(Radio Iowa) – The superintendents of two Iowa school districts operating on a four-day school week say the change has helped the districts find and keep staff. James Craig is the superintendent of Cardinal Community in Eldon, which is in its third year of having classes Tuesday through Friday.

Dan Maeder is superintendent of Moulton-Udell Schools, which meet on Mondays-through-Thursdays. Maeder, who was not at the district when the switch was made four years ago, says Moulton-Udell was struggling to get retain staff.

In Colorado, two-thirds of school districts operate four days a week and about a quarter of Missouri’s school districts have changed to a four-day-a-week calendar. There are just 17 public school districts in Iowa that hold classes four days a week. Maeder says it may take a while to catch in Iowa, where there’s a five-day-work-week culture.

And, in terms of student achievement, Craig says at Cardinal Community, test scores have been going up since the change for a four-day week.

The superintendents made their comments during taping of Iowa Press.

(Sidney, Iowa) – Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope has released a report on arrests that took place from August 13th through Sept. 5th:

In August of 2024, Fremont County Deputies received a report of sexual abuse that occurred beginning in 2015. During the course of the investigation, deputies discovered evidence of sexual abuse against multiple victims. A warrant was issued for 43-year-old Joshua Lynn Martin, of Glenwood (formerly of Riverton). Thursday afternoon, Martin he turned himself in to the authorities in Fremont County.

Joshua Lynn Martin

He was charged with:

• 10 counts of Sexual Abuse 2^nd Degree on a victim less than 12 years old, Class B felony
• 5 counts of Sexual Abuse 3^rd Degree, Class C Felony
• 10 counts of Incest, Class D Felony
• 1 count of Invasion of Privacy, Serious Misdemeanor

Additional charges are pending in the case. Martin is being held without bond, pending initial appearance with the Fremont County Magistrate.

Wednesday morning, Sept. 4th, Fremont County Deputies arrested 42-year-old Joshua Lee Painter, of Lawson, MO., on charges that include theft, possession of a controlled substance, assault on an officer, and interference with official acts. He remains in custody. Painter was stopped for an equipment violation on Highway 2 near the Missouri River. Records indicated Painter, who had an active warrant for his arrest gave the identification information of a relative in an attempt to avoid arrest. However, the relative also had warrants for their arrest. Authorities say when Painter resisted deputies, a struggle occurred, resulting in the deputy receiving minor injuries. Deputies deployed a taser and Painter was taken into custody. The deputy was treated by EMTs at the scene and released back to duty. Painter was taken to Grape Community Hospital and released. Deputies discovered the motorcycle he was operating was reported stolen. Painter is being held on $15,000 cash bond.

Joshua Lee Painter

Other arrests include:

On 08/13/2024 at 15:57, Glen Eugene Gallagher, age 52, of Omaha, NE was arrested for a probation violation. He was transferred to another agency on 08/19/2024 at 18:13.

On 08/14/2024 at 10:48, deputies arrested Timothy Mark Gardner, age 63, of Hamburg, IA for violating sex offender verification. He was released after serving time on 09/03/2024 at 14:09.

On 08/14/2024 at 23:11, David Daniel Good, age 50, of Council Bluffs, IA was arrested for being a felon in control of a firearm and driving while barred. He was released on a surety bond on 08/15/2024 at 18:39.

On 08/16/2024 at 12:32, Jeffrey Lynn Jackman, age 61, of Oskaloosa, IA was arrested for OWI-1st offense and possession of a controlled substance. He was processed and later released.

On 08/16/2024 at 23:37, Dena Lynn Westenskow, age 57, of Omaha, NE was arrested for possession of a controlled substance. She was released on a surety bond on 08/17/2024 at 15:30.

On 08/17/2024 at 03:02, deputies arrested Allison Kay McCaul, age 47, of Percival, IA for possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. She was released on a surety bond on 08/17/2024 at 09:49.

On 08/18/2024 at 15:52, Hunter Martin Tucker, age 23, of Omaha, NE was arrested for OWI-1st offense. He was released on a cash bond on 08/19/2024 at 11:23.

On 08/19/2024 at 15:36, Dnae Christine McConahay, age 34, of Thurman, IA was arrested for interference with official acts causing bodily injury. She remains in custody.

On 08/19/2024 at 21:10, Robert Edward Curtis, age 40, of Portland, TX was arrested for multiple charges including criminal mischief, OWI-2nd offense, reckless driving, and fugitive from justice. He remains in custody.

On 08/23/2024 at 00:59, deputies arrested Jeffrey Wade Massey, age 53, of Hamburg, IA for an outside warrant. He was released on a cash bond on 08/23/2024 at 01:46.

On 08/23/2024 at 22:39, Rebecca Anne Mayer, age 36, of Farragut, IA was arrested for assault causing bodily injury, child endangerment and domestic abuse assault. She was released on a surety bond on 08/28/2024 at 14:05.

On 08/27/2024 at 14:42, Megan Lynn Rasmussen, age 39, of Randolph, IA was arrested for contempt of court. She was released on a surety bond on 08/30/2024 at 12:29.

On 08/28/2024 at 04:49, deputies arrested Miguel Angel Cruz Atzin, age 41, of Red Oak, IA for driving under suspension. He was released on a cash bond on 08/28/2024 at 09:38.

On 08/29/2024 at 02:03, deputies arrested Gary Allen Applegate, age 56, of Nebraska City, NE for possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. He was released on his own recognizance on 08/29/2024 at 14:05.

It should be noted that a criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by members of the Atlantic Public Library Board of Trustees on Thursday, September 5th, to view the recent renovations and get an update on the library’s programming. The Atlantic Public Library has completed its upstairs renovation project. The overall project took six weeks to complete and consisted of new paint, carpet, and updated elevator. The renovation was initiated to match the renovation project completed in 2020 and make the facility more cohesive. The new flooring has a gray base and complements the oak-stained woodwork. The trustees shared that the next projects on the renovation list include a new roof and gutters, new boilers, and eventually new windows.

Kat Niemann, Board of Trustee member, shared that the summer programing was a wild success. Programming at the Atlantic Library includes Toddler Time, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Book Clubs, VIP Connections- Social Club. The Board of Trustees expressed sincere gratitude to Michelle Andersen, Library Director, Sue Petersen, Youth Services Librarian and other staff/volunteers. Without their imagination and dedication, the library would not have the impact that it does today.

The Atlantic Public Library currently houses over 42,000 items in the form of books, audiobooks, music CDs, DVDs, and magazines. The library also has access to thousands of electronic books and audiobooks, online research tools, and supplies free wi-fi on site and 14 computers for public use. In July alone, the library saw 4,467 physical items in circulation and 1,377 items in digital circulation.

Atlantic Public Library is located at 507 Poplar Street in Atlantic. For more information about programs and resources, contact 712-243-5466 or visit http://www.atlantic.lib.ia.us/

(Shelby Co) The Shelby County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, received reports from several department heads. According to the meeting minutes provided by Shelby County Auditor/Board Secretary Mark Maxwell, the Supervisors congratulated Sheriff Neil Gross on the recent award from the Iowa State Association of Counties for consolidating the Harlan Police Department under the Shelby County Sheriff’s office.

Sheriff Gross reported that his department is fully staffed, with one person currently at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in Johnston. He said also, talks are underway with the Elk Horn and Harlan Schools for funding the School Resource Officer position that’s currently being funded by Shelby County ARPA funds, not property tax dollars.

Jordon Sanders reported that he is researching how other counties handle their EMS Department finances, as there are very few in similar size that have EMS employees structured the same as Shelby County. He also said that one employee is in the process of completing a certification process that will allow to this person to instruct EMTs in Shelby County.

Shelby County EMA Director Alex Londo announced a new state program offering to repay up to $50,000 in interest for the tornado victims for rebuilding. The funds are limited and are on a first-come first-serve basis.

Screenshot of the Shelby County BOS mtg., 9-3-24

The Supervisors considered and discussed an engagement letter for joint representation for a judicial review concerning the final decision regarding the Summit Carbon Pipeline. They approved the needed Board Chair’s signature on the document.

The Supervisors approved also:

• Leo Lapke as a Supervisors Compensation Board Representative.

• Seven applications for right-of-way utility permits in various areas of Shelby County by Farmers Mutual Cooperative Telephone Company.

• An amendment to the sales contract for the County Annex Building. Details of the amendment will be available at the Auditor’s Office soon.

• And, the Supervisors approved the Beaver Bounty for this year. They increased the budgeted amount from $6,000 to $8,000.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Arboretum and Gardens in Boone County celebrated the opening of its two-million dollar Treehouse Village with a ribbon cutting this week. The executive director of the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Kris Blocker, says it’s another attraction to bring people to the county. “If you know anything about tourism in Boone County, we are extremely blessed. But this just makes it even better,” she says. The arboretum’s executive director Mark Schneider says Treehouse Village is part of a larger effort by the organization to engage young families and improve access to the outdoors.

“We wanted to get families outdoors; we wanted to get families to the arboretum; we wanted something that was accessible, and we also wanted something that was architecturally interesting,” Schneider says, “and it kind of grew out of the woods where it’s located.” The main play area includes several wooden treehouses connected by ramps, rope nets and climbing walls, along with adaptive equipment, like wheelchair swings and a ground-level zipline.

A portion of the Treehouse Village (Iowa Arboretum photo)

Paved trails lead to overlook gazebos and a large wooden suspension bridge across a ravine.

(Radio Iowa) – Kossuth County officials are advancing a temporary moratorium on permits for construction of solar farms. Kyle Stecker, chairman of the Kossuth County Board of Supervisors, read the resolution during a board meeting this week. “Kossuth County has recently been approached by several entities interested in constructing several large-scale solar energy systems in the county,” he said. In early August, the Kossuth County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the no permits be issued for large scale commercial solar arrays in the county for nine months, to give officials time to consider the impact of solar farms would have in the county.

The resolution Kossuth County supervisors have initially approved notes large arrays of solar panels require above and below ground transmission lines. “The installation of said systems necessarily impacts the county’s infrastructure, including roads and drainage facilities,” Stecker said as he read from the document. The supervisors voted for the moratorium this week, but a second and third round of voting is required before the moratorium would take effect. Luke Seaberg of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach met with Kossuth County officials in August to discuss his federally-funded research to explore the benefits and drawbacks of large scale solar at the county level. He was part of a public hearing this week before the Kossuth County Board of Supervisors voted on the ordinance.

The Grinnell College Solar farm, the largest privately owed solar farm in the state of Iowa May 19, 2022.
(Photo by Justin Hayworth/Grinnell College)

“The goal of the project is to help communities make more informed decisions regarding solar energy planning and ensure that if any projects do get built in your community that those projects reflect those communities’ values,” Seaberg says. Other counties are considering or have adopted rules for solar farms. In February, Pottawattamie County’s Board of Supervisors adopted an updated set of regulations for both wind and solar projects in the county.

A couple of years ago Linn County officials debated and ultimately approved a permit for a large scale solar farm at site of a former nuclear power plant near Palo. A nine-thousand panel solar array in Grinnell generates about a third of the electricity used on the Grinnell College campus.

DES MOINES— Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Education (DOE) today (Friday) announced that 11 charter schools will receive a total of nearly $4 million in grant funding through the Iowa Charter Start-Up and Expansion Grant program. The grants will support new charter schools as they prepare for future operation as well as existing high-performing charter schools to improve or expand their classroom and course offerings. Charter schools are tuition-free, independently operated public schools that operate separately from their local school district. Public charter schools have their own board of directors and have the ability to design their curriculum and classrooms to meet specific educational objectives. Some specialize in areas such as career pathways, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and providing at-risk youth with resources and opportunities to succeed in the classroom.

The Governor said in a press release, “Public charter schools provide yet another school choice for parents and guardians looking for the education that’s best suited for their children’s abilities and needs,” said Governor Kim Reynolds. “I applaud these industrious charter school administrators, board members and community leaders for expanding educational opportunities for students and families in their local communities.”

Iowa DOE Director McKenzie Snow said “Education opportunity is an important part of a world-class education system that sees every child, meets them where they are, and provides them what they need to realize their incredible potential. We commend the awardees for their commitment to serving students, families, and communities alongside educators across Iowa.”

The following newly authorized charter schools will receive awards of up to $500,000 that can be used to secure school facilities and transportation options, evidence-based curriculum, technology needs for the classroom and equipment for career and technical education classrooms:

• CIVICA Elementary Charter School, Cedar Rapids
• CIVICA Elementary Charter School, Des Moines
• Empowering Excellence Charter School, Cedar Rapids
• Great Oaks High School and Career Center, Des Moines
• Quest Forward Charter School, Cedar Rapids
• Quest Forward Charter School, Des Moines

The following high-performing, existing charter schools will receive awards of $200,000 that can be used to expand career and technical education programming, increase career pathway opportunities and equip classrooms due growing enrollment or expansion into additional grades:

• Choice Charter School, Union
• Hamburg Charter School, Hamburg
• Horizon Science Academy, Des Moines
• West Central Charter High School, Maynard
• Storm Lake Charter School, Storm Lake

All charter schools authorized by the Iowa State Board of Education were eligible to apply for Iowa Charter Start-Up and Expansion Grant funds. Charter schools intending to open on or after August 2024 were eligible to apply for up to $500,000 in start-up funds. All charter schools that were open before August 2024 were eligible to apply for up to $200,000 in expansion grants. Funds for the Iowa Charter Start-Up and Expansion Grant program are provided through State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provided through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Additional information on the Iowa Charter Start-Up and Expansion Grant program can be found on the Iowa Department of Education’s Charter School page.

(Remsen, Iowa) – A western Iowa man charged with kidnapping his son during recess has pleaded guilty in district court. KTIV-TV in Sioux City reports, that on Tuesday, Sept. 3rd, 35-year-old Brandon Duong, of Jefferson, Iowa, entered a guilty plea to one of two charges filed against him in Iowa district court. Duong submitted a guilty plea to one count of violating a custodial order which is a class D felony. His second-degree kidnapping charge was dropped. Duong was arrested January 30th and booked into the Greene County Jail, after an AMBER Alert led to a high-speed chase and a three-hour standoff near Remsen, Iowa.

Duong was accused of kidnapping his 7-year-old son, Bryson Duong, from Greene County Elementary School. A court order filed in December 2023, had restricted Duong from having custody of his son. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office says authorities learned Duong was possibly armed with a firearm during the January pursuit. Duong allegedly had his son over his shoulder while law enforcement had their guns drawn. After the three-hour standoff, Duong surrendered, and his son, uninjured, was taken into the custody of the Department of Human Services.

Brandon Duong

In February of 2024, Duong pleaded not guilty to second-degree kidnapping and in March of that year, a judge ruled that Duong was competent to stand trial, after a psychiatric evaluation. A sentencing hearing for Brandon Duong has yet to be set.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – A hiring fair in Dubuque connected hundreds of people who recently lost their jobs with potential employers Thursday. KCRG-TV reports Access Dubuque Jobs, Greater Dubuque Development Corporation, and IowaWORKS pooled resources for the event after Deere & Company and Duluth Trading Company recently laid off more than 200 employees in the tri-state area. Ashley Hakanson, a part-time student at Northeast Iowa Community College, works full-time at Duluth Trading and will be without a job by the end of October. She attended the fair in hopes of finding the right role to continue her passion. Hakanson and the other job seekers in attendance grow hopeful after meeting with around 50 regional employers from varying industries. Job fair organizers also encourage people to visit accessdubuquejobs.com to check out more than 1,000 job openings.

Another company, meanwhile, announced the lay-off of workers in Iowa City, and the closing of its doors at the end of this year. Knutson Construction Services will lay off dozens of people in Iowa City, effective next month. A Knutson spokesperson told KCRG that the company decided to close its office in Iowa City by the end of 2024 because of a shift in the company’s strategic approach to providing construction services in Iowa.

Knutson’s offices in Minnesota will now work directly with clients and partners in Iowa. Knutson Construction is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota but has been involved in several projects in the Iowa City area.

(Ames, Iowa) – Iowa State University and former Vice President for Finance and Operations Shawn Norman are facing a lawsuit from a former employee who alleges she faced discrimination on the basis of her age and sex. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports former ISU Director of Facilities Services Christine Maduro filed suit July 31, claiming that she has “suffered immense mental, physical, and emotional distress” as a result of actions taken by Norman during her employment and when she was let go without justification or evidence of wrongdoing, according to the lawsuit.

Norman left ISU in December after less than one year in the position, signing a separation agreement with the university that had him receive $124,000 in a “separation payment” and affirm that he wouldn’t sue the university. Caitlynn Miller, another ISU employee who served under Norman, will also receive $124,000 through a settlement agreement after alleging she experienced harassment and retaliation.

(Photo by Perry Beeman/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

“Ms. Maduro was discriminated against because she was an older woman when Mr. Norman refused to work with Ms. Maduro, when Mr. Norman promoted someone else to a position who was less qualified than Ms. Maduro, and subsequently terminated from her position without just cause and with no evidence of wrongdoing,” the lawsuit alleged.

ISU spokesperson Angie Hunt said in an email that the university has no comment on the lawsuit.