(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County (IA) Democrats are hosting Iowa 3rd District Democrat Congressional Candidate Melissa Vine, on Tuesday, March 12th. The event is being held at the Heritage House lower level meeting room (1200 Brookridge Circle) in Atlantic, and will start with a potluck and social from 6:00-6:30 PM. The meeting with Vine will begin at 6:30 PM. While the event is being hosted by the Cass County Democrats, all people are welcome, regardless of party affiliation.

Vine is running for Congress in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional district currently held by Republican Zach Nunn. Vine is businesswoman and single mother of four. She currently works as the Executive Director of The Beacon, a Central Iowa non-profit organization that support women recovering from trauma and empowers them to achieve positive long-term change. More information on Vine and her campaign can be found at melissavine.com.

Melissa Vine

The Cass County Democrats are hosting Vine at their March monthly meeting, which is open to the public. For more information on the Cass County Democrats, monthly gatherings, or to join the Cass County Democrats email newsletter, contact casscountyiadems@gmail.com or follow the Cass County Democrats on Facebook @CassCountyIADems or on Instagram @CassCountyDemocrats.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – A collision between a car and a motorcycle Sunday afternoon, resulted in the death of a passenger on the cycle. The Council Bluffs Police Department released details about the crash, today (Thursday). Authorities say the accident happened shortly after Noon, Sunday, at the intersection of E. Kanesville Blvd. & N. Broadway Avenue. 51-year-old Rosina Delanty, of Underwood, was a passenger on a 2014 Harley Davidson motorcycle that was traveling east on E. Kanesville and approaching N. Broadway, when it collided with a 2014 Ford Edge that made a left turn in front of the cycle, causing the crash. The driver of the SUV was identified as 86-year-old Nancy Casson, of McClelland.

Rosina Delanty was transported to an area trauma center, where she died from her injuries on Wednesday (Feb. 28th). The operator of the motorcycle suffered non-life threatening injuries. Authorities say neither speed nor alcohol were believed to be factors in the crash.

Charges are pending against Nancy Casson.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop at around 12:30 this (Thursday) morning north of Villisca, resulted in a pursuit with speeds exceeding 122-mph, and ended with the arrest of a man from Pottawattamie County. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says Deputies initiated the traffic stop at the intersection of Highways 71 and 34. During the stop, the driver, Robert Christopher Greenwood, of Council Bluffs, fled, with deputies pursuing him north on Highway 71. Greenwood’s vehicle ran out of gas and came to a stop in Lyman.

Greenwood was arrested with assistance from the Montgomery County K-9 Unit, Cass County Sheriff’s Office and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. He was treated at the scene by Griswold Rescue. Greenwood faces charges that include Felony Eluding (a Class-C felony), Driving While Barred, and Interference with official acts.

He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $10,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The Board of Regents approved a request from the University of Northern Iowa Wednesday to proceed with planning for a practice facility for the volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball teams. U-N-I’s Michael Hager says the project is estimated to cost between eight and ten million dollars.

Hager says having the facility in one location will make it easier on the teams.

The project will be funded by gifts and some athletic department funds.

(Radio Iowa) – Some 23-hundred students from nearly 150 Iowa schools will be in Des Moines this weekend to take aim in the state archery tournament. Zach Benttine, the Iowa D-N-R’s archery coordinator, says there are two types of competition for the students in grades four through 12.

This program didn’t exist 20 years ago, but archery has become extremely popular in Iowa’s schools, with more than 46-hundred children taking part this past year.

About 250 Iowa schools teach the course, with about 150 of them running the after-school program. Top Iowa finishers this weekend will go on to the National Archery in the Schools Program Tournament. The shooting starts tomorrow (Friday) afternoon.

Prizes include more than 20-thousand dollars in college scholarships based on performance at the state tournament, while another 10-thousand dollars will be awarded outside of the competition to archers based on academics, essays, and other criteria. Teams are also aiming for some 18-thousand dollars in archery equipment for their schools. The state tournament will be held in the Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition Center and the 4-H Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

online at www.iowadnr.gov/nasp

(Radio Iowa) – The University of Iowa received approval Wednesday to make improvements to two key buildings. U-I Vice President Rod Lenhertz asked the Board of Regents to approve the design to build out the seventh floor of the Stead Family Children’s Hospital to expand the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. “It would add an additional 28 NICU patient rooms and all support spaces that are also present on the sixth floor,” he says. The seventh floor was left as a shell when the hospital was built in anticipation of future expansion. Lenhertz says the project is projected to cost 41 million dollars and will be funded by University Hospitals building usage funds. Lenhertz also requested permission to approve the design plans to restore the third floor ballroom to the Iowa Memorial Union. He says the ballroom space was needed for the art department after the 2008 flood.

“That ballroom was reconfigured and redesigned after 2008 as a temporary museum space. All with the understanding that upon our completing our Stanley Museum of Art, which is complete and has been active obviously, we would return that space for use for our student life and I-M-U folks,” he says. Lehnertz says the ballroom was a popular place for student events and to rent out for other events before the flood.

” It’s 51-hundred square feet serves as many as 300 visitors and we will return that space back to its pre-flood state. It’s a two-point-four million dollars project and we would start construction on that this spring,” Lehnertz says. The work on the ballroom restoration is expected to be completed in the fall. The University of Iowa also received approval to plan a new parking ramp west of the College of Dentistry. The ramp would hold between one-thousand and 12-hundred parking stalls with an estimated project budget of 55 to 60 million dollars.

(Red Oak, Iowa)  – Police in Red Oak report two men were arrested on separate charges, Wednesday. A little after 7-p.m., 24-year-old Brandon Lane Good (no address given) was arrested following a report of a possibly intoxicated driver in the 1600 block of W. Broadway, in Red Oak. Officers located the vehicle in the 200 block of E. Hammond Street. Good was taken into custody for OWI/2nd offense, Child Endangerment, and Driving While Revoked. His bond was set at $2,000.

And, at around Noon, Wednesday, Red Oak Police arrested 30-year-old Collin Scott McClung, of Carson, for Harassment in the 3rd Degree. McClung was taken into custody in the 100 block of W. Coolbaugh Street, and was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — Drake University is set to announce its initial recommendations for major budget cuts on Friday. In November the college projected it would need to make more than $10 million in cuts to balance its budget. Drake says that figure is now about $6 million after the college generated some savings ahead of the coming fiscal year. The school cites a decline in student enrollment as the primary factor driving the cuts.

Now, months later, the college will be sending emails to faculty, staff and students announcing where it will be looking to make the cuts. Faculty who could be let go will find out Friday morning. The rest of the students and faculty will learn what programs the college is recommending to be cut or changed on Friday afternoon.

There will be several months of meetings about the recommendations before final cuts are made in May.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has approved a bill designed to give liability protection to schools that choose to let teachers or other staff volunteer to undergo training and carry a weapon to respond to a shooting. Representative Phil Thompson, a Republican from Boone, says the bill requires not just active shooter drills and medical training and learning how to communicate with law enforcement during a shooting, but a yearly background check for the professional permit to carry a gun on school grounds.

“We recognize that this responsibility must be taken very seriously,” Thompson says. “The strict training regimen outlined in this bill ensures that the employees who acquire this permit are equipped with the skills and the proficiency to act appropriately in the event of an emergency.” Republican Representative John Wills is from Spirit Lake, where trained school staff briefly carried concealed weapons, but quit after the district’s insurance carrier threatened to drop coverage. Wills says Spirit Lake, Cherokee and other districts are hoping the bill becomes law soon.

“And it will save lives when cowards attack our kids,” Wills said. House Republican Leader Matt Windschitl, of Missouri Valley, says seconds count when there’s a shooting. “People with bad intentions are going to do bad things,” Windshitl said. “People with good intentions are there to stop them.” Windshitl says he’s heard from companies that insure schools in states that have similar laws that they’ll offer policies to Iowa districts that let staff be armed on school grounds and at school activities.

Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, a Democrat from Ames, says the bill will reduce the liability risk for insurers, but would allow a frightening number of guns in Iowa schools. “If a student is hurt or killed in crossfire, no one will be held accountable,” she said. Representative Sami Scheetz, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, says the bill isn’t the answer to gun violence. “Let’s enact extreme risk laws, responsible firearm storage laws, raise the age to purchase semi-automatic firearms to 21 and require background checks on all gun sales,” Scheetz said.

Representative Lindsay James, a Democrat from Dubuque, says Iowans want common sense gun safety laws. “And the Republican solution to combat gun violence is more guns,” James said.

A few other education-related bills passed the House last night solely with Republican support. One would create a new set of standards for social studies and civics classes, requiring instruction about specific people, events and documents. Another would require that all schools to teach about fetal development starting in seventh grade and include an animated video called “Meet Baby Olivia” that was developed by a group that opposes abortion.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education held a Work Session Wednesday evening (Feb. 28th), and approved the resignations of:

• James Brauer, HS English Teacher
• Tori Wood, Makyala Lucero and Kaitlyn Geib, SpEd Paraprofessionals

They also approved contract recommendations and/or Letters of Assignment for:

• Trinity Christensen, SpEd Paraprofessional
• Hannah Misner, HS Science Teacher
• Stephanie Kelley, HS Social Studies Teacher.

In other business, the Board agreed to move forward and advertise & hire, a Director of Student Services. Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen reminded the Board they conducted a survey of District teachers. Among the 57 teachers that were surveyed, there were 57 written responses. Over 67%  said they would support the DSS position. 31% said they would use that person as a resource.

School Board President Kristy Pellet said the position is something the Board has been exploring over the past couple of years.

Dr. Johnson said the position would be multi-faceted.

She said a good portion of the position could be paid for through the Special Education part of the District’s budget.

The salary would not equal that of a building principal, but it would be twice that of a beginning teacher. The person selected must have an administrative certification, Johnson said, with a background in special education. In other business, the Atlantic School Board received presentations from Iowa Construction Advocate Team (iCat) representative Chad Alley, with regard to potential school construction projects, and how iCat can help to reducing waste and maximizing efficiency through all phases of design, construction and beyond.

And, they received a report from Sara Bradshaw, Broker, Vice President,  Employee Benefits at Holmes Murphy & Associates from West Des Moines. She spoke with regard to ASCD employees United Healthcare benefits, claims and sustainability.

The next, regular, Atlantic School Board meeting is Wednesday, March 13, 2024 in the High School Media Center.