(Radio Iowa) — One of the groups that pushed to limit the use of seclusion rooms in Iowa schools says it supports a revision of the rules that will go before the State Board of Education. The proposed new rules say students can be removed from class and isolated in a seclusion room only to prevent bodily injury to themselves or others. It cannot be done as punishment. A-C-L-U of Iowa policy director Daniel Zeno spoke at a public hearing and the rules — and says while they wanted stronger restrictions — the proposal takes some steps forward.

“Adding the language that seclusion and physical restraint should never be used for discipline or punishment is really important. Twenty-nine other states have already done that and so making that clear is really important and a good step in the rules,” Zeno says. Nathan Kirstein, an attorney with Disability Rights Iowa, also spoke at the public hearing and says he supports the changes. But, he says, some states have gone as far as banning seclusion rooms after determining they can be counterproductive.

“Hopefully Iowa will one day recognize this as well and make that next step. Until then, we support this step,” Kirstein says. The proposed rule changes also says seclusion rooms must be at least 54 square feet in size, and makes an adjustment in when parents have to be notified that students were put in the room. It also requires school districts to report seclusion and restraint data to the Department of Education.

The State Board of Education will vote on the changes after reviewing the information gathered from the public hearing and input from districts.

(Radio Iowa) — The medical director of the Iowa Department of Public Health confirms the flu is spreading much faster than usual this season. Epidemiologist Dr. Caitlin Pedati says there were nearly 700 confirmed flu cases statewide through the end of December, compared to only about 150 a year ago. Dr. Pedati says the state’s flu activity level is compiled by combining all sorts of data from a variety of sources.

“We look at the number of flu lab tests,” Pedati says. “We look at the number of outbreaks in places like long-term care facilities. We look at hospitalization rates. We look at school absences and we look at other viruses that might be circulating and contributing to what we call influenza-like illness.” At this point a year ago, one Iowan had died from flu complications, but this season, the number is far higher.

“We have had 11 flu-associated reported deaths so far, and flu is a serious virus and unfortunately, it can make people quite ill,” Pedati says. “It kills people every year. Nationally, the CDC is reporting 2,900 deaths associated with flu.” While January and February are typically the peak months, Iowa’s flu activity level is already at its highest point — widespread — but Pedati says there are still simple ways to protect yourself.

“Flu is a tough virus and it can make people sick and it can cause deaths every year,” she says. “That’s why getting vaccinated and practicing good public health measures are always going to be important every year, no matter what the flu activity is.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list Iowa among the 34 states where the spread of the flu this season is considered widespread.

While the flu numbers are significantly higher this season compared to last year, Pedati notes this season is still tracking below the 2017-2018 season, which was particularly bad.

Officials with the Marne Elk Horn Telephone Company (METC) said Wednesday, the business ended 2019 the best way it knew how: contributing funds to help the many communities they serve. A total of $24,750 was donated to 5 area public libraries and 15 area fire or fire & rescue departments. Donations ranged from $750 to $2,000.

Janell Hansen, CEO and General Manager at Marne Elk Horn, said “The board and our staff value what our libraries and fire & rescue departments do for our communities. They educate us, help us and keep us safe. This is one small way we can say thank you.”

Hansen says Marne Elk Horn strives to give back to the people and organizations that work to keep Avoca, Brayton, Elk Horn, Exira, Kimballton, Marne, McClelland, Minden, Neola, Persia, Shelby, Underwood, and Walnut vibrant and strong.

According to Hansen, Marne Elk Horn has been making these year-end donations for
many years. City budgets are often tight, so organizations normally have immediate plans for the funds. As such, the contributions are met with excitement about what will be possible. Hansen concluded, “Together we serve the needs of our residents in all our
communities. Working together we can make a difference.”

You may see pictures and all award amounts at www.metc.net/2020donations

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) – A 20-year-old man has been sentenced to 55 years in prison for his role in the violent robbery and assault of an elderly central Iowa woman. The Des Moines Register reports that Manuel Eduardo Balderas was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty in November to robbery, burglary and willful injury counts.

Balderas was one of three men accused of breaking into a then-82-year-old woman’s Kelley home in August 2018, temporarily blinding the grandmother before beating and robbing her. Investigators say she was also sexually assaulted. Balderas had been charged with first-degree sexual abuse, but prosecutors dropped that charge and three others in exchange for his guilty pleas.

Lewis First Responders, Medivac Ambulance, Atlantic Rescue and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office responding to a single-vehicle accident, Wednesday evening. The incident happened at around 4:12-p.m. on the A-T&T curve. The male driver of the vehicle was complaining of pain when emergency crews arrived on the scene.

Additional information was not immediately available.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa’s two congresswomen are responding to residents in mobile home communities in Iowa and other states who are facing steep rent hikes. Congressman Cindy Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, says a Utah company bought mobile home parks in Waukee and North Liberty — and dramatically raised rates.  “We’ve recently seen private equity firms come in across the country, start buying up these communities and then jacking up the rents as high as 70 percent,” Axne says.

Residents of manufactured or “mobile” homes typically can buy the home, but cannot buy the land on which it sits if it’s part of a “park” or community, so they pay rent to the property owner. The bill Axne’s co-sponsoring would establish new federal grants for residents of mobile home parks to try to buy the land themselves. “Non-profits could do that as well. The state could help with that,” Axne says. “And it also ensures with this grant process that Housing and Urban Development would make sure that grant recipients are subject to rent restrictions, you know, that there’s requirements of things that have to be managed, so there’s HUD oversight to make sure that things are done right for people.”

Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, a Democrat from Dubuque, yesterday (Monday) sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission, asking its chairman to investigate what Finkenauer called the “predatory” practices of the new owners of the Table Mound Mobile Home Park. Some residents of the Dubuque park say their rent has gone up more than 60 percent in the past two years. Congresswoman Axne has met with residents of Midwest Country Estates in Waukee who say the park’s new owners are raising their rent by 69 percent.  “We’ve got a lot of people who live in these communities on fixed incomes,” Axne says. “They in no way, shape or form can afford somebody coming in and saying: ‘You’re going to start paying us 70% more…You’re living on Social Security. We know you have no money, but we really don’t care.'”

Havenpark, the new owner of the Waukee mobile home park, spent 47 million dollars buying the property, which has about 300 lots for mobile homes. The company has said the rent increases make monthly rent comparable to rates in other Des Moines area mobile home communities.

COLO, Iowa (AP) – Officers are investigating the deaths of two people in what Story County officials say was a murder-suicide. A relative called 911 after discovering the bodies around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at a residence in Colo. The Story County Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately release the names of the two, nor provide information about the causes of their deaths. State officials have joined the investigation.

OMAHA,Neb. (AP) –  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers doesn’t expect to eliminate from its reservoir system all the leftover water from last year’s near record runoff that led to massive flooding along the Missouri River. Officials are raising the current releases in expectation of high spring runoff again this year. The Corps’ John Remus told the Omaha World-Herald the system needs to make as much space as possible in light of forecasts for warmer than normal weather and higher than normal runoff. He says the Corps normally doesn’t release more during the winter because of the potential for ice jams and dams upriver.