(Radio Iowa) – The speaker of the Iowa House is creating a new Education Reform Committee. A news release from House Speaker Pat Grassley’s office indicates Grassley will be chairman of the committee and it will deal with bills containing significant reforms to Iowa’s educational system. In each of the last two legislative sessions, Governor Kim Reynolds proposed more state spending for private schools, but both plans failed to win enough support in the Iowa House.

Reynolds campaigned against some fellow Republicans who’d opposed her 2022 plan. It would have provided 10-thousand state scholarships for students enrolling in private schools. This fall, Reynolds has talked about a far more expansive plan that would apply to all parents who want their child to attend a private school. The Republican majority in the 2023 legislative session has expanded to 64 seats in the Iowa House, but it’s not yet clear if at least 51 House Republicans support a so-called school choice plan.

Speaker Grassley says ensuring a quality education for Iowa students is a priority of Iowa House Republicans — and Grassley says the new committee will consider a broad set of education reforms. This past year G-O-P lawmakers considered but did not enact new pathways for teacher certification. Another stalled bill would have let schools find out if teachers or coaches applying for jobs had resigned from another district after being accused of inappropriate contact with students.

(Griswold, Iowa) – A collision in Cass County between a pickup truck and a Polaris Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV), Tuesday, resulted in one person being transported to the hospital. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports at around 10:35-a.m., deputies and area first responders were called out to the area of Highway 48 and Whitney Street, in Griswold, for a motor vehicle accident with injuries.

Responding units found that a Polaris Ranger being operated by James Reynolds, of Griswold, was traveling East on Whitney Street and pulled out in front of a Ford Ranger pickup being operated by Raymond Buckley, of Griswold, who was traveling South on Highway 48.

The pickup struck the rear driver’s side area of the Polaris Ranger. Authorities say Reynolds was injured and transported to a local area hospital for medical care. The UTV sustained approximately $7,000 damage, and the pickup sustained an estimated $4,000 damage.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office has issued a report on several arrests that occurred between November 4th and the 15th.

On November 15th, deputies arrested 30-year-old Cerriece Cusick, of Loveland, CO, for OWI 1st Offense. Cusick was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held.

On November 12th, Cass County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 25-year-old Andrew Malloy, of Audubon, for OWI 2nd Offense. Malloy was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On the 11th, 46-year-old Chance Hans, of Atlantic, was for Domestic Abuse Assault Causing Bodily Injury. Hans was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.

There were two separate arrests on November 5th in Cass County: 65-year-old Zoe Ruhl, of Griswold, was arrested for OWI 1st Offense. And, 28-year-old Benser Mark, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI 1st Offense and Reckless Driving. Both were transported to the Cass County Jail and later released on their own recognizance.

And, on November 4th,  Cass County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 51-year-old Stanley Rossell, of Lewis, on warrants for Failure to Appear, Felon in Control of a Firearm and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Rossell was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court heard oral arguments today (Wednesday) as the state seeks to remove the governor and her former spokesperson from a lawsuit by the former spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Public Health. Polly Carver-Kimm says she was forced to resign after fulfilling public information requests to reporters during the pandemic that the governor thought reflected poorly on her administration. The attorney for the state, Samuel Langholz, argued the governor should not be part of the lawsuit. “The claims fail as a matter of law against the governor and the governor’s communications director because they did not employ Miss Carver-Kimm, and they didn’t have the legal authority to discharge her and the claim shouldn’t extend out to indirect influence over a discharge decision of another.”

A justice asked Langholz if that would still be the case if there were direct evidence that the governor ordered the firing. “Even under those set of facts with the governor explicitly directing her director to fire an employee, she still is not the one who engaged in that. The director could say, ‘No.’ The director might be removed if the governor was displeased with that,” Langholz says. On two other points, Langholz argued the state should have immunity under a new law that was passed after the firing, and that Carver-Kimm should not be covered by the whistleblower act. Carver-Kimm’s attorney, Thomas Duff, says the case should not be covered by the new law.

“In this case — the date of termination, which was July of 2020 — so once her cause of action accrued, her rights vested, and taking away that right, by retroactively applying a statute, according to the Thorpe case, is a violation of both federal and state due process,” Duff says. Justices questioned Duff about why whistleblower protection should apply to the case. “Because the employee is the person who is the gatekeeper and is going to respond, and that is the person who if there is pressure being put on him by their supervisors to not disclose what should be lawfully disclosed or to delay the disclosure of information that has a harm, not only to the person that is the gatekeeper, but a harm to the to the public at large,” he says.

Duff says Carver-Kimm’s duties all the way up to the pandemic were to answer inquiries from the media, and she was forced to resign once the governor thought that information was putting her in a bad light. Polly-Carver Kimm is the wife of Todd Kimm, who is an employee of Radio Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson — a likely presidential candidate — is suggesting the Republican Party needs to separate itself from former President Trump. “I believe that we need to move away from a personality and move back to ideas and principles,” Hutchinson says. Hutchinson is among the many potential presidential candidates of 2024 to campaign with Iowa G-O-P candidates BEFORE the election, but he’s the first to return to the state after the November 8th election. Hutchinson says he watched Trump’s announcement last (Tuesday) night.  “He is right in terms of his criticism of Biden and his policies, but it’s the same message that lost four years ago and lost this election cycle,” Hutchinson said, “and we can’t repeat that again.”

Many, but not all in the crowd at the Westside Conservative Club in Urbandale applauded those sentiments. Hutchinson says the fundamental lesson of this year’s election is G-O-P candidates have to appeal to independents to win in a General Election. “Voters across the country did not reject Republican ideas,” Hutchinson said. “They rejected some Republican candidates that they believe were too extreme and they did not want to go back to the debates of the last election and they said: ‘We’ve got to move forward as a country.'”

Hutchinson’s second term as governor of Arkansas ends in early January and he had planned to announce his decision about a presidential race in January, but Hutchinson says Trump’s jump into the 2024 race may prompt him and others to make their declarations soon. Hutchinson suggests voters are weary of the chaos Trump creates. “It’s different than 2016. Trump was new on the scene. He was able to pick off his opponents. People thought it was entertaining…I think America’s figured it out,” Hutchinson said. “They’re not impressed with his junior high social skills.”

Former Governor Terry Branstad campaigned enthusiastically for Trump in 2016 and 2020, but Branstad says he’s not announcing his preferred candidate for 2024. “In my opinion, it’s way too early,” Branstad says. “We, in Iowa, have always prided ourselves on the ‘First in the Nation’ precinct caucuses and encouraging candidates to come here and meet the people.” Branstad met with Hutchinson this (Wednesday) morning and Branstad told reporters there are a lot of potential candidates who are likely to compete for the G-O-P’s next presidential nomination.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa deer hunters are often asked to donate venison to help feed the hungry, but they’re also urged to donate deer hides for use in the Veterans Leather Program. Lisa Widick, state spokeswoman for the Iowa Elks, says the state’s Elks lodges collected more than four-thousand deer hides for the program this past hunting season. The hides were trucked to a tannery in Missouri, then the finished leather is sent back to Iowa — and the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown. “They use the leather as craft program and turn around and make moccasins, backpacks, gun cases, oh my gosh, all kinds of things,” Widick says. “It’s amazing to see, utterly amazing.”

The leatherworking program is used as therapy for recovering veterans, but she says it’s entirely reliant on the charity of Iowa’s deer hunters. “We talk to hunters and ask them, ‘What do you do with your deer hides?’ and most of them say, ‘We throw them in the ditch. Why would we want them?’ Or they’ll take them to Tyson and trade them for a free pair of gloves,” Widick says. “That’s all good and fine. I get it. People need free gloves, too, but look at what your deer hide can do for a veteran.”

Hunters who would like to donate hides should contact the nearest Iowa Elks lodge, and there’s a website (www.elks.org/lodges) where you can locate all 31 of them in the state. “Every time we mention the word ‘veterans,’ people’s ears perk up. It means a little bit more than just talking about a deer hide and that it’s going to make a pair of leather gloves for a guy in a wheelchair or a pair of moccasins you can buy to wear,” Widick says. “It’s about veterans and keeping them busy and helping them somewhat rehab and be able to have a little bit of production in their life.”

A wide range of veteran-made products, including leather goods, ceramics and beadwork, are available to the public through the Iowa Veterans Home Gift Shop.

On the web at: https://ivh.iowa.gov/about/gift-shop

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce and Cass Health are now accepting nominations for the 2022 Angel(s) of Christmas. The Angel of Christmas is a tradition in Atlantic recognizing and thanking area residents who symbolize the true meaning of the season. Angels exemplify the true holiday spirit all year long – putting others first, spreading generosity and sharing the holiday spirit with everyone they meet. “Sometimes we forget the true meaning of the season and I think celebrating people who put others first and spread holiday cheer all year long deserve to be recognized,” Bailey Smith, Executive Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce said.

In 2021, Erich & Tammy Wickman were named Angels of Christmas. The Wickman’s were awarded for their generous work with organizations such as the Atlantic Police Department Community Chartable Organization, Atlantic Community Schools- Band and Education Department, and many other organizations. Please nominate the Christmas Angel you know to the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce by November 30th. Nominate by submitting brief comments about this person to the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce or email chamber@atlanticiowa.com. You can find a nomination form on www.atlanticiowa.com.

Pick up your Christmas Brochure from area retails businesses, like the Chamber on Facebook or follow on Instagram to find dates and details to celebrate Christmas in Atlantic. You can find a complete list of activities at www.atlanticiowa.com. Capture the Christmas magic with #MyAtlanticIA and post to the Atlantic Area Chamber’s Facebook or Instagram (@AtlanticIowaFan) page. Contact the Atlantic Area Chamber with any questions at 712.243.3017.

(Rural Atlantic, Iowa) – A fire that destroyed a barn north of Atlantic, Wednesday morning, had apparently been burned undetected for several hours prior to smoke and flames having been seen. Atlantic Fire was dispatched at around 2:40-a.m., to the scene at 55717 Olive Street. Fire Chief Tom Cappel….

The property is owned by Steve Andersen. Cappel says as crews were battling the flames, cold and snow, they sent out a page for mutual aide from Lewis and Marne Fire. They arrived with their tanker trucks and additional manpower.

These two photos are courtesy Mike Kennon, Cass County EMA.

Cappel says they weren’t able to immediately determine the cause of the blaze.

Atlantic Fire wrapped-up their activities at the scene at around 6:51-a.m. Cappel said the site will likely smolder and create steam for a day or two.

View of emergency vehicles on the scene, from the KJAN parking lot on N. Olive Street. KJAN News photo

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston, Tuesday afternoon, arrested a man at his home, for Driving While Barred. 21-year-old Andrew George Mills, of Creston, was taken into custody at around 3:10-p.m. and transported to the Union County Jail. His cash/surety bond was set at $2,000. Mills posted the surety portion of the bond, and was released.