The Iowa Association of School Boards urges Iowans who are passionate about education to consider running for election to their local school boards, in order to ensure a bright future for all children and communities across the state. Nominations for open seats on the state’s 336 local public school boards can be filed between July 6 and 5 p.m. on July 30, 2015. School board elections will take place Sept. 8th

Strong leadership in every school district is critical to moving education forward in this state. School board members play significant roles in their communities – members must have leadership, vision and dedication. School board members are locally elected public officials charged with accountability for student learning, determining educational goals, setting policy, overseeing school finances and other duties. Across Iowa, nearly 2,000 men and women serve on local school boards, guiding the education of more than 480,000 young people at an annual expenditure of more than $5.2 billion.

School board members are elected to serve four-year terms, with elections taking place in odd-numbered years. Those elected receive no pay. Experienced school board members say the rewards of service lie in meeting the needs of children and communities.

Nomination papers for school board seats are available from local school board secretaries. School board candidates must obtain the signatures of at least one percent of the qualified electors of the district or 50 electors, whichever is less, but at least 10 signatures. A free guide for board candidates, titled “Leaders Who Care,” can be found at www.ia-sb.org.

Board members for community colleges are also elected on Sept. 8. Board members for area education agencies, which provide specialized services to local schools, are elected by the boards of schools within each area.

A restaurant in Fairfield beat out nine other establishments, including one in Creston and another in Clarinda, in capturing the title of “Iowa’s Best Burger.” The Iowa Beef Industry Council and Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, Monday, announced the winner of the contest as The Cider House, in Fairfield. The restaurant use all locally raised beef in creating their nearly 6.5-ounce burger patties. They use all the meat cuts from the cattle in a grind for their hamburger, whereas other establishments may use chuck, rib, sirloin and round cuts from the beef animal.

The Cider House staff are (from left) Hopi James, Skylar Messer, Annalisa Thompson, Cole Fishback, and Clint Stephenson.

This year, Iowans submitted more than 4,000 votes nominating 286 restaurants in February and March. Those votes were used to select the Top Ten restaurants. The Top Ten were then independently visited and judged based on the hamburger’s taste, appearance, and proper serving temperature (160 degrees).

The judges found the beefy flavor at The Cider House to be the best. In fact, its hamburger is so good that it inspired one of the owners who was formerly a vegetarian to give meat another try. The Cider House exclusively features the beef from Adrian Family Farms. The cattle are raised like so many others in Iowa: pasture-grazed and corn-finished, and cared for with compassion and treated humanely.

Other restaurants that made the Top Ten with The Cider House are (alphabetically): Ankeny Diner, Ankeny; Big City Burgers & Greens, Des Moines; Down Right Delicious, Clarinda; Elm’s Club, Creston; First Street Grille, Keosauqua; Rides Bar & Grill, Fort Dodge; Saucy Focaccia, Cedar Rapids; The Ritz, Arnold’s Park; and Zombie Burger, Des Moines.

Previous winners in the contest are: 2014 – Brick City Grill, Ames; 2013—61 Chop House Grille in Mediapolis; 2012—Coon Bowl III in Coon Rapids; 2011—Rusty Duck in Dexter; and 2010—Sac County Cattle Company of Sac City.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A 22-year-old Sioux City man is accused of slamming his live-in girlfriend’s 3-year-old son into the corner of a piece of furniture. Online court records say Markus Leon is charged with child endangerment causing serious injury and is being held in Woodbury County Jail.

Authorities say Leon was baby-sitting the boy and a 1-year-old child on April 22 and became angry when the boy’s noise kept waking up Leon, who was trying to sleep. Leon told officers that he lost his temper and slammed the boy into the furniture. The child later was diagnosed with a lacerated liver, a bruised spleen and a bruised kidney.