More than 200 students from a dozen Iowa high schools will compete in a culinary event today (Monday) at Iowa State University. I-S-U professor Robert Bosselman says the Pro-Start Invitational is a day-long competition that will test students’ culinary and management skills.  “The best way to describe it to your listeners is, if they’ve ever watched any of the food shows on the Food Network where the intensity of preparing a meal under the clock and the judges, it’s exactly that same situation,” Bosselman says. “Teams of four students have to prepare a three-course meal in one hour.”

The pressure of the contest simulates real deadlines the future chefs might have to face in a professional kitchen.  “They have to show their knife skills and they have to fabricate a chicken,” Bosselman says. “In other words, they’re given a whole chicken and they have to take it apart and they’re judged on that. Also, they’re given a basket of food items and they have to prepare a menu.”

I-S-U’s Hospitality Management Program is hosting the event at the Memorial Union. There’s also a culinary career fair involving recruiters from 20 companies across Iowa. Winners will advance to the national competition in April.

(Radio Iowa)

The private philanthropy group that puts out the “Kids Count” survey every year is releasing a new report detailing the state-by-state impact of so-called “safety net” government programs on children. Laura Speer, with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, says their findings indicate programs like food stamps and housing subsidies are significantly improving lives in Iowa and nationwide. “We looked at the child poverty rate which we know is one of the most critical indicators we check,” Speer says, “not only because it has a major impact on kids, it can affect their health and their educational achievement, but really has an impact on the country as a whole.”

In Iowa, she says the impact of government safety net programs is very evident.  “What we see is that without any government intervention, the poverty rate in the state would be about 22%,” Speer says. “With those interventions, it’s about 8%, so, that means more than 100,000 children in the state of Iowa are being lifted above the poverty line.”

The report indicates, without government intervention, another 103,000 Iowa children would be living in poverty. In addition to food stamps, government interventions being gauged by the report include the Earned Income Tax Credit and the child tax credit parents can claim annually on their tax returns. She admits the findings aren’t a big surprise, however… “It’s important to know that and to understand that those programs are making a difference and they need to be sustained,” Speer says. “Also, we know these programs are helping families keep their heads above water and filling the gap that low-wage jobs are leaving for families to make ends meet.”

Speer is the foundation’s associate director of advocacy and public policy. See the full report at the Annie E. Casey Foundation website: www.aecf.org

(Radio Iowa)

A Creston man was arrested Friday night, on drug charges. Officials say 40-year old Chad Lee was charged with Possession of Marijuana with the intent to sell, Delivery of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp. Lee was later released on $5,000 bond.

And a woman from Lorimor was arrested Friday afternoon. Police in Creston say 48-year old Pamela Collette Oshel was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on a warrant for Failure to Appear in court. She was later released on a $300 bond.