DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Tests confirm that two wolves have been shot and killed in Iowa. Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said Friday that two large canines that were shot this winter in Osceola and Van Buren counties have been identified as wolves. The wolves likely came from the Great Lakes region, including Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Gray wolves are endangered, under both federal and state laws, but officials say no charges will be filed in the shootings. The wolves will be used for education outreach at local county conservation boards. Officials say there has been a recent increase in the number of wolves moving to Iowa from the Great Lakes region.

Students with the Atlantic High School will be participating in an upcoming clothing and shoe drive, that will allow them to give back to the community and work in conjunction with the mobile food pantry. Mandi Brauer, High School Resource-/Special Education Teacher for the Atlantic Community School District, says both students and teachers are accepting donations of gently used shoes and clothing for this first-time event.

Those items will be cleaned and donated to persons in need. Coats are also accepted. Donated items can be dropped off at the High School at 1201 East 14th Street. As part of the program, students will be taught how to wash and fold clothes correctly. The clothes will be made available to the public March 16th as part of a Food Drive at the Atlantic High School. The event takes from 4-until 6:30-p.m.

Clothing will be set-up and organized by clothing size, in the High School Media Center. Gently used clothing may be dropped-off at the Atlantic High School from now until Friday, March 11th. Clothes left over from the event will be donated to the Salvation Army.

Brauer is originally from Anita. She and her husband, who used to teach in the Kansas City area, have conducted similar projects in their previous school district. Helping those in need, runs in her family. She says her family has always found ways to give back to the community and area, and that’s a trait she wanted to pass along to students in the Atlantic School District.

The U-S Navy’s Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs reports a 2005 Riverside High School graduate and Oakland, Iowa native is serving as part of the Navy’s Information Warfare Community in Suffolk, Virginia. Ensign Chris Crowder is an information professional, a part of the Navy’s  central operational authority for intelligence, information operations,  electronic warfare, and space capabilities in addition to cyber and networks operations.

In a press release, Ensign Crowder said “Being a techie makes the job enjoyable.” The men and women who make up the U.S. Navy’s Information Warfare Community
team around the world are warriors who remain motivated and mission focused.
These warfighters direct cyberspace operations to deter and defeat  aggression while ensuring freedom of action in cyberspace.

Ensign Crowder

U.S. Navy’s Information Warfare Community is responsible for addressing cyber threats, key trends, and challenges across four main areas: integrated operations, optimized cyber workforce, technology innovation, and reforming development and execution of requirements, acquisition, and budgeting.

Crowder also said he is proud to be a part of the 94 officers, 186 enlisted sailors, and 194 civilians serving at a command that is at the forefront of technology innovation and cyber operations, helping to protect America from threats around the world.

Created in 2009, the Navy’s Information Warfare Community was established to
execute the full spectrum of cyber, electronic warfare, information operations and signal intelligence capabilities and missions across the cyber, electromagnetic and space domains.

Naval Network Warfare Command (NNWC), executes tactical-level command and control to Direct, Operate, Maintain and Secure Navy Communications and Network systems; and leverage Joint Space Capabilities for Navy and Joint Operations-as assigned by Commander, Fleet Cyber Command.

Sheriff’s officials in Union County report 25-year old Nathan Allen Vicker, of Creston, was arrested at his residence Thursday night. Vicker was charged with domestic abuse assault. He was being held in the Union County Jail awaiting appearance before the Magistrate.

The Iowa State Patrol is launching a campaign with an Iowa-based convenience store chain designed to encourage young drivers to wear their seat belts. Mark Peterson, spokesman for Triple-A-Iowa, says state troopers will be showing up in places like school parking lots and offering rewards to teen motorists who are buckled up. It’s part of the “I Got Caught” campaign.

“They’re going to be working with schools throughout Iowa,” Peterson says. “Obviously, they’re going to be looking for young adults who are wearing their seat belt.” Casey’s General Stores has donated ten-thousand coupons for a free fountain drink or a free slice of pizza. Peterson says studies find that teens are the least likely group to buckle up and the most likely group to die in a roadway crash.

“In Iowa, about half of the fatal crashes involve non-seat belt use and unfortunately, young adults are overrepresented in that group,” Peterson says. “Through a program such as this, a positive program, one that rewards the right kind of behavior, we hope it spreads and that we can get some of those kids that weren’t belting to start wearing that belt.”

During 2014 and 2015, Peterson says Iowa had 91 teens involved in fatal crashes as drivers or passengers. Of those fatalities, more than half of them were not wearing their seat belts. State troopers will -not- be pulling over young drivers as part of this promotion. They’ll only be working in conjunction with the schools this spring at school facilities or school-sponsored events, including prom and graduation.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa House has passed a bill that calls for holding school board elections in November, on the same day as city elections. Representative Guy Vander Linden, a Republican from Oskaloosa, says it will increase the number of voters choosing local school board members. “Currently across the state, on average, school board election turn-out is seven percent. In municipal elections, on average, it’s 20 percent,” Vander Linden says. “Approval of this bill will, in essence, triple turn-out for school board elections.”

The bill easily passed the House on a 61-to-36 vote and the majority leader in the state senate says he and his fellow Democrats have supported similar legislation in the past. But some House Democrats warn it will be too difficult for poll workers to figure out which ballot to hand a voter, since school district boundaries may be different from city council wards. Representative Mary Gaskill, a Democrat from Ottumwa, is the former Wapello County Auditor and she ran local elections.

“As we know, school districts and cities have different boundary lines,” Gaskill says. “…I cannot guarantee that people will be able to go to the precinct that they normally go to.” Vander Linden says it will require some work for county election officials. “The auditors who, by the way, have already been involved in writing this bill tell us that it can be done without a great deal of over-work on their part and they agree that it is well worth tripling turnout,” Vander Linden says.

The move will also save the costs of paying poll workers to conduct school board elections in September as well as municipal elections in November. Education groups oppose the move to consolidate school board elections with elections for mayors and city council spots.

(Radio Iowa)

The manager of the Iowa Gambling Treatment and Prevention Program is warning that 1 out of every 10 adult Iowans is “at risk” of becoming a problem gambler. Eric Preuss delivered a presentation Thursday before the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission meeting in Altoona. “Although it’s estimated that 1.2 percent, or about 29,000, adult Iowans have a gambling disorder, it’s also estimated that 12.6 percent, or almost 295,000, are classified as at risk for developing a gambling disorder,” Preuss said.

Governor Branstad is due to sign a proclamation today (Friday) recognizing March as National Problem Gambling Awareness Month in Iowa. Preuss notes the percentage of Iowans with a gambling disorder is low, but their behavior has a wide reaching impact. “Almost 1 out of 7 adult Iowans, that’s 15-percent, have said they have been negatively affected by the gambling behavior of someone they know,” Preuss said.

The Iowa Gambling Treatment Program operates the 1-800-BETS-OFF hotline. There were over 6,300 calls placed to the hotline in fiscal year 2015 — the most calls since 2009. More than 600 Iowans a year enter an Iowa Gambling Treatment program. “The primary wagering method for folks who come into services is slots, with table games at number two, and lottery games is number three at 15-percent,” Preuss said.

March was selected as National Problem Gambling Awareness Month because of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. The FBI estimates that more than $2.5 billion is wagered illegally each year on “March Madness.”

(Radio Iowa)