(Radio Iowa) — Twelve Iowa elementary schools with high poverty levels are preparing to heavily incorporate computer science into their curriculum. They’re each using a 50-thousand dollar grant through private or state funds to expand and incorporate computer science into everything from math to gym class. Staci Hupp, at the Iowa Department of Education, says computer science is seen as a basic skill in today’s economy.

Hupp says, “This is about preparing students, giving them the foundation so that if they’re interested in these types of jobs they can take advanced coursework and be prepared to really study this further.” Jobs that use computer science include programming, web development and information technology.

Carrie Rankin, with the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, visited Sioux City’s Loess Hills Elementary School, which is the blueprint for the effort. She says students seem to gain a lot of confidence from a computer science curriculum. “In the fifth grade, we saw with social studies and how they were animating stories about settlers in our country and using technology to do that,” Rankin says. “It’s just incredible what these students are learning and at the pace that they are.”

The advisory council says the schools can spend this year planning their programs or launch them right away. Schools will report to the council throughout the year on how their programs are working.

The 12 schools are: Denison Elementary in Denison; Lenihan Intermediate in Marshalltown; Cora B. Darling Elementary in Postville; East Union Elementary in East Union; Perry Elementary in Perry; Richardson Elementary in Fort Madison; Pocahontas Elementary in Pocahontas; Franklin Elementary in Boone; Hospers Elementary in the MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District; Storm Lake Elementary in Storm Lake; Kingsley-Pierson Elementary in the Kingsley-Pierson Community School District, and Whittier Elementary in the Clinton Community School District.

(Thanks to Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) — Two Iowa casinos will pay fines for violations of gambling regulations. Iowa Racing and Gaming Administrator, Brian Ohorilko, says William Hill — which runs the simulcast operations at Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs — had a violation. “There were two instances in the spring where commission staff had identified that America Wagering did not upload names from the statewide exclusion list into their list that they use to screen patrons,” Ohorilko explained.

He says the failure to keep an update list is considered the same as allowing someone to gamble who is on the list. “The rules require that that list is updated once every seven days. So, in this particular situation that did not happen on two occasions,” Ohorilko says. “William Hill agreed to a penalty in the amount of five-thousand dollars, and this was their first offense for this type of incident in the past year.”

Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona was fined for an underage gambling violation. “There was a situation in April where a minor had entered the gaming floor unchallenged two times — was on the gaming floor for over an hour and gambled,” Ohorilko says. He says Praire Meadows was fined 20-thousand dollars.

“For Prairie Meadows, this was the second incident in the last 365 days. If there would happen to be a third, those fines would escalate,” Ohorilko says. A third violation before the 365 day period is up would lead to a 30-thousand dollar fine.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports 20-year old Chelsey Lane Blank, of Villisca, was arrested Sunday, on a Page County Warrant for Simple Assault. Blank was arrested at the Page County Sheriff’s Office. She later posted bond and was released pending further court proceedings.

And, on Saturday, Page County deputies arrested 34-year old Brenton Charles Gordon, of Randolph, on a Mills County Warrant for Criminal Mischief. Gordon was arrested at Rapp Park. Gordon was unable to post the $5000.00 bond. He was transported to the Page County Sheriff’s Office and later to the Mills County Sheriff’s Office for court proceedings.

GUTHRIE CENTER, IOWA – Precision Components is expanding their business into Guthrie Center due to its proximity to their operations in Atlantic.  Midwest Partnership Economic Development along with Guthrie Center Development Corporation and the City of Guthrie Center has been working with the company as they made their decision to purchase the former Bob and Jo’s facility.

Bill Littler, General Manager of Precision Components, says “This will facilitate efficient logistics for transporting equipment and parts needed for the reconditioning process. In talking with local business people and area residents, we felt there were people commuting out of the area for similar jobs that we’d be offering.  It’s our desire to hire local employees that in turn will help strengthen and support the GC community.  Seeing what Guthrie Center has been able to accomplish through the Main Street Program proved to us that this community has strong leadership and a vision towards growing rural Iowa again – that’s something Precision Components wants to be a part of too.”

Sarah Gomez, Executive Director of the Midwest Partnership Economic Development, says “Precision Components will be a great fit to the Guthrie Center community.  They offer high paying jobs and will provide a quality product for a large industry that serves not only Iowa, but the surrounding states.”  Precision Components is expanding into equipment reconditioning. Equipment reconditioning is a process by which they take older model, used equipment and tear them down and re-build them.  Precision Components will replace worn and damaged parts with new, perform safety inspections and then repaint the equipment to make them look new and re-freshed.  The Guthrie Center facility is intended to recondition construction telehandler equipment.  This type of equipment is capable of lifting loads of up to 12,000 lbs with a reach height of over 50 feet.

Jobs Available with Precision Components

Precision Components, the industry leader in replacement parts for the aerial equipment industry, is expanding their services to include aerial equipment reconditioning.  The new location in Guthrie Center, IA is now taking applications and hiring immediately for mechanics, assemblers, painters and sanders.  Experience in electronics, hydraulics, diesel engine mechanics and general knowledge of aerial construction equipment preferred.

Join a growing local company that offers attractive wages, an excellent benefit package and quarterly profit sharing.  Wages range from $13.52 – $20.15 per hour and are based on qualifications and experience.  For additional information and applications please contact the Precision Components HR Department at 712-243-6200 or 641-740-2997 or apply online at www.pcaerialparts.com.

About Precision Components

Selecting where and how to purchase aftermarket parts can be challenging for equipment owners, and the option of buying factory original, new aftermarket, or rebuilt parts only adds to the complexity of the decision-making process. Like all machine purchases, factors affecting parts acquisitions include availability, cost, warranty, equipment age, and owner preference. The hunt typically begins with finding a reputable and reliable supplier, which may be the original equipment manufacturer, and equipment dealer, or third-party vendor. Precision Components offers OEM manufactured or sourced aerial lift replacement parts for JLG, Skypack, Genie and Snorkel machines, always having an assortment of the most commonly used aftermarket parts in the aerial lift industry in stock.

Having more than 120 years of aerial equipment engineering, manufacturing, and maintenance experience, Precision Components is committed to helping their partners reduce their growing repair and maintenance expenses. With a wide variety of replacement parts to choose from, Precision Components strives to help rental companies meet the needs of their clients a the industry. More information about Precision Components can be found on their website.

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — A judge has approved a plea deal that imposes two years’ probation and a suspended prison term for an Iowa farmer who appeared on “The Bachelor.”
Buchanan County District Court records say the judge accepted the plea agreement Monday between Chris Soules and prosecutors “because it is in accordance with the pre-sentence investigation report recommendations.”

Soules pleaded guilty in November to a reduced charge of leaving the scene of a serious injury accident for the April 2017 crash that killed 66-year-old Kenny Mosher. Soules was arrested after he rear-ended Mosher’s tractor. Soules called 911, performed CPR on Mosher and waited for first responders, but he left the scene before officers arrived.

Soules appeared on “The Bachelor” and “Dancing With The Stars” in 2015.

WASHINGTON – Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst have sent a letter pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to follow through on its commitment to rebuild a levee near Hamburg, Iowa, following the floods that devastated the area earlier this year. Following previous floods in 2011, the Corps mandated that the “Ditch 6 Levee” be lowered 8 feet. That levee was overrun earlier this year, contributing to the destructive flooding that left two-thirds of the city of Hamburg under water. After discussions with the City of Hamburg and the State of Iowa, the Corps committed to rebuilding the levee to its original height. It has not yet made good on that promise.

Grassley and Ernst have worked extensively to address communications shortcomings by the Corps regarding flooding and have cosponsored two bills to further address flooding along the Missouri River.

Full text of the letter follows:

“Dear Assistant Secretary James and Lieutenant General Semonite:

We are very concerned about a recent development regarding the Ditch 6 Levee in the City of Hamburg, Iowa. We request that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers immediately begin construction of the Ditch 6 Levee as the Corps designed and to the level of the signed agreement it has with the City of Hamburg and the State of Iowa in June 2019. During the flood of 2019, almost two-thirds of the City of Hamburg was underwater.  A key factor was Ditch 6 levee, which the Corps required to be taken down post the 2011 Missouri River flooding. This levee was overrun in 2019 causing significant loss and damage in Hamburg.

In June 2019, the City of Hamburg signed an agreement with the Corps to rebuild Ditch 6 Levee to a 919 foot-level.  This was the levee height in 2011 prior to being required to be taken down by the Corps. Community and businesses moved forward with repairs and recovery based on the Corps commitment and plan to rebuild the Ditch 6 levee this year to the 919 foot-level.  Businesses have spent close to $20 million in clean-up and repairs for reopening.

City and state officials have had numerous conversations with the Corps Omaha District in June, July, and August about the start of the work for the Ditch 6 Levee.  The Corps confirmed it had funding for its portion of the levee build and that the work could begin once the worksite was dry. On Wednesday, August 14, 2019, the city and state were notified by Colonel John Hudson that the Corps no longer had “authority” to rebuild the Ditch 6 Levee to the 919 foot-level and that it will only be built to 911 foot-level, which would be lowering the levee from its current height, as it was no longer an emergency measure.

In May and June, the Corps executed work to build a HESCO barrier in Hamburg to protect it against flooding.  The HESCO barrier was built to a 921 foot-level height.  While the breach of the L-575-B Levee has been closed, much work remains to restore that levee and the hundreds of miles of levees on the lower Missouri River to its full protective levels. With high flows continuing on the river, Hamburg is a heavy rain away from being flooded again.  As a result, the City of Hamburg needs to have the Ditch-6 levee built to 919 foot-level immediately as a first line of defense to a compromised levee system, which the Corps refers to as “delicate” at best.

Building the Ditch 6 Levee to the 919 foot-level is critical to local businesses and the safety of the community.  We expect the Corps to honor the commitment and agreement it made with the community in June 2019.”