About nine in every ten Iowa children who are eligible for free meals during the summer break aren’t eating those meals. Stephanie Dross, a consultant for the Iowa Department of Education, says community groups offer summer meal sites all across the state, but for several reasons, tens of thousands of children don’t take part.

“We know that in the state of Iowa, we have over 200,000 children who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals during the school year,” Dross says. “When you compare that to our summer program, we average about 21,000 children on an average summer day. So, as you can tell, there’s a fairly significant gap.” According to Dross, since school buses aren’t picking kids up for class during the summer months, many of those children can’t get a ride to get a meal.

“Some of it is the knowledge from families as to the availability of sites and where those site locations are,” Dross says. “We also know there are transportation barriers across the state, both in rural and urban locations.” Still, some areas -are- able to access buses that bring the kids in. Some locations are also able to offer activities for the students in addition to the meals, which helps to boost attendance.

“The organizations that sponsor the summer food service program can choose to serve up to two meals or a meal and a snack per day,” Dross says. “The most commonly participated in meal is the lunch service but we also have lots of organizations across the state that do both breakfast meals and snacks throughout the day.” Another option is setting up serving sites at farmers markets, in addition to making connections with medical facilities.

For more information and to find locations for meal sites in your part of Iowa, call the Hunger Hotline at 866-3-HUNGRY, or text the word “food” to 877-877.

(Radio Iowa)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Barge traffic is making a slow but steady comeback on the Missouri River, although proponents acknowledge the industry is still swimming upstream against a perception that the river is not reliable enough to be a profitable transportation corridor.

Some private barge and tow companies never stopped using the river. But public ports along the 760-mile span from Sioux City, Iowa, to St. Louis virtually disappeared by the early 2000s due to a combination of drought, recession and political infighting. Improved conditions allowed Port KC to reopen the first public port on the Missouri River since 2007 and a public port about an hour north in St. Joseph is undergoing renovations.

Proponents of the ports say barge shipping is cheaper, more environmentally friendly and eases stress on the nation’s highways and rail transportation systems.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater today (Monday), issued his weekly report on arrests. Sunday night, 40-year old Joseph Michael Greathouse, of Massena, was arrested on an Adair County felony warrant for Theft in the 2nd degree. His bond was set at $5,000.

Friday night, 26-year old Alyssa Janeen Carroll, of Greenfield, was arrested by Greenfield Police, for Theft in the 2nd degree and Possession of drug paraphernalia. The theft charge is with regard to her allegedly taking from a residence in Greenfield, a 2004 Chevy Silverado pickup that did not belong to her. Her bond was set at $5,000.

And, as we have mentioned in previous reports, 21-year old Keith Raje Franklin, of Florissant, MO., was arrested in Stuart, Sunday, May 22nd, on two felony and three serious misdemeanor charges associated with a shots fired incident, in Stuart at around 1:30-a.m. that same day. The felony charges included Intimidation with a dangerous weapon, and Possession of weapons by a felon. Franklin was released Thursday on $10,000 bond.