(Griswold, Iowa) – Officials with the Noble Initiative Foundation (NIF) Board and Lakin Foundation Child Development Center (CDC) of Griswold, will hold a Grand Opening this Saturday morning for the new Center. Due to an anticipated over-flow crowd and occupancy limits for the Center (established by the State Fire Marshal), the Grand Opening will be held at the Griswold Church of Christ (51 Harrison St.) in Griswold, instead of at the facility. )

The event begins at 10:30-a.m.  It includes a brief presentation, followed by a reception.

Everyone’s flexibility is appreciated as the NIF Board and Lakin CDC are anxious to celebrate opening the doors this spring! At the ceremony the community will learn about the next steps that need to completed, before doors open and children are accepted.  Groundbreaking for the 8,800-square-foot, $2.3-million facility took place in May, 2023. It’s anticipated the center will house up to 100 children ages six weeks to four years old during the day, with a separate before and after school area for elementary-aged kids. Other amenities include four classrooms and a gym.

PLEASANTVILLE, Iowa [KCCI] — An Iowa high school student has been charged with first-degree harassment for allegedly making threats toward Pleasantville High School. KCCI says Pleasantville administrators were made aware of the threat at the end of the school day Wednesday and contacted law enforcement. Police officers detained the student on campus before taking them to the Pleasantville Police Station for further questioning.

“Upon thorough evaluation of the information provided by both the Pleasantville School District and the Pleasantville Police Department, it was concluded that a criminal complaint for Harassment in the First Degree would be filed with the Juvenile Courts,” Pleasantville police said in a news release. Authorities say there is no ongoing threat to students or staff at Pleasantville schools or the community. Counseling services are available to students who may want them.

“We would encourage families to continue to talk with their children about the seriousness of threats and the importance of reporting suspicious activities, threats, or disturbing information to a trusted adult,” the news release said.

(Creston, Iowa) – Creston Police say two people were arrested, Wednesday. At around 2:30-p.m., 38-year-old Manuel Luke Richardson, of Creston, was arrested at the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center on a charge of Failure to Appear. Richardson was taken to Union County Jail and later released after posting a $7,000 cash-only bond.

Wednesday night, 26-year-old Amanda Marie Blakley-Luddington, of Creston, was arrested at the Creston Fareway Store. She was charged with Driving While Barred. Blakley-Luddington was cited at the scene and released on a Promise to Appear in court.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic School District Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen, Wednesday, discussed with the School Board, “Protective Procedures,” with regard to school safety, in light of the fatal shootings in the Perry Community School District in January. On January 23, district officials met with Law Enforcement, a representative of the Cass County Communications Center and others in the community, to ask and answer questions, with the ultimate goal of becoming better organized to react to potential threats school districts face.

Dr. Johnsen says involving students in the process of keeping the District’s buildings safe, is essential because of what they see happening, and what could be done prevent a potential incident from taking place.

Atlantic School Board President Kristy Pellett (Left), & Superintendent Johnsen.

She said Atlantic’s elementary school building Principals are involving parents in the process, and explaining the District’s A.L.I.C.E. (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate) training.

A District Safety Committee meeting is set to take place February 26^th, during which they expect to hear feedback from students and parent groups. In other business, Dr. Johnsen mentioned she and others will be flying to Phoenix, AZ next week, to attend a nationwide TLC (Teacher Leadership & Compensation) Summit.

She said “As administrators and as leaders of the district, we hope to pick up on good practices and then when we get back, its’ ‘what’s our next steps?’”

In other business, the Atlantic School Board, Wednesday night, reviewed and discussed a “Staff Culture Survey,” and Dr. Johnsen touched a bit on the Board’s 2023-24 Strategic Priorities.

(Radio Iowa) – A singer, composer, guitarist and humanitarian from the Middle Eastern nation of Jordan is showcasing her musical talents in southeast Iowa this week. Farah Siraj is making multiple appearances in Oskaloosa, including at the George Daily Auditorium where Allison McGuire is the community engagement and education director. McGuire says Siraj is being accompanied by musicians from all over the world, singing in Arabic, English and Spanish.

Oskaloosa is the current Iowa host of the Arts Midwest’s World Fest. McGuire says the program offers small Midwestern communities once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to learn about the world from musicians inside and outside the U-S.

In the past year and a half, World Fest has also brought in musicians from Finland, Alaska and Ghana, who’ve engaged thousands of Mahaska County residents, performing at schools, bookstores, coffee shops, and as the halftime show of college basketball games.

George Daily Auditorium – Home

(Radio Iowa) – A bill to set new state limits on the sale of hemp-infused pills, food and beverages is eligible for consideration in a House committee. The 2018 Farm Bill made it legal to grow hemp and a state law passed a year later allows the sale of non-intoxicating hemp products. The bill sets a significant penalty for selling hemp-infused products with high levels of T-H-C, the substance in marijuana that creates that high. Josie Wagler is legislative liaison for the Iowa Department of Public Safety, which proposed the bill.

“We’ve seen an emergence of high potency, high THC products hit the market,” Wagler says, “and, coupled with that, there are no age restrictions for purchasing these products.” The bill would make it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to buy consumable hemp products in Iowa. Leslie Carpenter of Iowa Mental Health Advocates says research shows a higher incidence of psychotic disorders among teens who’ve consumed products with high levels of T-H-C.

“I fully support medical marijuana,” Carpenter says. “It’s the high potency THC products and that currently a child can walk into a store and purchase them that makes me very concerned.” Scott Booher, who operates Four Winds Farm and Apothecary in the Amana Colonies, says he makes non-psychoactive products and the bill lumps him in with bad actors.

“Some of these people who are creating high THC products need to be held accountable in a different way,” Booher said, “maybe not with people who have low THC products.” Rachel Gulick owns House of Glass in Des Moines which sells consumable hemp products. She says the bill is designed to favor the state-licensed businesses allowed to grow, manufacture and sell medical marijuana in Iowa.

“It seems to me that we are trying to monopolize the industry for a very specific, private interest,” she said. A hemp grower told legislators got state permission to produce hemp as a food ingredient on January 31st — and this bill attempts to ban it.

The Republican lawmakers who advanced the bill say intoxicating hemp products are being sold and served in Iowa and it’s time for legislators to act.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill that’s cleared initial review in the Iowa House could make it harder for Iowans diagnosed with cancer to argue in a lawsuit that the disease is linked to the weed killer known by the brand name Roundup. Craig Mischo is director of government affairs for Bayer, the company that makes Roundup. He testified at the Iowa Capitol yesterday (Wednesday).

“Roundup and its active ingredient glyphosate have been subject to litigation and significant media attention over the past several years,” Mischo told lawmakers. Brad Epperly, a lobbyist for Bayer, says the bill provides some liability protection to Bayer by saying the company has fulfilled its duty to warn consumers about Roundup if the warning label meets federal guidelines.

“We’ve got a product. We spent millions of dollars developing it. It spent probably, you know, a decade going through regulatory trials before it was approved. We’ve complied with the requirements for what we’re supposed to label on it, advise, etc. (regarding) the usage of the product,” Epperly said. “We should be able to rely upon that.” Other lawyers told legislators the bill would also provide liability protection to a Chinese-owned company that makes Paraquat, a farm chemical that’s been linked to Parkinson’s disease.

Brian Marty, a West Des Moines lawyer, represents clients who’ve been exposed to Paraquat and to Roundup, which Marty says has been linked to non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.  “These are primarily farmers and ag workers who used these products consistent with their labeling and consistent with custom usage of these products that they thought were safe,” Marty said, “and, especially in the Parkinson’s context with Paraquat, are now faced with essentially a death sentence.”

One of the Republicans who voted to clear the bill through a House subcommittee says it needs significant changes. Representative Megan Jones, a lawyer from Sioux Rapids, says she has zero interest in protecting the Chinese government. “I am going to very hesitantly and very begrudingly sign off on the bill today, but it is going to have to be amended…because it is too big of a beast,” Jones said. Representative Megan Srinivas, a Democrat from Des Moines who’s a doctor, voted against the bill. She says there are medical studies showing a correlation between certain ingredients in farm chemicals and some ailments.

“I’m very concerned that we are ignoring the evidence in front of us just because of word games and are going to be putting Iowa’s farmers at risk with passing such a broad bill,” Srinivas said.

Another member of the subcommittee who is a farmer said the bill has some merit and the conversation about it will continue in the legislature.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education met this (Wednesday) evening in the Atlantic High School Media Center. During their session, the Board approved the following resignations:

• Michelle Fritz, Middle School Teacher (effective at the end of the current school year)
• Sarah Rose, H.S. Counselor (effective at the end of the current school year)
• Maria Pearson, M.S. Librarian (effective at the end of the current school year), and
• Julie Van Maanen, Schuler Title 1 Teacher

And, Contract Recommendations and/or Letters of Assignment for:

• Volunteer Coaches for 2024 Spring Athletic Programs
• Caine Page, Substitute Van/Suburban Driver
• Lori Hayes, Schuler Sped Para, long-term sub (February-End of School year).

The Board agreed to move forward with the advertising of and the hiring for, a Director of Student Services. Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen said the position would cover several areas and programs.

The matter was tabled, though, because Board members said they wanted more information on the specifics of the position and vote on it as an action item during their Work Session on February 28th at the Achievement Center.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board approved: The second reading of certain Board Policies; A Change Order in the amount of $900 for the Storage Building project (Top soil to use as fill-dirt); and a pay application for the Storage Building. They also approved a Southwest Iowa Apex Consortium (SWIAC) 28-E (cost sharing) agreement. Dr. Johnsen said APEX is a behavior intervention/vocational program for students who may need that type of support. Currently, no Atlantic students are included in the program.

Early-on in their meeting the Board heard presentations from Transportation Director Steve Andersen, and iJag Instructor Guy Somers, along with iJAG program graduate Brianna Atkins.

(Radio Iowa) – Leaders of the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice are lobbying against bills Republicans have introduced in the Iowa legislature. Vanessa Marcano-Kelly led a rally at the Iowa Capitol today (Wednesday). “Every election year they attack immigrants and lean into misinformation and fear to try and mobilize their voters,” she said. One bill would require all Iowa companies to use the federal government’s E-Verify system to check whether employees are citizens or legal residents.

Another would block undocumented immigrants who’ve graduated from an Iowa high school from being eligible for in-state tuition at community colleges or the three state universities. Twenty-seven-year-old Cecilia Martinez says she’s lived in Iowa for 26 years, graduated from an Iowa high school and, with federal deferred action on her immigration status, she was able to graduate from a state university.

“Immigrants, refugees, whatever the status is, we do contribute to this state,” she said. “We continue to the economy. We contribute to our communities.” The group objects to a third bill that would make it a felony to use a vehicle, boat or plane in Iowa to hide an undocumented immigrant from authorities. Louis Gomez, who’s lived in Iowa since 2001, was an undocumented immigrant for the first 10 years he lived in the state.

“I am now a soccer coach at a local high school and my soccer team, 90% of them come from an immigrant family or are immigrants themselves,” he said. “…This bill would put me at risk of being charged with a Class B felony…for doing my job as a soccer coach and driving kids from practice back to school.”

Republicans who back the bills say if the federal government won’t enforce immigration laws, the state will — and the taxpayers of Iowa should not have their money going to people who are not here legally.