(Radio Iowa) – The president of the state teachers union says some Iowa school districts plan to require that students and staff wear face coverings if state law banning mask mandates is overturned. “District administrators and school boards and educators know what’s best for the communities and they would like to do that and so if there’s a change in the law, it would happen immediately in several districts that I know of,” said Iowa State Education Association President Mike Beranek.

Beranek hosted an online news conference with the National Education Association’s president late this morning, In answer to a reporter’s question, Beranek said masks can help prevent the recent increase in Covid cases among Iowa students. “We are hurting our children and it hurts our heart and we hope that the numbers will not continue to increase,” Beranek said.

Mike Beranek.(ISEA photo)

Late last week, a state judge declined to temporarily block Iowa’s ban on mask mandates in schools. A federal judge has yet to rule on a similar request to at least temporarily block the law. The U.S. Department of Education also is considering action against Iowa’s mask ban. Some school officials in Florida have implemented mask mandates, contrary to Florida policy, but Beranek said that’s unlikely here.

“I do know that there are several districts — administrators and boards of education — who would like to do this, but because the bill is in place and there could be consequences to implementing a mask mandate I know there are locals who are hesitant to do so,” Beranek said.

The Iowa Department of Public Health is updating Covid case numbers on Wednesdays. Last Wednesday’s data showed 29% of the Iowans who had tested positive for Covid in the previous week were under the age of 18.

(Radio Iowa) – Many college freshmen across Iowa are getting their first taste of freedom on new computers this fall, but they need to be careful with trying to find free files and programs online. Consumer protection specialist Lara Sutherlin says file-sharing programs can leave your computer open to being hacked.  Sutherlin says, “So talking to your kids about knowing when they’re sharing files and when they’re downloading shared files that they’re from a secured and trusted source.” Having up-to-date malware protection and firewalls on your P-C or tablet is a good first start to keeping yourself safe.

“It can prevent things that shouldn’t be mined out of your computer from being mined,” she says, “and it also can prevent improper things from being downloaded and we encourage you to do that.” Sutherlin says improperly setting up file-sharing programs could leave parts of your computer open to the internet that you’d rather have kept private.

“You could accidentally provide people with access to your private files if you’re doing some software sharing online and you’re not protecting yourself,” Sutherlin says. Many websites that claim to host pirated games or movies also pack malware alongside those files, she warns, so downloading from them could put your files — and privacy — at risk.

WEST POINT, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) reports, “On September 5, 2021 at approximately 10:16 AM, law enforcement agencies (West Point Police Department (WPPD), Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) and the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI)) were contacted by a property owner who located human remains on their rural West Point property, in the area of 110th Street, West Point, IA.  A search was conducted and no other human remains were located.

“On September 8, 2021 an additional search was conducted by the West Point Fire Department, WPPD, LCSO, DCI and members of a K-9 search and rescue organization. No other human remains were located during the search and additional searches were scheduled. On September 11, 2021 the property owner conducted a large scale brush clearing operation of the property to assist law enforcement with the search for additional human remains.

“On September 12, 2021 at approximately 8:25 AM, the property owner located additional human remains and members of the WPPD, LCSO, DCI and Lee County Medical Examiner Investigator responded and conducted an investigation.  During the scene examination there were personal items discovered at the scene which will assist in the identification, however the final identification will have to be made using DNA analysis.  The human remains were transported to the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy, examination and identification.  Once a positive identification can be accomplished through DNA analysis, law enforcement will conduct family notifications.”

Authorities say “There did not appear to be any signs of foul play related to the investigation and there are no apparent threats or dangers to the general public related to the incident.” They added, “No further information will be released at this time.”

(Radio Iowa) – Des Moines police are investigating a woman’s death which they say was -not- due to natural causes. On Sunday night, Des Moines police were called to a house to investigate a report of a dispute. The caller expressed concern for a woman at the home. Officers arrived and found the body of 42-year-old Amber Burton. They’re not saying how she may’ve died but do say they’re treating it as a homicide. No arrests were made though police add, there’s no ongoing threat to the public. This marks Des Moines’ seventh homicide this year.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports the Sheriff’s Office K9 “Urs” will receive a bullet and stab preventative vest, thanks to a charitable donation from the non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.  Urs’ vest will be embroidered with the sentiment “Honoring those who served and sacrificed.”

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501c(3) non-profit whose mission is to provide bullet and stab-protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the country. Since 2009, the organization has  donated more than 4,381 K9 vests with a value of $6.9-million, in all 50 states. The vests are made possible by both private and corporate donations.

Deputy Jones & his K9 partner Urs

Atlantic, Iowa – Cass Health has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2021 honor by Iowa Top Workplaces. Cass Health received the #16 ranking of the top mid-sized employers in Iowa, their highest yet. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

Eric Rubino, Energage CEO says “During this very challenging time, Top Workplaces has proven to be a beacon of light for organizations, as well as a sign of resiliency and strong business performance. When you give your employees a voice, you come together to navigate challenges and shape your path forward. Top Workplaces draw on real-time insights into what works best for their organization, so they can make informed decisions that have a positive impact on their people and their business.”

Cass Health CEO Brett Altman said, “For the seventh consecutive year our employees have made Cass Health an elite work environment. We are blessed to have such incredible staff that throughout these extraordinary circumstances have continued to provide superior experiences to our patients, colleagues and communities.”