A south-central Iowa man was arrested Friday on a felony charge for allegedly threatening a Fremont-Mills School Board member before the August 19th board meeting.
Deputies were able to determine the call came from 52-year-old Eric Ballanger of Russell. Authorities say they examined his phone and found he made a second call to another board member that went unanswered and that he had viewed a social media post concerning the upcoming vote.
Ballanger is charged with threat of terrorism and was released from the Fremont County Jail on five-thousand dollar bond. The board vote concerned approving the contract of Ace Rios as the school’s band instructor. The board voted 2-2 with one member abstaining, meaning the motion was defeated.
(By Ryan Matheny, KMA, Shenandoah)