(Radio Iowa) – Three virtual rather than in-person public hearings are being planned for next month, to give Iowans a chance to comment on proposed maps that will change the boundaries of Iowa’s congressional and legislative districts. The Legislative Services Agency is using 2020 Census data to align district boundaries based on population changes and it plans to present legislators with a new set of maps by Thursday, September 16th. Iowa’s Temporary Redistricting Advisory Committee is planning for public hearings to be held the following Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Two will be at night. One will be in the afternoon.

Members of the Advisory Committee says holding those forums online rather than at sites around the state will give more Iowans a chance to speak. Iowans may submit written comments as well. By law, at least three public hearings must be held before legislators can vote on the redrawn district maps.

(Radio Iowa) – The Indianola School Board has voted to table discussion about changing the district’s “Indians” logo and mascot until after November’s school board election. School Board member Carolyn Langenwalter says the district has bigger issues to deal with right now. “My priority is the education of the kids at this point,” she said. “…I’m not disagreeing that we should talk about it, but I also think it’s something that we delay until we get through the pandemic.”

Several Indianola residents spoke during a period of public comment during Monday night’s board meeting. One woman who favors keeping the Indian mascot called it a symbol of bravery, courage and pride. A critic of the mascot said it promotes the idea Native Americans are historic or fictional figures. School Board member Ken Bresnan says it may take up to a year to have a respectful discussion in the community about the Indian mascot and whether it should be changed. “If we don’t take our time and shoot from the hip, the community hasn’t learned anything and we haven’t done our job,” Bresnan says. “We need to have time to share and to talk.”

The board asked for suggestions on how to gather community input. This isn’t the first time the issue has been debated in Indianola. One board member said her father was serving on the board 25 years ago when a similar discussion took place about Indianola’s mascot. Simpson College, also in Indianola, changed its mascot from the Redmen to the Storm in 1992.

Officials with the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Monday night, said numerous narcotics-related arrests have been made over the past month:

• On August 2nd, 37-year-old Peter James Zelenka, of Omaha, was arrested following a traffic stop, on charges that include Possession of methamphetamine, weapons charges and on an active Mills County warrant. Deputies found nearly 8.5-grams of meth in the vehicle, along with a handgun.
  

  Zelenka

• Deputies arrested 33-year-old Lorenzo Bernard Cobb, of Hastings, NE, on Aug. 8th. As the result of a traffic stop, he was charged with Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, and Poss. of Prescription Pills.
  

  Cobb

• August 13th, Mills County Deputies arrested 37-year-old Samantha Jo Abraham and 43-year-old Matthew Terrill Ollie, both of Council Bluffs. The were charged with Possession of meth with the intent to deliver, following an investigation that resulted in a traffic stop on a motorcycle.
  

  Abraham-Ollie

• Authorities say 35-year-old Richard Joseph Moreno, of Omaha, was arrested Aug. 17th during a traffic stop that resulted in the recovery of a handgun and meth.
  

  Moreno

  He was charged with Theft in the 2nd Degree, Felon in Possession of a firearm, and possession of meth.

• On the 19th, a traffic stop for an equipment violation resulted in the arrest of 47-year-old David Allen Ryan, of Shenandoah, for Possession of Meth with the Intent to Deliver. A passenger in the vehicle, 39-year-old Bobbi Jo Christo, of Shenandoah, was charged with possession of marijuana.
  

  Ryan-Christo

• And, on Aug. 22nd, 18-year-old Kyrell Deshawn Wells, of Omaha was arrested during a traffic stop in Mills County. He faces charges that include Poss. of Marijuana with the intent to deliver, and carrying weapons. The latter charge was related to the recovery of a handgun containing a 50-round magazine. Wells was also flagged as being a known gang member and on probation out of Nebraska.
  

  Wells