DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa public schools have a new database to report and track bullying incidents in detail as they happen throughout the year.  The Iowa Department of Education launched the database on Friday.  The state has relied on one annual set of reports, logged under four labels, each spring to track bullying in schools. That was prompted in 2007 by a state anti-bullying and anti-harassment law. The new database will have schools report bullying based on one or more of 17 student traits explicitly named in state law – including sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability or political belief.

Here are just some of the images from the Sat., Sept. 12 2012 “Fly Iowa – Heritage and Homecoming” airshow, in Atlantic, IA. (Photo’s by KJAN News Director Ric Hanson)…

More military vehicles on display at the airshow

The Iowa State Patrol’s aircraft, based in the Atlantic Airport hangar.

Officials with the Iowa Farm Bureau have announced Sawmill Hollow in Missouri Valley, the country’s first aronia berry farm, is this month’s Iowa Farm Bureau Renew Rural Iowa entrepreneur award winner.

Aronia Berries

The organic berry operation is a family farm run by Vaughn and Cindy Pittz and their son, Andrew.  In 1997, the Pittzes planted 207 aronia berry plants and have since expanded the farm to 26 acres and more than 13,000 plants. The berries, also known as black chokeberries, can be made into a variety of products, including syrup, sauce, powders and wine.

After looking into a number of value-added ideas, ranging from Christmas trees to pumpkin patches, the family found aronia berries offered the best potential.The business is a benefit to Iowa’s ag industry and to the Missouri Valley economy with its annual festival. Sawmill Hollow’s fifth annual North American Aronia Festival is this weekend, Sept. 15-16, featuring children’s activities, wine tasting, recipe contest, farming and gardening workshops and more. (For a full schedule, go to http://sawmillhollow.com/.)

Renew Rural Iowa (RRI) is an Iowa Farm Bureau Federation initiative supporting new and existing businesses through education, mentoring and financial resources. To learn more, visit www.renewruraliowa.com.

w/ Ric Hanson

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An Iowa man who brought the world to thousands of Iowa students over three decades will be remembered in Stuart this weekend. Al Bell traveled all over the planet and filmed his adventures, then visited schools across Iowa and made grand presentations. His daughter, Becky Bell-Greenstreet, says the film festival of her father’s work is the second one they’ve held in the past few years. Bell-Greenstreet says Sunday’s event will feature films that were not shown two years ago as there’s now a complete film library of her dad’s movies. Bell made his appearances in schools across Iowa between 1949 and 1979, highlighting his trips to Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

She says her father was always well-received whenever he visited a rural Iowa school. “Those gyms and auditoriums were just packed to the rafters,” with kids from kindergarten through high school in one assembly, she says, “and my dad’s job was to teach them about a particular country. She says her dad would go all out for the films and for the assemblies. He would come out in costume and taught the students words in foreign tongues while the movies were well-produced and funny, artistic and sometimes bringing screams of surprise from students. T

he Al Bell Film Festival will be held at the Saints Center in Stuart, opening at noon, with artifacts, costumes, photos, foreign dolls, original posters and films on display. Films will be shown at 1 and 3 PM. Learn more at: “www.albellremembered.com”

(Radio Iowa)

Authorities in Montgomery County report two arrests on Friday. Officials say 54-year old Charles James Netherton, of Red Oak, was arrested just before 3-p.m., on a charge of Serious Assault. His arrest was the result of an investigation into an incident at 2037 Highway 71, in Tenville. Officers with the Red Oak Police Department assisted sheriff’s deputies, in making the arrest. Netherton was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond. And, at around 6:40-p.m., 50-year old Gary Lee Mattson, of Villisca, was arrested on a valid warrant for Theft in the 5th degree. Mattson was brought to the jail, posted a $300 cash bond, and was released.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

Officials with the Cass County Extension Service say they will be hold a Rural Safety Day Camp for Local 4th & 5th Grade Youth, on Sept. 22nd.  The camp comes on the heels of National Farm Safety and Health Week, which runs from September 16th-though the 22nd. The Extension and its local business partners are hosting the Rural Safety Day Camp from 8:30- to 11:30-a.m. September 22nd, at the Cass County Fairgrounds in Atlantic. The camp is open to any local youth in 4th or 5th grade, and will focus on general rural safety topics such as ATV safety, basic first aid, animal safety, machinery safety, hidden hazards and more.

There is no cost to attend the camp, and campers will be provided with a snack during the camp. To register call the Cass County Extension Office at 243-1132 or email smmck@iastate.edu before 4:30 on September 20th. Students will need to fill out a medical information and release form to participate in the camp. This form can be printed off and filled out prior to camp by visiting http://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass, or filled out when the camper is dropped off the morning of camp (must be signed by a parent or guardian, so make sure someone who can sign is the one who plans to drop off at camp).

Extension staff and local business partners will be presenting basic safety information on a variety of topics and campers will have opportunities to participate in several group activities focused on thinking and acting safely. A resource book with more rural safety information and an informational DVD will also be provided to all attendees. Be sure to dress in comfortable clothes and layers for fall weather as we will be indoors and out, and please, no open-toed shoes. For more information, to register, or with questions, please call the Cass County Extension Office at 243-1132.

Atlantic School District Transportation Director Dave Eckles is warning motorists about increased penalties for passing school buses that have their “Stop” arms extended, and/or lights flashing. Earlier this year, Governor Terry Branstad signed into law the “Keep Aware Driving – Youth Need School Safety Act,” more commonly known as “Kaydn’s Law,” which increased the criminal penalties for passing a stopped school bus. Eckles says last month, however, the Iowa Transportation Commission adopted an emergency administrative rule that increases the administrative driving privilege sanctions. The new law says a person caught passing a stopped school bus faces a mandatory 30-day license suspension. Previously, that was an option for the courts.

Eckles says driver’s basically need to be aware of what they should do when approaching a school bus. He says if you are approaching a bus and its yellow lights just started flashing, you can’t pass the vehicle if you are behind it. If you are meeting the bus just as its flashing lights come on, and the “Stop” arm is not extended, you can continue to pass, but if you are able to stop, you must do so. If the “Stop” arm on the left side of the bus is extended, you definitely cannot pass from either direction.

Eckles says they’ve had some instances already this year, where drivers have tried to pass Atlantic Community School District buses. He says there’ve been a couple of times when it’s happened, but the problem remains on-going. Eckles says driver’s simply need to pay attention to the road, and not their cell phones, or other distracting devices. And, he says it’s not worth the time you think you’re saving trying to get to work or school, by passing a stopped school bus, especially in terms of a child’s life.

According to a recently released school bus driver’s survey sponsored by the National Association of State Directors of Public Transportation, there has been a marked increase in the number of motorists who blow past the school bus arm and flashing red lights. The number of vehicles illegally passing a school bus during a one-day count conducted earlier this year, was 43.7-percent, as compared to 38.2-percent in 2011.