Over 12-hundred Iowa school board members and superintendents will be in Des Moines on Tuesday and Wednesday for the annual meeting of the Iowa Association of School Boards. Convention coordinator, Lou Ann Gvist, says there will be numerous workshops for the school board members and superintendents to attend. She says they have a range of topics pertaining to the issues board’s face. Those include superintendent/board relations, policy, collective bargaining and school finance. Gvist said the convention will feature several speakers….

“We are really excited about our keynote speakers on Thursday…the day will be focused on developing a culture of innovation,” Gvist explains. “Dr. Tony Wagner from Harvard is kicking off our opening general session with an exciting keynote. And then following lunch, Dr. David Warlick is also going to talk about innovation.” Marti Kline is another I-A-S-B. convention organizer says Iowa native Ben Milne who create the money exchange company Dwolla will talk about his struggles in school at Cedar Falls and in college, and how we went on to overcome them and be successful.

“He’s created many jobs, he’s run more than one company and has been an employer of many people. And he’s going to talk to the group about how they can make sure that all different kinds of students are included. And all different types of students with learning needs, that their needs are met in the classroom and they can go on to be successful students and successful business people,” Kline says. Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds will speak to the delegates on Thursday afternoon about the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) initiative. You can find out more on the convention at www.ia-sb.org .

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

The driver of a pickup truck was flown to a hospital in Omaha Monday afternoon, after his vehicle was rear-ended by a semi, west of Red Oak. The Iowa State Patrol says 48-year old Danny Jennings, of Red Oak, was flown by LifeNet to Creighton Hospital following the crash on Highway 34, in Montgomery County. Officials say Jennings was traveling east in the slow lane, preparing to turn right onto Avenue A, when his 1998 Chevy pickup was hit from behind by a 2013 Volvo semi, driven by 31-year old Tracey Campbell, of Russell, IA. The accident happened when Campbell became distracted, and didn’t see Jennings slowing for the turn. Following the crash, the pickup spun clockwise into the southeast ditch, while the semi remained under control and stopped on the shoulder of the highway. The accident, which occurred at around 2:30-p.m., Monday, remains under investigation by the State Patrol.

The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs today announced it has awarded more than $1.2 million in Iowa Great Places funding for 10 projects in seven Iowa communities, including the Danish Villages of Elk Horn and Kimballton. The DCA awarded funding to: The Danish Villages; Iowa City/Coralville/North Liberty; Hamilton/Webster counties; Marion; Tama County; Turkey River; and the Villages of Van Buren County. The seven communities requested a total of more than $1.5-million for 14 different projects. The awards announced today (Monday) come from the Iowa Great Places program to support vertical infrastructure projects.

Locally, the Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park Project received $90,000, and, the Little Mermaid Trail and Park Improvements Project received $111,410.  The total award for both projects amounts to more than $201,000. The Danish Immigrant Museum had sought Great Places support for Phase II of the installation of the Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park. Danish Villages has completed installation of the Jens Jensen Heritage Brick Plaza and planting of 20 acres of the park. The park is a tribute to Jensen, who was one of America’s greatest landscape designers and conservationists of the early 20th century. The park is planted with his philosophies in mind, enhancing the visitor’s overall museum experience. Completion of the park will increase opportunities to attract new audiences to the museum and the Danish Villages.

The Little Mermaid Trail will connect the Danish Villages of Elk Horn and Kimballton with a recreational trail beginning at the sculpture of the Little Mermaid in Kimballton and ending at the State of Iowa Welcome Center on the Danish Windmill grounds in Elk Horn. This project is Phase II of the Little Mermaid Park Improvements and Hans Christian Andersen Sculpture Garden. Requested funds will be used to offset the costs of new and safer playground equipment, a sculpture garden and walkway, and ADA compliant restroom facilities.

Janell Hansen, General Manager of the Marne & Elk Horn Telephone Company said she was “Proud of all the volunteers who have come together to dream about and plan for the future of The Danish Villages. They are all motivated to make improvements that bring people together and make this a better community.” She added, the projects focus on enhancing the quality of life outdoors and encouraging people to get out and enjoy the parks and trails. The grants from Iowa Great Places have leveraged other local dollars and infused over $650,000 into the communities over 2 years.

This year’s grants will leverage local funding in public-private partnerships for projects that are represented by everything from public art to adaptive re-use of a historic property. Once completed, the projects will offer residents and visitors exciting and unique quality of life experiences. In turn, those experiential attractions are expected to draw tourists, and attract businesses and prospective employees while boosting the local economy.

w/ Ric Hanson

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Services have been scheduled for a western Iowa soldier who was killed in Afghanistan.  The Pentagon says 19-year-old Pfc. Brandon Buttry, of Shenandoah, died Nov. 5 while serving in Kandahar Province.  The Hackett-Livingston Funeral Home says a visitation is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and end at 8 p.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Shenandoah. The funeral is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Thursday at the church.

Buttry was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord south-southwest of Tacoma, Wash. He was deployed to Afghanistan in August.

Around two dozen flower shops across Iowa are participating in a food drive today (Monday) through Saturday as part of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. The effort, which involves several states in the central U.S., is expected to generate over 32 tons of food for those in need. Brian Barks is spokesperson for Foodbank for the Heartland in Omaha, which provides services to 16 counties in western Iowa and 77 counties in Nebraska. “Thirty-two tons of food going to organizations like ours…will make a great deal of difference,” Barks said. “But, we need so much more.”

The economic downturn is credited for a 40% increase in demand for food from charity providers across the country. Barks said demand is definitely outpacing food donations at the foodbank in Omaha. “Last fiscal year, approximately 16-percent of our inventory was purchased. So far this fiscal year, about 31-percent of the food we’ve distributed are items we’ve purchased,” Barks said. “As of right now, we are on pace to about double the amount of food we are buying.”

The decline in inventory is blamed primarily on cuts to the U.S.D.A. Commodities Program. This week, donors who bring two cans of food to participating flower shops can buy one dozen long-stemmed roses for just $10. The cans will then be delivered to a local food-distribution charity, such as the Foodbank for the Heartland. “This campaign with local flower shops is tremendous,” Barks said. “It’s one of a myriad of campaigns that we need to happen in order to keep our shelves stocked.”

This marks the 14th year for the “Caring Rose Week” effort. More information and a map of participating florists is available at www.caringrose.org.

(Radio Iowa)

An accident Sunday afternoon near Coburg, in Montgomery County, caused a total of $2,500 damage, but there were no reports of injuries. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, a 1995 Honda Passport driven by 16-year old Teesha Mary Hardy, of Red Oak, and a 2004 Chevy Blazer, driven by 50-year old Dawn Eloise Milgrove, of Red Oak, collided at the intersection of 270th Street and Fernwood Avenue, on the east side of Coburg, at around 1:05-p.m.

Officials say the Honda was traveling east on 270th as the Blazer was heading west. As the vehicles met, their side-view mirrors hit, causing damage to both vehicles. No citations were issued.

Authorities in Montgomery County report the arrest of three individuals over the weekend. On Saturday, 17-year old Edward Richard Lockerby, of Prescott, was taken into custody at around 12:30-p.m., on a charge of harassment. He was brought to Montgomery County Corrections Center, booked-in, and later released to the custody of his mother. That same day, at around 1:50-p.m., 48-year old David Alan Adist, of Prescott, was arrested by Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies, for violating a Protective Order. Adist was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on full bond.

On Sunday, 30-year old George Allen Westbrooke, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 4:30-p.m.. Westbrooke was taken into custody on a valid Adams County warrant for Burglary in the 3rd degree, Criminal Mischief in the 4th degree, and Trespassing. He was transported to the Adams County Jail and held on $5,000 cash bond.