Officials at Iowa State University have issued a statement in response to a student’s racially-charged social media post. The original post to Snapchat involved three students standing by the “Black Engineering Building” sign on the Ames campus. A screenshot of the post, which included use of the “N” word, quickly spread through other social media. Martino Harmon, the Senior Vice President for Student Affairs at ISU, called the post “racist, thoughtless and hurtful” and added it’s “particularly troubling in light of the recent occurrences in Charlottesville.”

The student who Snapchatted the photo told the Iowa State Daily newspaper that he deleted the post shortly after it was sent, saying he “realized how stupid it was,” but then noticed someone on his Snapchat had already screenshot the picture. A university spokesperson said due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, ISU can not release any information about disciplinary action.

(Radio Iowa)

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Public Safety is confirming that recruits at its basic training academy were treated last month for heat-related illness. Department spokesman Alex Dinkla said Thursday that two of 20 recruits needed medical treatment following academy activities. He said he believed they are trooper candidates and remain part of the academy, which started May 30 at Camp Dodge in Johnston and remains ongoing.

Dinkla said he still hasn’t “been told” other basic information about the incident despite receiving an Aug. 1 inquiry about it from The Associated Press. That includes whether they were hospitalized and whether the academy is changing any procedures in light of the cases. He says he doesn’t know the gender of those involved.

Dinkla says medical information is “confidential and protected from disclosure.” He says injuries are common in the academy.

A special meeting of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will be held 11:30-a.m. Friday, in the Media Center at the Schuler Elementary Building. On the agenda is the resignation of Nichole Waterman, High School Level 3 Para-educator.

The Board will also act on Contracts and/or Letters of Assignment for the following:

• Jessica Mendez, FS to 5 hours/day
• Loretta Barringer, Special Ed Bus Driver
• Lory Erickson, School Bus Driver & Clerical Transportation Para
• Ann Hinton, Bus Aide, 5.2 hour day
• Jeff Kerrick, Route Driver & Noon PS Route Driver
• Heather Burg, FS 6-hour day.

ATLANTIC- Officials with the Cass County Health System announced today (Thursday), that Dr. Autumn Keiser will be joining the Atlantic Medical Center in the fall of 2018. She is currently a third-year resident at Siouxland Medical Education Foundation in Sioux City, Iowa. Dr. Keiser will provide the full spectrum of family medicine care, including obstetrics.

Brett Altman, CCHS CEO said “We are so pleased to have Dr. Keiser join our staff. One of our goals is to provide more services locally and it all starts with recruiting outstanding physicians and specialists. The Siouxland Medical Education Foundation’s family medicine residency program is known for their excellent training in obstetrics. Dr. Keiser has chosen to immerse herself in this area and will bring great experience to our team. In addition to prenatal care and routine deliveries, she will also be available for caesarean section deliveries.”

Autumn and Craig Keiser

Dr. Keiser and her husband, Craig, are both originally from the Omaha area. In a press release, she said “We are both very close to our families, so proximity to Omaha was very important. Ultimately, we chose Atlantic because of the family-like welcome we received. We feel that Atlantic is a great community with everything to offer!”

Dr. Keiser earned her undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. She went on to the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, graduating with her medical degree in 2015. She is currently serving as Chief Resident and will complete her family medicine residency training in the June 2018. Dr. Keiser is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa woman charged with attempting to vote twice for Donald Trump last fall has been sentenced to two years of probation and a $750 fine.
District court Judge Robert Hanson said in a sentencing order posted Tuesday that the felony election misconduct conviction will be expunged from Terri Lynn Rote’s record once she completes probation and pays the fine. Rote, who is 56, pleaded guilty last month.

Rote, a Trump supporter, was arrested Oct. 21 after showing up at a Des Moines early voting site to cast a second ballot for Trump in the Nov. 8 election. She told police she believed Trump’s claims that the election was rigged and she feared her first ballot would be changed to a vote for Hillary Clinton.

A small yellow Atlantic Community School District bus left the parking lot of the Hy-Vee Food Store in Atlantic this (Thursday) morning, filled with at least $4,000 in school supplies for elementary and some middle school students in the district.      The “Fill the bus” campaign was the idea of Stephanie Dagel, Assistant Director of the Atlantic Hy-Vee. It began August 1st. Dagel spoke with reporters about how the concept came about.

bags of school supplies fill the seats and aisle of the bus

She said she and store Manager Jon Johnson went to a store director’s meeting a few months ago, where the push was on to “hype-up” back-to-school time. Afterward, she suggested they park a bus in front of the store and fill it full of school supplies. Johnson gave her the green light. She put some bags together and asked the community for help. They came through, and placed supplies in the bus or grab for and paid a pre-bagged supply available in the store.

A couple of local business owners also contributed to the project, but they wanted to remain anonymous, according to Dagel. The result is a generous supply of things students who are in need can use during the school year. Washington Elementary School Principal Stacey Hornung said both she and Schuler Elementary School Principal James Northwick have more than 50-percent of their students on the Free and Reduced Lunch program.

(Left to right) Stacey Hornung, James Northwick and Stephanie Dagel.

She said they always have families who are in need of school supplies. Northwick said the supplies are greatly appreciated. Both Principals were grateful to the community for its support of the district in this manner. Hornung said there are tables with supplies set out now at the schools, so parents can come by anytime to grab a bag to bring home. They will also be available during Back to School night at Washington and Schuler August 22nd, from 4:30-to 5:30-p.m.

A search warrant conducted Wednesday on a vehicle driven by 31-year old Justin David Howd, of Irwin, resulted in the man being arrested on Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant on felony charges of Theft in the 1st Degree and Burglary in the 3rd Degree.  The warrant was the result of the burglary and theft of, a vehicle in rural Atlantic. The incident was reported to the Sheriff’s Office on August 4th. Howd was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on a $15,000 cash bond.

Also arrested on Wednesday, was 53-year old Kim Lavere Hester, of Casey. Hester was taken into custody on a District Court warrant for Violation of Probation. He was transported to the Cass County Jail where and remains held on $10,000 bond.

A woman from Cass County suffered from apparent, serious injuries, following an accident late Wednesday night. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office was notified about the crash at around 10:17-p.m.  Officials say 23-year old Kayleen Herrick, of Cumberland, was driving a 2010 Ford Taurus westbound on Highway 92, west of Massena, when the car left the road and entered the north ditch. Herrick over-corrected, sending the car across both lanes of travel before it struck a tree and came to rest in the south ditch. Herrick was transported by Midwest Med-Air Ambulance to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. The accident remains under investigation.

Atlantic Parks and Rec Director Seth Staashelm says this Friday, Aug. 18th, Sunnyside Pool will be hosting its 3rd Annual Doggie Dip from 2pm to 6pm.  The cost is just $1 per dog to swim. There’s no charge for Humans. The same rules as the dog park applies to the doggie dip. Dogs, owners, or just people who want to watch are all invited.

Staashelm says they will also be selling dog treats and baked goods for people to buy. The Atlantic animal shelter will be there with there information for dog licenses, and pet adoptions. All the proceeds for the event will go towards the Atlantic Animal Shelter!

Call Seth Staashelm at 712-243-3542, if you have any questions.

Charges are now filed against the truck driver with Iowa ties who’s implicated in a human trafficking scheme that resulted in multiple deaths. Dozens of people were packed into the trailer that was found in a sweltering Texas Walmart parking lot last month. Ten of the people died. The truck driver, 60-year-old James Bradley, was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Texas.

Bradley faces a list of charges, including conspiracy and transportation of undocumented aliens resulting in death. The trailer was being sold to a buyer in Mexico by Iowa-based Pyle Transportation of Schaller and still bore the company’s logo on the side. Bradley was hired to drive the trailer to the border. He claims he didn’t know the cargo was human.

(Radio Iowa)