(Radio Iowa) – Daylight Saving Time starts Sunday and as Iowans move their clocks forward an hour on Saturday night, Emily Holley, with the Iowa Chapter of the American Red Cross, suggests you do a quick safety check of your smoke alarms, too. “We’re recommending that everyone tests their smoke alarms and replace the batteries if needed,” Holley says. “A smoke alarm that is 10 years old or older definitely needs to be replaced. And we want to make sure that everyone has working smoke alarms on every level of the home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas.”

Last year, Red Cross volunteers helped more than 18-hundred people in Iowa who were affected by 584 home fires. Nationwide, home fires account for most of the 65-thousand disasters to which the Red Cross responds. Holley says every second counts when there’s a fire, so making sure those smoke alarms are working is key. “We also recommend folks take the time to practice a two-minute home fire escape. It’s critical that you have escape routes out of your home and a joint meeting place,” Holley says. “Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half, and on average, you only have about two minutes to get out of the home.”

She says you should have at least two ways to get out of every room, and select a spot at a safe distance away from your home, like a tree or mailbox, where everyone can meet. For more information, download the free Red Cross Emergency app by searching “American Red Cross” in app stores.

redcross.org/homefires

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has passed a plan to raise the minimum salary for teachers by nearly 50 percent within two years. The current minimum salary is 33-thousand-500 dollars a year. Republican Representative Henry Cisneros of Muscatine was the only “no” vote on the bill.

Republican Representative Bill Gustoff of Des Moines says the plan would bring about the largest single boost to teacher pay in state history.  “The bill achieves a significant goal set forth by Governor Reynolds to move Iowa’s minimum starting teacher salary to $50,000,” Gustoff said, “and I thank her for setting a bold target that will vault Iowa to the top of the list to attract teachers in terms of pay.” The plan includes money to help districts not only raise the pay of current teachers who aren’t being paid 50-thousand dollars a year, but to pay a 15-dollar-an-hour wage to other school staff, like paraeducators.

Representative Sue Cahill, a Democrat from Marshalltown who’s a retired teacher, says there’s bipartisan agreement this is the right move. “It provides recognition of educators and those who work in our educational settings,” Cahill said, “and it shows the value we have for them.” The bill passed on a 93-to-one vote. House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says that margin sends a message to the governor and state senators who’ve tied a teacher pay decision to bills that overhaul Area Education Agencies.

“The House of Representatives is united in support of paying our teachers, paying our educators, paying our paraprofessionals in a way that is non-politicized,” Konfrst said, “…and is good for Iowa kids.” Gustoff calls it a “kumbaya”  moment. “This is a good bill that checks a lot of boxes and reflects the input of many stakeholders and many policymakers,” Gustoff says. “It brings the parties together and showcases that the legislative process does work.”

The Senate Education Committee’s A-E-A plan would raise minimum teacher pay, but to a lower level around 46-thouand dollars a year. In January, Reynolds also proposed a minimum salary of 62-thousand dollars for teachers with at least 12 years of experience. That’s not included in the House-passed plan or the one Senators have drafted.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has voted to increase penalties for the death of an unborn person. Current law provides penalties for causing a human pregnancy to end without consent. Democrats like Representative Beth Wessell-Kroschell  f Ames say the change could make introit fertilization illegal and they cited the recent Alabama supreme court ruling that embryos are children.

“This measure is a blatant attempt to advance an anti-abortion agenda and further enshrine the myth of fetal personhood in our state code,” she said. Representative Heather Matson of Ankeny says her two children are the result of fertility treatments. “What can people who simply want more than anything to become a parent realistically expect if IVF is no longer available to them?” Matson said. “What a tragedy.”

Representative Skyler Wheeler, a Republican from Hull, says the bill raises the penalty for killing a mother and her unborn baby and has nothing to do with I-V-F.  “When it comes to the Alabama stuff that you guys continue to talk about, that is in regards to their own constitution, their own laws, their own code, etc.,” Wheeler said, “not to mention the Alabama governor already signed a bill protecting IVF.”

Representative Zach Dieken of Granville says fetus is a Latin word and he prefers that English be used in Iowa law. “I do believe my two year old is a person,” Dieken said. “I believe that my 13 month old is a person and, when my wife gives birth to my third child in November, because she informed me three days ago she’s pregnant, I do believe that person is a person.”

The bill passed with the support of 58 House Republicans. Two Republicans and 34 Democrats voted against the bill, which now goes to the Senate for consideration.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the City of Atlantic’s Personnel & Finance Committee will meet at 3:30-p.m. Friday (March 8th), in the City Council’s Chambers at City Hall. Among their agenda items is to Review and make a Recommendation to the City Council, with regard to the City Clerk’s position and Contractual Services.

City Clerk/Treasurer Barb Barrick told KJAN News she has “reached a mutual agreement” with the City of Huxley, which is expected to become official on March 12th. Barrick said the Council has received her written resignation.

She cited as a reason for the change is to be closer to her family. Her husband is in Postville, one daughter is in Cedar Falls, her son and grandchildren are in the Pella area, and other two daughters are in Iowa City.

Barrick had succeeded Deb Wheatley Field in 2017, after she retired as City Clerk following 35-years of service.  In other business, the Personnel and Finance Committee will review and make recommendations on the following:

• Police Staffing
• A YMCA Management Contract for the Sunnyside Pool
• and a new Retainer Agreement for the City Attorney.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a diesel spill on the Middle Nodaway River in Adair County.

On March 7, the DNR Atlantic Field Office received a call from an Adair County Conservation Officer reporting a red sheen on an unnamed tributary located on G27 between Indian and Jordan Avenues in Adair County. Field Office staff responded and discovered that diesel had overflowed from a vent tube of an above ground storage tank at a farm operation owned by Kading Land Company, Inc.

The discharged diesel reached a stormwater intake located inside the secondary containment area and continued flowing via field tile, eventually reaching an unnamed tributary of the Middle Nodaway River.

The amount of diesel spilled is unknown. No dead fish have been observed. Staff will continue to work with the responsible party to clean up the spill. The investigation is ongoing.

Red sheen at tributary of Middle Nodaway River: Photo Courtesy: Iowa DNR

To report a release after hours, please call the DNR’s emergency spill line at (515) 725-8694. Quick reporting can help DNR staff identify the cause of an incident. The DNR website has more information about spill reporting requirements.

(Radio Iowa) – Some members of Iowa’s Congressional delegation have invited guests to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech who are highlighting key issues.

Senator Joni Ernst has given her guest ticket to Hagit Chen, the mother of an American currently being held hostage by Hamas. Ernst met with Hagit and her husband earlier today.

“I’ve known this family since last fall after their son was taken. We know not anything more about their son’s condition, not knowing if he is alive or where he’s being held,” Ernst said. “We have no information on him and you can feel the despair.”

Two other U.S. Senators from North Carolina have invited the families of other hostages to tonight’s speech. “It’s just important that we continue to put pressure not only on our administration, but also show the world tha we still care about these men that are still being held by Hamas,” Ernst said. A member of Israel’s war cabinet visited Washington earlier this week. “I hope that we can continue to encourage the Israelis and the leadership from Hamas to come to the table to figure out how to end this war in Israel,” Ernst said, “but what we want to see first and foremost is the return of the hostages.”

Ernst said the hostages would continue to be used as pawns if there’s a cease fire, but no deal to release the hostages.

Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley will be in the U.S. House as the guest of Second District Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion. “There’s been a sharp rise in anti police rhetoric and a corresponding rise in violent acts against law enforcement officers,” Hinson said. “In 2023, 378 officers were shot in the line of duty and there were also 115 ambush style attacks on law enforcement.”

Hinson said President Biden’s border policies have allowed thousands of illegal immigrants into the country along with illegal drugs that go along our interstate highways. Chief Brinkley joined Hinson to talk about the drug battle.

“We do see the scourge of methamphetamine and now fentanyl is is introduced to our communities across the state we’ve maybe been a little bit more isolated from the fentanyl problem in North Iowa but no doubt Methamphetamine is our number one drug of choice,” he said.

Brinkley said the border issues are part of the drug problem. “I hope that we’ll see some improvement in border policy from the White House that is effective in helping us to maintain safe communities and a safe country,” Brinkley said.

Third district Congressman Zach Nunn of Bondurant has invited Deric and Kathy Kidd of Des Moines to tonight’s speech. Their son, Sebastian, died of fentanyl poisoning in 2021 after taking half a pill he bought on Snapchat that he thought was Percocet.

Deric Kidd sa\id it’s time for something to be done about the scourge of fentanyl. “We know that lives are being lost and when nothing is being done, when it’s evident if some of these changes were being made, if the border was tightened up it would at least help stop the flow of fentanyl into our country,” he said, “and save some lives.”

Kathy Kidd said by sharing their story, they hope more people pay attention to the issue. “It can, indeed, affect you. It can reach your family,” she said. ” We were one of those families that never thought something like this could happen to us and it did.”

Nunn said congress needs to address the opioid crisis — and stop the flow of illegal fentanyl coming into the U.S. from China and Mexico. “To help folks of all walks of life and all ages who are attempting to beat addiction, who are not intending to come in contact with Fentanyl and communities that are trying to interdict this,” Nunn said.

Fourth district Congressman Randy Feenstra, in a written statement, said congress needs to eliminate burdensome federal regulations for community banks and his guest this evening is the president and CEO of a Rock Rapids bank. President Biden is scheduled to start delivering the 2024 State of the Union address to congress shortly after 8 p.m.

(Radio Iowa) – Animal science students at Iowa State University are now able to do virtual 3-D dissections of animals on large touch screens and tablets to learn about anatomy. ISU Professor Karl Kerns says about 180 students taking Domestic Animal Physiology are using the virtual dissection table to supplement their hands-on learning.

“This is a new technology that we have for the anatomy physiology lab,” Kerns says. “We’re the first in the nation and only in the nation right now, as far as we know, of animal science curriculums and pre-veterinary programs to incorporate this into the classroom.”

Graduate student Alexandra Else-Keller, one of the course’s head teaching assistants, says this high-tech tool is “super-helpful.”

“We want to give students of different learning styles multiple ways to learn, because not everyone learns the same way,” Else-Keller says. “This gives a good 3-D picture of what those organs that we’re looking at and how they are organized in a specimen.”

Kerns says including an interactive digital component in the anatomy lab curriculum is a point of pride for the department.

“The experiential learning that this lab provides is really phenomenal,” Kerns says. “Getting to listen to something in a lecture gives you some level of detail, but then actually getting to see it in action, and put your hands on it, and navigate it, it really puts concepts into action.”

Grad student Alexandra Else-Keller leading the Domestic Animal Physiology class (ISU photo)

Graduate student Kourtney Jimmerson says a virtual dissection table is a relatively common teaching tool in medical and nursing schools, but it’s a rare opportunity for animal science students.

“Using this in animal science classes, it’s a new way to introduce the different models into the animal science world,” Jimmerson says. “There’s not many that have this for animal science. We see a lot of it in the human anatomy world.”

Virtual dissection has been used in the course for two years. Kerns says it doesn’t replace other methods of studying animal physiology, but the benefit is getting a fuller perspective on where organs are in a body and how they work.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A new, massive concrete entrance sign welcoming visitors to Atlantic will be installed soon at the intersection of Highways 6 and 71 (Near the Walmart store), on the east side of town. During Tuesday’s Atlantic City Council meeting, City Administrator John Lund said the sign was produced by J.J. Graphic Design, in Atlantic. The huge sign will be placed upon an equally large pedestal

The exact placement and location of the sign has not yet been finalized.

Lund said the sign is sturdy, can take some punishment, and is easily repairable. He mentioned also, he’s working with Snyder and Associates Engineers, on getting a TAP (Transportation Alternative Planning) Grant for the W. 22^nd Street Trail. The grant application must be completed and sent to SWIPCO by March 15^th.

Photo of the Welcome sign base ready to be installed. Courtesy City Administrator John Lund.

Photo of the new welcome sign courtesy City Administrator John Lund.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa D-N-R is keeping an eye on the weather as it prepares for its annual spring trout stocking. Trout are a cool water fish naturally found in northeast Iowa streams and the D-N-R’s Mike Siepker says the unseasonably warm weather may bring up water temperatures in urban ponds and lake. “That is something we will keep an eye on as we get later into the spring. You know our April 19th and 20th stockings we will definitely keep an eye on it,” he says. “But you know, it’s Iowa so you never know what the weather is going to do. And it may cool down and allow us to stock those trout.” Siepker says they started the urban stocking program to introduce people to trout fishing.

“For folks that live in the bigger urban areas of Iowa it gives anglers an opportunity to catch trout, in a close to home area and instead of having to drive in northeast Iowa,” Siepker says. Siepker is the Northeast Iowa Region Fisheries Supervisor, where he oversees the hatcheries that produce the trout. “We spawn all of our trout at the Manchester Fish Hatchery. And then once they reach about a three to four inch size we move those fish to Big Spring or the Chuck Gipp Decorah Fish Hatchery. And they’re in the hatcheries from egg to stocking size for about 18 months,” Siepker says.

The stocking size for trout is usually ten to 12 inches. Siepker says the ultimate goal is to get people interested in trout fishing and some may end up taking a trip to northeast Iowa to catch the trout in their natural stream habitat. The stocking starts April 19th, and there is a list of locations on the Iowa D-N-R website. Siepker says you don’t have to be there when the trout are released into the water to catch one. “There are fish in these ponds quite a while after we stock them, so even if anglers can’t make it to the opening day stocking, we definitely encourage anglers to go out and give it a try because there will be trout in those ponds for quite a while after we stock,” Siepker says.

You do need an Iowa fishing license and trout stamp to take the trout from the lakes and ponds. They plan to stock one to two-thousand trout in nine different lakes.

(Radio Iowa) – An eastern Iowa dog breeder faces multiple charges on allegations of animal neglect. Multiple media outlets report the arrest on Wednesday of 62-year-old Loren Yoder of Riverside, the owner of Sunset Valley Farm. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office reportedly charged Yoder with 41 counts of animal neglect after physical exams showed the dogs had a variety of health problems due to inadequate care.

Reports say Yoder surrendered all 131 of his dogs to Iowa City Animal Services along with his commercial breeding license.