(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa A-C-L-U announced today (Friday) that 11 Iowa parents of students with disabilities and a disability rights group are filing a federal lawsuit against the state over the law that bans mask mandates in schools. A-L-C-U attorney Rita Bettis Austen says the students can’t get the same education through online learning. “This violates federal civil rights laws that are meant to protect kids with disabilities in education from discrimination,” she says. Bettis Austen says they are asking the court to immediately block the part of the law that prohibits mask mandates from schools.

“Because this law put vulnerable kids in a dangerous situation. Schools need to be able to require everyone to wear a mask in order to meet their obligations to these children,” Bettis Austen says. The U-S Department of Education says it is investigating whether laws against mask mandates in Iowa and four other states violate federal anti-discrimination laws. Bettis Austen says this lawsuit follows along with that investigation. “It’s unusual for the Department of Education to act this quickly in opening an investigation. I credit it to just how urgent this situation is for our students with disabilities,” she says.

A-L-C-U attorney Rita Bettis Austen

Bettis Austen says this case is not connected to a case brought in state court by a parent from Council Bluffs. Heather Preston of Des Moines is one of the parents in the suit. “For my son, going to school when not everyone is wearing masks puts him at a huge risk. Meanwhile, because of his needs, he needs to be learning in person,” Preston says. “It is terrifying for a parent to have to worry every day about the physical safety of their child.” Governor Kim Reynolds signed the bill into law in May and says it allows parents to decided if their child should wear a mask to school.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer and we celebrate with barbecues and road trips. But be aware as you hit the highways, the Labor Day holiday weekend is one of the deadliest times of the year in terms of drunk-driving fatalities.  During the 2019 Labor Day holiday period (August 31 – September 3), there were 451 traffic fatalities nationwide.  Forty-five percent of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking and more than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drivers who were over the legal limit.  Ultimately, drinking and driving is a choice, and it is a choice that puts all road users at risk.

In Iowa in 2019, there were six fatalities over the three-day Labor Day weekend.  Three of these fatalities involved a drunk driver. To help keep people safe on our roadways and put an end to drunk driving, extra law enforcement will be out, both locally and nationally, in support of the 2021 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign from August 20 through September 6, 2021.

One of the deadliest and most often committed – yet preventable – crimes (impaired driving), has become a serious safety epidemic in our country.  We can all do our part to put the brakes on drunk and drugged driving.  Remember that it is never okay to drink/drug and drive.  Even if you plan to have only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or use a ride serve to get home safely.  If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact your local law enforcement.  Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive?  Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.  These are small tasks that can make a BIG difference to save lives.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau reminds you:
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

(Oakland, Iowa) – The Southwest Iowa Art Tour is gearing up for its eighth year connecting rural communities through art. Mark your calendars for Friday, September 17th, Saturday, September 18th and Sunday, September 19th this year. In 2014, a group of southwest Iowa artists came together to pull off a regional event to connect their rural communities – a self-guided ‘Art Tour’ that would showcase their artworks, studios, galleries, and hometowns. The first year included nine participating communities and thirty artists. The success of the Southwest Iowa Art Tour has grown the eighth annual event to twelve communities, fifteen Gathering Places, and more than seventy local artists.

This self-guided tour allows participants to begin and end where they would like, come and go from location to location at their leisure, and explore diverse art forms – including fiber art, sculpture, pottery, painting, metal works, jewelry, glassware and much more from over seventy artists. The fifteen unique stops, some familiar and others new this year, will be located in the following Southwest Iowa towns: Avoca, Clarinda, Council Bluffs, Essex, Glenwood, Harlan, Macedonia, Malvern, Neola, Red Oak and Villisca.

The event is traditionally held the third Saturday and Sunday in September. In 2019, an additional Friday “Sneak Peek” was added at select locations. Last year the tour was modified due to COVID-19 and featured less locations and hours only on Saturday. For 2021 the Southwest Iowa Art Tour has returned as a three-day event, which will allow the public time to hit all 15 Gathering Places over the weekend! This year’s Friday “Sneak Peek” hours are from 4 to 7 PM on September 17th at 10 of the 15 locations.

This will provide attendees with the additional opportunity to explore the Gathering Places in Clarinda, Essex, Macedonia, Malvern, Neola, Red Oak and Villisca a little early – whether you can’t make it the other days or just need additional time to visit all locations over the weekend. The Five One 8 in Red Oak will also be having an ‘after hours’ with live music by Tica Perri from 7 to 9 PM. The hours for all locations are from 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturday, September 18th and from Noon to 4 PM on Sunday, September 19th.

The Southwest Iowa Art Tour is coordinated by Golden Hills RC&D of Oakland and the collaborative efforts of local participating artists. Because of ongoing COVID-19 concerns, Gathering Places will be exercising precautions that may include outdoor displays, social distancing measures and extra sanitizing to ensure the health and safety of our artists and participants. Please be respectful of individual Gathering Place guidelines, and of course please stay home if you are not feeling well.

For more information be sure to check the “Southwest Iowa Art” Tour Facebook page (with individual Facebook Events for each Gathering Place) and visit the website: www.swiarttour.com, or contact Becca at rebecca.castle@goldenhillsrcd.org. Come support our artists in Southwest Iowa, and be a part of “connecting rural communities through art.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Meyer & Gross Real Estate, will be hosting a Drive-In Movie experience Saturday, October 2nd.  Kelsey Beschorner, Programs Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce said  “Drive-In Movie Night has become an annual tradition that I look forward to every year. We are excited to bring a Halloween themed movie to the big screen this fall.”

She added, “The Drive-In is a fun, nostalgic experience for community members and those in the surrounding area to enjoy. This also gives us the opportunity to show off our town and encourage people to shop and eat before coming to the movie.”

The Drive-In Movie will be at the Cass County Fair Grounds in the grandstand area beginning around 8:30 PM with a showing of “Hocus Pocus.” Cars may begin parking at 7 PM. The screen is 60 feet long with a high definition projector. Speakers will be available next to the screen for people to utilize. A transmitter will be provided for those enjoying the movie from their car. Attendees will turn their radio to a certain station and the transmitter will play the audio through their car speakers.

Entry is $20 per car vehicle and tickets can be purchased at www.atlanticiowa.com or day-of at the gate. People are welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on. Inside parking for the Drive-In is limited, so pack a chair or blanket as precaution. Concessions will be available for purchase by Atlas Atlantic Cinema in the Chuckwagon on the fairgrounds.

For more information, visit www.atlanticiowa.com, call the Chamber at 712.243.3017 or email chamber@atlanticiowa.com. The Drive-In is sponsored by Meyer & Gross Real Estate, Diamond Detailing, Nishna Valley Family YMCA, and the Atlantic Community Promotions Commission.