(Corning, Iowa) – Residents of Corning, Tuesday, elected to change the way they are represented on the City Council. The 191-yes to 83-no votes, changes the current city council representation to five council members at-large without any ward residency requirements.

The Corning City Council is currently comprised of representation by two members elected At-Large, and one member from each of the three wards.

The new measure becomes effective at the beginning of the term following the next city election.

In other post-election news, the Adair and Montgomery County Auditors, Wednesday, updated their unofficial election results to include write-in nominations.

You can see the updated results on the News page at kjan.com.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with Produce in the Park, in Atlantic, say the 10th Annual Harvest Market – a Produce in the Park holiday farmers market – will take place November 20th (Thanksgiving week), from 3-until 6-p.m., at the Cass County Community Center (805 W. 10th St.). The event features drawings for $20 gift cards every hour.

Products on-hand during the Harvest Market will include: local produce and meats; farm-fresh eggs; baked goods; seasonal candles; decorations; holiday gifts, and more. A food truck from “Game Time Eats” will be on-site, serving Cheesesteaks, Burgers, and Nachos.

A reminder: Harvest Market accepts SNAP/EBT/Food Stamps and Double Up Food Bucks.

If you have any questions, Harvest Market can be reached at produceintheparkatlanticiowa@gmail.com. You can also check them out on Facebook @ProduceInThePark.

(Corning, Iowa) – Officials with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office report a man from Lenox was charged with OWI/1st offense, following an investigation into a rollover accident that occurred at around 9-a.m. Sunday, near the intersection of Highway 34 and Willow Avenue. Authorities say witnesses told them a 2013 Dodge Dart driven by 18-year-old Jesus Ramirez, of Lenox, was traveling at a high rate of speed and passing vehicles in a no passing zone before Ramirez lost control of the vehicle. The car entered the westbound ditch and rolled at least twice before coming to on its wheels.

Ramirez suffered minor injuries during the crash. In addition to the OWI charge, he faces charges of Reckless Driving and Driving without a valid driver’s license.

Adams County Sheriff’s Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Adams County Fire Dept., Adams County Ambulance, Prescott Fire Dept., Lenox Fire & Rescue, and the Union County Sheriff’s Office.

*”Any potential criminal charges identified above are merely allegations, and any defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”*

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A man and a woman from Red Oak were arrested Wednesday on active Red Oak Police Department warrants for Reckless Dependent Adult Abuse with serious injury. 55-year-old Rickey Allen Jones and 55-year-old Lori Jean Jones were arrested in the 2400 block of N. 8th Street, in Red Oak. They were being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 bond, each.

(West  Bend, Iowa) – One person died, and another was injured during a collision Wednesday evening, in northern Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol reports the crash happened in Humboldt County in West Bend, at around 5-p.m.  The report says a 2007 Mack concrete truck driven by 29-year old Taylor Lee Chance, of Burt (IA), was eastbound on 110th Street, when it was struck by a 2022 Freightliner semi traveling south on Birch Avenue, and driven by 27-year-old Shane Edward Stanton, of Philadelphia, MS.

The Patrol said Stanton failed to yield the right-of-way before the semi crashed into the concrete mixer truck. Taylor Chance died at the scene. Stanton was injured and flown by helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

The accident remains under investigation. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by Bode Fire & EMS, Gilmore Fire & EMS, Humboldt County EMS, Medical Examiner & Sheriff’s Office, the Kossuth, Palo Alto and Pocahontas County Sheriff’s Departments, West Bend Fire & EMS and Ottosen Fire.

(Radio Iowa) – Court documents filed for the trial of a Woodbury County official’s wife show Supervisor Jeremy Taylor will be named as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the alleged election fraud. Kim Taylor pleaded not guilty to 52 counts of voter fraud after prosecutors say she filled out and cast absentee ballots in her husband Jeremy Taylor’s unsuccessful run for Congress and in his supervisor’s race in 2020.

Federal prosecutors are expected to call around 20 witnesses when the trial starts Monday. The witnesses include the current sheriff and a former supervisor who would testify that Jeremy Taylor told them he had a “lock” on a substantial number of votes from the Vietnamese community. His wife Kim is Vietnamese.

Jeremy Taylor says the allegations are not true and the truth will come out next week in court.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says she’s skeptical of polls which suggest former President Donald Trump has a significant lead among likely Iowa Caucus goers — and she says Ron DeSantis has the best shot at winning the presidency in 2024. Reynolds spoke with Radio Iowa Wednesday, expanding on the reasons she endorsed DeSantis this week and shrugging off Trump’s criticism of the move.

Reynolds revealed her family was “a little bit apprehensive” about the announcement. “It was nothing about the issues. I think they knew I was going to get some arrows, you know, and…some verbal assaults,” Reynolds said, before lowering her voice to whisper into Radio Iowa’s microphone: “It’s o.k. and I don’t care.” Reynolds said Trump was the right person for Republicans eight years ago, but not today.

Reynolds and DeSantis have pursued very similar policy agendas as governors, like reopening schools in the fall during the first year of the pandemic and signing so-called “fetal heartbeat” bills that ban most abortions. Reynolds says savvy Iowans who plan to attend the Caucuses will begin to examine the Florida governor’s record and contrast that with Trump, who she says will be never be able to win over some voters.

Reynolds says she was “looking very closely” at former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and called Haley to let her know she’d be endorsing DeSantis. Reynolds and Trump have not spoken since she introduced him at a Trump rally in Davenport in mid-March. Trump has said a lot about Reynolds on his Truth Social platform. though. Trump suggested her appearance Monday with DeSantis was the beginning of her retirement tour.

If Trump prevails and is the Republican Party’s 2024 nominee for president, he’ll have Reynolds’ backing.

The Iowa Caucuses will be held in 67 days. The 2024 General Election will be on November 5th.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Police in Council Bluffs are asking for your help in locating a suspect involved in an assault. Authorities say that at around 10:53-a.m., Wednesday, November 8th, Council Bluffs police officers were dispatched to the Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park for a report of an assault. The investigation revealed that a male assaulted the victim, identified as Martha McSally**, as she was jogging on the River’s Edge Service Road South of I-480 bridge underpass.

McSally fought off the attacker and chased him into a dense area of brush near the I-480 bridge. She lost sight of the suspect prior to officers arriving. After a check of the area the suspect was not located.

Anyone who was in the area of this incident who may have witnessed it is encouraged to call the Council Bluffs Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division at 712-328-4765. A preliminary description of the suspect is a white or Hispanic male, 25 to 40 years old with a stocky build.

Investigators are actively investigating this incident and will provide further information as it becomes available.

**Her name was released with her permission.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School Board met in a regular session this (Wednesday) evening. As part of their consent agenda, the Board approved the following resignations: Michelle Blake, HS Volleyball Coach; Joseph Brummer, MS Track Coach; Mallory Robinson, District Communications Specialist; Laurie Parrott, HS Paraeducator, and Matt Best, Asst. Boys Track Coach.

The Board also approved contracts for/the hiring of: Desiree Kent, Paraeducator at Schuler Elementary; William Lawson, Paraeducator for the Therapeutic Classroom; Rob Kirchner, Asst. Archery Coach; Julie Phippen, Wrestling Cheer Coach; Bryan Armstrong & Stephanie Kinzie, Wrestling Girls Chaperone and Drivers; Adam Roberts & Hailee Copeland, Volunteer Archery Coaches; Cale Roller, Dillon Cox, Josh perkins, Mike Greving, Adam Smith and Caleb Smith, as Volunteer Wrestling Coaches; Jacey Hoegh & Zach Christensen, Volunteer Basketball Coaches.

Atlantic School Board meeting (Zoom Image) 11/8/23

In her report to the Board, Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen mentioned a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held 10-a.m. Thursday (Nov. 9th), for the new Washington Elementary School Playground.

Cookies and coffee will be available for adults. The project consisted of limited pavement demolition, removal and disposal of existing play equipment and tile surfacing, installation of new equipment, installation and repair of the concrete base, installation of new play surfacing, and site restoration. Caliber Concrete of Adair was the contractor for the project, which cost a total of $582,340.

Dr. Johnsen also updated the Board on District enrollment data.

Some of the increase, she said, is attributed to a large Kindergarten group.

Dr. Johnsen said also, the ELL population is also increasing over last year. There are less open-enrollment out’s than in previous years, and a likely increase in open-enrolled in.

The Board then discussed an Early Retirement Incentive Plan. The consensus to select Option 2, which means it would be offered for employees with a minimum of 20-years of service to the District. The Board approved the plan as presented, with the idea being to get a jump on recruitment of new, seasoned employees, and act as a cost savings. The open positions may then be advertised to candidates who have at least 10-years of employment with a school district.

The Board also approved the list of Coaches for Spring Sports, with the exception of the Head Boys Golf Coach (until there is more information), and an Out-of-State Travel request. Other action items included approval of: Snow Removal bids; and a Resolution related to the Washington Elementary School Playground.

The Board’s next meeting is an Organizational session with newly elected Board Members at 5:30-p.m. on November 29th. The next Regular School Board meeting is on December 13th.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Department of Education say a newly released national report has Iowa named as one of the top 10 states for computer science education. Code.org, the leading provider of K-12 computer science curriculum in the United States, has ranked Iowa as seventh in the nation for providing high-quality computer science education in public schools. Iowa’s ranking is tied with Connecticut and is the first time the state has jumped in the top 10 for computer science. During the 2022-23 school year, Iowa saw a significant increase from 71 percent to 83 percent of high schools providing foundational computer science opportunities.

Justin Lewis, computer science education consultant at the Iowa Department of Education, says “We are proud to be recognized by a computer science leader like Code.org. The ranking is a reflection of the collaborative work within our state to ensure students receive high-quality computer science education.”

State rankings are identified by the implementation of 10 recommended policies that make computer science education foundational. These policies include the following initiatives:

• Create a statewide plan for K-12 computer science
• Define computer science and establish standards for K-12 computer science
• Allocate funding for rigorous professional learning for computer science teachers
• Implement clear certification pathways for computer science teachers at elementary and secondary levels
• Create programs at institutions of higher education for preservice teachers
• Establish dedicated computer science positions at state education agencies
• Require that schools offer computer science with appropriate implementation timelines
• Allow computer science to count towards core graduation requirement
• Allow computer science to satisfy an admission requirement at higher education institutions
• Require that all students take computer science to earn a high school diploma

Iowa scored highly in seven of the 10 categories and received recommendations for improvement in two areas: creating programs for preservice teachers and implementing a computer science requirement for graduation. Lewis noted that these two areas are anticipated to be addressed over the next year.

“In just a few short years, we have significantly moved computer science education forward in Iowa,” he said. “Through several intensive professional development opportunities, grant funding, STEM education priorities and, of course, the implementation of the computer science requirement at all grade levels, we have seen tremendous success. We will continue this important work to fill other gaps to ensure Iowa is at the top for computer science education.”

Initiatives such as the STEM Scale-Up program and Teacher Externships program through the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council at the Department have brought high-quality resources to computer science classrooms and have contributed to the state’s impact. Additionally, immersive professional development opportunities like Computer Science Professional Development Week have been a priority for Iowa. Funded by the Department, Computer Science Professional Development Week has offered Iowa teachers a week-long opportunity to learn directly from computer science experts and leading teachers in the field.

In 2020, House File 2629 established that all accredited Iowa high schools provide at least one computer science course by the 2022-23 school year. Middle schools also must now offer computer science instruction in either seventh or eighth grade, and elementary schools must offer it in at least one grade.