(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the Iowa House have voted to provide a three percent boost in per pupil state funding for public schools in the next academic year — as well as a three percent increase in state payments into Education Savings Accounts for private school students who’ll qualify for the program. Representative Phil Thompson, a Republican from Boone, says the plan calls for three-point-eight BILLION dollars in state spending on public schools in the next school year.

“I am proud of this investment in our public schools,” Thompson said, “especially when you put it in context with the other pieces of the education funding puzzle that we’re bringing forward this year: teacher salaries, paraeducator pay, school security infrastructure.” Representative Molly Buck, a Democrat from Ankeny, says with a three percent oost in per pupil spending — the 116 public school districts with shrinking enrollment will raise local property taxes to fill a gap, so next year’s budget isn’t lower than this year’s.

“How are rural schools going to keep the lights on?” she asked. “…At what point do we stop and realize that we, in the legislature, are responsible for the shuttering of our schools?” Representative Sharon Steckman, a Democrat from Mason City, says three percent just isn’t enough for schools dealing with inflation and trying to keep salaries high enough to hire and retain staff.

“Three percent is totally inadequate for our schools. They have been cutting and cutting and cutting over the last 12 years,” Steckman said. “They have reached a point where there’s not much left to cut.” House Republicans plan to vote later to set beginning teacher salaries at 50-thousand dollars within two years. They’re also proposing a 15 dollar an hour minimum wage for paraeducators. House Speaker Pat Grassley says those moves are priorities for House Republicans.

“My expectation is that the legislature acts on a bill addressing teacher salaries,” Grassley says. “I just don’t know what it looks like at this point,” A Senate committee has voted to increase the mandatory minimum salary for beginning teachers to just over 46-thousand dollars. In January, Governor Reynolds recommended a 50-thousand minimum salary for first-year teachers, as well as a 62-thousand dollar minimum salary for those who’ve been teaching for at least 12 years.

(Radio Iowa) -The phrase “just say no” was part of a major anti-drug campaign in the 1980s, but saying no to certain situations in life is still difficult for many people, especially those of us who were raised to be “Iowa Nice.” Amber Sherman, a licensed clinical social worker in Iowa, says it can be really hard to reject an offer, an invitation, or a request for help.

“A lot of people struggle with saying no and knowing that ‘no’ is a complete sentence, that if I tell you no, I don’t have to follow it up with all kinds of excuses,” Sherman says. “The answer is just no, I don’t want to do that thing.” Sherman says saying no should always an option and it’s something we all likely need to do more frequently.

“We want to say yes to everything. We want to be everything to everybody, but that’s not sustainable,” Sherman says, “and it also really doesn’t feel good when we say yes to things we’d really rather say no to.” It may be easier to not make waves, but Sherman says setting boundaries and saying no is important to our mental and emotional health, even if it might make us feel guilty.

“So if your order is wrong, do you just eat it, or do you say in a respectful, kind way, ‘I think I ordered this. Would you mind correcting my order?’” Sherman says. “I think that even just small things like that are a big deal, and learning that early on and practicing it every day is really important.”

If there’s a collection being taken at the office for someone’s birthday or work anniversary, Sherman says there can be great pressure to participate, but if you don’t want to do so, don’t. “I think, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’ is okay, like, that’s not something that I do,” Sherman says. “Even thinking about what are your personal policies around gifting, and so choosing not to participate is something that should be respected.”

Sherman is manager of the Employee Assistance Program at Gundersen Health System, which has clinics in Fayette, Decorah, Waukon, Lansing, Postville and Calmar, and a hospital in West Union.

DANVILLE, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is asking the public for any information as to the cause of a suspicious fire at Geode State Park on Sunday, Feb. 18.

According to Park Ranger Andrew Kuckler, a visitor alerted staff that a tree in the park was burning. While the fire was extinguished, the tree was severely damaged and its survival is uncertain. The cause of the fire is unknown.

The tree has been certified as the largest sycamore in Iowa. While the exact age is unknown, the sycamore is estimated to be around 350 years old, based on circumference and other measurements.

Geode State Park sycamore burning on night of February 18, 2024, Danville, Iowa

“We are encouraging anyone who may have information about the fire to contact us,” said Kuckler. Callers can remain anonymous.

(Radio Iowa) – Republicans and Democrats on an Iowa House committee have unanimously voted to dismiss an ethics complaint against Republican Jeff Shipley, a state representative from  southeast Iowa . Sara Hayden Parris of Johnston accused Shipley of defaming her on social media and her complaint alleged that was a violation of the House Ethics Code. Parris is president of a non-profit that distributes free books with sexual content that have been banned in some schools. Shipley has accused her of distributing obscene material and has said on social media that she should be under criminal investigation.

Representative Anne Osmundson of Volga, chair of the House Ethics Committee, led the meeting where the complaint was dismissed.  “It really seemed politically motivated,” Osmundson says. “He had not violated any of the House Code of Ethics rules.”

Rep. Jeff Shipley

In the complaint, Parris accused Shipley of committing libel against her. In a written response, Shipley said the House Ethics Committee should not be used as a forum for personal grudges.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were injured during an accident that took place last week. At around 12:35-p.m. on Feb. 15th, a 2017 GMC SUV driven by 43-year-old Eric Lee Ireland, of Scranton, was traveling south in the 3300 block of Frontier Road, when the vehicle crossed the northbound lane and entered the east ditch. The SUV struck a field entrance and went airborne, landing nose first, before it rolled over. A front seat passenger in the vehicle, 35-year-old Bridgette Nichole Perez, of Scranton – who was not wearing a seat belt – was ejected through the windshield. She landed on the ground, with the vehicle rolling over just missing her by almost a foot.

Eric Ireland was not wearing his seat belt. He landed upside down on the interior of the SUV’s roof. Perez and Ireland suffered significant injuries and were transported by Stuart and Adair EMS crews to the Guthrie County Hospital. A juvenile female, born in 2014, was in the back seat of the SUV restrained in a car seat and was not injured. Ireland told authorities he thinks he fell asleep prior to the accident. He was charged with Failure to show proof of financial liability (accident related), Failure to Maintain Control, and Failure to Use a seat belt. The SUV was a total loss, with the damage estimated to be $20,000. The crash remains under investigation.

An accident that occurred at around 1-a.m. Saturday, in Guthrie County, caused $10,000 damage, but there were no reports of injuries. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says a 2005 Chevy pickup driven by 25-year-old Dale Allen Vogel, of Adair, had crested a hill while eastbound on 350th Street when it went out of control near Dogwood Avenue, and came to rest in the north ditch. Vogel was cited for Failure to Maintain Control and Expired Registration.

And, no injuries were reported following an accident Tuesday morning (Feb. 20), in Guthrie County. Authorities say a 2007 Peterbilt semi-tractor/trailer driven by 59-year-old David Alan MacNaughton, of Des Moines, was pulling a John Deere field cultivator, when the implement struck a City of Panora power-line.The cultivator was 15-feet, 1-inch tall, and 14-feet wide. The sides were folded-up/in.

The accident happened as the semi was southbound on Highway 4, at around 8:17-a.m.  As the tractor/trailer began dragging the power-line, it pulled/detached the line from a residence and nearby transformer. The siding of the residence where the power-line was attached, came off. The accident also caused damage to a private fence on the same property. Damage to the electric line/pole was estimated at slightly more than $8,000 dollars. Damage to the Shane Andersen residence was also estimated at $8,000.

There were no citations issued.