(DES MOINES, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today (Monday) the distribution plan for Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) food assistance benefits for eligible Iowa children under the age of six. The federal Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act allows states to issue emergency food assistance benefits to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households with children under the age of six who were impacted by pandemic-related school changes and closures in their area.

P-EBT for children under age six is limited to those children who received SNAP benefits between September 2021 and May 2022. The P-EBT benefits for children under six will be loaded on the household’s existing SNAP card between now and September 20. The monthly amount for each eligible child is $22.01 for September 2021 through December 2021, and $21.15 for the months of January 2022 through May 2022. P-EBT benefits will only be distributed for those months that the child received SNAP. 

“Food costs in Iowa hit historic highs in 2022, making it hard for low-income parents to meet the nutritional needs of their children. These additional benefits will make it easier for parents to put healthy and nutritious food on their table,” said Janee Harvey, HHS Division Administrator of Adult, Child, and Family Services.

Parents are encouraged to visit HHS’ comprehensive FAQ document available on the HHS website at https://dhs.iowa.gov/food-assistance/related-programs/P-EBT for more information about P-EBT.

The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa announced today (Monday) a settlement agreement with the Cedar Rapids Community School District in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to address the discriminatory use of seclusion and restraint against students with disabilities.

The department’s investigation found that the school district inappropriately and repeatedly secluded and restrained students with disabilities as early as kindergarten in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The department concluded that instead of meeting the needs of students with disabilities that affect their behavior, the school district subdued them through unnecessary restraints and improper confinement alone in small seclusion rooms, sometimes multiple times in one day and often for excessive periods of time. As a result of these practices, some students lost hundreds of hours of instructional time. The investigation also found that the school district did not end seclusion where students showed signs of crisis or trauma, or when there was no longer any threat of harm. Under the settlement agreement, the Cedar Rapids Community School District has voluntarily agreed to end the use of seclusion, reform its restraint practices, and improve its staff training on anticipating, appropriately addressing and de-escalating students’ disability-related behavior through appropriate behavioral interventions.

“Students with disabilities should not be subjected to discriminatory and abusive seclusion and restraint practices that deny them equal access to education,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “When schools isolate and unlawfully restrain children with disabilities, rather than provide them with the supports needed for success in the classroom, they violate the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Our agreement puts the Cedar Rapids Community School District on a path to significant institutional change and reform. We will continue working to ensure that school districts across the country are taking all steps needed to provide every student access to a safe and supportive learning environment.”

“Each and every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn and thrive,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy T. Duax for the Northern District of Iowa. “Our office, in partnership with the department’s Civil Rights Division, will vigorously investigate allegations of discrimination on the basis of disability in all settings, including in our public schools. I am heartened by the district’s commitment to this landmark agreement, which will undoubtedly improve the education and everyday lives of many students in our community.”

The school district fully cooperated throughout the investigation. Under the settlement agreement, the school district will implement reforms needed to ensure that its practices do not discriminate against students with disabilities. The district will, among other steps:

• End its use of seclusion;
• Limit its use of restraints, revise its restraint procedures and practices, and consistently implement those procedures and practices in all schools;
• Report all instances of restraint and evaluate if they were justified;
• Offer counseling and other services to students who are restrained;
• Adopt policies and procedures to assess suicide risk, prevent suicide and self-harm, and implement immediate crisis intervention for students who threaten or engage in self-harm;
• Designate trained staff to collect and analyze restraint data and oversee the creation of appropriate behavior intervention plans;
• Deliver appropriate training and resources to help schools implement the agreement; and
• Hire two new administrators to oversee schools’ use of restraint, if any, and ensure the district’s compliance with the agreement and Title II of the ADA.

Enforcement of Title II of the ADA is a priority of the Civil Rights Division. This agreement, obtained jointly by the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa, is the most recent in a series of Civil Rights Division settlements to address and prevent unlawful seclusion and restraint of students with disabilities in public schools.

Atlantic, IA— The Cass Health Immunization Room is now offering the Moderna bivalent booster for adults aged 18 and older, who have completed a primary COVID vaccine series and it has been at least 2 months since their last COVID vaccination. The booster doses are given by appointment; patients should call 712-250-8122 to schedule. Cass Health officials say the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommends the use of updated COVID-19 boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech for people ages 12 years and older and from Moderna for people ages 18 years and older.

Updated COVID-19 boosters add Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components to the current vaccine composition, helping to restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination by targeting variants that are more transmissible and immune-evading.

File photo

Pfizer bivalent boosters, which can be given to those 12 years old and older, are available at local pharmacies.

DES MOINES — Today (Monday), Governor Kim Reynolds, along with 21 other Governors, sent a letter to President Biden vehemently opposing his plan to forgive federal student loans for millions of Americans.  “We support making higher education more affordable and accessible for students, but not at the expense of the American taxpayers,” said Gov. Reynolds. “Your plan will encourage more student borrowing, incentivize higher tuition rates, and drive-up inflation even further. These outcomes hurt everyone, but none more so than the millions of working-class Americans who’ve already paid off their loans or chosen not to borrow.”

The Governor’s Office says Currently, an estimated 16-17% of Americans have federal student loan debt that would be forgiven under the Biden Administration’s plan, shifting the burden of cost to each American taxpayer to the tune of more than $2,000 or $16 billion in total.  “Rather than addressing the high cost of tuition for higher education or working to lower interest rates for student loans, your plan kicks the can down the road and makes today’s problems worse for tomorrow’s students,” said Gov. Reynolds.

The Governors request the President immediately withdraw his student loan plan. You can read the full letter here.

Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic issued the following statement in response to Governor Kim Reynolds spearheading a letter to President Biden opposing his plan to forgive a portion of student loan debt for millions of Americans:

“The burden of student loan debt has forced millions of Americans into terrible choices, like staying in a bad job or delaying needed medical care. Thankfully, President Biden’s decision to forgive thousands in student loan debt will put money back into the hands of people who keep our economy going.

“Now, Governor Kim Reynolds is once again displaying her hypocrisy and backwards logic. For years she has failed to adequately fund public schools, continuing to cut funding for Iowa’s public universities. At the same time, she has sent massive tax cuts to the companies that are price-gouging Iowa consumers.

“Reynolds is showing Iowans her true colors by railing against President Biden’s student loan forgiveness that is helping thousands of Iowans afford their bills and the things that matter most. Working families fuel our economy, but Corporate Kim is afraid of increasing taxes on the greedy companies that fund her campaign war chest. Iowa workers and families with student loan debt benefit from President Biden’s loan forgiveness. Iowans deserve a leader who supports working families and makes their lives better, not worse.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Heritage House on Thursday, September 9th, to celebrate the opening of the Gingery Café with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Kennedy Freund, Sales Director, introduced the Ambassadors to Barb Riley who came on board to the Food and Beverage Department in 2020 and is now the Chef for the newly opened Café. The café is located just inside the main entrance of the Heritage House Towers. The Café opened to residents on August 17th and has now officially opened to the public. The team at Heritage House want the Gingery Café to be a place where residents, family and community can gather for a long chat or a quick bite.

The Gingery Café provides both dine-in and grab-and-go breakfast items such as freshly made baked goods, burritos and biscuits and gravy. The café also features lunch items including, but not limited to, paninis, wraps, flatbread pizzas, salads and smoothies. Barb Riley also encourages community members to call ahead to arrange a carryout order. The Gingery Café is open Wednesday-Saturday, 7AM to 2PM.

Photo & info. courtesy of the Atlantic Chamber

For more information about the Gingery Café please call 712-243-9481. Menus are made available at the Gingery Café located at 1200 Brookridge Circle in Atlantic.

(Radio Iowa) – The Board of Regents plans to ask the Iowa Legislature for an increase of 32 million dollars for its next budget when they meet this week. The Regents say the additional funding is needed due to inflation and increased costs for everything from software, food, utilities, fuel, and wages. Information provided for the meeting in Cedar Falls Thursday says there is great concern about employee costs in a market heavily influenced by inflation, competition for talent, and labor shortages.

The Iowa Legislature increased university funding by five million dollars in the last budget — which was 15 million dollars short of what the Board of Regents requested. The Board then voted to raise tuition at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa.

(Avoca, Iowa) – UPDATE 9/16/22: TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT! Thank you!

Seats are filling-up, but (as of today, Sept. 12) there is still space for you to sit at the table this weekend, in Avoca. This isn’t just any table, it’s Avoca Main Street’s “Longest Table.” Amber Mohr is the Executive Director of Avoca Main Street.

(As said: It takes place Saturday, Sept. 17th. Happy Hour begins 4-p.m. at the Avoca Legion Hall at 112 N Elm Street, and weather permitting, outside dining will take place from 5-7 p.m. Tickets are available at https://amslongesttable.brownpapertickets.com/ )

The meal consists of five courses designed and executed by Chef James Edward Calkins, from Milk & Honey Restaurant, in Harlan. Everything he uses is locally procured.

Paul Hart, versatile acoustic musician, will provide entertainment. The “Longest Table” was first held in 2016. Covid affected many restaurants as well as Avoca Main Street’s Longest Table, but Mohr says they were able to come up with a solution to still bring a taste of unique food to residents in the area. 

There were safety concerns last year, but once again organizers were able to work around them.

Masks are optional. Anyone who feels sick is encouraged to check your symptoms and not attend, especially if you have COVID, or have tested positive for Covid, even if you don’t have any symptoms. Servers, Mohr said, WILL be masked.

The Avoca Main Street Longest Table event is designed to celebrate the rural city’s agricultural heritage, enhance community fellowship, and recognize the farmers who provide local produce for the seasonal Avoca Main Street Farmers Market. The event was recognized in 2020 by the Iowa Tourism Awards for “Best Rural Event,” and in 2018 by the Main Street Iowa Awards as “Exceptional Special Event.”