(Radio Iowa) – The League of Women Voters of Iowa is calling on the Iowa Legislature to approve Plan 1 for redistricting. Maps proposing new boundaries for Iowa’s congressional and legislative districts were released last week. Terese Grant, president of the League of Women Voters of Iowa, said the plan does an incredible job of reflecting the population shifts that occurred in Iowa over the past decade. “We need to encourage our legislators to vote to adopt this plan…when they convene in special session on October 5,” she said. “We need to continue to be the ‘gold standard’ for the rest of the country.”

Grant testified today during one of three public hearings on the plan. In the 1970s, the League of Women Voters of Iowa joined the successful legal challenge that led to the unique process Iowa uses for redistricting after every Census. Amy Campbell, a lobbyist for the League of Women Voters of Iowa, said the process is “messy” and “partisan” in most other states. “I’m so proud to be in Iowa…I do trust our legislature to do the right thing and look at the overall fairness of the maps that were drawn,” Campbell said during today’s public hearing.

The current map is on top, and the proposed map is on the bottom.

A dozen people have testified at the two public hearings that have been held on the redistricting plan and all urged legislators to approve the first plan that’s been released. If lawmakers reject it as well as the second plan developed by the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency, the Republican-led legislature could choose to make changes to a third plan. John Hale, the owner of a consulting firm in Ankeny, said Plan 1 reflects the “significant” population shifts that have occurred in Iowa, with 68 of 99 counties losing population from 2010 to 2020.

“Those we elect can’t praise the process of redistricting at one moment and at the next moment discard the process because they don’t like the result or are seeking another map that gives greater advantages to a particular political party or a person,” he said. Ryan Crane, who spoke at Monday’s public hearing, said Plan 1 for redistricting is based on the data. “(I’m) just really, really encouraging folks not to turn this into a partisan matter, not to go political with this, not to kind of blow up the process,” he said.

Crane said if Republicans who control the legislature make changes and adopt a third plan, that would generate negative headlines for Iowa. Since Iowa’s redistricting law has been on the books, the legislature has approved plans drawn up by the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency in 1981, 1991, 2001 and 2011.

A third public hearing on the first redistricting plan is scheduled for Wednesday night.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – For more than two decades, artist, Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II, of Greenfield, has painted giant boulders at select sites across Iowa. After painting the original rock in 1999 in Adair County, south of Interstate 80, Sorensen and his family went on the Iowa County Freedom Rock® Tour. Sorensen wrapped up his work on the 99th Freedom Rock® at the Central
City Fairgrounds over the weekend.

Sorensen’s wife Maria, says “Now the excitement turns to the 100th Freedom Rock®. The centennial mark includes an auction to raise money for Veterans causes and secure a rock in the community with the best offer. Bids are being accepted now through November 1st, with the winning community to be announced on Veterans Day (11/11/21). The 100th Freedom Rock® is slated for completion in the winning community on or around July 4, 2022.

The Sorensen family stand beside the 99th Freedom Rock in Linn County.

The couple says the auction is an ideal way for communities to demonstrate support and gratitude for our nation’s service members and fund the needs of Veterans. It’s also a unique opportunity for cities who don’t yet have a Freedom Rock® to bid and join 99 of their peers across the state. Sorensen and his family will now focus on a Freedom Rock® in every state, adding to Freedom Rocks® already placed in North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Washington and Nebraska.

(Radio Iowa) – A private Catholic liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids has confirmed one of its students has died after contracting Covid. Mount Mercy University held a vigil on campus last (Monday) night in honor of 21-year-old student Ashley Hudson. University president Todd Olson sent a message to students notifying them Hudson died Monday morning from complications associated with Covid-19. Social media posts indicate Hudson had been hospitalized and fighting the disease for weeks. Mount Mercy’s president described Hudson as an aspiring kindergarten teacher. Grief counseling services for Mount Mercy students and staff are being made available free of charge.

More than 17-hundred students are enrolled at Mount Mercy according to the university’s website. The Sisters of Mercy founded the school in 1928 and it was originally a two-year college for women.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, heard from Jotham Arber,with the County Environmental Health Office, with regard to a 28-E (Cost sharing) agreement with the Iowa DNR, as it pertains to wells for drinking water, geo-thermal and other uses.

He says the 28-E agreement with the DNR doesn’t change much. It adds some new language and puts it on a five-year cycle. Arber says it provides requirements for permits if someone is putting in a well, and allows permitting fees to come straight to the County. Arber said there are 55 wells in the County that have been closed on an annual basis and another 27 opened.

The Board tabled action on approving the 28-E until they could more thoroughly review the agreement. Action is expected during the Board’s next meeting on Sept. 30th. In other business, Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken said he expected Olive Street, south of I-80, to be open later this (Tuesday) afternoon, pending completion of the guardrail installation, inspection and traffic line painting.

The Boston Road bridge however – which it was hoped would be opening this week – may not open for another two-to-three weeks because of an issue with the guardrail installation sub-contractor getting enough workers to complete the job. Wolken said they’re looking at options that could result in the Boston Road Bridge opening next week, but that’s far from certain. T

He said also, the box culvert project along the Adair-Cass line at Victoria Road is essentially complete, with grading being finished on it. And, they’re still working on the Indian Creek road box culvert project.

And, the Board approved a 28-E project agreement between Cass County and the City of Atlantic, for the repair of the W. 6^th Street bridge over the Nishnabotna River. The cost of the project (approx. $410,000) will be split 50-50. The Board discussed the future of the County-owned Willow Heights building and adjacent farm land. Board Chair Steve Baier said an entity was scheduled to look at the facility Tuesday morning. Supervisor Steve Green said, with regard to the land, the County shouldn’t be in the land-lord business, it should be working toward contributing to an economic development fund.

Steve Baier said if an entity wants to purchase the facility, the County has the obligation to vett them, with regard to security, based on the present facility the entity operates, and what their financial position is. No action was taken during Tuesday’s meeting on selling the property.

(Washington, D-C) – U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona today (Tuesday) recognized 325 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021, including five schools in Iowa. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Secretary Cardona made the announcement during his Return to School Road Trip, while visiting an awardee school in Palatine, Illinois.

The Iowa schools named as National Blue Ribbon Schools were:

Bedford – Bedford Elementary School, Bedford Community School District.
Bettendorf – Pleasant Valley High School, Pleasant Valley Community School District.
Council Bluffs – Lewis Central Senior High School, Lewis Central Community School District.
Hills – Hills Elementary School, Iowa City Community School District.
Spencer – Spencer Middle School, Spencer Community School District.

Secretary Cardona said “This year’s cohort of honorees demonstrates what is possible when committed educators and school leaders create vibrant, welcoming, and affirming school cultures where rich teaching and learning can flourish. I commend all our Blue Ribbon honorees for working to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. In the face of unprecedented circumstances, you found creative ways to engage, care for, protect, and teach our children. Blue Ribbon Schools have so much to offer and can serve as a model for other schools and communities so that we can truly build back better.”

The coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools award affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. Now in its 39th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools.

The Department recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:

Exemplary High-Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.
Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The Department invites National Blue Ribbon Schools nominations from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.

Sheriff’s officials in Guthrie County report a man from Guthrie Center was transported to the Guthrie County Hospital, with possible/unknown injuries, following a single-vehicle accident Sunday night. Authorities say their investigation determined 75-year old Lynn Roy Sparks was traveling on 180th Trail at around 8-p.m. Sunday, when he lost control of his 2003 Ford Taurus on the gravel. The vehicle ended-up in a ditch, causing Sparks and his wife to be unable to open their doors. The accident happened when Mr. Sparks was unable to clearly see the road, due to tall grass in the ditches on both sides of the road.

He contacted his son to pull the vehicle out of the ditch. It was located in front of The New Homestead in Guthrie Center. Damage to the car was estimated at $6,000.