A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held this (Tuesday) morning in Lewis, for a new fire station that’s been over three-years in the making.

Lewis Fire Station, Jan. 2012

Lewis Mayor Don Cohrs said the preliminary design for the station was approved by the City Council in October 2009, after they took into consideration the costs and space required. When a committee was formed, it was determined the facility needed to be 6,500 square feet, if it was to store all the equipment necessary to respond to emergencies. Cohrs said the project got off the ground when the City applied and was approved for, a nearly $281,000 I-Jobs 2 grant, through the State of Iowa. Cohrs said in addition, with a grant from the Lewis Fire Association’s Building Fund, and funds from the City, the project was completed at a cost of nearly $420,000.

The Mayor said the City benefitted while construction was underway, from all of the construction crews who spent their money in town, at the local convenience store, café and Post Office.

Former IA Gov. Chet Culver listens as Lewis Mayor Donny Cohrs talks about the new facilty

Cohrs credited former Governor Chet Culver with creating the I-Jobs initiative that made a significant impact in financing, not only for the Fire Station project, but other needed projects within the community as well. Governor Culver, who was in attendance at the event, congratulated the Mayor and other City officials who worked long and hard to see the process through.

Culver said the purpose of the I-Jobs initiative, was to help eastern Iowa recover from the floods of 2008 and other natural disasters that year. He said they discovered during that process, that there were many communities with needs that had gone unmet, because funding was not available through Federal agencies. That’s when his administration created the Iowa Jobs and Infrastructure concept, the best part of which, he says, involves no taxpayer dollars. Instead, the money comes from bonds paid off through 17 casinos in the State.

Former Gov. Chet Culver talks about the I-Jobs Initiative in Lewis

Culver said the second part of the I-Jobs program was added to help communities with major infrastructure projects not associated with the floods and disasters. He says the result was a State that was transformed and modernized, and that includes the small community of Lewis.

Culver said people who put their lives on the line, like firefighters, deserve the most modern facility and equipment possible, so they can do the very best job possible.

Administrators at the Nodaway Valley Community School District in Greenfield are remaining mum on what disciplinary action has been, or will be taken, following an alleged hazing incident involving the school’s wrestling team. The School Board heard from parents who are furious over sexual abuse by members of the wrestling team against an 16-year old wrestler. 

The school’s athletic director, David Huff, sent a letter home to parents last Friday saying the school is aware of a hazing incident on the wrestling team and that the school conducted its own investigation. According to KCCI-TV in Des Moines, many of the parents who attended Monday’s night’s school board meeting called for administrators to not only fire the coaching staff but the suspend the rest of the wrestling season, but the board isn’t talking about what actions are being taken. 

One of the parents who attended the meeting Monday, said her son is a member of the wrestling squad. Dora Pudenz said her son had been threatened at least once by his teammates. In one instance, she says the wrestling coach allegedly stood by and authorized the wrestling captains to decide for themselves what they wanted for the punishment, while the coaches walked out of the room. 

Greenfield Police Chief Austin O’Brien isn’t talking about the situation, either. He reportedly kicked KCCI’s reporters off his property Sunday.

w/ Ric Hanson

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An early morning raid at a home in Shenandoah resulted in two people being arrested on drug charges. Officers with the Shenandoah Police Department, along with Page and Fremont County Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant this (Tuesday) morning at 812 South Avenue. Authorities say 56-year-old Michael Weaver and 47-year-old Bryan Bowman, both of Shenandoah, were  taken into custody.

Weaver was charged with Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He posted a $1,000 bond and was ordered to appear in court at a later date. Bowman was arrested on Possession of Marijuana, Methamphetamine and Drug Paraphernalia charges. He also faces a felony Possession of Firearm charge. Bowman was unable to post a $5,000 bond, and was being held in the Page County Jail

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will meet tonight in a regular session at the high school. During their 7:30-p.m. session in the Media Center, the Board will hear from the following: Joanne Sandage, on Talented and Gifted (TAG) Program; Russell Peck, with a Maintenance and Operations Update; Jerry Purdy from Design Alliance, on the Middle School Renovation Project; and, Roger Warne, with an update on the district’s Technology Plan. In other business, the Atlantic School Board will act on approving: certain Contracts/Letters of Assignment and/or resignations; the second reading of a policies pertaining to the use of video cameras on school premises, a school transportation regulation, and Wellness; a fiber optic line installation proposal, and, a Guidance Counselor Evaluation form.

Discussion items on the agenda for this evening include those pertaining to a site for the Hospital School relocation, the Fiscal Year 2013 budget, and a Cass County Assessor’s Board representative.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will close 259 domestic offices, labs and other facilities as part of an effort to save $150 million per year in its $145 billion budget. The plan announced Monday will affect the agency’s Washington headquarters and operations in 46 states. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says in a statement that his agency must “be better stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars.” He says many of the offices being closed have few employees and are near other offices. It was not clear from the USDA announcement whether employees would be laid off or moved to other offices. The USDA has a broad array of programs, ranging from emergency aid for farms to grants for rural development and the program commonly known as food stamps.

Republican Terry Branstad will deliver the 2012 “Condition of the State” message today (Tuesday), an annual tradition for Iowa governors. Branstad is in year two of his fifth term as governor and this will be his 17th “Condition of the State” address. “Seventeen is the number,” Branstad says. “It’s a lucky a number. It’s also my wedding anniversary number. It’s also the day that I was drafted into the Army, so consider 17 to be a very lucky number and I’m excited about it.” Branstad was drafted on September 17th, 1969. He was married on June 17th, 1972 — the same day as the Watergate break-in. Branstad has used “Condition of the State” speeches in the past to unveil new proposals, like a change to the state’s income tax system — which his fellow Republicans ultimately rejected. Branstad says he doesn’t plan to release any “surprise” proposals during his speech today.

Branstad doesn’t intend to speak for much longer than half an hour either. “I’m not going to try to cover the whole waterfront,” Branstad says. “I’m really going to focus on jobs and education.” Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal says the state must do more to recruit, develop and support great teachers. “The simple truth is that one of the best things the Iowa legislature can do to help create jobs in this state is to increase student achievement,” Gronstal says. “I look forward to working with Governor Branstad, with members of the Iowa House and with Iowa’s parents and educators to keep improving Iowa schools.”

Senate President Jack Kibbie, a Democrat from Emmetsburg, says any education reform package should address the shortage of skilled workers in Iowa. “In the Farm Crisis of the ’80s, Iowa lost population because there were no jobs for the unemployed,” Kibbie says. “a substantial investment in job training and re-training and the best way to do that is through our community college system.” House Republican Leader Linda Upmeyer says for too long, legislators simply resorted to giving more money to schools. “Businesses large and small have warned us that in order for them to grow, they need a well-educated and highly-skilled workforce,” Upmeyer says. “…This session we will take a comprehensive look on how we can be more effective in educating our children.”

Last year’s “Condition of the State” message was given by out-going Governor Chet Culver, as Governor Branstad was not yet sworn into office for his fifth term. Branstad did deliver a budget address to legislators at the end of January and surprised them with his call to increase the state tax on casinos, a proposal which legislators rejected.

(O. Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

The latest “Iowa Kids Count” survey shows a distinct impact from the economy on the well-being of kids in the state. Iowa Kids County director, Michael Crawford, says the survey looks at 20 categories to determine how well families are faring. The latest survey covers 2010, and provides a comparison over the decade going back to 2000. “The 2010 Iowa Kids Count data book shows that the economic situation for families — particularly low and moderate income families — has shown little improvement over the last few years. Economic indicators such as unemployment, food assistance and child poverty all have continued to increase the past few years, with substantial increases since 2000,” Crawford says. “There is evidence that some improvement did take place in 2011, but we won’t know the final numbers until later this year.”

Among the economic factors in the report released today (Tuesday), it shows that unemployment increased by just over 137-percent in the last decade, food assistance eligibility has increased almost 168-percent, free or reduced-price lunch eligibility in schools has increased over 39-percent and child poverty has increased by 44-point-five-percent. Crawford says there are positive signs in the data for health and education. “Teen births have decreased, as has a majority of the child mortality indicators. Educationally, high school graduation and grade level test scores have shown modest increases,” Crawford says. Child deaths were down 38-percent in the last decade, infant mortality dropped 23-percent, teen births were down over 16-percent. On the education front, the high school graduation rate was up seven-tenths of a percent in the decade, eight grade math proficiency was up almost seven percent and fourth grade reading proficiency was up two-point-seven percent.

Crawford says the economic factors that have hit Iowa kids in the last decade are part of the national trend. “We are in the same boat as everybody else, we’re trying to create jobs for individuals, put people who’re unemployed back to work and I think that’s obviously the biggest goal of legislators and policymakers this year,” according to Crawford. While Iowa has seen some drops in the numbers of the last 10 years, Crawford says Iowa ranks in the top 10 when it comes to a comparison with other states in the national Kids Count data book. But, he says a high national ranking is not a reason to stop trying to improve. “As I say, I like to compare Iowa to Iowa, where we were 10 years ago and where we are now and improve on what we need to improve on,” Crawford says. The state’s unemployment rate has gone down recently and Crawford says that is one factor that is positive and there may be others as the data is put together for 2011.

The survey is made available through the Child and Family Policy Center and you can see the complete report at: www.cfpciowa.org.

(Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa)