712 Digital Group - top

Amended Sex Ed bill advances through the Iowa Senate

News

March 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa [WHO-TV]— An Iowa Senate subcommittee advanced a bill through on Tuesday that would set pregnancy and fetal development curriculum, but not without changes. The Iowa House passed through House File 2617 at the end of February. And just a couple of weeks later the Iowa Senate is amending the legislation. The original bill required health education curriculum to include “a high-quality, computer generated rendering or animation, comparable to Meet Baby Olivia video developed by live action”.

The amendment would remove only the portion comparing a video to Meet Baby Olivia. But there will be some type of video that shows pregnancy from conception until birth. Several different lobbyists were grateful that the reference to the video was taken out. But there was concern from educational groups that this bill is too specific, and it doesn’t give school districts enough flexibility. School boards and curriculum committees will take direction from lawmakers, set the standards and then each school district decides how to meet the standard.

The bill with the amendment will need to make it through the Iowa Senate education committee to be safe from this session’s second funnel deadline on Friday.

Bill preventing DNR from buying land at public auction advances

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — A bill moving forward in the Iowa Statehouse limits how the Iowa Department of Natural Resources can purchase land to expand or create public lands. Iowa has 35.7 million acres of land, but only 3% is public, making Iowa second-to-last in the nation for publicly-accessible land.

The bill would restrict the DNR from purchasing land at a public auction. The DNR would still be able to buy land from private sellers and accept land donations.

The bill advanced out of an Iowa House subcommittee on Tuesday and will now head to committee. It will need to pass through the House to make it past Friday’s funnel.

Cass County Extension Report 3-13-2024

Ag/Outdoor, Podcasts

March 13th, 2024 by Jim Field

w/Kate Olson.

Play

Family notified after World War II soldier from Dubuque identified

News

March 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – Family now knows the U.S. military has identified a soldier from World War II from Dubuque. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced Tuesday they identified U.S. Army Pfc. Raymond U. Schlamp, who was 28 and from Dubuque. He was accounted for on March 21, 2022.

DPAA says Schlamp was part of the Company G, 2nd Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division. They say he was killed as his Company was given the order to withdraw from the area known as the “Horseshoe Woods” near Dornot, France. They had been trying to secure the area at the time. In 1945, the War Department issued a “Finding of Death” because people could not find his remains. In 1947, a search could not find remains, and in 1951, he was declared “non-recoverable.”

DPAA historians found the remains from an unknown person could be associated with Schlamp or other soldiers. They were buried at Lorraine American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Limey, France. The remains were disinterred in June 2021. With the use of anthropological and dental analysis, along with DNA analysis, scientists were able to identify Schlamp.

Currently Schlamp’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Epinal American Cemetery in Dinoze, France. A rosette marker will now be placed next to his name to indicate he’s been accounted for. A date and time have yet to be determined for his burial.

Iowan’s are struggling to make ends meet, according to a report

News

March 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Television Iowa Capitol Bureau) – It’s getting harder to make ends meet in Iowa, according to a report by the nonpartisan group Common Good Iowa. Wages are growing in Iowa, yet more families are struggling. Common Good Iowa’s report finds that 17.5% of Iowa families find it hard to meet even the most basic of needs.

Sean Finn, a policy analyst for Common Good Iowa, says “We’re seeing that the inflation of the past few years has really counteracted the wage growth of those years and families are really in a pinch when it comes to affording their basic needs.”  Finn says half of single parents in Iowa don’t make enough to cover a bare-bones budget. To meet that, a parent would have to make $24.64 per hour. For a family of four, both parents would have to make at least $19.55 per hour. “Clearly, we see that’s far above the minimum wage for the state of $7.25, which needs to be updated,” Finn said.

Fate Of The Son Of Ernst’s SOU Guest Now Known

News

March 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says Israeli Defense Forces have confirmed the son of the woman she invited as a guest for the State of the Union Address was killed by Hamas on October 7th. Ernst invited Hagit Chen to the address to highlight the fact Chen and her husband did not know if their son Itay was dead or alive.

Ernst says now that they know what happened, she will not forget Itay’s bravery on October 7th, as he defended other innocent civilians from Hamas’s terrorist attacks.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst speaks on the death of the death of American citizen Itay Chen.

Pork Producers CEO says Perry plant closing will hurt producers

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The leader of the Iowa Pork Producers Association says the pending closure of the Tyson pork plant in Perry will not only lead to lost jobs, but will also put a strain on producers. Association C-E-O, Pat McGonegle, says he feels disappointment for the community of Perry and for those who now need to find another market for their animals. “This announcement just kind of adds another little headwind to us. But pork producers are resilient, and they’ll get things figured out,” McGonegle says.

McGonegle says once the Perry plant closes in June, the nearest options to take hogs are Storm Lake and Denison. McGonegle says the past 20 months have been rough, with producers losing 20 to 30 dollars per pig, and tough economic times have also hurt processors. “Anytime we get in these, these kinds of headwinds, nothing really surprises you. But certainly, it’s a shock to the community. And it’s a shock to the industry.”

McGonegle says prices have improved during the past two months, but producers are still seeing a loss.

NE man arrested in Montgomery County on Pott. County warrants

News

March 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department says a man from Omaha, NE.,  was arrested Tuesday evening, following a traffic stop in the 1000 block of Highway 34. 24-year-old Osvaldo Fabian Gonzalez was arrested on two active Pottawattamie County warrants for OWI/1st offense, and Possession of Marijuana/1st offense. Gonzalez was transported to the Pott. County Jail and held on a $2,000 cash-only bond.

Former IKM-Manning teacher sentenced on sexual abuse & lascivious acts charges

News

March 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

A former western Iowa teacher has been sentenced to 33 years in prison after pleading guilty to a slew of sexual abuse and lascivious acts charges. 24-year-old Cassidy Kraus was a teacher in the IKM-Manning Community School District in Carroll County, when she was arrested last October and accused of sexually abusing three boys between the ages of 13 and 14.

In January, she pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree sexual abuse, two counts of lascivious acts with a child and three counts of dissemination and exhibition of obscene material to minors. Investigators say in addition to engaging in sexual activity with the minors, she also sent obscene material over Snapchat.

On Tuesday, Kraus was sentenced to the maximum sentence of 33 years in prison and a total fine of $5,400 plus 15% criminal surcharge. She will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Wed., March 13, 2024

Weather

March 13th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 69. East northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: An 80% chance of showers & thunderstorms. Low around 49. E/NE @ 10-20 mph. New rainfall of 1/4″-to 1/2″ are inch possible.
Tomorrow: A 60% chance of showers & thunderstorms. High near 55. N/NE @ 10-30 mph. New rainfall amounts between  1/10″-1/4″ except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tom. Night: A chance of showers. Otherwise mostly cloudy & breezy. Low around 34.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 55.
Saturday: Mostly sunny & windy, with a high near 57.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 67. The Low was 31. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 29 and the Low was 12. The Record High for March 13th in Atlantic, was 79 in 2012. The Record Low was -11 in 1948 & 1975. Sunrise: 7:36. Sunset: 7:24-p.m.