(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports a homeless man and woman were arrested Wednesday evening on charges of Sexual Abuse in the 2nd Degree/1st offense. Authorities say 38-year-old Timothy Wayne Trusty and Cheyenne Beth Murry were arrested near the intersection of Howard and Spruce Streets, and the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center, respectively. Both were being held without bond, with Trusty in the Union County Jail and Murry being held in the Adams County Jail. Additional details concerning their arrests was not available.
Creston Police report also, 50-year-old Regina Deanne Sanchez, of Creston, was arrested Wednesday afternoon at the Creston Walmart Store, for Theft in the 5th Degree. She was cited and released from the scene on a Promise to Appear in court.
Wednesday evening, 26-year-old Isaac Wayne Hayes, of Creston, was arrested at his residence for Assault – Fear of Immediate Contact. Hayes was taken to Union County Jail and held on a $300 bond.
In other news, the Creston P-D said officials with the Agriland Fast Stop reported Wednesday, that equipment was missing from their lot at 705 W. Ringgold St. The missing equipment was described as a black, single axle 2014 Finish utility trailer with a full fuel tank, and an orange, Ditch Witch RT24. The loss was estimated at $11,150 altogether
(Des Moines, Iowa; Iowa Capital Dispatch & Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Education announced Wednesday that some elementary schools will use an AI reading assistant to help with literacy tutoring programs. According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, the department made a $3 million investment into Amira (EPS Learning) for the use of a program called EPS Reading Assistant, an online literacy tutor that uses artificial intelligence technology.
Iowa public and non-public elementary schools will be able to use the service at no cost through the summer of 2025, according to the department news release.
McKenzie Snow, the education department director said in a statement, “Reading unlocks a lifetime of potential, and the Department’s new investment in statewide personalized reading tutoring further advances our shared commitment to strengthening early literacy instruction. This work builds upon our comprehensive advancements in early literacy, spanning world-class state content standards, statewide educator professional learning, evidence-based summer reading programs, and Personalized Reading Plans for students in need of support.”
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The program uses voice recognition technology to follow along as a child reads out loud, providing corrective feedback and assessments when the student struggles through a digital avatar named Amira. According to the service’s website, the program is designed around the “Science of Reading” approach to literary education — a method that emphasizes the teaching of phonics and word comprehension when students are learning to read.
Gov. Kim Reynolds and state education experts, including staff with the Iowa Reading Research Center, have said that this teaching strategy will help improve the state’s child literacy rates, pointing to reading scores increasing in states like Mississippi following the implementation of “science of reading” methods.
In May, Reynolds signed a measure into law that set new early literacy standards for teachers, as well as adding requirements for how schools and families address when a student does not meet reading proficiency standards. These requirements include creating a personalized assistance plan for the child until they are able to reach grade-level reading proficiency and notifying parents and guardians of students in kindergarten through sixth grade that they can request their child repeats a grade if they are not meeting the literacy benchmarks.
Reynolds said the law was a “to make literacy a priority in every Iowa classroom and for every Iowa student.”
The AI-backed tutor program is being funded through the state education department’s portion from the federal American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, part of a COVID-era measure providing states with additional funding for pandemic recovery efforts. The federal fund allocated more than $774 million to Iowa in 2021.
In addition to the new AI-backed programming available, the fund money is also going toward Summer Reading Grants, awarded to 41 elementary schools in 29 districts for efforts to address summer learning loss and close achievement gaps. The elementary schools that won grants have all “affirmed their commitment to including the personalized reading tutor as part of their evidence-based programming,” according to the news release.
(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak reported the arrest on Wednesday, of 31-year-old Steven Austin Ripley. The Red Oak man was arrested for Public Intoxication and Harassment in the 3rd Degree. His bond at the Montgomery County Jail was set at $300.
(Franklin County, IA) – A woman from Sheffield died Wednesday evening, when her 2006 Buick LaCrosse SUV rolled backwards and pinned her underneath the vehicle. The accident happened at around 4:15-p.m., just northeast of Sheffield.
The Iowa State Patrol reports 66-year-old Pamela Harvey, of Sheffield, died at the scene. The accident remains under investigation.
Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock says he is ready to find out how his defense will handle adversity in a game. An experienced defense is one of the reasons The Cyclones expect to improve upon last year’s 7-6 record and they open at home on August 31st against North Dakota.
Heacock says head coach Matt Campbell creates chaos at practice by changing up the situations to help prepare for games.
Heacock says the defense has had to play with good effort every day in camp against the Cyclone defense.
Heacock says every season opener answers a lot of questions.
Junior Jeremiah Cooper leads an experienced group of safeties and says they are looking forward to game week.
Cooper has been a starter since his true freshman season and is taking on more of a leadership role.
An Iowan who has served on the Democratic National Committee for the past four years says there’s been a sea change within the party since Kamala Harris became the party’s presidential nominee. Jodi Clemens of West Branch spoke with Radio Iowa from the floor of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Clemens describes Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as an inspiring pick for vice president.
Walz was the closing speaker at the convention last (Wednesday) night. Delegate C-J Petersen of Templeton uses the word outreach to describe the message party activists are getting from the convention stage.
Petersen, who was born deaf, was a brief sign language interpreter on the floor of the convention Tuesday night. During the roll call of the states, Petersen signed what the state party chair said during Iowa’s half minute in the spotlight.
Drake University in Des Moines is partnering with C-B-S News to offer educational programming designed to bring lessons on good character and kindness to teachers and students around the world — for free. Amy Smit, spokeswoman for Character Counts and Drake’s Robert D. and Billie Ray Center, says the web-based “Kindness 101” features short videos from C-B-S reporter Steve Hartman’s “On the Road” series.
The three-minute videos include lesson plans, activities, and family connections focused on the Six Pillars of Character, and Smit says they’re appropriate for any grade level.
The program isn’t just for Iowa teachers, but teachers anywhere on the planet, and Smit says they’re hoping Kindness 1-0-1 snowballs in popularity.
Smit says it’s very helpful for students to see role models who are demonstrating character and kindness in their daily lives.
Hartman launched Kindness 101 as schools closed for the pandemic in 2020. It was nominated for a News Emmy that same year, and has since been adapted into a weekly series for “CBS Mornings.” Smit encourages everyone, especially parents, to log on for free.
The number of pheasants taken by hunters last fall was up more than 60 percent and D-N-R Wildlife Biologist Todd Bogenschutz says other species like quail and Hungarian partridges also saw good seasons.
Hunting numbers were up by more than 30 percent. Their license isn’t specific to pheasants, and he says they will take an opportunity when they see it.
Bogenschutz says hunters took the most mourning doves since they started the season in Iowa.
Mourning dove hunters took nearly 195-thousand birds in 2023.
Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 78. South southeast wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Friday: A slight chance of showers early. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 88. South southeast wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 95.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.
Wednesday’s high was 79 degrees and the low this morning is 58. Last year the high was 95 and the low 75. The record high for this date is 100 degrees set in 1914 and the record low is 41 set in 1904. Sunrise this morning is at 6:35 am and sunset at 8:09 pm.
Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz will reportedly open the season by sitting out the Hawkeyes’ first game.
Scott Dochterman of the Athletic reports that Ferentz and wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr will be suspended one game for a recruiting violation connected to the pursuit of quarterback Cade McNamara in 2022. Dochterman cites a source who has been briefed on the violation in his report. It is reported that it’s related to an NCAA investigation about contact with McNamara before the transfer portal had opened that year. It’s not clear if the suspension is being handed down by Iowa or the NCAA.
McNamara committed to Iowa on December 1, 2022 after four years at the University of Michigan – helping lead the Wolverines to the 2021 Big Ten championship and a College Football Playoff berth.
Ferentz will be made available to the media at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.
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