The Iowa Department of Education is heading into the final week of taking comments on the state proposal for the federal education law now known as “Every Student Succeeds Act.” Department director Brian Wise says the E-S-S-A replaces the “No Child Left Behind Act.” He says they’ve issued three drafts of the plan and tried to refine it based on the input that they’ve already received as they try to maintain accountability, transparency and support for the schools.

Wise says they’ve gotten a lot of input from across the state. “We’ve held 18 public forums all across Iowa. We’ve done three on-line feedback surveys. We held eight focus groups, we did six statewide advisory committee meetings and we’ve had 11 work teams working on this,” according to Wise. “So, we’ve really tried to engage in this process.”

This is the final week (September 11-15) for public input, and then the final touches are completed. “Next week we’ll furiously looking at it, writing and revising and submitting the plan on the 18th,” Wise says.  It then goes to federal officials for review. Wise says the U-S Department of Education has 120 days to review the plan and he anticipates getting a call for any clarifying information and then he hopes the plan would be approved.

Wise says the most exciting part of the E-S-S-A is that it returns decision making back to the state and local level. Wise made his comments during a presentation to the Board of Regents.

(Radio Iowa)

More women are now actively engaged in agriculture in Iowa and other states than ever before. A group of women who farm aims to start conversations about the food they grow and how to protect our land. Ashley Pool, spokeswoman for CommonGround, says they want to spread the message about what is being done on the farm and how they’re always thinking of conservation of precious resources, especially our water.

“We use a lot of conservation pools that the USDA and NRCS teams up with us, they help us to learn the new trends that are going on,” Pool says. “We also use cover crops. We like to keep our nutrients in the soil. We don’t like our organic matter to blow away.”

Pool says CommonGround stresses the importance of technology that maximizes production while conserving resources and protecting the environment.  “We are farm women. We are moms,” Pool says. “We are not going to put anything into the soil, put anything into feed that’s GMO-related. We are not going to do anything that will harm our family, our soil. We want this to last generations.”

The average American is now at least three generations removed from the farm. Back in 1920, before the Great Depression struck, one in three Americans worked and lived on farms and ranches. Today that number is about one in 50. Pool was raised in the city and says her transition to the farm has been an exciting adventure.  “Coming from the city, I just want you to know that we are thinking about cities, we are trying to produce jobs,” she says. “We are trying to make sure that this sustains our nation.”

The change from a rural, agricultural nation to one that is mostly urban and industrialized has been constant over the past century in Iowa and elsewhere. She says farmers are the best stewards of natural resources.

(Radio Iowa w/Thanks to Karla James)

Red Oak Police, Sunday night, arrested 19-year old Dawson Allen Squires on an assault charge. Squires, who’s from Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 10:15-p.m., for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. He was arrested in the 300 block of E. Corning Street and brought to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center, where he was being held without bond.

Authorities say “Fremont County residents may notice emergency personnel go into action all at once this month, but don’t be alarmed. Several entities in Fremont County are teaming up for a mock disaster drill on an undisclosed date to test readiness in the county.

While organizers want to keep the date and location of the drill secret so it can be effective, the drill will simulate a tornado striking multiple communities in the county. It is asked that the public stay out of the way and allow first responders to do their job during the drill.”

Officials ask that you “Please do not call 9-1-1 to find out what’s going on, the dispatching center is going to be a huge help to us during this, and they are going to be very busy. We find communication during a mock disaster is always lacking in some form. We’re trying to build that, so that we can utilize cell phones, radios and other things to communicate. Stay back, and let us do our drill.”

Authorities say “Afterwards, we’ll find out how successful we were and what we’ve learned throughout the whole drill. Each entity that participates in the drill will be monitored by an evaluator that will observe the response and provide feedback on possible improvements.”

In addition, the “Public WILL NOT be allowed to enter disaster scenes. This is for your protection, the protection of our “Fake” patients, as well as our emergency personnel.” You are welcome to share this message, but officials ask that you NOT EDIT the content in any way.

In cooperation with the Governor of the state of Iowa and the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 19 Soldiers, two CH-47F Chinook helicopters, and two LUH-72 Lakota helicopters from the Iowa Army National Guard will deploy later this morning (Sept. 11th), to support response operations for Hurricane Irma.

The team is comprised as follows:

-Company A, 1st Battalion, 376th Aviation, Security and Support (Waterloo);

-Company B, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion (Davenport);

-Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 67th Troop Command (Iowa City);

-Company C, 2-147th Aviation (Boone);

-Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division (Boone);

-Company D, 2-211th General Aviation Support Battalion (Davenport);

The aircraft and crew members will be utilized as follows: move supplies, equipment and people; support search and rescue operations; and provide situational awareness to response planning and operations. The two Chinook helicopters and one Lakota will be sourced from the Davenport Army Aviation Support Facility (“AASF”). A second Lakota will be sourced from the Waterloo AASF.

The state of Florida has requested support from Iowa. Support is provided under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (“EMAC”), an agreement executed previously between all 50 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia, to assist one another in times of crisis.  EMAC is a national, mutual aid and partnership agreement that allows state-to-state assistance during Governor-declared or federally-declared emergencies. Once the conditions for providing assistance to a requesting state have been set, the terms constitute a legally binding contractual agreement that make affected states responsible for reimbursement.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 2:15 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Attorney General’s office has advised the Iowa Department of Public Health to halt implementation of a small section in the state’s new medical marijuana law amid legal concerns it could invite scrutiny from the federal government. The provision requires the state to license up to two “out-of-state” dispensaries before the end of the year. Those entities would have been expected to transport cannabis oil into Iowa, an unusual setup that is considered illegal under federal law.

BELLEVUE, Iowa (AP) — The funeral for an Iowa police officer attracted more than 500 people, including roughly 200 law enforcement officials. The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald reports that the funeral for 40-year-old Anamosa police officer Mitchell Kelchen was held Saturday.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The fate of one of the oldest homes in Iowa City remains uncertain following the University of Iowa’s plan to purchase the property. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that university officials are seeking permission from the state Board of Regents to purchase the house and an adjacent apartment for $2.6 million. The building is a pre-Civil War house, which local historians say could’ve been built as early as the 1840s.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines woman has been stabbed to death and police have charged her sister with murder. Police say officers and fire department medics were called at 1:14 a.m. Sunday to an apartment building. They found a woman lying in a common area hallway who had multiple stab wounds. The woman, later identified as 30-year-old Des Moines resident Lakeisha McDuffy, died at a hospital. Police charged the victim’s sister, 31-year-old Chicago resident Ieisha McDuffy, with first-degree murder.

Officials with the Burlington Police Department said Sunday, that Officers and the Burlington Ambulance responded just before 6-a.m. today (Sunday), to the area of N. 5th and Iowa Streets in Burlington, following a report a man had been shot.

The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. His name was being withheld pending notification of family. An investigation is being conducted by Burlington Police with assistance from the Iowa Division Criminal Investigation.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Burlington Police at 319-753-8370, or Crimestoppers at 319753-6835.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines woman has been stabbed to death and police have charged her sister with murder. Des Moines police say officers and fire department medics were called at 1:14 a.m. Sunday to an apartment building on the city’s southside. They found a woman lying in a common area hallway who had multiple stab wounds.

The woman, later identified as 30-year-old Lakeisha McDuffy, was taken to a hospital, where she died. Police charged the victim’s sister, 31-year-old Chicago resident Ieisha McDuffy, with first-degree murder. Police say she will be held in the Polk County Jail.

The sisters were visiting another relative’s home when the stabbing occurred. The stabbing was the 24th homicide in Des Moines this year.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa agency has been advised to halt implementation of a small section in the state’s new medical marijuana law amid legal concerns it could invite scrutiny from the federal government.

The Iowa Attorney General’s office told the Department of Public Health this month to not proceed with a provision requiring the state to license up to two “out-of-state” dispensaries before the end of the year.

Those entities would have been expected to transport cannabis oil into Iowa from another state in order to sell it. That’s considered illegal under federal law because it involves moving the product between state lines.

The attorney general’s office said implementation should be on hold until the federal government provides further guidance on state medical marijuana programs.

The development isn’t expected to impact other provisions in the law that call for establishment of an in-state production system for cannabis oil before the end of 2018. Smoking marijuana in Iowa remains prohibited.

A person riding a motorcycle in northeastern Iowa’s Howard County was injured, Saturday afternoon, when the machine went out of control. The Iowa State Patrol says a 2005 Harley Davidson motorcycle was traveling north on 45th Street near Unity Avenue , northwest of Cresco, when the cycle left the paved surface of the road. The bike then came back on the road, out of control. It crossed the intersection of Unity Avenue and entered the north ditch. The accident happened at around 4:40-p.m.

The operater of the motorcycle, who was not identified in the report, was transported by Medlink helicopter to a hospital in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. The accident remains under investigation