(Radio Iowa) – A western Iowa teacher has resigned after being accused of sending inappropriate photos to students via social media. The IKM-Manning Community School District Board of Education accepted the resignation of 24-year-old Cassidy Kraus earlier this week. Kraus was placed on leave by school officials on August 21st, just days before the new school year started, after the district received a complaint alleging she had shared inappropriate photos with students.

A district investigation found that Kraus had sent multiple photos of a sexual nature in May 2023 via Snapchat. Kraus resigned on August 25. No criminal charges have been filed, but authorities say an investigation into the allegations is ongoing.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports that on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, at approximately 6:30 PM, 40-year-old Jesse Josiah Stimson of rural Clarinda, was arrested on a Page County warrant for Sexual Abuse – 2nd Degree (a Class B Felony), Lascivious Acts with a Child – Fondle or Touch (a Class C Felony), and Indecent Contact with a Child (an Aggravated misdemeanor).

Stimson was arrested at the Page County Jail where he turned himself in. Stimson was unable to post the $70,000.00 cash only bond and is currently being held in the Page County Jail pending further court appearances.

The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Page County Sheriff’s Office with consultation from the Page County Attorney’s Office.

A charge is merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University committee’s first vote would to keep Carrie Chapman Catt’s name on a campus building. Nine members of the committee voted to keep Catt’s name on the building and six voted to remove it. The building was named in her honor in 1990 for her efforts to ratify the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. The committee was formed in 2021 after accusations that Catt used racist language and tactics in her push to get the issue passed

Catt Hall (ISU photo)

The committee met 27 times to review multiple documents surrounding the 1880 I-S-U grad. There is now a public input period that will last through October 29th, and the committee will then take a final vote.

(Benton County, Iowa) – A man from eastern Iowa died Wednesday afternoon, after the bicycle he was riding was struck by a car on southbound Highway 218 at 51st Street, south of  La Porte City. The Iowa State Patrol reports the bicycle, occupied by 83-year-old John R. Rice, of Cedar Falls, was hit by a Nissan Altima at around 2:24-p.m. Rice died at the scene.

The driver of the car was identified as 77-year-old Dewayne L. Arends, of Oxford Junction. The accident remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa-based LifeServe Blood Center is appealing for donors as it’s on-call through a national network to provide blood anywhere it’s needed as the hurricane that hit Florida on Wednesday is now a tropical storm heading up the East Coast. LifeServe spokeswoman Danielle West says they’ve been in close contact with blood centers across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, all of which felt — or are feeling — the impact of Idalia (ee-DOLL-ee-ah). “They did not mention as many injuries as much as damage, so it’s more about if the blood center can continue to function and collect blood, then they may not need ours,” West says. “They’re assessing that right now and ensuring that all of their team members can still make it into work and they can still function as a blood center.”

In addition to widespread power outages, there’s damage from the powerful winds, as well as heavy rains and flash flooding. West says blood centers in cities that were hit by the monster storm are regrouping and determining what they need.  “They want to make sure that they can sustain what they’ve already worked out with their local hospitals,” West says. “They’re keeping us posted. As far as we know, we have not sent blood products to them yet, but we still have O-positive and O-negative set aside, and we’re technically on call through Sunday of this week.”

Monday is a holiday and LifeServe offices won’t be open for donations, so they’re working to continue stocking up now, as the summertime has been challenging for donations. “We have not seen the number of blood donors that we would like to see to support our hospitals,” West says. “We’re lower in almost every blood type then we’d want to be, A-positive, B-positive, all of our negative blood types, of course the Os, so truly if you’re a blood donor, if you’ve never donated blood before, we absolutely need you.”

LifeServe has multiple offices in the Des Moines metro, as well as in Ames, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Mason City, Pella and Sioux City. LifeServe provides blood products to 161 hospitals primarily in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. To schedule a visit, call 800.287.4903 or log on to lifeservebloodcenter.org.