DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines lawyer working for Iowa Workforce Development as an administrative law judge has been named the new director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday she appointed Elizabeth Johnson of Altoona to head the commission responsible for enforcing state civil rights laws designed to prohibit discrimination in employment, public accommodations and education. Johnson was a civil rights specialist at the commission before she took her current job.

She begins Aug. 26 as commission executive director, a job subject to Iowa Senate confirmation. The commission’s interim director Linda Grathwohl left on July 25 without giving a reason other than planning to return to a position at Iowa Legal Aid. The previous permanent commission executive Kristin Johnson had the job for 3½ years. She resigned Jan. 2 as Reynolds began her first full term as governor.

The Harlan Police Department reports two recent arrests and an accident. 44-year old Jason Michael Lassen, of Harlan, was arrested August 7th, following a call for a disturbance. Lassen was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with public intoxication. On August 10th, 32-year old Daniel Perez Martinez, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop. Perez Martinez was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with operating while intoxicated.

And, no injuries were reported following an accident August 3rd at 2102 23rd Street, in Harlan. Authorities say a 2001 Ford Focus driven by Mariah Karnes, of Harlan, was pulling into a parking stall, and mistakenly pushed the accelerator instead of the brake. The car hit the south side of the building, causing the wall to collapse into the building. The wall entered the building, striking a restroom and rupturing the plumbing inside the room. The water escaped the room and flooded the entire entrance.

(Radio Iowa) — Law enforcement and medical professionals are staging an active shooter training drill today (Tuesday) at the University of Iowa’s Campus Recreation and Wellness Center in downtown Iowa City. One organizer, Johnson County Emergency Management Director Dave Wilson, says the exercise seems even more necessary in the wake of recent shootings in Dayton and El Paso. “So for us, it’s all reality,” Wilson says. “We don’t take a, ‘it’s a never going to happen here’ approach. We try and be ready for what happens when it’s our turn because it’s very possible.”

The exercise is meant to be a full-scale simulation. Multiple law enforcement agencies from across Johnson County are responding, and medical professionals are working to triage volunteers posing as victims, then transporting them to area hospitals for treatment.  “More than anything, it probably reinforces the fact that, yeah, this is a relevant thing, this isn’t some wild training exercise that is never going to happen here. I don’t think anybody feels that way,” Wilson says. “We all thought prior to Texas and prior to Ohio that this could happen here.”

Wilson says the exercise has been in the works for years and the timing is coincidental. He says it’s the first such training in about three years to include E-M-S in addition to law enforcement. With each incident, he says agencies do additional preparation for the responsibility they never hope to have.

(Thanks to Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says congressional oversight is needed following the apparent weekend suicide of financier Jeffrey Epstein in a federal jail in New York City. Epstein was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges and reportedly hanged himself Saturday in his cell. Grassley says an investigation is warranted as it appears mistakes were made in how Epstein was being watched. Grassley says, “I think it would be to make sure that the Bureau of Prisons, which has a terrible record of management, we make sure that the taxpayers’ money is being spent wisely.”

Grassley says there needs to be strong leadership from the top down, something that’s lacking in this particular division. “It’s just terrible that we don’t have a fulltime director of the Bureau of Prisons,” Grassley says. “When I say ‘full-time,’ we have full-time acting, but we don’t have somebody appointed specifically for that position.”

Epstein had ties to both President Trump and former President Clinton, as well as to British royalty. Social media is aflame with conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death and who may’ve actually been responsible. Grassley, a Republican, says he doesn’t believe in conspiracy theories and is only interested in righting potential wrongs in the prison system, not delving into Epstein’s past and who knew who. “Maybe they weren’t bad when they knew him, maybe they were bad, maybe they didn’t know they were bad,” Grassley says, “but just because you rub elbows with somebody doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s some guilt on the part of friends of a person that committed suicide.”

Epstein was accused of sexually abusing dozens of young girls at his homes in Florida and New York in the early 2000s, charges he denied.

The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will meet 5:30-p.m. Wednesday (Aug. 14) in the High School Media Center. On their agenda, is discussion and action on, Athletic Facilities, with regard to a Resolution approving the designs and authorizing the release for bids. It’s anticipated the date for those final drawings and design will be sent out to prospective bidders on August 28th, with approximately one-month set aside for bid submission. Contracts will likely be issued Oct. 2nd, according to the latest information.

During their meeting July 24th, the Board heard from FRK Principal Architect Tom Wollan, who provided current designs for the Trojan Bowl, High School Track/Soccer Field, in addition to the Baseball/Softball fields. Wollan also provided an updated timeline for the project, which shows the tentative bid date for September 19th. The Board asked Wollan to provide an additional design plan for consideration for their upcoming meeting.

The Atlantic School Board will also act on the resignation of Loretta Barringer, Bus Driver, and approving Contract Recommendations and/or Letters of Assignment for several persons, including: Taylor Williams – Volunteer HS Cross Country Coach; Adam Smith – Volunteer MS Football Coach; Roger Warne – Teacher; and Jessica Newcomb – HS Para, along with various Food Service and Custodial positions.

The Board will also act on recommendations from HS Assistant Principal/Activities Director Andrew Mitchell, with regard to approving 2020 Summer Sport Coaches:

• Weight Room Coordinator – Derek Hall
• Head Softball – Terry Hinzmann
• JV Softball – Molly O’Hara
• Volunteer Softball – Derek Handel & Ally Anderson
• Head Baseball – Joseph Brummer
• JV Baseball – Robert Hanson
• 9th grade Baseball – Oran Perkins.