HOLLAND, Iowa (AP) — Businesses partnering with the state to provide real-world student learning opportunities are expected to boost career education for rural Iowa school districts. The state is using the recently unveiled Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning to help students build job skills, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported.
Businesses, nonprofits and governmental organizations can post real-world tasks on a project board that students can then complete under the supervision of teachers. Teachers can also use it to connect students to job shadow, internship and apprenticeship opportunities.

“Really, it’s designed as a virtual space,” said Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise. Wise said the program will broaden access to learning that hasn’t been available for some students, especially those in rural areas. Stacy Ascher, who coordinates credit course offerings at the outreach center, said it’s a huge resource that will help students in northeastern Iowa. Credit course offerings are in manufacturing, health care and agricultural fields as well as the liberal arts.

Ascher is already organizing some work-based learning for students at the center. Freshmen in all participating districts do manufacturing work site tours, where they learn about a variety of jobs at the business on and off the factory floor. Ascher said students in the area do between 250 and 300 job shadows each year and an average of 100 internships.

Wise said such learning opportunities can spark interest among young people in a way classroom lessons do not. “One of the biggest challenges I see in too many places is a lack of student engagement,” he said.

WAUKEE, Iowa (AP) — Developers are pitching the idea of creating a $100 million entertainment district in the Des Moines suburb of Waukee. Television station KCCI reports that developers have scouted an area of 27 acres in Waukee for a concert venue, bars and restaurants. The developers hope to have a site plan approved this year, as early as October.

Waukee resident Caleb Short says people who live west of Des Moines “don’t want to drive all the way downtown” for entertainment.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s Morningside College has announced its first doctoral program, a doctor of nursing practice. The Sioux City Journal reports that the 30-credit program will be launched this fall. It will be delivered online and is designed for working nurses seeking advancement in their field.

Jackie Barber, dean of the Morningside College Nylen School of Nursing, says the program is designed for nurses who want to take their career to the next level. The program is entirely online and is taken over an 18-month period. Barber says offering it online will give working nurses the flexibility to complete the coursework and studies on their own schedules.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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OTTUMWA– The Iowa Department of Corrections said Saturday, 44-year old Eddie Lee Ward, who was convicted of Robbery 2nd Degree in Wapello County, failed to report back to the Ottumwa Residential Facility as required Friday night.  Ward is a black male, height 6’1″. He weighs 239 pounds. Ward was admitted to the work release facility on June 10, 2019. Persons with information on Ward’s whereabouts should contact local police.

Eddie Ward

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests. A traffic stop at around 2:33-a.m. today (Saturday) near Highway 148 & Grove Avenue, in Corning, resulted in the arrest of Josie Irene Thu, of Corning. She was taken into custody for OWI/1st offense, cited for Speeding, and Open Container-Driver.

At around 11:45-p.m. Friday, Adams County deputies were dispatched to the 1000 block of 6th Street, in Corning, for a report of two people fighting. Deputies located 33-year old Dawn Falkoski, of Corning, standing outside of her home. Upon further investigation, Falkoski was arrested for Interference with Official Acts, and Domestic Assault causing injury. Her bond was set at $1,300.

And, at around 9:30-p.m. Friday, Adams County deputies arrested 32-year old Kevin Jungers, of Lenox, on an Adams County warrant for Failure to Appear.

A woman from Nebraska was arrested on an OWI charge early this (Saturday) morning, in Red Oak. Authorities say 35-year old Nicole Marie Lundquist, of Omaha, was arrested at U-S Highway 34 & G Avenue, for OWI/1st offense, just before 3-a.m. She was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $1,000 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:55 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A supervisor with Iowa’s state Public Defender’s Office has a part-time side job as a local police officer, creating a potential conflict of interest. Michael Adams is supervisor of the special defense unit, which is appointed to defend low-income defendants in complex criminal cases statewide. But since 2008 he has also served as a part-time reserve police officer in the city of Colfax. The potential conflict of interest surfaced this month in a murder case.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The former head of the Iowa Department of Human Services has filed a complaint with the state seeking $2 million for wrongful discharge. Jerry Foxhoven says in documents filed Thursday with the State Appeal Board that Gov. Kim Reynolds, her chief of staff and legal counsel fired Foxhoven on June 17 as he questioned whether it was legal for the DHS to pay the salary of a governor’s staffer who had moved from the agency to the governor’s office.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A fire on the roof of a prison in Fort Dodge appears to be under control. The Iowa Department of Corrections says the fire was reported about 2 p.m. at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility. Officials believe the fire started on the roof of a prison housing unit where contractors were making repairs. Local fire officials say the fire appears to be under control. The Corrections Department says all prison staff, contractors and inmates are accounted for.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democrats’ plans for virtual presidential caucuses in Iowa and Nevada are effectively dead as Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez said Friday the results would be vulnerable to hacking and abuse. The two states had submitted plans for telephone voting as part of a national Democratic effort to increase participation in the 2020 nominating fight. But Perez says “there is no tele-caucus system available that meets our standard of security and liability.”

(Radio Iowa) — Many people are using the Labor Day holiday as their last getaway of the summer. Triple-A Iowa’s, Mark Peterson, says you’ll be happy when you gas up. “These are some of the lowest prices we’ve had in two to three years,” according to Peterson. He says everything has worked well to keep the prices from going up — including no major summer issues with supply.

“Production has remained strong and robust as we are moving along,” Peterson says. Peterson says the average cost of a gallon of gas in Iowa is two-dollars, 42 cents. “Last year about this time it was two-75. In 2017, two-49, so this is kind of a surprise. You’ll want to take advantage of it now — fill up those tanks — because you never know what can happen,” Peterson says. Peterson said it’s a possibility we could see a jump in gas prices in a few weeks with a little end of the summer bump in demand.

He says he then expects things to level off or prices could possible drop. Peterson says there are some intangibles — like the hurricanes and the situation in the Middle East that could impact prices. For now he says you can enjoy the lower prices.