(Glenwood, Iowa) – Officials in Mills County report a county-wide Burn Ban will be effect from 8-a.m. Thursday (April 14th) until further notice. Mills County EMA Director Gabe Barney says the ban, which prohibits open burning in Mills County, and includes all the cities within the county, is being implemented due to the abnormally dry air conditions, temperatures and high winds. A majority of the local fire departments were in agreement, and the ban was approved today (Wednesday), by the State Fire Marshal in Des Moines.

An application to your local fire chief can be obtained to allow a permit for an open burn IF your local fire official believes it is safe to do so. After approval of a permit, several county entities are informed, to lessen the danger of false alarms and the unnecessary expenditure of crews and equipment. Barney says “This is a dangerous situation, and we relay on the public to assist us in this ban.” The conditions are such that a fast moving wild land fire and quickly destroy property, and become life threatening if left uncontrolled.

Citizens are reminded to:

• Avoid using fireworks and other items that produce a flame or sparks.
• Do Not throw cigarettes from moving vehicles.
• Discontinue the burning of yard waste, piled tree debris, or other such items, during this ban.

Small recreational camp fires are permitted ONLY if they are conducted in a fireplace made of brick, metal or heavy, one-inch wire mesh. Any camp fire not in an outdoor fireplace is prohibited. Violation of a burn ban can subject a person to a citation or arrest for reckless use of fire, or disobeying a burn ban. For more information on burn bans and the law, contact the State Fire Marshal’s Office at 515-725-6125, or go to www.dps.state.ia.us.  You may also call the Mills County EMA Office at 712-527-3643.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  Atlantic Trees Forever spokesperson Dolly Bergmann says spring tree vouchers are now available. Bergmann says “Because of the past year there are many people needing trees this spring.  We ask that you limit one voucher per homeowner so more people can get a start replacing trees that were destroyed.” Tree vouchers are a great way to help with the cost of a tree to plant.  The vouchers are worth $30 off the cost of a tree, and can be obtained at Pymosa Farms, north of Atlantic.

Dolly Bergmann said there are a limited number of vouchers available. Those at Pymosa Farms can help you determine what kind of tree would work best in the location you would like to plant a tree.  It is important to water the trees this spring and during the summer.

Pymosa Farms is located at 50979 Buck Creek Road, Atlantic, but Bergmann suggests calling owner Tim Reavis, at 402-659-1213 before driving out to the farm to ensure someone is available to help you.

(Des Moines, IA) Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are increasingly impacting Iowans. Preliminary data from the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) for 2021 show significant increases in some STDs.

Most notably, syphilis has reached its highest numbers in the state in a generation. There were 554 diagnoses of infectious syphilis reported to IDPH in 2021. This is a 55% increase from the preceding year. Shifts are also occurring among our populations in Iowa who are most affected. Although the majority of diagnoses continues to be among men, the number of diagnoses among women nearly tripled in a single year. The increased number of women affected has led to historic increases in congenital syphilis (which occurs when the infection is passed from a pregnant person to the fetus or newborn). In 2021, there were 11 cases of congenital syphilis in Iowa – more than the last 20 years combined. Additionally, rates of syphilis among our Black and Indigenous populations, and populations of color overall, are increasingly disproportionate. 

Get Yourself Tested is a campaign encouraging young people to get tested and treated for STDs and HIV to protect their health and that of their partners. STDs affect people of all ages, yet these diseases take a particularly heavy toll on young people.

Disease Intervention Specialists at IDPH and Polk, Linn, Scott, and Black Hawk county health departments work with people affected by HIV and other STDs, like syphilis, every day. Through  these services, Iowans receive medical care and referrals to other supportive services. Iowans looking for STD testing can access two testing locator options here or here.

IDPH continues to work with its partner organizations, the medical community, and the public to raise awareness, make risk reduction easier (including increased testing and early diagnosis and treatment), and reduce stigma.

DES MOINES – Thousands of students across Iowa made their voices heard about the upcoming election when they cast ballots in Secretary of State’s Paul Pate’s Iowa Youth Straw Poll, Tuesday. Students in K-12 schools were invited to vote for their preferred candidates in Iowa’s congressional and gubernatorial races. Candidates submitted video messages tailored toward students. As of the last report, with nearly 9,000 votes cast, Republican Chuck Grassley leads all candidates in the U.S. Senate race with 39 % of the vote. Republican Jim Carlin is second with 23%. Democratic Abby Finkenauer has 20%.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds leads the gubernatorial field, with 65% of the vote. Some Youth Straw Poll participants will be eligible to participate in the June primary and November general election this year.  Secretary Pate says “It’s important to engage our young people in civics at an early age and this is a fun, hands-on way to do that. Voting is not only a civic duty, but also the best way to make your voice heard. My thanks to all the students who participated, and to the teachers that helped organize events at their schools.”

Iowa’s four U.S. Congressional races were also polled, with Republicans leading in three of the four districts. Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks leads Christina Bohannan in the First District, 65-35%.  Ashley Hinson is ahead of Liz Mathis in the Second District, 66-34% Democrat Cindy Axne has the most votes so far in the Third District, with 30%, followed by three Republicans, Nicole Hasso at 28%, Gary Leffler at 22% and Zach Nunn at 20%. Republican Randy Feenstra is leading in the Fourth District with 66%.

The Iowa Youth Straw Poll is open to students of every grade level and youth civic organizations.

Vote totals are available by clicking here.

(Washington, D-C) – President Biden has announced five new federal judicial nominees, all of whom are extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution, including a District Court Judge in Iowa. His office says “These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country — both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.” The announcement marks the President 16th round of nominees for federal judicial positions and his fourth slate of nominations in 2022, bringing the number of announced federal judicial nominees to 90.

District Court

Judge Stephen Henley Locher: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa

Judge Stephen Henley Locher has served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Iowa since 2021. He was previously a partner at Belin McCormick, P.C., in Des Moines, Iowa from 2013 to 2021. From 2008 to 2013, Judge Locher was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa. From 2004 to 2008, Judge Locher was an associate at Goldberg Kohn in Chicago. Judge Locher served as a law clerk for Judge John R. Gibson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit from 2003 to 2004.

Judge Locher received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2003, and his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, magna cum laude, in 2000.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Union County Sheriff’s Department says no injuries to a motorist from Cass County, after a vehicle struck a deer Tuesday night. Authorities say a 2010 Dodge Caliber driven by 66-year-old Anita Ruth Shimer, of Griswold, was traveling west on Highway 34 at around 8:40-p.m., when a deer came out of the south ditch and crossed the road. The car struck the deer, causing $1,500 damage to the vehicle.

And, Creston Police say a woman residing in the 100 block of S. Jarvis Street, in Creston, reported on Tuesday, that two tires on her vehicle had been slashed overnight. The loss was estimated at $299.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School Board will hold their regular monthly meeting this evening in the Schuler Elementary School Media Center. The meeting (which can be viewed on You Tube) begins at 5:30-p.m., with three Public Hearings on:

• The 2021-22 Amended Certified Budget. The change estimates of expenditures will be financed from increased receipts and balances not budgeted or considered in the current budget. There will be NO increase in taxes paid in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022. School officials say the $8-million increase is due to unforeseen events that took place after the budget was approved, including: The Middle School Fire Damage; ESSER Expenditures & the Teacher Retention Payments, as well as the HS Greenhouse Project. The amendment is necessary because a school district cannot overspend amounts found on their annual Certified Budget. The certified budget is due in to the State by April 15th.
• The proposed 2022-23 Certified Budget, for which the tax rate is estimated to be $13.25/$1,000 valuation, as opposed to $13.95 in FY22.
• The creation and expending of Flexibility Accounts. Superintendent Steve Barber recommends the following transfers from “categoricals” to a flexibility account in the general fund: $200,000 from the Teacher Leadership Supplement; $15,439.18 from Model Core Curriculum, and $100,000 from the Home School Assistance Program.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board will act on the following resignations and contract recommendations:

Other action items during the Board’s meeting include:

• Approving the 2021-22 Amended, Certified Budget.
• A Resolution – Levying a tax for Fiscal Year 2022-23 for the future optional redemption of General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2019, and to approve related documents.
• A Resolution with regard to the Flexibility Fund Transfers

The Atlantic School Board will also act on approving Winter Season Coaching contracts for

And, the Board is expected to approve a sharing agreement with the Griswold CSD for Transportation Director. Their final order of business before entering into a closed session, is with regard to a Long-Term Suspension Agreement. After the Board comes out of their closed session for discussion with District Legal Counsel, they are likely to act on a Legal Complaint with regard to the Middle School Fire.

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – The Exira-EHK School District met Monday evening and accepted the resignation of Secondary Principal Nate McDonald, who has accepted a similar role with the Missouri Valley School District. The board also approved the FY 2023 School Budget, which calls for the tax levy rate to decrease roughly twenty cents, to $11.68/$1,000 valuation.

The Exira-EHK Board approved a list of 26 Seniors for graduation for May 15^th, pending completion of students’ respective course requirements. The board renewed sharing agreements with Green Hills AEA for a Librarian and School Based Interventionist, and they approved a bid $14,500 from Audubon Furniture Mart for new flooring in the Elk Horn cafeteria. The project will begin as soon as school is out for summer break.

As expected (and previously announced as an action item), the Exira-EHK Board approved the resignations of: Ryan Gaumer (4th Grade Teacher); Emma Bireline (HS English Teacher); Para-Educators Stephanie Thompson and Kristi Madsen, and (as mentioned), Nate McDonald (Secondary Principal).

And, they approved the hiring of the following personnel: Sara Myers (MS/HS Guidance Counselor); Stephanie Ford (5th Grade Teacher); Derek Reischauer (HS Social Studies Teacher); Andrea Schwery (Head Softball Coach), Courtney Peppers (Assistant Softball Coach); Tom Petersen (Head Baseball Coach), and Drew Buckholdt (Assistant Baseball Coach).

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak, Tuesday night, arrested a man for Public Intoxication. Authorities say 67-year-old Randal Joe Barr, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 7:40-p.m. in the 500 block of E. Maple Street, in Red Oak. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – A storm front pushed hazardous weather through the state Tuesday afternoon and evening, spawning hail and damaging winds in some areas. National Weather Service meteorologist Rod Donovan says northern Iowa took the brunt of it. “We did have a couple of tornado confirmations certainly around the Gilmore City area in addition to near Bode and Harvey up in Humboldt County as well, so we will be sending storm survey crews up there today to really determine the damage,” Donovan says. “We have actually had some other potential areas that we could have some minor or isolated tornado touchdowns as well.”

Hail that was a bit larger than two-and-a-half inches in diameter was reported near Gilmore City. There were no reports anyone was injured in Tuesday’s storm. Cool and windy conditions remain in the forecast for the next few days. “Really, overall kind of an unpleasant day Thursday where we’ll have wind gusts in that 40-50 mile range through most of the day,” Donovan says.