The 2020 Grow Rural Education program, which provides Iowa farmers with the opportunity to nominate local rural public schools for $15,000 grants designed to enhance STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education, is officially underway!

Grow Rural Education, sponsored by Bayer Fund, has awarded more than $18 million to more than 1,000 schools nationwide since the program began in 2011. Now until April 1st, farmers can nominate their school district by visiting www.Americasfarmers.com.

Previous winners include an Iowa school district that converted an unused locker room into a Monarch butterfly incubator. And a Missouri high school used a Grow Rural Education grant to enhance its STEM classes by purchasing an aquaponics system that breeds fish and grows plants in an integrated environment.

Since 2010, America’s Farmers have awarded more than $53 million to worthy causes, students and public schools across the country. For the Grow Rural Education program specifically, farmers nominate a local public school to apply for one of the grants by visiting AmericasFarmers.com. The process takes less than five minutes and has strengthened schools by bringing together students, teachers, farmers and community members to make STEM programs more engaging.

After the school district receives a nomination, they will be notified and teachers are encouraged to submit a grant application describing their desired STEM project by April 15, 2020. A panel of qualified math and science teachers reviews the applications and selects the finalists. The program’s Farmer Advisory Council, consisting of approximately 30 farming leaders from across the country, will then select the winning school districts.

In the fall, farmers can enroll in the Grow Communities program for the chance to direct a $2,500 donation to a local eligible nonprofit organization, and the Grow Ag Leaders program will begin accepting applications for $1,500 scholarships for students pursuing an education in agriculture-related fields.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will conduct a Public Hearing beginning at 9:05-a.m., Tuesday (Feb. 11), with regard to a proposed Cold Springs Park Paving Project. The hearing is part of their regularly scheduled, weekly meeting.

Afterward, the Board will act on approving the: Plans; Specifications; Cost Estimations, and Form of Contract, for the project. The Supervisors will also discuss and act on: approval of a 2020 Wellness Plan; expense and transfer appropriation changes; the acceptance of bids and contract for stock pipe and project pipe.

The Board will then act to set the dates for public hearings on a re-compilation of the Cass County Code of Ordinances, as requires at least every five-years under the Code of Iowa. The re-compilation includes the re-adoption of ordinances already in effect, and the repeal of any ordinance(s) that are deemed no longer necessary.

During a Work Session that follows the regular meeting, Tuesday, will take into consideration Budget requests, as well as review the FY2020 Budget and 2021 Budget items, including library and ambulance service contracts, funding requests, along with individual departmental budget(s).

The CAM School District’s Board of Education will hold its regular monthly meeting 6:30-p.m. Monday (Feb. 10th), in Anita, at the CAM High School Superintendent’s Office. Among the discussion and/or action items on their agenda, is:

• A CAM Education Association (CAMEA) presentation of their opening proposal for negotiations.
• An ICA (Iowa Connections Academy) Contract.
• Discussion with regard to the FY 2020-21 School Calendar and Budget.
• The Early Retirement Policy.
• Consideration of the bid process for 2020 Summer Mowing.
• Discussion with regard to the Facility Upgrade Process.
• And Disposal of old football uniforms.

After the Board adjourns, they will move into a closed (exempt) session, for Strategy Negotiations.

PLYMOUTH, N.H. (AP) – In 2018, female candidates helped power the Democratic takeover of the U.S. House. But women in the Democratic Party seem only moderately enthusiastic about voting for a woman for president. AP VoteCast finds that women in Iowa were only slightly more likely than men to back a woman. And the survey shows that many women thought a female candidate would have a harder time beating President Donald Trump in November. The concern has been an added burden for the women seeking the Democratic nomination for president. The leading female candidate in the race, Elizabeth Warren, is trying to confront it in New Hampshire.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Democratic Party is reviewing roughly 5 percent of the precincts in last Monday’s Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses, after issuing a deadline for campaigns to offer data demonstrating inconsistencies with the party’s results. In a statement Saturday, state party officials in their effort to clean up after Monday’s reporting breakdown said they were reviewing campaign data from 95 of the 1,765 precinct caucuses and would issue any corrections to the final results by this Monday (Feb. 10th). The party asked the campaigns to submit evidence of inconsistencies in the final results of the caucuses.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with Families United Action Network (FUAN) announced Saturday, that Iowa Representative Ako Abdul-Samad and Senator Mark Segebart introduced the FUAN False Allegations Protections Bill to Change the Child Protective Services (CPS) Tip Line from Anonymous to Confidential.

Officials say the purpose of the proposed change is to show connections to false allegations to the Iowa DHS Child Protective Services division in high conflict custodial divisions in order to hold those accountable of false reporting under Iowa Code, that cannot be accomplished under the current, anonymous call-in reporting system.

FUAN says “Currently, high conflict divorces frequently result in false reports made to DHS by or on behalf of one of the parties. Whether founded or unfounded, these reports often affect the accused party negatively in custody battles while the accuser benefits. DHS takes approximately 37-thousand calls a year about child abuse. Of that 37-thousand, about one-third of the reports are rejected right away because they don’t meet the agency’s criteria. On the other 25-thousand, when they send out an investigator, two-thirds turn out unfounded. This usually is the result of someone with a personal grudge trying to cause a problem.”

Jerry Foxhoven, former Director of the Iowa Dept. of Human Services (DHS) says “It is important to protect individuals reporting child abuse when they have a good faith belief that abuse has occurred. However, intentional false reports put children at risk by diverting resources that should be dedicated to protecting children who are truly at risk.”

The introduction of Senate File 2148 and reintroduction of House File 373 would seek to recommend a legislative study into Child Protective Services call-in reporting line. It would also recommend change to the Iowa Child Protective Services in-call reporting line from anonymous to confidential by adopting similar verbiage to Connecticut’s call-in reporting script.

The annual meeting of the Cass County Tourism Committee is set to take place 5:30-p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11th, in Atlantic. The event, to be held in the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce’ meeting room at the restored Rock Island Depot, is open to anyone with an interest in tourism in Cass County.

The Cass County Tourism Council’s purpose is to promote area attractions, and to continually develop and market the culture, history and economic well-being of Cass County, Iowa.  The 2018 Economic Impact Assessment of Travel in Iowa reports that domestic travelers generated a total of $517,500,000 in tax receipts in Iowa. Cass County’s piece of the pie came to $1.9 million in state tax receipts and $210,000 in local tax receipts. Domestic travel directly supports the payroll of food service, entertainment and recreation and lodging sectors.

A single-vehicle rollover accident Saturday night just west of Clearfield, in Taylor County, resulted in five people injured. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2007 Ford F-250 pickup driven by 44-year old Clayton Wayne Nelson, of Lenox, was traveling west on 170th Street, about one-quarter of a mile west of Yellowstone Avenue, when the pickup sustained a mechanical failure. The vehicle went out of control and entered the north ditch, where it rolled over and came to rest on its top. The accident happened at around 9:06-p.m. None of the five occupants were wearing seat belts.

Nelson and four passengers suffered injuries. Two occupants were ejected from the truck and one was pinned underneath the vehicle. Nelson was taken by Ringgold County EMS to the Ringgold County Hospital with undisclosed injuries. Two passengers: 33-year old Angela Jenkins, of Lenox, and 21-year old Zachary Marxen, of Corning, were flown to Des Moines area hospitals with undisclosed injuries. 19-year old Cedric Nelson, of Lenox, was taken to Greater Regional Medical Center for injuries, and 21-year old Brylee Van Gelder, of Lenox, was transported to Ringgold County Hospital for treatment. The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office says a four-year old female suffered from minor bumps and bruises, and was transported by private vehicle to a hospital.

In addition to the aforementioned agencies, the Iowa State Patrol was assisted at the scene by Lenox Fire/EMS, and Bedford EMS.

One person was injured during a collision between an SUV and a horse-drawn buggy Friday evening, northwest of Riceville, in northern Iowa’s Mitchell County. The Iowa State Patrol reports Christian Bontreger, of Riceville, was driving the buggy on Walnut Street near the intersection with 450th, when it was struck from behind by a southbound 1997 Jeep Cherokee. Following the collision, both vehicles landed in the ditch. The accident happened at around 6:12-p.m.

Bontreger was transported by ambulance to the Mayo Hospital. There was no report on his condition. The driver of the Jeep, 67-year old Ronald Mayer, of Riceville, was not injured. He was arrested for OWI.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 4:00 a.m. CST

CORALVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Iowa prison officials say a man serving more than 80 years in prison for twice trying to hire a hit man has died behind bars. Officials say 39-year-old Justin Lee Dewitt died Friday afternoon. Officials have not said how Dewitt died. Dewitt was sentenced in 2018 to 35 years in prison for a murder-for-hire scheme involving a business associate and that associate’s family. The next year, he was sentenced to 50 years for trying to organize from behind bars the killings of witnesses from his first case so they couldn’t testify against him. An autopsy has been ordered in his death.

ALGONA, Iowa (AP) — A violent Iowa convict who was on parole when he shot a bank employee to death during a botched robbery last year has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that 36-year-old Valentino Williams, of Coralville, was sentenced Friday in Kossuth County District Court for the Dec. 4 shooting death of 43-year-old Jessica Weisharr outside Security State Bank in Lu Verne. Williams had pleaded guilty to felony murder. In exchange, prosecutors dropped an attempted robbery count, and Williams waived his right to appeal. Williams also was ordered to pay $150,000 restitution to Weishaar’s family.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Democratic Party is reviewing roughly 5 percent of the precincts in Monday’s Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses after issuing a deadline for campaigns to offer data demonstrating inconsistencies with the party’s results. In a statement Saturday, state party officials in their effort to clean up after Monday’s reporting breakdown said they were reviewing campaign data from 95 of the 1,765 precinct caucuses and would issue any corrections to the final results by Monday. The party asked the campaigns to submit evidence of inconsistencies in the final results of the caucuses.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A 57-year-old Burlington man has been sentenced to nearly nine years in federal prison for receiving and distributing child pornography. Federal prosecutors for the Southern District of Iowa say in a news release that Jeffrey Scott Walter was sentenced Tuesday to 104 months in prison after pleading guilty last year. There is no parole in the federal system. Prosecutors say the investigation into Walter began in September 2016, when federal agents determined Walter’s internet provider address was advertising child pornography files. A search warrant executed at Walters’ home in March 2018 found electronic devices containing multiple images and videos of child pornography.