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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Radio Iowa) – A U-S Appeals Court heard arguments today (Tuesday) for lifting the injunction against a state law the prevents some books from being in school libraries. The state argues the law keeps sexually explicit books out of schools and inappropriate lessons out of school curriculum’s. The Iowa State Education Association teacher union is one of the groups that seeks to block the law, saying it is unconstitutional. I-S-E-A attorney, Christy Hickman, says it is too vague for schools and school boards to interpret.
“They have been tasked with trying to carry out a law that prohibits school libraries to include books with, quote, descriptions and depictions of sex acts without any additional meaningful guidance,” she says. Hickman says the penalties for violating the law have made teachers hesitant to take action. “Loss of employment licensure complaints that could lead to loss of license licensure the inability to you know practice as a public educator for a certain period of time,” Hickman says.
One of the judges asked why they should act if the book was available through other sources outside the school. “Public school libraries are intended to provide access to books to all children, regardless of whether or not they can buy it at the bookstore,” she says. “So, such an argument, while it might make sense in other contexts, doesn’t make a whole lot of sense in the context of of our K-12 Public Schools.”
A judge also questioned why the law should be declared unconstitutional and where it was a better tactic to sue individuals school over the issue. Hickman says the law has already had an impact with reports that thousands of more books than needed being removed from school libraries. “It seems like an obvious chilling effect across the state and I don’t see that changing unless we get some acknowledgment from the Department of Education that there needs to be some additional guidance,” Hickman says.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird issued a statement after the arguments that says, inappropriate books do not belong in the hands of school children and “they made the case in court to defend Iowa’s law that protects kids, families, and parental rights. It is common sense.”
(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are being warned to prune their social media friends lists and to be careful of who sees their posts about activities, especially summer vacations. Consumer protection expert Michelle Reinen says crooks have been using AI to doctor people’s videos, crafting elaborate scams against their loved ones. Reinen says, “What we’ve learned is it can just be as little as three seconds of your voice being cloned online.”
She suggests doing a sweep of your friends list to make sure you know everyone, and that only those friends can see your posts. Reinen says it’s not a good idea to broadcast your summer plans to the entire internet. “If you post that you have this upcoming vacation a few weeks later, well, you’ve set yourself up to have an opportunity to have things stolen from you,” Reinen says, “because people know that you’re not in your home and they know where your home is.”
For people who have hundreds of social media friends or followers, it may be laborious to wade through the entire list, but Reinen says it’s important to do so and limit who sees your posts. “Keep the private things private,” she says. “Not everybody needs to know everything that’s going on.”
On Facebook, for example, set the parameters on your posts to just “friends” and only on very rare occasions to “public” if you’re intentionally trying to reach a wider audience.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Beautification Committee and City Council will hold separate meetings, Wednesday. The Beautification Committee meeting gets underway at 10:30-a.m. in the City Council’s Chambers at City Hall. Here’s their agenda:
A City Council Work Session will take place at 4-p.m., Wednesday. During the meeting, the Council will receive consultation and engage in discussion with Buddy Johnson, a County manager from Georgia, on Strategic Planning.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken, Tuesday (June 11th), reported to the County Board of Supervisors, the Secondary Roads Department has been busy the past couple of weeks.
A contractor was working on the bridge seven-miles north of Cumberland on N-28.
On Wednesday, work will begin on lining two 42-inch culverts under the pavement on G-43, with a fiberglass liner. The work may continue into the day on Thursday.
(Radio Iowa) – Chinese officials say they’ve arrested a 55-year-old man suspected of stabbing four Cornell College instructors. Cornell College, based in Mount Vernon, has had a longstanding relationship with a university in northeast China and the four educators were attacked in a public park. One of the survivors, David Zabner, spoke with Iowa Public Radio from his hospital room in China. He said the group was leaving the park when he heard a sound. “I turned around to find a man brandishing a knife at me. I didn’t immediately realize that was what was happening. I thought my coworkers had been pushed and he, for some reason, was trying to push me,” Zabner said. “And then I looked down at my shoulder and realized: ‘No, I’m bleeding. I’ve been stabbed.'”
Pictures and video of the aftermath quickly began circulating on Chinese social media sites, but most have been taken down by the Chinese government. In one picture, Zabner can be seen wincing in pain as paramedics attend to another instructor bleeding from his back. “I can see why kind of the visceral proof of what happened is important,” Zabner said, “but it’s also really upsetting.”
Zabner was stabbed in the arm, six inches below his shoulder. He and his three colleagues are still receiving treatment. Zabner says he appreciates the thoughts and prayers from people back home and the help from the U.S. Consulate and Iowa’s congressional delegation. He says he’s looking forward to returning to Iowa as soon as he can.
(Radio Iowa) – A central Iowa real estate developer and property manager is launching what’s being called Hometown Tours of a half-dozen Iowa communities where businesses are hungry for help and housing is scarce. Karie Kading Ramsey, C-E-O of Kading Properties of Urbandale, says they’ll start by visiting the Wayne County town of Corydon on Thursday. “In Corydon, for example, we have lots and lots of Missouri license plates coming over the border to work,” Ramsey says, “and our goal is to get some of those Missouri license plates to convert to Iowa license plates, so we can keep them right there working in the community, sending their kids to school in the community.”
Kading has already built houses in more than two-dozen Iowa towns over the past five decades. By eliminating the need for long commutes, Ramsey says Kading helps employers retain skilled labor and boosts local economies, while saving families time and money on travel and fuel. “We’re also providing a lot of housing, slab on grade, zero entry, so we get a lot of elderly people moving in,” Ramsey says. “They’re not quite ready for the nursing home or assisted living, and want a little ease with the snow and mowing, so they’ll move in and that will also recycle the housing.” 
The so-called workforce housing may be individual houses, town homes, bi-attached houses or whatever works best in the community, she says. Who lives in them? “It’s your average person in your community that’s working around 50 hours a week, generally,” Ramsey says. “A lot of service folks do it, plumbing, electrical, teachers, people that are earning a really good solid wage and contributing a lot to the community, but we’re also trying to keep their rent affordable, knowing that they’ve got a lot of other expenses.”
While the south-central Iowa town of Corydon is the first town on the tour, the other five communities will be announced next week. Each stop will include tours and meetings with economic development teams, city council members, school district representatives, and local employers.
(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, today (Tuesday) approved a canvass of the June 4, 2024 Primary Election results, and certification of those results. County Auditor Jill Ozuna read a summary of the results.
Montgomery County BOS mtg, 6/11/24
Board Member Donna Robinson read the following portion of the resolution certifying the results as presented.
Montgomery County Auditor Jill Ozuna said a standard, Post-Election audit of a precinct in the County will take place Wednesday, June 12th.
(Anita, Iowa) – The CAM School Board, Monday evening, acted on approving personnel matters, including resignations and contracts. Superintendent Paul Croghan…
The School Board also discussed district facilities and a survey that’s available for district patrons to fill-out.
The survey is available for you to respond to until June 18th.
Paul Croghan says as of Monday, June 10th, the District had received 400 responses to the survey.
A link to the survey can be found on social media, asking what patrons think about of a one or two campus district viability, if there is any other information they need, and how they would like to receive that information. You can always call the district office for more information, as well. In other business, Mr. Croghan said it’s a busy time of year, Summer-wise.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – After considerable discussion, the Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Tuesday), voted unanimously to pass a resolution appropriating $45,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA/Covid Relief) funds to the City of Lewis, for the purchase of a pre-owned ambulance. The ambulance is one the Griswold Fire & Rescue Department recently retired. Board Chair Steve Baier….
The Board approved also, the hiring of a person for the Treasurer’s Office Driver Examiner/Office Assistant, at a rate of $20 per hour. Afterward, Steve Baier put County Department heads on notice that due to recently passed legislation, things will look a lot different for FY 2025, with regard to hiring and salaries.
Cass County Board of Supervisors mtg.,6/11/24
The Supervisors approved the issuance of a County credit card to new Sheriff’s Department Deputy Cameron Ward. And, they approved a canvass of the June 4, 2024 Primary Election, certifying the results as published, and sending those onto the State Election Commissioner.
The Cass County Board of Supervisors heard a regular report from Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken, and they appointed Supervisor Mark O’Brien as a liaison to the County Conservation Board.
(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report a man from Polk County was arrested Monday afternoon on a Theft charges. Authorities say 35-year-old Preston Leshawn Butts, of Des Moines, was arrested at around 2:19-p.m. in the parking lot at 808 Laurel Street. Butts was charged with Theft in the 4th Degree (for Possession of property valued at more than $300 but less than $750). Butts was cited and released from the scene.
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