(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.”

(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:

• Call To Order
• Approval of the Agenda
• Discussion, Review, and Recommendation Regarding Proposals from the RAGBRAI® Welcome Committee
• Discussion, Review, and Recommendation Regarding Proposals from the RAGBRAI Entertainment Committee
• Review of Robinson Landscaping Plan for Downtown
• Review and Recommendation on Designs and Prices from JJ Design for Wraps to Enhance Existing Entrance Signs
• Update, Review and Recommendation on Flagpoles and other Enhancements for the Primary Entrance Sign on the Corner of Highway 6 and Highway 71
• Update, Review, and Recommendation on the FY 2024 and FY 2025 Beautification Budget
• Other Business
• Adjournment

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.