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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Radio Iowa) – The chief of Iowa’s Parks, Forests and Preserves Bureau is asking Iowans to mark Saturday, September 24th on their calendars to lend a hand with sprucing up our state parks. It’s the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ sixth annual Statewide Volunteer Day and Sherry Arntzen is encouraging everyone who loves and uses our park system to sign up. “We have a number of different volunteer projects in some of the parks,” Arntzen says. “It could be putting together picnic tables, painting picnic tables, picking up trash, helping with some invasive species removal, planting trees, or staining other buildings that we have.”
There are projects planned all across the state at about one in every four of Iowa’s state parks. “So we have 71 state parks and forests. Right now, we have 18 parks that have scheduled events on the 24th,” Arntzen says, “but if people are interested in learning about other volunteer opportunities at some of our parks, we encourage them to reach out to the park offices direct.” Arntzen says Iowa’s state parks are “beloved places for many Iowans,” and the D-N-R staff greatly appreciates the help volunteers provide. “We’re down a little bit this year on the number of scheduled projects especially since COVID,” Arntzen says. “We have a large increase in our number of guests that we serve in our parks, so we have been quite busy this year with just our day-to-day operations.”
Some of the projects can be tackled rain or shine, but if the weather looks inclement, volunteers should contact the individual park office in case of changes to the date, time or meeting location. To sign up, log on to: www.iowadnr.gov/volunteer
(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors met Wednesday at the Courthouse in Greenfield. During their session, they received a request for additional ARPA funding for the Mormon Trail Park Shower/Restroom Facility, near Bridgewater. The Board previously granted the Conservation Department $125,000 for the project, but Conservation Director Dominic Johnson said the bids came in well above what was projected. One came in at $176,000, the other just shy of $200-thousand dollars.
Board Chair Matt Wedemeyer…
Johnson asked the Board to cover the added expense because he doesn’t have room in his budget for the extra cost. Supervisor John Twombly wanted to why there was such as wide spread between the two bids. Johnson said he doesn’t know for sure, but it appears to be related to the rising cost of concrete and other supply/demand-related factors.
He said they could try to rebid, but he doesn’t anticipate any changes in those bids. The price of the structure itself, he said, was locked-in, this past January. The Adair County Supervisors passed a motion to increase the amount of ARPA funding for the project by $50,000, from $125,000 to $175,000. Anything about $175,000 will have to have to be discussed at a future time.
In other news from the Adair Board of Supervisor’s meeting, they approved a culvert project in Bridgewater, located at west 3rd and Main Streets, and, after receiving a presentation from Michael Clancy with Renodry USA, agreed to have the company prepare an estimate for the board to review, with regard to drying out the basement in the Adair County Courthouse.
(Radio Iowa) – The Board of Regents Facilities Committee approved a proposal Wednesday to ask the state to chip in some money to repair buildings. Regent David Barker laid out the proposal that now goes to the full Board for a vote today (Thursday). Barker says “Thirty-million dollars per year to be matched at 50 percent by the universities — to address these building renewal needs.” He says they would also like the state to contribute another 30 million dollars to the tuition replacement appropriation they have traditionally paid to fund the existing debt service on building revenue bonds. Barker says the request is not unusual.
“The Department of Administrative Services gets an annual appropriation or has certainly in past years for deferred maintenance type projects are building renewable projects, the Capitol complex, and other state-owned facilities,” he says. University of Iowa vice president, Rod Lenhertz, says the campus has 262 buildings and the needs and uses are constantly changed. “Buildings that are built to last still have a scale of time of 20, 30,40 years where renewal for how we change the way we use those buildings, but also the systems within those buildings, the surfaces that protect those buildings from the elements have to be updated,” Lenertz says. He says 200-thousand square feet of antiquated obsolete buildings were removed from the main campus in the last three years and the plan in the next five years is to raze as much as 300-thousand square feet of obsolete buildings.
Lehnertz says even with those changes the University of Iowa’s deferred maintenance is 400-thousand dollars and ten buildings make up for 53 percent of that number. “And they are the large ones and they are the old ones and they’re the ones that serve our students. Places like the union, our library, the pennant crest buildings, the Fieldhouse, and others,: Lehnertz says. “So believe me, when we come to the state and in asking for these dollars, they are importantly needed and that partnership will make a lasting difference for our campus.”
Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa administrators say they also have deferred maintenance, and all three schools say cuts in state funding for that maintenance in past years have allowed it to increase.
(Radio Iowa) – Iowa House Democrats say legalizing recreational marijuana is one of their key priorities ahead of the 2022 election. Other priorities are lowering costs for Iowans, protecting abortion access, and investing more in public schools. House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says these priorities are based on what the majority of Iowans support. “We have heard from Iowans, that these are the things they want. These are the things that Democrats fight for, too. And so we want to make sure Iowans know where we stand, that we stand for pushing these,” Konforst says.
While Democrats say this is what Iowans want — Republicans have had the majority in both houses of the Iowa Legislature — and even expanded it in the last elections. That means Democrats haven’t been able to get any of their proposals passed. Konfrst says if they win more seats, they can block Republican attempts to further restrict abortion. “If we can stop a total ban and allow some exemptions, that’s a nice starting place,” she says. “But our goal is to protect and defend reproductive freedom in this state. And we will do that through a constitutional amendment and every way we can before then.”
Democrats would need to make big gains in November — as they currently hold only 40 of the 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives
(By Katarina Sostaric, Iowa Public Radio)
(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa company that’s proposing to pipe carbon dioxide from Midwest ethanol plants and store it underground in North Dakota says it’s secured the rights to more than half of the land it needs for its route through Iowa. Summit Carbon Solutions says it’s partnered with 800 Iowa landowners to sign 14-hundred easement agreements. But Jessica Mazour with the Iowa chapter of the Sierra Club says she’s not convinced Summit has the backing it says it does. “Once they’re done filing their list of exhibit H, which is the properties they think they need eminent domain for, then I think we can consider what numbers they’re presenting,” Mazour says.
Environmentalists and many farmers and landowners worry about the safety of the pipelines and impacts to farmland. Don Johansson farms in Cherokee County and is one of the landowners affected by the summit pipeline. He spoke at Tuesday’s Iowa Utilities Board meeting. “One of the things that strikes me with this is when you talk to people, so many people are just totally unaware of it. And I worked the booth at State Fair this year for a day. And the same was true, people would come up and be totally unaware of what these pipelines are.”
He opposes the pipelines because of what he says is the potential danger with a rupture.
The ethanol industry says pipelines will help them lower their emissions and reach more fuel markets. Summit says it’s on track to start constructing the pipeline in late 2023.
(Kaite Piekes, Iowa Public Radio contributed to this story)
Norwalk, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety report, that at around 12:30-a.m. today (Thursday), Police in Norwalk were dispatched to a report of a death in the 600 Block of Knoll Drive. Agents from the DCI were contacted to assist with the investigation. Authorities say there is no danger to the public.
There is no additional information at this time. Further details will be released later today.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Atlantic Senior Alumni Scholarship Foundation (SASF) said Wednesday, that the late Gail Morse, a retired Atlantic High School English teacher, left a generous estate gift of over $33,000 to the Senior Alumni Scholarship Foundation. Ms. Morse, who died in Feb. 2022 at the age of 82, came to Atlantic to teach in 1967. She taught many courses, including English, reading and writing. She also was an advisor for the Yearbook, The Javelin and the school newspaper, The Needle. Gail retired in 1996 after 48 years in education.
Linda Robinson and Cathy Baragary, Executive Directors of the Senior Alumni Scholarship Foundation, are deeply grateful of Ms. Morse’ generosity. Her lifetime exemplified a commitment to education and her legacy lives on through the student’s lives she touched.
In a recent meeting, the Scholarship Foundation voted to add an additional scholarship, with a total of four $2,500 scholarships to be given away in the Spring of 2023. Atlantic High School Seniors of the 2023 graduating class are encouraged to apply. The application for the scholarship is on the school’s website under Scholarships.
The Foundation also encourages any alumni of Atlantic High School to contribute and honor the school that gave them their educational start. Visit https://atlanticsasf.org or contact Linda Robinson at alinda@metc.net.
(Pierson, Iowa) – A collision northeast of Pierson in northwest Iowa’s Cherokee County, Wednesday night, left one-person dead and another seriously injured. The Iowa State Patrol reports the accident happened near 280 650th Street (County Road C-66), at around 8:40-p.m., as a2008 GMC Sierra with a flatbed trailer, and driven by 40-year-old Shane Beeson, of Pierson, was in the eastbound lane facing west, and preparing to back into a driveway. A 2010 Chevy HHR driven by 69-year-old Marilyn Ebert, of Washta, was traveling eastbound.
Ebert swerved off the road and struck the left of the pickup, before the HHR entered the south ditch. It continued eastbound over the driveway and rolled over, coming to rest in the south ditch. A passenger in the Chevy, 48-year-old Jerad Ebert, of Washta, who was not wearing a seat belt, died from his injuries. Marilyn Ebert was injured, and transported by helicopter to Mercyone Siouxland. The Patrol says she was wearing her seat belt.
Troopers were assisted at the scene by the Quimby and Washta Fire Departments.
[UPDATED 9/15/22] (Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education, Wednesday evening, met “Charli,” a two-year old female Golden Doodle, who serves as a therapy/comfort animal for students and staff at the Atlantic Middle School. Charli is owned by Middle School Principal Scott Aden and his wife Lori. Mr. Aden is a certified handler for the dog. The dog comes to school with Mr. Aden three-days per week (Mon.-Wed-Fri.).
Aden says “She does a great job, and kids really like her in school. Other than the Mentoring Program I’ve been a part of, having Charli has probably been the most impactful thing I’ve been a part of, seeing how she can impact kids.”
An eighth-grade girl, he says, “Came running out of the school and she was hollerin’ Mr. Aden! Mr. Aden!” And he thought something had happened. Instead, she was “So excited because she got to love on Charli before she went home.” He told the Board he mentioned to his wife, that “It’s moments like that [which] make all the training worth while.”
He said also, studies have shown having a therapy dog in the building takes away some of the stress students and staff may be experiencing.
Lori Aden said unlike her husband, she’s not a certified handler, but she was there for the training classes. Scott Aden says Lori “Spoils Charli to death, even more than our kids.” It’s the couple’s first dog, but they also have “a rescue kitty,” according to Lori Aden.
[UPDATED 9/15] (Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School Board, during their meeting Wednesday evening (Sept. 14), heard from representatives of the District’s Transportation staff, with regard to safety concerns and possible solutions to some issues associated with the transportation of students in district vehicles, and bus driver involvement in the annual active shooter training exercise, and bus driver pay. Bus drivers Denise Masker and Dave Wheatley spoke to the Board. Wheatley spoke with KJAN after the meeting, He said one of the concerns drivers have is discipline on the buses.
He said at the beginning of the year, some school districts have a contract drawn-up that spells out what the consequences for bad behavior on a bus will be.
With regard to bus driver pay, Wheatley said a survey indicated the Atlantic District’s drivers are the lowest paid drivers in the area. The danger, he says, is that some the drivers are being lured away to other districts.
Denise Masker he says, brought up the fact that on September 29th, there are six activities and six bus routes, so it will require 12 buses and 12 drivers, but there aren’t enough drivers. It’s not clear how the District will handle the situation. The Board took no action on the concerns that were brought-up, during their meeting, Wednesday.
In other business, in their Consent Agenda, the Board approved the resignation of school car driver Tracy Purkapile, and contract recommendations for three paraeducators, four bus monitors, two Speech/Date sponsors, two assistant Tennis Coaches, four Homecoming Float Sponsors, a Dance Team Volunteer Coach and a Football Volunteer coach. They also approved Superintendent Barber’s contract recommendation for Dr. Jumar Sadsad, as High School English Teacher (ELA).
Dr. Samsad, he said comes to the District from the Philippines. His H-1B non-immigrant work Visa depended on the Board’s approval of his contract, and be licensed by the Board of Educational Examiners.
(Mr. Barber said High School Principal Heather McKay “Has been working extensively with him in regards to that, and I think we’ve got all the pieces in place to get that process completed.” The process began in mid-July. The H-1B immigration process, he said “takes a little time to happen, so we’re not quite sure of the exact time, but in order for us to complete that process, he has to have a contract offered to him.”)
Dr. Samsad was schooled in the Philippines. A U-S Evaluator examined his credits, and recommended that the work he did overseas was equivalent, based “Upon the high standards that they have.” Samsad has five-years teaching experience. His contract would be pro-rated to the number of days he serves, dependent upon the day he starts. Board member Nick Hunt spoke in favor of extending a contract to Dr. Samsad. He said “I think it’s great that we’re exploring a new avenue, and we’ll all be interested to see how he contributes.” Board member Laura McLean added “We’re being resilient in our hiring environment.”
In the Action part of the agenda, the Atlantic School Board passed a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with regard to the Teacher/Paraeducator Registered Apprentice (TFRA) Program. Recently, Buena Vista University (BVU) was added to the eligible programs for the Southwest Iowa Consortium. The funds for the TFRA Program ($13,000) will come from a grant.
The Board approved also, revisions to the District’s Return-To-Learn Plan for mitigation measures related to those who test positive for COVID. The change (Previously mentioned), treats COVID in students as a communicable childhood illness. Adults who test positive would be required to isolate for five-days, with day zero being the first day of symptoms. Upon return, symptom free, the person affected will be encourage to use a mask for five more days. All illness policies remain in effect. The earlier mitigation policy called for a 10-day quarantine from the time COVID symptoms first appear.
The Atlantic School Board approved: Teacher Lane Advancements for six educators, in the amount of $11,240.64, and a Collective Bargaining Contract with Lynch Dallas, in the amount of $12,000. L-D is the District’s legal representative, and a long-time part of the negotiation team.