United Group Insurance

House votes to set $50,000 as minimum teacher salary by 2025-26 school year

News

March 8th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(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.

House votes to raise penalties for killing ‘unborn person’

News

March 8th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(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.

Friday High School Boy’s State Basketball Schedule

Sports

March 7th, 2024 by admin

Class 1A – Championship

#1 North Linn (25-1) vs #5 Marquette Catholic (27-1) @ 1:00 p.m.

Class 2A – Championship

#1 West Christian (22-3) vs #2 Hudson (25-2) @ 3:00 p.m.

Class 3A – Championship

#4 Assumption (18-8) vs #2 Waverly-Shell Rock (22-3) @ 5:00 p.m.

Class 4A – Championship

#1 Cedar Rapids-Kennedy (25-0) vs #2 Valley (20-5) @ 7:00 p.m.

Thursday High School Boy’s State Basketball Scores

Sports

March 7th, 2024 by admin

Class 2A – Quarterfinals 

#1 Western Christian 76, #5 Treynor 45

#2 Hudson 54,  #6 Unity Christian 51

 

Class 3A – Quarterfinals 

#4 Assumption 61, #1 Decorah 53

#2 Waverly -Shell Rock 76, #3 MOC-Floyd Valley 66

 

Class 4A – Quarterfinals

#1 Cedar Rapids Kennedy 63,  Ankeny 51

#2 Valley 66 #6 Bettendorf 46

AC-GC Chargers Boys Basketball 2023-2024 Season recap

Sports

March 7th, 2024 by admin

The AC-GC Chargers boys basketball team ended their season with a 60-46 loss to the Lynnville-Sully Hawks in the semi-final round the Class 1A-Region 7 bracket. The Chargers were led in scoring by junior Noah Kading who had 13 points in that game.

The Chargers were led in scoring by junior Jathan South who had 355 points and averaged 15 points per game this season.

AC-GC will be losing four seniors to graduation this year: Anthony Solorzano, Lance Bunde, Carter Neff and Nate Chance.

Chargers coach Lance Kading commented about playing a tough top ranked Lynnville-Sully team this post season.

Coach Kading talked about junior Jathan South growth over this past summer.

Coach Kading says he is going to lose two key senior starters Anthony Solorzano and Lance Bunde to graduation this year.

Coach Kading said that his team will also be participating in summer camps, while some of the incoming seniors will be on a traveling team.

The Chargers did end the season with 14-9 overall record and went 9-6 in the West Central Conference, and the players are looking forward to next season.

 

Drake men to play Evansville in MVC quarterfinals

Sports

March 7th, 2024 by admin

The Drake men play Evansville Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Tournament in St. Louis. The Bulldogs are the two seed and stand 25-6 overall.

 

That’s Drake coach Darian DeVries. The Bulldogs have reached the championship game three straight years and beat Bradley in last season’s title contest.

 

DeVries hopes the recent success they have had in the tournament is a plus.

 

DeVries on the keys to winning three games in three days.

 

Evansville advanced with a 59-53 victory over Illinois State.

No. 3 Iowa women will play Penn State in B1G quarterfinals

Sports

March 7th, 2024 by admin

The third ranked Iowa Hawkeye women play Penn State in Friday night’s quarterfinal round at the Big Ten Tournament in the Twin Cities. The Hawkeyes will be in search of their third straight tournament title and enter the post season with a record of 26-4.

 

That’s Iowa coach Lisa Bluder who says game prep is always a challenge during conference tournaments.

 

Bluder says the soldout crowds at home and on the road have prepared the Hawkeyes for the post season.

 

This week’s tournament will draw record crowds.

 

Penn State advanced with an 80-56 victory over Wisconsin.

City of Atlantic Personnel & Finance Committee to act on City Clerk’s position recommendation

News

March 7th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(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.

Hawkeyes Travel to Texas for Spring Training

Sports

March 7th, 2024 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa rowing team heads to Waco, Texas for spring training, followed by a scrimmage against No. 18 SMU.

The Hawkeyes will begin training on Tuesday, Mar. 12, and end on Thursday where they will be practicing in two-a-days throughout the week.

Iowa will accompany training by competing against the Mustangs in a scrimmage Friday, Mar. 15, and Saturday, Mar. 16.

Diesel spill reaches Middle Nodaway River

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 7th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

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.