CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Schools across Iowa are adjusting attendance policies to comply with a new state law. Senate File 2435 defines “chronic absenteeism” as when a student is absent for 10% of the school year. The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education is set to discuss and act on the district’s policy, Wednesday evening.

KCRG-TV reports the Director of Student Services for Cedar Rapids Community School District, Chris Gibson said “We have just been working diligently to try to understand the law, and try to think about our policies and procedures that would align with that law,”

When a student misses eight days of school, their family will receive a letter letting them know their child is chronically absent. If a student misses 12 days, they will be required to have an engagement meeting between the school, the student, and the parent. A student reaches truancy after 15 days of being absent. If that happens, another meeting will be held with the county attorney present.

Multiple schools said they have had a problem with absences. The Vinton-Shellsburg School District plans to help parents keep track of their child’s absences.

You can read a summary of the school attendance law here.

(Updated) – RADIO IOWA – The hospital in Greenfield is now offering some of its services as it continues to rebuild following severe damaged from the E-F-4 tornado went through the town on May 21st. The tornado didn’t hit the Adair County Memorial Hospital directly, but high winds and flying debris caused enough damage that it closed and relocated many services to the Nodaway Valley Elementary School. Hospital C-E-O, Catherine Hillestad says outpatient and specialty clinics reopened Monday.

Hillestad says the hospital is still working towards reopening the emergency room and resuming inpatient services.

Work continues on rebuilding the E-M-S garage and they hope to have it rebuild by the summer of fall of 2025.

(By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – Lanon Baccam, the Democrat challenging Republican Congressman Zach Nunn’s bid for a second term, says securing the southern border is critically important and a bipartisan plan developed this spring would have taken important steps in that direction. “Yet for purely political purposes, reasons it was killed,” Baccam says. “…Every time there’s a chance to actually do something and get something done, politics gets in the way. Iowans are tired of it. They want to see their representatives actually get something done in congress…When I get up there, I will do everything I can to make sure we can pass something.”

Baccam says the bill that stalled would have assigned more agents to the border and deployed technology to identify drugs being smuggled into the country. “Those are things that actually could have made a difference,” Baccam said. Baccam spoke late Monday afternoon at The Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair. Baccam’s Republican opponent, Congressman Nunn, told a crowd at the Fair on Friday there is no greater threat to the U-S than the situation at the southern border. Baccam says the number one issue he hears about from voters is about keeping their public schools.

“Iowans know that these systems have worked in the past, they want to continue to see these services delivered and so they’re worried about what’s going to happen to their communities,” Baccam said.

Baccam, a native of Mount Pleasant, now lives in Des Moines. He answered reporters’ questions after his speech, then chatted with voters at the Iowa Democratic Party’s booth at the State Fair before flipping chops at the Iowa Pork Producers grill on the fairgrounds.

(Creston, Iowa) – A woman from Page County was injured late Sunday evening during an accident in Creston. According to the Creston Police Department, a 2015 moped driven by 29-year-old Taylor Dawn Fleming, of Shenandoah, was traveling north on McKinnley Street in Creston, at around 7:45-p.m., when she turned her moped onto Kirby Street, and lost control.

The moped went over a curb and into the yard and driveway before striking a parked 2015 Buick Enclave SUV, registered to a man from Ellston (IA). Emergency Room staff from the Greater Regional Community Hospital in Creston witnessed the crash. Fleming was transported from the scene by ambulance to the hospital.

During an interview with officers, she made statements saying that she had been drinking. Officers requested a blood draw warrant and served it that same night. Charges are pending the results of a lab  report.

Police estimated damage to the moped, registered to a woman from Creston, at $1,000. Damage to the SUV was also estimated to be $1,000.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School Board is set to hold their regular monthly meeting 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, in the High School Media Center. Among the discussion and action items, is an Attendance Policy, and Girls Wrestling Program.

The Board will also act on the following resignations:

• Mallory Kirchhoff, ISS Para
• Sierra Parker, Preschool Para
• Arla Clay, Nutrition Cook
• Carmem Ligia Ferreira-Cohrs, Driver

And, Contract Recommendations to Hire:

• Laura Millar, 4th – 8th Grade Therapeutic Classroom Para
• Lucas Mosier, High School Football Coach, Volunteer
• Nathan Block, High School Assistant Football Coach
• Naela Thornton, Middle School Assistant Volleyball Coach
• Brooke Lamp, Middle School Assistant Volleyball Coach
• Dillon Cox, High School Boys Assistant Wrestling Coach
• Cody McCreedy, High School Boys Swimming Coach
• Anna Pauley, National Honor Society Advisor
• 24-25 Winter Sports Coaching Recommendation

The meeting can be seen in-person, or via YouTube.

View the complete agenda (in a PDF) here: PUBLIC AGENDA 08142024

(Radio Iowa) – A Georgia man who was extradited to Iowa on a gun charge is now charged with second-degree murder in the death of a teenager. The Winnesheik County Sheriff’s Office says, following a two-year multi agency investigation spanning several states, 65- year-old James Bachmerski has been charged in the death of 15-year-old Jade Marie Colvin.

Authorities say in 2017 Colvin was brought from Arizona to Iowa by her mother to live at the Bachmerski farm in southern Winnesheik County.

The Sheriff’s Office says they were made aware in 2022 that Colvin had not been seen or heard from since two days after arriving in Iowa.