops.
»Page 14A
Sign up for our
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get a peek at events
coming up over the
weekend, including
what to expect, weath-
er-wise. sign up at
polkio.com.
Dedication skips through youth
Jim Dent’s lessons go deeper than jumping rope
Jim Dent has
coached the
Rope Busters
since
1981.
The
Rope
Busters per-
form through-
out the year at
different
schools and
events.
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — All it takes is a
hop, skip or a jump.
Jump roping is something
most people learn as a kid.
Few remember lasting les-
sons from it.
That’s not the case for those
who have taken part in Rope
Busters under Jim Dent’s di-
rection. Kids may come for
the fun, but they’ve left with
so much more.
“There’s so much he teaches us,” Lynn
Gumpinger, a senior at Dallas High School,
said. “We’re one big family. (Jim and his wife
Lola) are two of my favorite people. They’ve
earned the love of this community.”
Lukas EggEn/
Itemizer-Observer
THE NEXT
7
DAYS
PLANNING
FOR YOUR
WEEK
—
Jim has been a fixture in the
Dallas School District for
decades.
Trenda Locke was paired
with Jim during her student
teaching. It was immediately
apparent that he was not like
any other teacher she had en-
countered.
“He was a teacher that,
though he could be pretty
stern, had a good connection
with the kids,” Locke said.
“They knew when he was joking. He could
be tough, but also had a good way of being
light-hearted with them. He had high ex-
pectations for everyone and ran a tight
ship.”
See DENT, Page 5A
wed
thu
fri
sat
sun
mon
tue
With just five days
until Christmas, find
that perfect last-
minute gift one of
our great, local mer-
chants. Beats traffic
every time.
make gingerbread
houses at the mon-
mouth senior Cen-
ter with saron kay
Woods — grandchil-
dren welcome.
2 p.m. $3
While you’re out
driving to look at
Christmas light dis-
plays, snap a picture
and send it to the
Itemizer for our
weekly newsletter.
Feeling under the
weather? The Polk
Community Free
Clinic is open to the
uninsured and
under-insured.
7 to 11 a.m. Free.
Follow santa’s
Christmas Eve jour-
ney through nO-
RaDsanta.org.
alternately, google
Earth will also track
the elf’s adventures.
merry Christmas
from our families to
yours. Our office will
be closed today to
celebrate. Please
note earlier dead-
lines on Page 2a.
kwanzaa, a seven-
day celebration
honoring african
culture and tradi-
tions, begins today
and runs through
Jan. 1.
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Showers
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