(Radio Iowa) – Senate Democrats have refused to confirm the four Iowans Republican Governor Kim Reynolds selected to serve on the commission that nominates people to openings on the Iowa Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. Senator Nate Boulton, a Democrat from Des Moines who’s an attorney, says according to state law, political affiliation isn’t to be considered, but all of the governor’s nominees to the commission have been either Republicans and independents.

“This is the new level of partisan politics in our state,” Boulton says. “Controlling two legislative chambers and the governor’s office is not enough. Republicans now are insisting on controlling the judicial branch and Senate Democrats cannot stand for that.” Reynolds says she nominates highly qualified commissioners who share her judicial philosophy and she says it’s shameful for Senate Democrats to play these political games. It takes the “yes” votes of 34 senators to confirm the governor’s nominees to the commission.

Senator Brad Zaun of Urbandale is one of thirty-TWO Republicans and Zaun says he’s looking forward to the day when Democrats don’t have the power to make these decisions. “And I look forward to our side being in the super majority because what’s being done with these great Iowans is disgusting,” Zaun said. A super majority would be 34 senators — enough to confirm ALL of the governor’s picks for position in state government.

The 17 member Judicial Nominating Commission has already begun the process of selecting a replacement for Justice Brent Appel (like “apple”) who will retire this summer. Every other justice on the court was nominating by Governor Reynolds or Republican Governor Terry Branstad. It appears state law allows the four people Reynolds had nominating for the commission to serve for two months. That means they’d complete the process of sending Reynolds a slate of three candidates for Appel’s seat on the Iowa Supreme Court before rotating off the nominating commission.

(Radio Iowa) – An off-duty Cherokee police officer has been charged with a serious misdemeanor following a hit and run accident that injured a six-year-old girl last Friday. The Iowa State Patrol says 52-year-old Michael McGee of Cherokee was driving a pickup truck on North Roosevelt Street in Cherokee, when he allegedly struck a six year old female in the crosswalk.

The patrol says McGee fled the scene and failed to return after the vehicle and driver had been identified. The girl was taken to Cherokee Regional Medical Center with injuries, including a concussion. Mcgee is charged with leaving the scene of an injury accident.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Sorensen studios spokesperson Maria Sorensen says the 24th Annual Freedom Rock® painting will be completed in time for Memorial Day. In honor of Memorial Day, Ray Sorensen repaints this 12-foot tall, approximately 60–90-ton boulder to pay tribute to our military men and women. He began painting the original Freedom Rock® the second week of May and plans to be finished by Memorial Day 2022.

**view the timelapse of the front side here: https://www.facebook.com/TheFreedomRock/videos/514203873730117

“This year’s front road-facing side is an illustration depicting a flag-draped coffin, lifted by a member of every branch of the military, and a soldier handing us (America) a folded flag, symbolizing that we are receiving the responsibility of upholding America for all those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. It is accompanied by a partial quote from President Reagan “…stand in silence and remember those who were loved and who, in return, loved their countrymen enough to die from them.”

2022_FreedomRock

On the south side of The Freedom Rock® is a depiction of the USS Ranger aircraft carrier with a Tomcat taking off. The Ranger was known as the “Top Gun of the Pacific” since some of the first Top Gun movie was filmed aboard that carrier. Next to that on the east side, is in honor of the 35th Anniversary of the attack on the USS Stark. Continuing around to the
Northeast is Medal of Honor recipient John Baker and an illustration of a Tunnel Rat and their patch (Baker was a Tunnel Rat).

Above this is the Huey helicopter that contains the ashes of over 125 Vietnam Veterans in the paint. Beside that is David Elsbernd who was killed in Vietnam and a recipient of the Purple Heart. He was vetoed off the North Dakota Freedom
Rock® but thought he deserved to be recognized, as do all who are on the wall in DC. Of course, the American flag meets the POW/MIA flag on top.”

Sorensen is not commissioned for his work on the original Freedom Rock® in Menlo, Iowa but works as an independent mural artist having completed the Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour last September. Sorensen is working on the 50 State Freedom Rock Tour. “I always say I have three goals with ‘The Freedom Rock® Tour’ and that is to honor America’s Veterans, promote tourism and provide for my family.”

Sorensen’s oldest two children, Independence and Michael, enjoy helping him in the early stages of many Freedom Rocks® including the original, filling in sketched areas at his discretion. 100th Iowa Freedom Rock® looks to be completed this year in front of Adventureland. The auction for the 100th raised money for the T.A.P.S. Foundation and the Puppy Jake Foundation.

For a list of the Tour and, please visit www.thefreedomrock.com. Sorensen plans to be at The Freedom Rock® over Memorial Day weekend, including Memorial Day to meet with visitors. Calendars as well as other merchandise are also available to help offset costs for the project.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – When the 2021-2022 school year ends, it will also bring an end to the federally funded free lunch program for all students. The federal government funded a program that allowed all students access to free meals during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Congress recently declined to continue funding this program. Officials with the Atlantic Community School District say this means all families will need to carry a positive balance in their children’s school meal accounts when school begins next fall.

It is likely to see a circulation within different news outlets that certain districts, most recently the Des Moines Public
School District, is still offering free lunch to all students. This is in conjunction with a grant awarded to them from the
USDA. This grant allows low-income districts to apply for and be awarded funds that allow for the continuation of
school lunch for all students. 

This grant is available to all districts in Iowa, but a certain threshold of free and reduced lunch participants must be
met in order to qualify as a low income district. ACSD highly encourages all families to fill out an application for free
and reduced lunch and take advantage of those benefits. In doing so, there is potential for our overall need to meet
the threshold that would then qualify all or many for free school lunch.

Officials say “We recognize the change in the federal government’s decision to fund a free lunch program will be difficult for many families. ACSD encourages the following options as you prepare for the 2022 – 2023 school year:
1. Complete an application for Free and Reduced Meals NOW. This can be completed in the JMC Parent Portal. If
you have any questions or need assistance completing this application, please contact Natalie Ritter,
nritter@atlanticiaschools.org or 712.243.5369
2. Begin offsetting your school lunch money needs by depositing money into your students lunch account now.
Money can be deposited any time throughout the year, including over the summer. This will start to build a
reserve of funds that can be used at the start of the 2022 – 2023 school year. Information on meal prices for
the 2022-2023 school year will be available in the near future. If you have questions about adding money to
your student’s account or if you need assistance accessing the Parent Portal, please reach out to your building
Secretaries.

FOR MORE INFORMATION REACH OUT TO ACSD FOOD AND NUTRITION DIRECTOR, NATALIE RITTER:
NRITTER@ATLANTICIASCHOOLS.ORG

(Radio Iowa) – Republican legislators have sent the governor a budget plan for the Iowa’s justice system and it includes a seven million dollar spending increase for the state’s prisons. Democrats like Representative Todd Prichard of Charles City say the murders of two Anamosa prison employees by two inmates attempting an escape last year should have prompted a higher amount, to address on-going staff shortages.”You’re playing with people’s lives, the lives of our correctional officers, the lives of inmates — who are people, too — and the lives of Iowans,” Prichard says.

Republican Representative Gary Worthan of Storm Lake says lawmakers immediately provided the prison system 20 million dollars last year, “They couldn’t hire enough people to use up that $20 million. That’s the nature of the labor market at this point in time,” Worthan says. “This budget will support staff, it will support adding staff. While maybe it’s not optimal, it probably represents as many people as the Department of Corrections can hire and train at this point in time.”

The director of the Department of Corrections recently hired a recruiting director and plans to set up a booth at the State Fair as a way to spread the word in person about job openings. At the end of April, there were more than 200 job openings for correctional officers.