(Radio Iowa) – The Board of Regents has approved plans for several million dollars of work on buildings on the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa campuses. U-I vice president Rod Lehnertz, presented plans for remodeling the Burge Residence Hall. “This will renovate house two and four of our student living spaces in Burge. The project itself — we’re asking for approval the budget at four-point-seven million dollars, to be funded by the University Housing renewal and improvement funds,” he says. Burge Hall was built in 1957, and he says the renovation will modernize the facility and keep it in use.

“Burge serves a very important part of our east campus residence hall system because it has the largest food service system as well. And so it serves all of the other halls,” Lehnertz says. “Our oldest residence hall Courrier Hall, was built in 1915, and still serves as a modern feeling residence hall because of these kinds of modernizations.” He says Burge will remain in use during the renovation — which will happen in the summer of 2024 and 2025. The Board of Regents also gave approval for the updated plan to put in artificial turf at the rec complex. “We will be replacing the surface of the existing grass fields. Put grass in quotes, it’s grass and dirt. It’s been a problem for years because of a very flat terrain and surface drainage, leading to not just canceled events and canceled recreation opportunities for our students but even canceled seasons,” according to Lehnetz.

He says the budget is five-point-eight million dollars for the project, which will be paid for with Recreation Services funds. Lehnertz says the new fields will says roughly 750-thosuand to one million dollars each year in maintenance. Iowa State University received approval for the remodeling of parts of the Memorial Union. Heather Paris once part involves the second floor. “This is a two-pint-two-five million dollar project to remodel five-thousand square feet on the second floor, which is the main level of our Memorial Union,” she says.”The impacted second floor area would open the Colonel Pride Lounge to the main east west corridor, and it includes spaces that were formerly used by the U-S Postal Service our lectures program and the hotel desk when that was in the Memorial Union.” She says the remodel will make it a larger, more attractive space for students to meet, study and dine.

The project would begin next summer and run through the winter of 2024. The second part of the project involves the third floor remodel. “This is a four-point-three million dollar project to renovate 12-thousand square feet in the third floor area between the bookstore and the parking ramp of the Memorial Union,” Paris says. The project remodels offices vacated by Student Services — and will create two suites with offices, a student lounge and study rooms for the multicultural student affairs and student support services. It is scheduled to start next summer. The University of Northern Iowa received questing approval for the design and budget for the Gallager Bluedorn Performing Arts Center expansion project.
Michael Hager presented the plans.

“The Gallagher Bludorn Performing Arts Center is almost 25 years old. When it was built, there were budget challenges and the decision was made at the time to limit some of the patron amenities and focus on the performance venues. And that was a wise decision back then, it served us very well,” Hager says. He says the facility serves thousands of people each year. “This particular project will remodel about 45-hundred square feet and adds on about 16-thousand-400. Most of that addition is focused on patron amenities, including additional restrooms, which are always welcome on those short intermissions,” he says, “concession space drop off lane, a marquee lounge will be a hallmark of this new area to serve our donors and others in there.” The budget is around 14 million dollars.

The Board of Regents approved the plans at their meeting today (Thursday).

(Radio Iowa) – The 2022 election may have just concluded, but the presidential politicking for the Iowa Republican Party’s 2024 Caucuses is well underway. During a rally a week ago in Sioux City, former President Donald Trump said he will very probably run again. “Get ready, that’s all I’m telling you,” Trump said. “Very soon. Get ready.” Trump easily carried Iowa as the G-O-P’s presidential nominee in 2016 and 2020, but Trump called for a recount after he finished second in the 2016 Iowa Caucuses.

Despite that rocky period, Trump says he’s rejected calls from national G-O-P leaders to dethrone the caucuses from first-in-the-nation status. “I told you that, remember, four years ago, I said: ‘I’m not going to let it happen,'” Trump said. “…I stopped it so much, it almost became a full-time job. They do want to take it away from you, that I can say, but the Iowa Caucuses are cherished and it’s a national tradition and we are committed to keeping Iowa first for many, many years to come.”

Trump’s presence in the race may prompt other potential candidates to scuttle their presidential campaign plans. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, a frequent Iowa visitor, has already said he will not run in 2024, while others have publicly said if Trump launches another bid for the White House, they won’t run against him.

The first potential G-O-P candidate scheduled to be in Iowa after the midterm election appears to be Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. He will speak next Wednesday to a central Iowa group that’s been host to many G-O-P presidential hopefuls of the past. Iowa Democrats, meanwhile, await a decision in December from national party leaders who may move the Democratic Party’s Caucuses out of the first spot on their party’s presidential nominating calendar.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education held their Annual and Regular Meetings, Wednesday evening. Their Annual Meeting, featured the 2021-22 Annual Report, and 2021-22 Depository Statement.

Here are Superintendent Steve Barber’s notes on the Annual Report:

During the Board’s Regular session, they received a Special Presentation on the 3-year Old Preschool Program, along with regular reports from the District’s Principal’s, and Superintendent Steve Barber. Here are his notes from the meeting:

“A lot of these numbers and scores,” he said, “are gleaned from our ISASP’s results.  Our Middle School received the highest rating category of commendable, while our Schuler building received a Needs Improvement rating.  Each of these two buildings are required to receive Targeted Support for the subgroup of IEP students.  Since, pre COVID the Department of Education have not required or provided the support for schools in the targeted designation.  I am encouraged that each of our buildings have a plan for this work.  Although it is a designation by the State I feel this is a great opportunity to take a holistic view of how we are serving special education students and make the necessary adjustments that research deems best practice to better reach the goal of independence for this subgroup.

“Both the High School (Acceptable) rating and Washington are not required to have any additional support.  Washington only administers the ISASP’s test to third graders, which provides too small of a sample size to garner a rating.”

In other business, the Atlantic School Board approved Action items on their Consent Agenda, including the resignations of: Lisa Andersen, Food Service; and Stacy Van Aernam, CCEOC Para-Educator, and Superintendent Barber’s contract recommendations for the following:

Jacey Hoegh & Zach Christensen – Volunteer Boys Basketball Coaches.
Mike Greving, Caleb Smith, Adam Smith and Dillon Cox – Vol. Wrestling Coaches.
Todd Killion – MS Wrestling Coach.
Kayla Mendenhall – Vol. Cheer Coach.
Gary Miller – School Bus Driver.
Donald Prall & Abby Lauritzen-Olson: Substitute car/suburban Drivers.
Lizzie Walker – Early Learning Center Para.

The Atlantic School Board discussed the Instructional Support Levy (ISL) Renewal Timeline. The schedule includes action on: Jan. 11, 2023 on approving a Resolution to Consider Participation & Set [the] Public Hearing; and on having Feb. 8, 2023 as the date for the Public Hearing, along with possible action on the Resolution. (The Board has 30 days from the date of the hearing to act on the matter) The maximum portion of the ISL cannot exceed 10% of regular program district cost. A portion of the amount is state aid, but the district has not received that portion for the past several years, according to Mr. Barber.

In other business, the Board approved: SBRC Modified Allowable Growth (2021-22) LEP Allowable Costs, in the amount of $65,761.19; SBRC Modified Allowable Growth for Increased Enrollment ($192,960.90) (for spending authority); and SBRC Modified Allowable Growth – for LEP Instruction Beyond 5-years ($3,396.69).

And, finally, the School Board heard Mr. Barber’s recommendation for White Knuckle Driving to receive the Driver’s Education Contract. When the RFP (Request for Proposal) went out, it was for a two-year contract, beginning Jan. 1, 2023. The District also requested two amounts, one for a “regular student,” and one for a “Free and Reduced student.” Deluxe Driving submitted a bid of $350 per “regular” student. White Knuckle’s bid was $355. The district is responsible for some of the expenditures associated with Free and Reduced students.

Bids for the F&R students were $335 from Deluxe Driving, and $325 from White Knuckle. Barber said “Given that the District is responsible for that,” he recommended White Knuckle driving, and the Board that recommendation.

A collision this (Wednesday) afternoon in Monona County resulted in two men being transported to MercyOne Siouxland Hospital by Burgess EMS Onawa. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2003 Ford F250 pickup driven by 82-year old Larry Paul Davis, of Woodbine, was traveling east on Highway 175 at around 12:22-p.m., just east of Mango Avenue, when his vehicle crossed the center line of the road.

The pickup entered the westbound lane into the path of a 2022 Ford EC4 transport vehicle driven by 52-year-old Brady Lyle Barker, of Ida Grove. The vehicles collided head-on in the westbound lane of Highway 175. The Patrol says both drivers were wearing a seat belt.

The Ford EC4 is registered to Cygnus Home Service, LLC, out of Marshall, MN.