(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the Iowa Senate have voted to let 16 and 17 year olds be in charge of school age children at child care centers, without direct adult supervision. Senator Craig Johnson of Independence, a Republican, says Iowa teens are already allowed to work as lifeguards and certified nursing assistants. “When I was a young kid back in the ’70s, we had many lifeguards that were at the pool that I know they weren’t seniors yet. I don’t remember their age, but they had to have been just old enough to drive themselves to work,” Johnson says. “That’s in rural Iowa at our local pools.” The bill also raises staffing ratios, so one adult child care worker could oversee up to 10 three-year-olds.

Senator Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, says these changes could become a nightmare for parents. “Iowa is ranked one of the worst states in the country for child abuse…we should be fixing that, not making matters worse with a bill that takes away regulations that are put in place to secure the safety of our future generation.” If the bill becomes law, one adult could oversee a room of seven two-year-olds. The upper limit under current law is six two-year-olds per child care staffer. Democrats opposed the bill. Senator Claire Celsi of Des Moines says better pay and benefits are the answer to Iowa’s child care crisis.

“It’s not as easy as it looks. You have to pay attention every second,” Celsi says. “…It’s not just warehousing kids in a child care center. They need…quality attention from the person who’s watching them.” Senator Jeff Edler, a Republican from State Center, says these proposed staffing ratios would not be requirements, but options. “I trust in our day care providers that they can make the proper decisions…And, you know, how are all the other states doing it? I mean, we’ve 33 other states that are one-to-seven up to 35 months (and) 41 other states doing a one-to-10 ratio on three year olds,” Edler asked. “You know Iowa is behind.”

The bill now goes back to the House for consideration of Senate changes.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Vandals hit two Atlantic Parks restrooms over the weekend. Parks and Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen informed the Parks Board Monday evening.

He said the Camblin Addition restroom was spray painted with a swastika and a racial epithet. Bryant asks park patrons to “If you see stuff or know stuff,” please let the parks department and/or Atlantic Police know. A few weeks ago, someone went through and vandalized the signs at the Atlantic Dog Park.

There are cameras near the waterless restroom, so they’re hoping the footage will reveal some clues as to who the vandal or vandals are. In other business, Rasmussen said tree removal along Bull Creek has wrapped-up before the migratory bird treaty kicked-in. That means anywhere from 130-to 140 trees were removed to the stumps. Those will be removed by the contractor in the near future.

He said there are still some Community Gardens on raised beds available in Mollett Park, in association with the Lion’s Club. There are currently 10 in place, with five having been spoken for. The remaining beds are available for $35 each, and three more are on the way. Anyone wanting to grow their own vegetables in a mulch garden, should contact Bryant Rasmussen at 712-243-3542.

A rendition of an inclusive piece of playground equipment

He said also, the Parks and Rec Department has been working with Landscape Structures for “inclusive playground” equipment for children with special needs. That includes a “ring the bell” piece of equipment. Another panel deals with a more verbal aspect of entertainment. Two pieces will be installed at the Schildberg Recreations Area, with more to be installed in other parks.

And, in keeping with the theme of incorporating art into the City’s athletic facilities, such as the tennis courts, Hunter Oliver has been working on a mural for one side of the Tennis Wall. The rendering of “Fiona the Finch” is near completion.

Tennis wall (currently unfinished) rendering of Fiona the Finch by Hunter Oliver

A collision Monday morning in Sac County resulted in a death and one person injured. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a 2000 BMW Z3 driven by 54-year-old Jan Gentry, of Shawnee, KS, was traveling south on Highway 39, south of 340th, as a 2012 Chevy Equinox driven by 19-year-old Clay Roberts, of Dunlap, was traveling northbound.

The BMW lost control on slushy patch of highway from blowing snow, and moved into the northbound lane. The car was struck on the right side by the SUV. Gentry died at the scene. The crash happened at around 10:22-a.m.

Roberts suffered non-life threatening injuries and transported by Odebolt Ambulance to the Crawford County Hospital, in Denison.

Both drivers were wearing their seat belts.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa legislature is working on a bill to address the surge in thefts of catalytic converters — easily accessible vehicle parts that are attached to exhaust systems to reduce pollution. Representative Cherielynn Westridge of Ottumwa says it costs as much as three-thousand dollars to get a stolen catalytic converter replaced.

“I’ve heard many personal stories of those who have had it happen repeatedly outside the same apartment, so we do have a problem,” she says. “What this bill does is make sure that there’s a paper trail for those who would break the law and to give a tool to law enforcement when they’re trying to find the person who stole that catalytic converter.” According to the insurance industry, there was a 325 percent increase in catalytic converter thefts from the beginning of 2018 to the end of 2020.

Westrich says officials in her local transit authority tell her catalytic converters have been stolen from many buses, too.
“And so they have to figure out a place to house their buses and other vehicles so that people don’t steal their catalytic converters,” Westrich says. Someone who steals a catalytic converter can get something in the range of 500 dollars for it, as it contains precious metals that can be extracted once the part is melted down. The bill requires sellers to show recyclers and scrap metal dealers either a receipt showing they’ve purchased a replacement catalytic converter within the past month or the certificate for a vehicle that’s recently been junked.

Recyclers and scrap metal dealers are to keep a confidential log of that paperwork, too. “That’s to give our great law enforcement tools to prosecute those who would steal things — specifically catalytic converters,” Westrich says. Representative Charlie McConkey of Council Bluffs was part of a subcommittee that worked on the bill. “This is good legislation that we’ve needed because there is a huge uptick in catalytic converter thefts,” McConkey says.

The Iowa Senate must agree to a slight change the House made in the bill before it can go to the governor for her approval. Last year, nearly a dozen states passed laws designed to deter thefts of catalytic converter thefts.

(Radio Iowa) – A second person wanted in the deadly shooting at a Cedar Rapids nightclub was arrested today (Monday)in Illinois. The U-S Marshal Service announced they arrested 29-year-old Dimione Walker near Chicago on a first-degree murder charge related to the April 10th shooting at the Taboo Night Club in Cedar Rapids. He is also facing charges of intimidation with a dangerous weapon, going armed with intent, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Two people died and ten were injured in the shooting. Cedar Rapids police earlier arrested 32-year-old Timothy Rush on second degree murder and other charges linked to the shooting

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Department is seeking information on a male subject who is currently using the identification of an elderly Cass County resident. The suspect (see his pictures below) has recently made purchases in Atlantic and is the suspect of thousands of dollars in fraudulent activity. He may be displaying a Kansas identification. The suspect vehicle is also pictured below.