DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Education reform will likely come before the Iowa House next week, and most expect lawmakers to approve a measure including new student tests and tougher teacher standards. Republican Rep. Greg Forristall from Macedonia, Chairman of the House Education Committee, says he expects the House to pass a bill supported by Gov. Terry Branstad.

The proposal includes new testing for third and 11th graders, a requirement that third graders demonstrate reading proficiency before advancing to the fourth grade, and a rule that potential teachers must post a 3.0 grade point average before entering preparation programs. Teachers also would have to demonstrate proficiency in their field.

The House could take up the matter Tuesday. The Senate has different priorities and it’s unclear whether the Legislature will agree on a plan.

COUNTIES IN IOWA: MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE-

ISSUED 350 AM CST SAT MAR 10 2012 BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE:

…EXTREME FIRE DANGER TODAY…

THE GRASSLAND FIRE DANGER INDEX WILL BE IN THE EXTREME CATEGORY THIS AFTERNOON. EXTREME FIRE DANGER MEANS THAT FIRES START QUICKLY…SPREAD FURIOUSLY AND BURN INTENSELY. ALL FIRES ARE POTENTIALLY SERIOUS. ALL OUTDOOR BURNING SHOULD BE AVOIDED IN AREAS WITH EXTREME FIRE
DANGER.

SEVERAL GRASS AND/OR FIELD FIRES WERE REPORTED TO HAVE OCCURRED FRIDAY, INCLUDING A LARGE FIRE IN POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY. TWO OTHER FIRES OCCURED IN CASS COUNTY (IA).

The Iowa State Patrol said Friday no serious injuries were reported following a two-vehicle collision Thursday afternoon, in Creston. Officials say a 1988 Toyota Pickup driven by 16-year old Carson Whittington, of Creston, was exiting a parking lot just south of Prairie Street and attempting to enter the southbound lanes of Highway 25/Sumner Streets, when he failed to see a southbound 1999 Mazda because of another vehicle, which was sitting a stop sign on Prairie Street.

The pickup pulled out onto Highway 25 and hit the right the right front side of the Mazda, driven by 24-year old Sarah Hughes, of Creston. Both drivers were wearing their seatbelts, and suffered only minor injuries. They both refused transport to the hospital.. Whittington was cited by the Patrol for Failure to Yield. Damage from the crash, which happened at around 3:25-p.m., Thursday, amounted to $3,000.

The Iowa State Patrol says a Creston woman who lost control of her car and crashed in Union County Thursday night, was cited for OWI 1st Offense and Improper Use of Lanes. Officials say 49-year old Lori Ann Wray was traveling east on Highway 34/New York Avenue in Creston, at around 10:25-p.m., when the 2007 Dodge Caliber she was driving came into contact with the north curb of the road. Wray over corrected and lost control of the car, which left the road and rolled onto the drivers’ side and came to rest on its top against a pole for a billboard sign. Wray was transported to the Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston, treated, and later released. Damage to the car was estimated at $15,500.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — The mayors of Council Bluffs and Cedar Rapids are defending their cities’ use of traffic enforcement cameras. They’re also welcoming comments from key lawmakers who say effort to ban the devices seem to have stalled in the Legislature. Speaking Friday on the Iowa Public Television program, “Iowa Press,” Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan and Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett called the cameras a cheap and effective way to reduce accidents and slow down traffic. Corbett says officials aren’t trying to gouge anyone with citations, but they want motorists to follow the law. They welcomed comments from House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, who acknowledged he doesn’t have enough votes to ban the cameras. Paulsen says that could change.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say no one was injured after a fire caused propane tanks to explode inside a grocery store in Sioux City. The fire broke out about Friday afternoon at the grocery store, Carniceria el Michoacano, on the city’s west side. Heavy smoke was pouring out of the back of the building when firefighters arrived. Officials say everyone safely evacuated the store.

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman said Friday County Board of Supervisors Chairman Duane McFadden has filed nomination papers for re-election. On March 5th, Sunderman and Sheriff Darby McLaren also filed papers to run for re-election in the June 5th, 2012 Primary. The final date for filing nomination papers is Wednesday, March 28th, 2012.

The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest of two people Friday.

Twenty-nine-year-old Robert Tomlinson of Atlantic was cited and released for driving while suspended.

And 19-year-old Alex J Rutledge of Atlantic was arrested for OWI 1st.  He was transported to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

Legislators in Iowa are considering a proposal that would increase the surcharge on cell phone bills to help cover the costs of emergency 9-1-1 calls. Iowans with a land line currently pay a one-dollar 9-1-1 surcharge every month, but the 9-1-1 surcharge on cell phones is only 65 cents. The bill would raise the cell phone surcharge to a buck a month. Craig Walter is a lobbyist for Verizon. “We do have some concerns, certainly, with the 35-cent increase to our customers,” Walter says. “It will impact, certainly, every phone that you have within your family for the additional costs.” Senator Tom Hancock, a Democrat from Epworth, says surcharge revenue to finance 9-1-1 operations continues to fall as more people drop their land lines.

“That leaves our local PSAPs — Public Safety Answering Points — with less funding,” Hancock says,”and there’s a lot of them out there struggling right now.” Officials say 70 percent of 9-1-1 calls now come from cell phones. Without additional fees from cell phone customers, emergency service providers say the cost of 9-1-1 upgrades will fall to property tax payers. A bill that would increase the 9-1-1 surcharge on cell phone users has cleared a three-member subcommittee and must next be considered by the Senate’s Ways and Means tax-writing Committee.

(O.Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)