(Radio Iowa) – The funeral was held this (Thursday) morning for the 11-year-old boy who was shot to death at Perry High School last week. Perry police say sixth grader Ahmir Jolliff was shot three times in the cafeteria by the 17-year-old gunman who wounded four other students and three adults — including the principal — before taking his own life.

According to a post on the Perry Community School District website, elementary school students will head back to class next Thursday, which will be two weeks after the violence, while middle schoolers will return next Friday.

The site says the return for high school students is “still being discussed as there are many factors to consider.”

(Radio Iowa) – Some Iowa nonprofits are facing a financial crunch as they run out of state and federal pandemic relief funds, which is a concern for Iowa seniors who rely on meal deliveries. The Northeast Iowa Agency on Aging’s nutrition budget has been cut nearly in half since its COVID assistance ran dry. That means a reduction in daily hot meal deliveries for 18 counties. Agency C-E-O Mike Donohue says state legislative funding just isn’t keeping pace with the cost of meals.

“We have seen those costs just go through the roof,” Donohue says. “We had per-meal costs that were in the $6 range prior to the pandemic that today are $10.” Donohue’s agency does get state money to operate but he says that funding isn’t keeping up with the cost of inflation.

“Overall, funding really hasn’t changed much,” he says. “I think if you look over the past five years, funding has grown about six percent total.” The agency plans to continue to make meal deliveries to about 500 area seniors, though as of last week, those deliveries started coming in bulk, every two weeks, instead of every day.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa National Guard Adjutant General Stephen Osborn — appointed to the post last March — says he’s leading “the greatest transformation” of the Guard in its 186 year history.

“This initiative is a reorganization that optimizes organizational efficiencies, leverages our human capital, and brings the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard into a more cohesive, joint team,” Olson said today, “without growing our force structure.”

Olson delivered the annual “Condition of the Guard” address to Iowa lawmakers this morning. “Ultimately, these long range, holistic efforts lay the groundwork to keep your Iowa National Guard ready to execute any state or federal mission well into the future,” Olson said.

Iowa National Guard Adjutant General Stephen Olson (Official photo)

Olson has hired a full-time staff director to oversee Army and Air Guard operations. Also, in response to a congressional mandate, he’s hired 14 new civilian employees to help service members with violence and sexual assault prevention, as well as victim advocacy.

“We owe our service members every opportunity and benefit to take care of them,” Olson said, “and to allow them to do their jobs.”

There are nearly 9000 soldiers, airmen and civilian staff in the Iowa National Guard today. Iowa Army National Guard units have deployed to Poland, Kosovo, the Middle East and the U.S./Mexico border in the past year. Airmen from the Iowa Air Guard were on missions in Korea, Japan, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Greenland, and Germany during 2023.