The Iowa Department of Education has come up with new proposed rules for when schools can start classes in the fall. Current law says schools can start no earlier than the week in which September 1st falls, but most schools get waivers to start earlier in August. Under the new formula, schools could continue to easily get waivers to start between August 19th and 23rd, but it would be tough to start any earlier. The Education Department’s Mike Cormack says the plan will still leave some people unhappy.

“It’s one side that says schools should be able to make whatever decision they want on this and that’s been the defacto status quo,” Cormack says, “and the other side says the law has a date there for a purpose. Why are we not having a September 1st start?”

The new proposal is considered a compromise between educators who want to set their own calendars and the tourism industry which loses money when kids go back to school earlier in August. Cormack says with their current calendars, 30-percent of school districts would be affected by the new formula, but most would miss the new cutoff date by only a few days. The change means it will be harder to start school before the state fair concludes, which will upset some administrators and parents.

“We’ve had people from both perspectives say if we don’t like how this comes out we’ll sue you,” he says. “We’ve heard that from both elements.” If the board approves the new rules this week and a legislative committee signs off, the change would go into effect for the 2014 school year.

(Radio Iowa/9-a.m. News)

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Department today (Monday), released a cumulative report on arrests and incidents which occurred over the past couple of weeks. Most recently, on July 18th, 38-year old Robert Christopher Greenwood, and 41-year old Phillip Lewis Smith, both of Omaha, were arrested on felony charges of Theft in the 2nd degree and Criminal Mischief, and Trespassing, in association with an incident on property owned by the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad.  Smith was being held on $10,000 bond, while Greenwood posted a similar bond July 24th. Both are scheduled to be arraigned on the charges August 12th.

And, on July 17th, 38-year old Rhonda Sue Booher, of Hamburg, was arrested on an enhanced Possession of Marijuana charge.

Summertime is one of the hardest times of year for food banks as donations drop off dramatically. Brian Barks, spokesman for the Food Bank for the Heartland, says they’re launching a new effort allowing people to “text” donations to the agency. Barks says the signs are clear the economy isn’t getting any better. “Families are having a hard time making ends meet,” Barks says. “If you think, when’s the last time we heard of a company saying we’re adding upper, high-paying jobs? The jobs we’re adding to the economy are lower-level, service-related jobs.”

A recent “Map the Meal Gap” study was compiled by the group Feeding America and Barks says the results were troubling. “The study that’s done each June says 211,000 people in our service area are at risk for hunger,” Barks says. “That number has been pretty much flat the last three years. What that tells us is the issue of hunger isn’t getting any worse but it’s not getting any better.”

It’s hoped the new texting program will lure more people into donating cash to the food bank. They just need to text the word “feed” to 501-501 from a cell phone. “And all you do is type in ‘yes’ and hit ‘send’ and you’ve made a $10 donation,” Barks says. “That will allow us to provide 30 meals to people who need it.”

The Omaha-based facility supplies food items to 325 food pantries, homeless shelters and soup kitchens in 93 counties across western Iowa and Nebraska. Last year, it provided food to 19,000 families in need, in addition to helping emergency shelters, after-school programs, senior housing sites and rehab centers.

(Radio Iowa)