(Radio Iowa) – There will be a change in the way road use tax funds are distributed to counties after the governor signed a bill into law cutting the number of state boards and commissions. The D-O-T’s Stuart Anderson says the funding for counties had been determined by the Secondary Road Fund Distribution Committee.

“It had supervisor members and county engineer members, and they were tasked with a very detailed rule-making process the authority for determining how secondary road fund and farm to market road funds are distributed amongst the 99 counties,” he says. Anderson said during the Transportation Commission’s recent meeting that the committee helped deal with annual fluctuations in county road funding. He says the new law cut that committee and shifted the responsibility.

“Transferred that authority to determine how secondary road fund and Farm to Market Road funds are distributed to you the commission and you are required to define that process through rule-making,” he says. Anderson says the Transportation Commission can still seek input from the supervisor and county engineers.

“Although that committee formally does not exist anymore in Iowa code it’s likely something I think we as department staff would recommend to the commission you continue to utilize as as an ad-hoc group,” he says. Anderson says the Transportation Commission will be working on the rule-making process for distributing the county funds in the next couple of months.

(Radio Iowa) – An eight year old child was among six people rescued Saturday afternoon on the West Fork of the Des Moines River, north of Estherville. Travis Sheridan, Estherville’s Fire Chief, said a 911 call indicated a kayak flipped over and a woman and child were in the water.

“Once fire fighters got on the scene, the child was still OK, with just basically her face sitting above the water. Her life jacket was caught in the log jam,” Sheridan said. “They’d tried taking it off, but that just sucked the child further into the log jam.”

Firefighters were able to cut the girl’s life jacket off and rescue her from the river. Sheridan credits the girl’s aunt for keeping the eight year old’s head above water.

“She held onto that child for over 30 minutes,” Sheridan said. “She saved that child’s life until our rescue personnel could get on scene.”

Firefighters used the department’s rescue boat to bring the aunt, her niece and four others to shore. Two others who’d be in the river were able to get out of the water on their own. Sheridan said the Emmet County dispatcher was on the phone for 40 minutes, relaying information from the stranded people on the river to rescuers. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources deployed a back-up rescue boat to the scene and the Iowa State Patrol had three drones flying overhead to monitor the situation.

“It was just a collaborative effort by all,” Sheridan said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.”

The names of the people who were rescued have not been released.

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – Members of the Exira-Elk Horn/Kimballton School Board will meet in a regular monthly session beginning at 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, May 22nd, in the Elk Horn High School Conference Room. Here’s the agenda for their meeting:

(Clarinda, Iowa) –  Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers is cautioning residents about hail damage contractors who have swarmed into the area following Sunday night’s hail storm, that dumped hail the size of ping-pong balls. Chief Brothers said “Numerous contractors have arrived in Clarinda seeking business for roof, siding, window, gutter repair.”

He offered this advice: “If you are “cold call” solicited, ask to see the contractor’s city permit to solicit, their bonding & insurance information, and speak with your property & casualty insurance carrier before entering into an agreement or contract to have any work performed or pay for any services. There is no reason to act in haste.”

Brother says “A good decision is an informed decision. The phrase ‘buyer beware’ is applicable in this situation.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – City officials, SplashPad Fundraising Committee members, construction representatives and a local contractor were on-hand this (Monday) afternoon near the Sunnyside Pool in Atlantic, for a groundbreaking ceremony that was held for the SplashPad Project.  Splashpad Fundraising Co-Chair Jeremy Butler reminded those in attendance, about the genesis of the project.

Butler said the Splashpad would not have been possible without the support of the community and generous donors, the City, the Committee and many others.

Even the kids got involved in the fundraising effort.

Fundraising Co-Chair Ali Pieken, he said was instrumental in making the project a reality, as well. She was also thankful for the support the project has received.

The Atlantic SplashPad will feature over 4,500-square feet of water feature fun, including interactive fountains, spray pads, dump buckets, water cannons, and more. Tyler Henley, with the Henley Group, was on-hand for the groundbreaking ceremony. His company was awarded the contract to build the SplashPad.

Rob Stamp with Stamp Construction was on-hand with his skid-steer loader/bucket to take the first bite of dirt, after the dignitaries used spades to turn over the first shovels of dirt.
The project is expected to be completed by Labor Day.

BAYARD, Iowa — A boil advisory has been issued for the City of Bayard in Guthrie  County due to depressurization of the entire water system. More than 200 connections are affected. Operators were unable to isolate a leaking valve while conducting repairs to the system, and had to take the water tower offline, resulting in pressure loss. Once repairs are completed the affected area will be disinfected and flushed. City officials are notifying residents via boil advisory public notices around town.

Officials say there is no reason to believe water quality has been compromised, but as a precaution, customers are encouraged to boil water that will be consumed or used for food preparation. Water should be boiled for two minutes and allowed to cool before use. Water is safe to use for showering, laundry, general washing and outdoor use without boiling.

Two sets of bacteria samples will be collected for testing. The boil advisory will be lifted once two consecutive sets of bacterial samples have tested negative for bacteria.

(Lewis, Iowa) – The Cass County Conservation Board is holding “Stand Up Paddleboard” Demonstration The public demonstration will be held on Saturday May 25th from 1-until 4-p.m., at the Cold Springs Park- Beach. There is no fee. Stand-up paddleboarding is the fastest growing sport in the paddling community, not only across the country, but especially right here in land-locked areas like Iowa. It’s fun, healthy as a total body work-out, and offers a unique perspective when it comes to being on the water.

After a quick demonstration try out the boards for yourself! If you do not bring a life jacket one will be provided to you. Children must be 16 years or older. Paddlers must weigh LESS than 250 LBS. Available time slots for the demonstration and try-out’s are as follows:

Saturday May 25th

1-p.m.:  5 spots

2:30-p.m.: 5 spots

June 29th

1:00-p.m.: 5 Spots

2:30-p.m.: 5 Spots

At Cold Springs Park- Beach

Kayaks will be available for checkout at the same time. There are 4 sit-in kayaks. Again, the paddler must weigh LESS than 250 LBS. There are 4 Sit-on top Kayaks, Paddler must weigh LESS than 395 LBS. If you do not bring a life jacket one will be provided to you.

Saturday May 25th

1PM- 4 kayaks, sit in, 4 kayaks, sit on top.

2:30PM- 4 kayaks, sit in, 4 kayaks, sit on top.

June 29th

1:00pm- 4 kayaks, sit in, 4 kayaks, sit on top.

2:30pm- 4 kayaks, sit in, 4 kayaks, sit on top.

Cold Springs Park- Beach

You MUST register online to get your spot! https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Cass/Park/Cold-Springs-Park.aspx

The Program will be cancelled if there is unsafe weather conditions on the Lake.

(Lewis, Iowa) – The Cass County Conservation Board is holding a “Movie in the Park” Campground Program this Friday. The CCCB will be showing “Migration.” The public program will be held at the Campground Shelter at Cold Springs Park in Lewis, on Friday May 24th, beginning at 9-p.m. There is no cost to attend, and you do not have to be a registered camper to attend the program!

In the movie, a duck family wants to convince their overprotective father to go on the real vacation of a lifetime. Come out for a great movie under the stars! Bring a blanket or chair, Dress for the weather, if it rains, the event will be canceled. The CCCB hopes you will the, Friday night, for a Movie in the Park.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office has released a report on arrests that took place from May 17th through the 20th. Two people were arrested this (Monday) morning:

• 42-year-old Jonathan M. Green, of Rapid City, SD, was arrested a little after 2-a.m., for Violation No Contact Order. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.
• 53-year-old Jamie Jo Jackson, of Rapid City, SD, was arrested for Possession on Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $1,000. Both subjects were arrested in the vicinity of 189th Street.

On Sunday, Mills County Deputies arrested 34-year-old Sandra Marie Martin, of Omaha, NE, in the area of 305th Street, on a warrant for Animal Neglect-with Injury or Death. Her bond was set at $2,000.00

And, there were two arrests last Friday in Mills County:

• 33-year-old Jeffrey Blaine Adams, of Pacific Junction, was arrested Friday morning, for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was being held without bond.
• 32-year-old Keith Allen Wise, II, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a Mills County warrant for Violation of Probation. His bond was set at $2,500.

(Radio Iowa) – A Princeton University study of Iowa’s state-funded accounts for students in about half of Iowa’s private schools has found tuition rates for kindergarteners went up between 21 and 25 percent more than kindergarten tuition in Nebraska’s private schools. Democrats say the study shows the taxpayer-funded accounts are a windfall for private schools. House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst, of Windsor Heights, says the state spent 180 million dollars on the program this year. “Fifty-four percent of the vouchers so far have gone to 10 counties,” Konfrst says, “so how is this helping rural Iowa?”

Senate President Amy Sinclair, a Republican from Allerton, is an advocate of Iowa’s Educational Savings Accounts program. She says private school tuition increases are likely due to inflation. “I think those tuition increases would have occurred regardless of an Education Savings Account scholarship when you have over the course of the last three years cumulative inflation of about 20%, those costs impact non-public schools,” Sinclair says. The Princeton study found tuition in dozens of Iowa private schools for students in first through 12th grades went up 10 to 16 percent. Sinclair says the study is deeply flawed because researchers were unable to get information about tuition rates for all of Iowa’s private K-through-12 schools.

“The interesting thing about that study is that it does indicate that most of the non-public schools are still below the cost per pupil that public schools are spending on a student,” Sinclair says. Sinclair and Konfrst made their comments during recent appearances on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S. The 2024 Iowa legislature approved a two-and-a-half percent increase in general state funding for Iowa’s public schools, along with funding to raise starting salaries for public school teachers to 50-thousand dollars within two years.