Governor Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds opened their weekly news conference Monday speaking to reporters in a conference room via Skype from the governor’s office. “As kids start picking up their school supplies, packing their backpacks, boarding the bus, we’re announcing a new initiative called Skype your School, and hope that classrooms across the state will take part in this initiative,” Branstad said. Schools that sign up can talk with the governor or lieutenant governor via Skype. “We’re hopeful that students will find this to be fun, informative, and a innovative exercise,” according to Branstad.

Lieutenant Governor Reynolds is leading the state STEM task force that seeks to improve education in science, technology, engineering and math. “We want students to continue to be excited about technology as well as civics and government, and we hope that our participation helps raise their interest level,” Reynolds explains. “We’re excited to partner with Iowa schools to utilize a relatively new technology that is becoming more and more available to the general public, and that’s Skype.” Reynolds said it is easy to schedule a Skype discussion.

“To request a Skype Your School classroom chat, teachers or administrators and students are encouraged to click on the featured image at the governor’s website, governor-dot-Iowa-dot-gove,” Reynolds said. She said you can also go to the comment section on Facebook, either the governor’s or her Facebook page or through Twitter at the hashtag: SkypeYourSchool. The governor and lieutenant governor have already done several Skype chats with students, and said they want to be sure that every school has that opportunity.

(Radio Iowa)

President Obama is headed to campaign rallies in Oskaloosa, Marshalltown and Waterloo today (Tuesday), after spending part of Monday evening at the Iowa State Fair. Obama’s stroll through the fairgrounds came about seven hours after Paul Ryan — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s running mate — spoke to a crowd gathered around The Des Moines Register’s Soapbox. “We’re not growing this economy like we need to. We’re not creating jobs like we can in America and that is why Mitt Romney and I have a plan for a stronger middle class, to get this country back on track, get this country growing jobs again and get us back on the path to prosperity in this country,” Ryan said early Monday afternoon. There were protesters who heckled Ryan throughout his speech.

“We’re used to this in Wisconsin,” Ryan said nine minutes into his 12 minute speech, laughing, as his supporters chanted Romney’s name to try to drown out the protesters. Obama arrived in Council Bluffs mid-day Monday and quickly took aim at Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman who is in his 14th year as a member of the U.S. House. “What’s holding us back right now is Washington politics,” Obama said. “You’ve got folks on the other side who think compromise is a dirty word,” Obama said and someone in the Council Bluffs crowd yelled: “Yes, they do.” Obama suggested the “main idea” Republicans are presenting voters in 2012 is the “same old, top-down economics” that created the economic downturn. Late Monday afternoon during a speech in Boone, Obama amplified on that theme.

“They have tried to sell us this trickle down fairy dust before,” Obama said, “and it did not work then. It won’t work now.” Last night, at about 7:30 Obama walked through one of the gates into the Iowa State Fairgrounds, talking with fair-goers and posing for pictures for about an hour before going into a beer tent and ordering a Bud Light. Obama also ate a cold pork chop. The president-elect of the Iowa Pork Producers had been holding two pork chops on a styrofoam plate for 45 minutes, waiting to give them to Obama.

(Radio Iowa)

Cooler temperatures and rain last week helped some of Iowa’s crops. The latest U-S-D-A crop report says the heaviest rain fell in the northeast and southwest portions of the state. The report says that helped soybean conditions improve for the first time in seven weeks. Thirty-seven percent of the soybeans are now rated in very-poor or poor condition, while 38-percent are rated fair and 25-percent are in good to excellent condition. The corn crop saw a slight decline in its condition, with 51-percent in very-poor or poor condition. Thirty-three percent is rated in fair condition and just 16-percent in good to excellent condition.

(Radio Iowa)

A Glenwood High School graduate and former audio-visual technician at the school, has agreed to plea guilty to a charge of 3rd degree sexual abuse, in connection with an incident involving a female student who was 15-years old at the time the incident took place. According to the Omaha World-Herald, 20-year-old Andrew Schoening, of Glenwood, agreed to plead guilty to having sex with the student inside a high school closet on December 20th, 2011, in return for the prosecution not seeking prison time. His attorney had argued the sex was consensual.

The Mills County Attorney says he’ll ask the judge during sentencing on November 5th, to place Schoening on supervised probation, with the stipulation that the conviction remain on Schoening’s record. If he had been convicted of statutory rape, Schoening could have faced up to 10-years in prison. Schoening, who was hired by the Glenwood School District in September 2011, resigned from his position last January, once the allegations became public.

At a grassroots campaign event held this morning at Bayliss Park in Council Bluffs,  President Obama discussed how Congressman Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney’s pick for his Vice Presidential running mate,  is blocking the farm bill that Congress needs to pass in order to provide relief and certainty to U.S. farmers and ranchers. The President also highlighted his Administration’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the current drought – including purchasing livestock to provide assistance to those who need it.

Here are some excerpts of the President’s prepared remarks….

“Right now folks here in Iowa and across the heartland are suffering from one of the worst droughts in 50 years. Farmers and ranchers depend on a good crop season to pay the bills and put a roof over their heads, and I know that things are tough right now.

“The best way to help these states is for leaders in Congress to pass a farm bill that not only helps farmers and ranchers respond to natural disasters, but also makes necessary reforms and gives them some long-term certainty.  But right now, too many members of Congress are blocking that bill from becoming law. Now, I’m told Governor Romney’s new running mate might be around Iowa these next few days. And he’s one of those leaders of Congress standing in the way. So if you happen to see Congressman Ryan, tell him how important this farm bill is to Iowa and our rural communities. It’s time to put politics aside and pass it right away.

“But the folks suffering from this drought can’t wait for Congress to do its job.  So in the meantime, I’ve made sure my Administration is doing everything we can to provide relief to those who need it. Last week, we announced $30 million to help farmers and ranchers, get more water to livestock, and rehabilitate land affected by the drought. Today, we’re announcing that the federal government will help livestock producers by purchasing over $150 million worth of meat and fish now, while prices are low, and freeze it for later.”

An investigation by Sheriff’s Officials in Fremont County into a burglary which occurred on August 4th, has resulted in the arrest of two Council Bluffs residents. 39-year old Nathan Jacob Morris, and 35-year old Tema Elaine Hill, were arrested after Council Bluffs Police stopped a vehicle the pair were in, and located several items that were believed to have been stolen.

Officials say they believe the pair were involved in the burglary of a home in the 2500 block of 278th Avenue in Fremont County, after they received a call about suspicious persons located at the residence. On August 11th, items from the burglary were found in a field in rural Fremont County. The items recovered from Morris and Hill’s vehicle, were not from the original theft reported on the 4th, however.

Both suspects are being held on $10,000 cash bond, facing charges of Burglary in the 3rd degree, Possession of Burglary Tools, Theft, and Child Endangerment. Morris was being held in the Fremont County Jail, while Hill was transported to the Montgomery County Jail. The couple face additional charges associated with other burglaries reported in Pottawattamie and Mills Counties.

Officials say if you have had items stolen recently, you should contact your local law enforcement agency. They add, that it would be a good idea to check any unattended houses or buildings, to make sure nothing has been taken.

A Cass County man faces a felony charge for Possessing Contraband in a Correctional Facility. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Department reports 31-year old Travis Austin Moon, of Wiota, an inmate at the Audubon County Jail, faces the charge for “Knowingly introducing and possessing contraband,” while in the correctional facility.  Once he completes his current 30-day sentence for Revocation of Probation, Moon will be held on a $5,000 bond.

The Sheriff’s Department reports also 27-year old Benjamin Daniel Jobe, of Audubon, turned himself-in to the Sheriff’s Office today (Monday), on an outstanding warrant out of Audubon County, charging him with Failure to Appear on a Possession of Controlled Substance, and for Revocation of his Probation. Jobe appeared before the magistrate, and was being held in the Audubon County Jail without bond.

Two people were arrested over the weekend in Cass County, on OWI charges. The Sheriff’s department says on Saturday,  Police in Anita arrested 42-year old Jon Steven Fox,  of Casey, on a charge of OWI 1^st Offense. Fox was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released on his own recognizance later that day. And, on Sunday, deputies arrested 46-year old Michael John Ballinger, of Atlantic, on a charge of OWI 1^st Offense. His arrest stems from a single-vehicle accident that took place on Highway 71 at Lansing Road. Ballinger was not injured in the accident, but the 2009 Ford Escape he was driving sustained $15,000 damage. Ballinger was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on his own recognizance.

Persons who are at least 12 years of age and interested in hunting, are encouraged to sign-up for an online Hunter Safety Education Field Day, set to take place on September 8th, from 8-a.m. until Noon. The Field Day will take place at the Nishna Bend Recreation Area, about 1.5-miles southeast of the Harlan Municipal Airport.

Anyone who was born after January 1st, 1972 must complete a hunter safety education course, in order to obtain an Iowa Hunting license. Go to www.iowadnr.gov to sign-up. You must complete the online class before coming to the Field Day, and you”ll need to bring your online completion voucher with you, in order to be admitted to the Field Day event.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports today (Monday), that a Hamburg man was arrested last week on a aggravated serious misdemeanor charge of Child Endangerment, felony charges of Kidnapping in the 3^rd degree, and domestic abuse assault. 41-year old Lenny Lee James was taken into custody August 7^th. James made his initial appearance in court on Thursday, and was ordered not to have any contact with the alleged victim.