NEWS AT TEN. STARTS NOW. GOOD EVENING. THANKS FOR JOINING US. A YOUTH RESIDENTIAL FACILITY IN JOHNSTON IS MAKING MOVES TO MAKE IT SAFER FOR RESIDENTS, WORKERS AND NEIGHBORS. KATHLEEN GALLOWAY, AN EMPLOYEE, DIED BACK IN MAY AFTER JOHNSTON POLICE SAY A TEENAGE RESIDENT OF THE GROUP HOME ASSAULTED HER. vlog IS PEPPER PURPURA HAS MORE ON HOW A FENCE CAN IMPROVE SAFETY AND THE REQUEST THE FACILITY MADE TO THE CITY FOR IT. PEPPER. WELL, KAYLA, HERE AT CITY HALL IN JOHNSTON EARLIER TONIGHT WE SAW CITY COUNCIL GIVE AN EXCEPTION TO ELLIPSES TO CITY CODE. IT WILL ALLOW THEM TO BUILD AN EIGHT FOOT TALL WROUGHT IRON FENCE AROUND THE FACILITY’S PERIMETER. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? MAKING AN EXCEPTION. MOTION PASSED TO FIND A SOLUTION. WELL, I THINK THEY GOT TO DO SOMETHING. JIM PEARL LIVES ACROSS THE STREET FROM ELLIPSES. WE LIVED HERE ABOUT 35 YEARS. IN RECENT YEARS, HE SAYS HE’S SEEN POLICE ON HIS STREET MUCH MORE OFTEN. YEAH, IT’S PRETTY MUCH DAILY BASIS. DATA FROM JOHNSTON POLICE SHOWS OVER A THREE YEAR SPAN, THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED ALMOST 1000 CALLS FOR SERVICE TO THE FACILITY. MORE THAN 650 OF THOSE CALLS ARE FOR RESIDENTS RUNNING AWAY AND A FEW ENDING UP ON NEIGHBORS PROPERTY LIKE PAROLES. ONE TIME WE WE DID. THERE WAS A BOY IN A YOUNG KID IN THE IN OUR GARAGE IS BUILDING POLICY ALLOWS THAT THE FRONT DOORS REMAIN UNLOCKED. LISSA CEO CHRIS COPELAND ELABORATED ON THE DECISION IN A JUNE vlog INTERVIEW. WE KNEW THAT OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE HAVE BEEN GOING UP. WE KNEW THAT, YOU KNOW, KIDS WERE LEAVING OUR CAMPUS MORE OFTEN THAN THEY DID BEFORE. AND SO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, FIRST OF ALL, THE WHY BEHIND THOSE THINGS, BUT ALSO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT SO THAT, AGAIN, WE PRIORITIZE THE SAFETY OF OUR KIDS, OUR STAFF AND OUR COMMUNITY. BUT THE INCREASE IN CALLS IS DEMANDING A NEW SOLUTION. TUESDAY, CITY COUNCIL GAVE SPECIAL PERMISSION FOR AN EIGHT FOOT TALL FENCE AROUND THE FACILITY PROPERTY. TYPICALLY, CITY CODE WON’T ALLOW FENCES HIGHER THAN FOUR FEET IN FRONT OF A BUILDING SIX FEET BEHIND IT. COPELAND SAID IN A STATEMENT TODAY IN PART, A FENCE AROUND OUR JOHNSON CAMPUS ALLOWS YOUTH TO LEAVE THE BUILDING TO COOL OFF WHILE MAINTAINING EVERYONE’S SAFETY. AS A VISIBLE PHYSICAL BARRIER. THE FENCE WILL PREVENT THE VAST MAJORITY OF ELOPEMENTS, PARTICULARLY IF IT IS EIGHT FEET HIGH RATHER THAN THE STANDARD SIX FEET HIGH. AND THE JOHNSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO WORKING TO COMPILE AN UPDATED LIST OF SERVICE CALLS TO THE FACILITY SINCE MAY. THEY ARE ALSO WORKING WITH ELLIPSES TO ADDRESS SECURITY CONCERNS IN JOHNSTON PEPPER PAPURA vlog EIGHT NEWS. IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. PEPPER. THANK YOU. vlog INVESTIGATES CONTINUES TO DIG DEEPER INTO THIS ISSUE. IN JUNE, OUR LAURA TERRELL SPOKE TO GALLOWAY MENKE’S DAUGHTERS, WHO HOPED HER DEATH WOULD INSPIRE THE FACILITY TO MAKE CHANGES. BACK THEN, THEIR ATTORNEY, TREVOR HOOK, TOLD vlog INVESTIGATES THAT HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING TOGETHER A WRONGFUL DEATH SUIT AGAINST ELLIPSES. NOTHING HAS BEEN FILED IN THE STATE COURT SYSTEM AT THIS TIME. THE RESIDENT CHARGED IN GALLOWAY, MENKE’S DEATH, 15 YEAR OLD JAVON MATHIS, FACES SECOND DEGREE MURDER CHARGES. HIS CASE IS IN IOWA’S JUVENILE COURT SYSTEM. YOU CAN FIND ALL OF OUR PREVIOUS COVERAGE AT vlog, DOT COM OR ON OUR MOBILE A
Ellipsis youth facility granted Johnston city code exception for safety improvements
![vlog logo]()
Updated: 9:23 PM CDT Sep 4, 2024
A Johnston youth facility will be allowed an exception to city code, as leadership continues efforts to address safety concerns for residents, staff and people living nearby after a staff member was assaulted and later died in May.Tuesday, the city council approved the Sept. 3 consent agenda, including a measure allowing Ellipsis Youth Home to construct an eight-foot-tall wrought iron fence around the facility perimeter. The Johnston Board of Supervisors previously approved the plan on Aug. 22 after hearing testimony from people living near the facility about their experiences seeing residents on their property.Jim Prowl, who lives across the street from the facility, said he sees residents in his neighborhood frequently and once found one in his garage.Prohl said he's lived in his home for 35 years. Since living there, Prohl said the Ellipsis building has always functioned as a home for youth. However, in recent years he's noticed far more calls to his street. "It's pretty much a daily basis," Prohl said.Data from Johnston police shows that over a three-year span, the department received almost 1,000 calls for service to the facility. A total of 676 of those calls were to address runaways.2021: 183 calls for service128 runaway, 18 missing, 5 assault, 32 other2022: 229 calls for service172 runaway, 9 missing, 15 assault, 33 other2023: 382 calls for service251 runaway, 1 missing, 31 assault, 111 other2024: (before May 8th) - 193 125 runaway or missing, 21 assault, 5 theft or burglary, 3 criminal mischief, 50 otherOn May 8, Kathleen Galloway-Menke, a former Ellipsis employee, died back in May. Johnston police said a 15-year-old resident of the group home shoved Galloway-Menke, while she, along with a male employee, were following the boy after he left the facility without permission.The boy turned around and started sprinting toward them before colliding with Galloway-Menke, causing her to hit her head on the pavement. She died a few days later after being taken off life support. The teen is charged with second-degree murder. During an interview in June, Ellipsis CEO Chris Koepplin said she knew the calls were increasing."We knew that our calls for service have been going up. We knew that kids were leaving our campus more often than they did before, so trying to figure out, first of all, the 'why' behind all those things, but also figuring out what we can do about it. So again, prioritizing the safety of our kids, our staff and our community," Koepplin said.Months before the assault, Koepplin said Ellipsis had already begun working on a plan with Johnston police to improve safety for staff, residents and the surrounding community. She previously said the facility had a policy against locking exterior doors to keep teenagers inside because the nonprofit does not want the teens to feel institutionalized while in foster care. In June, Koepplin said Ellipsis is reviewing that policy to see if changes need to be made.In a statement Tuesday, Koepplin elaborated on the decision to request permission to build a higher fence. "As previously stated, Ellipsis has long worked with the city, surrounding neighbors and other stakeholders in our efforts to keep safety a top priority for our youth, staff and the community. Over the last few months, we have been meeting one-on-one and in small groups with the surrounding neighbors and city leaders to come up with the best tactics.A fence around our Johnston campus allows youth to leave the building to “cool off” while maintaining everyone’s safety. As a visible physical barrier, the fence will prevent the vast majority of elopements, particularly if it is 8 feet high rather than the standard 6 feet high."vlog followed up asking if the fence would be locking, and if the policy against locking exterior doors would also be maintained."The proposed wrought iron-style fence will include badge accessed-gates. Ellipsis serves kids in a wide variety of spaces, but on the Johnston campus, they are providing the Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP), also known as foster group care services.Ellipsis is not a detention or correctional facility and is not currently planning to lock our buildings from the inside. All youth in QRTP are court-ordered into a foster care placement with Ellipsis so the organization can help provide treatment and care for kids who have been through a vast array of trauma – physical abuse and other domestic violence, incarceration of their parents, substance abuse, poverty and a myriad of other difficulties. Ellipsis helps youth heal so they can move onto their next chapter successfully."
JOHNSTON, Iowa — A Johnston youth facility will be allowed an exception to city code, as leadership continues efforts to address safety concerns for residents, staff and people living nearby after a staff member was assaulted and later died in May.
Tuesday, the city council approved the Sept. 3 consent agenda, including a measure allowing Ellipsis Youth Home to construct an eight-foot-tall wrought iron fence around the facility perimeter. The Johnston Board of Supervisors previously approved the plan on Aug. 22 after hearing testimony from people living near the facility about their experiences seeing residents on their property.
Jim Prowl, who lives across the street from the facility, said he sees residents in his neighborhood frequently and once found one in his garage.
Prohl said he's lived in his home for 35 years. Since living there, Prohl said the Ellipsis building has always functioned as a home for youth. However, in recent years he's noticed far more calls to his street.
"It's pretty much a daily basis," Prohl said.
Data from Johnston police shows that over a three-year span, the department received almost 1,000 calls for service to the facility. A total of 676 of those calls were to address runaways.
2021: 183 calls for service
- 128 runaway, 18 missing, 5 assault, 32 other
2022: 229 calls for service
- 172 runaway, 9 missing, 15 assault, 33 other
2023: 382 calls for service
- 251 runaway, 1 missing, 31 assault, 111 other
2024: (before May 8th) - 193
- 125 runaway or missing, 21 assault, 5 theft or burglary, 3 criminal mischief, 50 other
On May 8, Kathleen Galloway-Menke, a former Ellipsis employee, died back in May. Johnston police said a 15-year-old resident of the group home shoved Galloway-Menke, while she, along with a male employee, were following the boy after he left the facility without permission.
The boy turned around and started sprinting toward them before colliding with Galloway-Menke, causing her to hit her head on the pavement. She died a few days later after being taken off life support. The teen is charged with second-degree murder.
During an interview in June, Ellipsis CEO Chris Koepplin said she knew the calls were increasing.
"We knew that our calls for service have been going up. We knew that kids were leaving our campus more often than they did before, so trying to figure out, first of all, the 'why' behind all those things, but also figuring out what we can do about it. So again, prioritizing the safety of our kids, our staff and our community," Koepplin said.
Months before the assault, Koepplin said Ellipsis had already begun working on a plan with Johnston police to improve safety for staff, residents and the surrounding community. She previously said the facility had a policy against locking exterior doors to keep teenagers inside because the nonprofit does not want the teens to feel institutionalized while in foster care. In June, Koepplin said Ellipsis is reviewing that policy to see if changes need to be made.
In a statement Tuesday, Koepplin elaborated on the decision to request permission to build a higher fence.
"As previously stated, Ellipsis has long worked with the city, surrounding neighbors and other stakeholders in our efforts to keep safety a top priority for our youth, staff and the community. Over the last few months, we have been meeting one-on-one and in small groups with the surrounding neighbors and city leaders to come up with the best tactics.
A fence around our Johnston campus allows youth to leave the building to “cool off” while maintaining everyone’s safety. As a visible physical barrier, the fence will prevent the vast majority of elopements, particularly if it is 8 feet high rather than the standard 6 feet high."
vlog followed up asking if the fence would be locking, and if the policy against locking exterior doors would also be maintained.
"The proposed wrought iron-style fence will include badge accessed-gates. Ellipsis serves kids in a wide variety of spaces, but on the Johnston campus, they are providing the Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP), also known as foster group care services.
Ellipsis is not a detention or correctional facility and is not currently planning to lock our buildings from the inside. All youth in QRTP are court-ordered into a foster care placement with Ellipsis so the organization can help provide treatment and care for kids who have been through a vast array of trauma – physical abuse and other domestic violence, incarceration of their parents, substance abuse, poverty and a myriad of other difficulties. Ellipsis helps youth heal so they can move onto their next chapter successfully."
