A reminder for patrons of the Griswold Community School District: A Special School Board meeting is set to take place this evening at 7 in the High School Auditorium,with regard to the District’s facilities.

Griswold Superintendent David Henrichs said late last month, that “For the past several months the facilities committee has been carefully evaluating the costs to maintain multiple school buildings while considering the long-term operational impacts. During [tonight’s] Special Board meeting, which is focused on school facilities, the committee and the architect representing the school will share their findings and make a final recommendation to the Board of Education regarding the next steps.”

He says “With the School Board’s consent, the community intends to further define the plans, the cost and educational benefits for our students.” The Facilities Committee will meet prior to this evening’s meeting, beginning at 5-p.m. Henrichs says the committee feels like they are ready to make a recommendation to the School Board, and the Board will be asked whether they wish to approve that recommendation.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say severe thunderstorms that raced across Iowa spawned tornadoes and left behind damage and power outages. The Muscatine Fire Department says several homes and businesses were damaged Monday night as power lines were knocked down. The department answered several medical calls, but it’s not yet clear whether they were related to the weather.

The National Weather Service says tornadoes were reported in Clinton County, and a service employee reported sighting a twister southwest of the Davenport Municipal Airport in Scott County. The reports have yet to be confirmed. A suspected tornado damaged a school in the south-central Iowa community of Seymour. A straight-line wind gust of 90 mph was reported near Belle Plaine in eastern Iowa. There were several reports of inch-diameter hail elsewhere.

BLAIR, Neb. (AP) – Officials say Grace University plans to move from its Omaha campus to the former Dana College campus in Blair. The move is part of a proposed $92 million redevelopment project announced Monday night in Blair. The project would include a Lutheran Church, a nursing facility, a film studio and a multi-generational housing development.

The campus has been closed since 2010 after an accreditation body refused to approve its sale to for-profit investors. Midland University announced in 2013 plans to reopen the Dana campus but dropped those plans when officials concluded that the costs of reopening Dana were prohibitive compared to other growth options.

Grace University officials have already said the Omaha school district plans to buy the Grace campus.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Montgomery County, Monday night arrested a man who’s been  arrested twice before, in less than one month. 27-year old Eduardo Monrreal-Robles, of Elliott, was arrested following a traffic stop at the intersection of 110th Street and H Avenue at around 9:20-p.m., Monday. Monrreal-Robles was taken into custody for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was also cited for Driving While License Suspended. His bond at the Montgomery County Jail was set at $300.

Monrreal-Robles was previously arrested Feb. 22nd on a Montgomery County warrant for Failure to Appear in Court on a Driving While Suspended charge, and Feb 15th, for Driving with a Suspended License with 13 withdrawals in effect.

The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation is offering five grants of up to a thousand dollars ($1,000) to help more people understand the role of agriculture in everyday life. The foundation’s executive director, Will Fett, says any organization that has agriculture education as part of its mission can apply.

“That might be local FFA chapters, local 4H clubs, county farm bureaus, soil and water conservation districts, anybody who really values agriculture and learning about agriculture,” Fett says. Less than two-percent of the U.S. population is connected with production agriculture, yet it accounts for as much as 15-percent of the nation’s workforce.

“The agriculture literacy challenge grants are intended to help people connect the science behind agriculture, to understand the food production system, and how it has value in their daily lives,” Fett says. The grants can be used to fund innovative lessons, activities, speakers, and other projects. The deadline for the grant applications is April 9th.

(Radio Iowa)

Another bald eagle has died of UN-natural causes in Iowa. Law enforcement officials are investigating after a bald eagle was found shot to death in southwest Winneshiek County last week. DNR officials say the eagle was found in a road ditch four miles north of Jackson Junction last Friday. State Conservation Officer Brian Roffman says anyone with information about the incident can use the agency’s “turn in poachers” website or may call the toll free tipline at 1-800-532-2020. Bald eagles are a state and federally-protected species.

In late February, a central Iowa man was cited in connection with the death of a bald eagle that was found shot and dismembered in a county park on the southeast side of Des Moines. Authorities say the man had the bird’s head and talons, but they suspect someone else killed the eagle.

(Radio Iowa)

The State of Iowa is receiving 21 MILLION dollars from Volkswagen after the automaker admitted to falsifying emissions data. Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds says Iowa’s share of the 15 BILLION settlement will be directed at projects that reduce emissions from agriculture, manufacturing, or burning fossil fuels.

“This funding has the potential to significantly and positively impact air quality in Iowa,” Reynolds said. The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) will be taking suggestions from the public on projects to repower or replace older diesel engines to reduce the emission of nitrogen oxides. On Monday, Reynolds outlined the project and said all details can be found on the Iowa D-O-T’s website.

“We encourage you to take some time to explore the website. It contains detailed information on the types of projects that would be eligible for consideration under the settlement,” Reynolds said. A federal judge approved the settlement between Volkswagen and state and federal governments last year. The carmaker sold nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles with model years 2009 to 2016 equipped with so-called “defeat devices” to get around emissions standards.

Iowa DOT interim director Mark Lowe says Iowa’s share of the settlement was based on how many of the vehicles were sold here. “And if you go to the settlement documents themselves, posted on our website, they may reflect that information,” Lowe said. The $21 million coming to Iowa will be distributed over a 10 year period. The settlement was also designed to compensate owners of the V-W vehicles in question, with payments ranging from $5,100 up to $10,000.
…
link to DOT site:
http://www.iowadot.gov/vwsettlement

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Frustrated Iowans and supportive business owners packed a legislative hearing Monday to discuss a bill that would revoke wage increases for low-income workers. The House Local Government committee heard feedback on the legislation, which would freeze the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour and roll back wages that have already been increased. Minimum wage raises have been implemented in Johnson, Linn and Wapello counties, with additional increases planned.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State University is supporting a plan to transfer the state’s 27-year-old center for energy research to Gov. Terry Branstad’s administration. The university says that the Iowa Energy Center is expected to move to the Iowa Economic Development Authority, which has an energy office that works to assist the private sector. One environmental leader says he sees no reason for the shift and worries the center will lose its research independence.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police have arrested a 52-year-old woman in the stabbing death of a man. Police say detectives on Monday charged Helen Jeanette Frazier, of Des Moines, with first-degree murder in the death of 55-year-old Andrea Brown. Officers were called to investigate a stabbing on Jan. 2 on the east side of Des Moines. Medics took Brown to a hospital, where he died about an hour later. Police initially arrested a man but dropped the charges because new evidence showed he wasn’t involved.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An overflow crowd jammed a legislative hearing to oppose a bill they argued would make it more difficult to ensure safe water. At Monday’s public hearing on a bill that would dismantle water utilities in Des Moines, West Des Moines and Urbandale, opponents criticized the proposed move from oversight by independent boards to city councils in the three cities. The move is largely supported by cities, but critics contend moving control away from independent water experts will lead to dirtier water.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Frustrated Iowans and supportive business owners have packed a legislative hearing to discuss a bill that would revoke wage increases for low-income workers. The House Local Government committee heard feedback Monday on the legislation, which would freeze the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour and roll back wages that have already been increased.

Opponents say the bill perpetuates poverty for Iowa’s poorest workers and undermines community decisions. Wage increases have been approved in Polk, Johnson, Linn and Wapello counties.

Mike Holms, of Jethro’s barbecue restaurant, says small businesses need wage consistency. The Iowa Chamber Alliance, a business lobbying group, also sought a standardized state wage.  The bill was introduced by Johnston Republican Jake Highfill. The panel already has approved the proposal, which is set for a House floor vote.

Red Oak, IA – Walking School Buses and Afterschool Programs will kick off on Wednesday, April 5th for youth in Red Oak. The Walking School Bus program is available to youth enrolled in 4th – 8th grades. The program is coordinated and organized Live Well Montgomery County in partnership with SWCC, ISU Extension and Outreach, Red Oak Library and Questers-Calendar Girls 1254 with the goal to educate and encourage youth to move.

A walking school bus is a group of children walking from school with adult volunteers to an afterschool program. Walking School Buses are fun for youth of all ages and provide the exercise they need to develop healthy habits and engage in afterschool enrichment.

Walking School Buses will start at both Washington Intermediate School and the Red Oak Middle School. Youth will be walked to an afterschool program of their choice for duration of the 6-week program on Wednesday early outs from April 5th through May 10th. Three afterschool programs include Literacy at the Red Oak Library (hosted by Red Oak Library and Questers-Calendar Girls 1254), Wellness at the YMCA (hosted by MCMH and the YMCA) and Career Exploration at the Gold Fair Building (hosted by SWCC and ISU Extension and Outreach).

The program is free for participants. Afterschool programs will be capped at twenty participants per program. Activities will be cancelled if inclement weather occurs. Volunteers will meet the students’ afterschool at 1:00 PM and walk students to the afterschool program. Parents are required to pick up youth at the afterschool program location no later than 3:15 PM.

Registration forms have been sent home through the school with youth in 4-8th grades. Registration forms are due to the school secretary no later than March 15 at 1:00 PM. Registration forms are also available at the Montgomery County Extension office at 400 Bridge Street, Ste. 2 in Red Oak, Iowa and online at www.extension.iastate.edu/montgomery.

For questions, please contact Ashley Peterson at Montgomery County Memorial Hospital at 712-623-6462, Kattie Lewis at SWCC at 712-623-2541 or Chelsea Cousins at ISU Extension and Outreach at 712-623-2592.