(Estherville, Iowa) – Iowa Lakes Community College is using an almost $500,000 Federal Aviation Administration grant, received this spring, to take its aviation education offerings to new heights. The community college, with five locations throughout northwest Iowa, received $493,657 through the FAA Pilot Workforce Development Grant Program, allowing the college to launch a course in drone piloting for high school students and expand its aviation and airport management program, according to a news release.

“We are thrilled to receive this grant from the FAA’s Pilot Workforce Development Grant Program,” said Tim Busch, director of the aviation program and chief flight instructor, in the release. “The funding will enable us to enhance our top-ranked aviation program, currently recognized as the number one program among community colleges and third nationwide.”

High school students from Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth and Palo Alto counties will be able to enroll in the remote pilot course, according to the release, which will start with its first class in early 2025. The program will teach students about flying unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, and earn them up to four college credits. This will also help them more easily transfer into the college’s aviation and airport management program.

Executive Dean Kyle Norris said in a previous interview that programming like the course being offered to students next year will help the college connect with more young people. He said he hopes to show them there is more to the aviation industry than flying commercial planes.

Those interested in joining a prospective student list can email FAA Grant Coordinator Emily Mullaly at emullaly@iowalakes.edu, the release stated.

In addition to the new course, the community college will also use grant dollars to expand the drone program and implement the first “rotary wing curriculum” offered in Iowa, according to the release.

“Our focus is on creating new learning opportunities for high school students, and we are excited to expand our drone and rotary wing programs while building a connection with area high school students and the aviation industry,” Busch said in the release.

NEWTON, Iowa — A motorcyclist was hospitalized after a multi-vehicle crash in Newton on Sunday.  According to an Iowa State Patrol crash report, at around 5 p.m. a Suzuki GSX-R1000 motorcycle, driven by 23-year-old Harley M. S. Howe, and a Cadillac CT4, driven by 40-year-old Ryan J. Smith, were traveling eastbound through the intersection of 1st Avenue East and East 17th Street when a Ford Explorer, driven by 67-year-old Randall W. Gunsaulus, pulled out of a business driveway. Despite evasive maneuvers, both the motorcycle and the Cadillac collided with the Ford Explorer.

According to the crash report, Howe was ejected from the motorcycle and was not wearing a helmet. Howe was transported to a Des Moines hospital via air ambulance. No other injuries were reported.

The crash remained under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – A proposed constitutional amendment on this year’s Iowa ballot would clarify the line of succession at the top of state government. Seven years ago, Kim Reynolds became governor when Terry Branstad resigned, but Iowa’s attorney general at the time said his reading of the constitution indicated Reynolds was becoming acting governor and didn’t have the power to select a new lieutenant governor.

State Treasurer Roby Smith was a state senator the following year, touting the proposal to give Iowa governors in similar situations authority to name a new lieutenant governor.  “When you buy insurance, you hope you never have to use it,” Smith said. “This is something that’s insurance that we’re putting in the state constitution. I hope we never have to use it, but it’s there…if we need it or the next generation needs it.”

Mary Wolfe of Clinton was a member of the Iowa House who raised concerns in 2022 about the proposed amendment that Iowa voters are seeing on their 2024 ballots. “We do need to do something, I agree,” Wolfe said. “That mess we went through last time this happened was not good, did not reflect well on anyone.” But Wolfe and other Democrats say the proposed amendment is flawed. They say the House and Senate should vote to confirm a lieutenant governor picked by a new governor who takes over in the middle of an elected governor’s term.

Bill Brauch is chairman of Polk County Democrats. “If the president resigns and the vice president takes over, if they name a new vice president that individual has to be approved by both houses of congress,” Brauch says, “but here, in this amendment, there’s no check on the governor.” Iowa Republican Party chairman Jeff Kaufmann supports the amendment. “There is going to be a Democratic governor at some point and they’re going to benefit from this, too,” Kaufmann said. “…This is a no brainer.”

Election Day is NEXT Tuesday (November 5th).