The Exira-EHK science department has entered the school in the Follett Challenge for its annual Earth Day activity and can win up to $60,000 for the school. The Follett Challenge showcases and rewards educators who are teaching the skills needed in the 21st century collaboratively. In order to enter, they filled out a long written application and made a five-minute video explaining the program with the help of the freshmen TAG students.

The video features pictures from previous Earth Days as well as interviews from students, teachers, and community members. But they need your help to win! The videos with the top 10 votes win $8,000 and can win up to $60,000 based on the written application and the total number of votes. Anyone with an e-mail account can vote once a day for the duration of the voting period.

Go to www.follettchallenge.com daily to vote for their video titled “Exira-EHK Earth Day” now through January 30th.

Governor Terry Branstad says his administration won’t be violating state law if they continue to run “significant” prison operations and a military-style academy on the Mental Health Institute campuses in Mount Pleasant and Clarinda.  “Those are now multiple-use campuses and both Mount Pleasant and (Clarinda) have significant operations there as well,” Branstad says. “And so those facilities will not be closed.” But a state senator from Mount Pleasant argues Iowa law requires the state to provide in-patient care for mentally ill patients at both sites. Branstad says the attorney general’s office has assured him what he’s proposing is legal.

“We’re not closing the facilities,” Branstad says. “…Neither one of them are accredited. At Clarinda, the psychiatrist is about ready to retire and Mount Pleasant has not been able to attract a psychiatrist, so to be able to provide quality mental health services to people we think they can better be served at the other two institutes and community mental health and with the help of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.” Key legislators says they were “disturbed” because they didn’t learn of Branstad’s plan to close the two mental health care facilities in Mount Pleasant and Clarinda until they were shown the details of Branstad’s proposed bugdet. Branstad rejects the complaint that he hid his intentions until the very last minute.

“We didn’t hide anything,” Branstad says. “We put a budget together that was not an easy budget to put together in light of the fact that the cost of Medicaid is going up dramatically.” The federal government is picking up a smaller portion of Medicaid spending in Iowa, because of a formula that sends states with better economies less than other states where the economy is dragging. Branstad says that means the budget for the Department of Human Services was tough to draft — and the Mental Health Institutes are managed by the department.

(Radio Iowa)

Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds joined state officials today (Monday), to announce that the Military Homeownership Assistance program has assisted nearly 3,400 military service members and veterans purchase a home in Iowa. The program is jointly administered by the Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs and funding is appropriated by the Iowa Legislature.

The Military Homeownership Assistance Program provides eligible service members with a $5,000 grant that may be used towards down payment and closing costs to purchase a home located in Iowa. “More than 800 veterans have already been matched with jobs in our state through the Home Base Iowa initiative, with the opportunity for us to welcome thousands more. A key component in the transition to civilian life for these veterans is making their own permanent home right here in Iowa and this program will help them to achieve that goal,” said Governor Branstad.

“Our efforts to match veterans and their spouses with quality careers in Iowa are working. With the Iowa Finance Authority’s work to assist veterans in making a down payment on a home, we believe even more veterans will make our great state their home base,” said Lt. Governor Reynolds.

When combined with the Iowa Finance Authority’s other down payment assistance programs, eligible service members could receive a total of up to $7,500 in grant funds toward the purchase of a home. In fiscal year 2014, the program assisted 423 military service members and their families to fulfill their dream of homeownership.

“Upon my return from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, my wife and I started looking for a house in Osceola, where I now serve as a reserve Sheriff’s Deputy and volunteer firefighter,” said tenured military veteran Sergeant Byron Jimmerson. “We were excited to discover that we qualified for IFA’s Military Homeownership Assistance Grant Program to help with the down payment. The grant helped ease the financial cost of owning a home, especially with the anticipated expenses of starting a family.”

“The Military Homeownership Assistance Program was created by the Iowa Legislature in an effort to foster affordable homeownership opportunities for service members,” said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Dave Jamison. “Down payment assistance is a valuable resource and it affords service members and veterans an avenue to conduct civilian life in a permanent, stable home in Iowa.”

“The Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs’ mission is to assist veterans with obtaining services and benefits that they are entitled to. We are also concerned about the successful reintegration of veterans into civilian life and the community,” said Colonel Robert King, Executive Director, Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs. “The Military Homeownership Assistance Program is an excellent program that directly impacts qualified veterans’ ability to purchase a home. We are extremely pleased with the response of veterans requesting this program.”

The Military Homeownership Assistance Program has provided more than $15.4 million in funding to support approximately 3,400 military service members and their families since the program’s inception in 2005. Availability of funding for this program is subject to annual state appropriation and funds are made available on a first-come, first-served basis. More information about the program is available at IowaFinanceAuthority.gov.

(Press Release)

Fall enrollment in the state’s community colleges was down a little less than half a percent. Department of Education Community Colleges Bureau Chief, Kent Farver, says it’s a sign of the economic situation in the state. “The unemployment rate kind of corresponds to enrollment in community colleges. When unemployment goes up, enrollment usually goes up, when unemployment goes down, enrollment usually drops down,” Farver says. “And really you start to see the change from fulltime enrollment, to part-time enrollment because they are going back to work.”

Iowa’s unemployment rate hit four-point-two-percent in December of 2013, it’s lowest point since 2008, and after inching up and then back down, ended at four-point-three percent in December of this year. Community college enrollment has been adjusting since it shot up in 2009 and 2010 as workers look to community colleges to upgrade their skills or train for new jobs after being laid off. “I think we’re just trying to get back to normal after the recession, and I think we’re trying to figure out where that new normal is,” Farver says.

Community college enrollment has fallen about 12 percent since 2010. Farver says as they work on that “new normal” they’re trying to do more to let high school graduates and others know about the careers that are available with a community college degree. “Understanding that with those middle skill jobs, it’s not always a four-year degree that’s required to obtain a good job, a middle-income job, and a job where a person can be self supporting,” Farver says. “Trying to get the information out, and that there are other opportunities is important, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

The fall community college enrollment was 93-thousand-772 students, a drop of point-four-nine percent (.49).

(Radio Iowa)

With Ric Hanson.

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Police in Creston are investigating the theft of items from a home and vehicle. Officials say two women on Livingston Avenue reported someone entered their house and vehicle sometime between Jan. 4th and 24th. Items missing include: a purse; a total of $90 cash; debit, credit and Social Security card; EBT card; makeup, hair spray and perfume; a 30 disc CD case; Stainless Steel “Sons of Anarchy” chain and pennant; a wedding band set, and an MP3 player. The loss was estimated at $1,370 altogether.

And, on Jan. 21st, a Madrid resident reported to the Creston P-D someone used a rebate card that was issued to the victim but never received, was used without her permission. The incident happened sometime between Feb. 1st 2013 and Jan. 21st 2015. The loss was estimated at $300.

In other news, Creston Police report 57-year old William Spencer Powell, Jr., of Diagonal, was arrested Jan. 21st in Creston, on a charge of 2nd offense Public Intoxication. Powell, Jr., was later released on $300 bond.

With Ric Hanson.

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CLIVE, Iowa (AP) – A Johnston couple have claimed a $1 million Powerball prize they won in the New Year’s Eve drawing. Friedel and Michele Djordjevic went to Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive on Friday to turn in the ticket that Friedel Djordjevic bought at a Johnston convenience store.

Once he and his wife were certain that five of the six numbers on the ticket matched the numbers pulled Dec. 31, they put the ticket in a fireproof box and began planning what to do with their winnings. They told lottery officials that they intend to put away some money for retirement, buy a new home, pay bills and share with their adult children.

Friedel, who is originally from Germany, says they also plan to take trips there to visit friends.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — As Governor Terry Branstad prepares to introduce legislation aimed at expanding broadband Internet in Iowa, members of a committee tasked with giving him key recommendations for a bill say it’s a complex issue that they’re still sorting out. Members of a broadband committee within a science, technology, engineering and math advisory council say they’re still deciding what the state’s overall goal should be with expanding high-speed Internet, also known as broadband.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The four finalists to be Des Moines next police chief will be interviewed this week as officials prepare to make their choice. KCCI reports the final four candidates will go through a series of public events and interviews this week. A public reception will be held for the candidates on Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the World Food Prize building. They will meet privately with top city officials on Friday.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa bird watchers will again be able to spot bald eagles this winter as they visit in search of warmer weather. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports an eagle watching event will be held at North Central Junior High on February 7th.

ATLANTA (AP) — Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney are courting the Republican Party’s elite donors in the early maneuvering for the 2016 presidential race. But several other potential Republican candidates are concentrating their efforts on Christian conservatives. Several White House hopefuls addressed social conservatives at this past weekend’s Freedom Summit in Iowa, which hosts the nation’s first caucuses in 2016.

The “Iowa Freedom Summit” drew hundreds of grassroots activists to Des Moines this past weekend for a 10-hour event featuring 31 different speakers, about a dozen of whom presented themselves as possible 2016 presidential candidates. Congressman Steve King — the co-host of the event – kicked things off Saturday morning. “Do you believe that the next president of the United States is going to be speaking from this stage to you today?” King asked and the crowd applauded. The parade of potential contenders for the G-O-P’s next presidential nomination included governors like Scott Walker who touted what he called the “Wisconsin Way” as a prescription for the entire country. “Common sense conservative reforms can actually work,” Walker said, “and they can work in a blue state like Wisconsin.”

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas challenged Iowa Republicans to ask each candidate to prove their conservative credentials. “Look each candidate in the eye and say, ‘Don’t talk. Show me,'” Cruz said. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee called for a cease fire among conservatives. “We don’t need to spend the next two years beating each other up in the conservative tent,” Huckabee said. And New Jersey Governor Chris Christie suggested litmus tests could doom the party. “If you want a candidate who agrees with you 100 percent of the time, I’ll give you one suggestion: Go home and look in the mirror,” Christie said. “…If that’s the standard we hold each other to as a party, we will never win another national election — ever.”

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum offered his assessment of why Republicans have lost the last two national elections. “We don’t win because too many people think we don’t care about them,” Santorum said. Businessman Donald Trump drew cheers from the crowd when he declared that Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush would be losers for the party in 2016. The event also introduced Iowans to potential candidates who aren’t well known here, like former Hewlett-Packard C-E-O Carly Fiorina who brought the house down with her critique of Hillary Clinton’s performance as secretary of state.

Protestors who support President Obama’s actions which shield young people who were brought here illegally as children from deportation disrupted former Texas Governor Rick Perry’s speech. The Republican crowd started applauding Perry to try to drown out the protesters. Two protesters were arrested. Steve Wilson of West Des Moines supported Huckabee in 2008, but wasn’t thrilled with his choices in 2012. He attended Saturday’s event to “get a handle” on who’s thinking about running in 2016.

“We’re all quite dismayed and upset at the way the country has gone and where it’s headed and that kind of scares us,” Wilson says. “So it’s time to stand up and take a stand and see if we can’t get the country back to the country we grew up in and we loved.” While none of the participants in Saturday’s event have formally declared themselves candidates for the presidency, they made it clear Iowa’s Caucuses are on their minds. The Iowa Caucuses are currently scheduled for February 1st, 2016.

(O. Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)