(Radio Iowa) – Forecasters say much of Iowa should have mostly clear skies tonight (Thursday), allowing a good view of what promises to be the longest partial lunar eclipse in centuries. Professor Siobahn Morgan, who heads the Astronomy Department at the University of Northern Iowa, says the full moon will be almost completely covered by the shadow of the Earth, causing what’s called a Blood Moon.

“It will mainly turn red. The part of it that will not be eclipsed, of course, will be kind of muted and grayish color or dimmed out, not as colorful as most of the moon,” Morgan says. “It would be very cool to see, especially with binoculars.” The Earth’s shadow should start covering the moon around 1:18 A-M and will eventually darken about 98-percent of our natural satellite’s surface.

A blood moon should be visible tonight & early Friday morning.

“The lunar eclipse duration, when it first starts to enter the outer shadow of the Earth and then leave it is about three-and-a-half hours,” Morgan says. “The fuller, darker part of the eclipse is much less duration.” Given the position of the Earth and moon, the experts say this will be the longest-lasting partial lunar eclipse since the year 1440, while there won’t be a longer similar event until 2669. That’s reason enough to set the alarm, bundle up, go outside and take a gander, right?

“The peak of the eclipse happens just a little bit after 3 AM,” Morgan says. “Anytime between about 2 AM and 4 AM would give you an interesting view. The closest you are to 3 AM, the better.” In addition to the full moon, the partial lunar eclipse and the Blood Moon, tonight’s glowing orb in the sky is also referred to as a Beaver Moon — the first full moon in November. The origins of the name are thought to come from Native Americans who set traps for beavers during this month prior to the freezing of rivers and streams to guarantee a good supply of winter furs.

(Fremont, NE) – A Montgomery County (IA) man is dead following a crash Wednesday afternoon in Dodge County, Nebraska. According to the Nebraska State Patrol, 32-year-old Anthony Branam, of Villisca died when the vehicle rear-ended a semi-tractor trailer at around 3:30-p.m., Wednesday, on Highway 77, north of Fremont, NE.

The driver of the semi was not injured. Authorities say the crash closed a stretch of the highway for about three hours.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion says political rhetoric has become too heated on both sides of the partisan divide, but she voted against the formal reprimand of a fellow Republican because House Democrats haven’t taken similar action against other Democrats. Hinson voted against censuring Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar for posting an animated video online that depicted him attaching President Biden and killing a New York Congresswoman.  “It’s absolutely wrong to depict violence against another member of congress and the president and there’s no excuse or justification for that behavior,” Hinson says. “…Violent rhetoric is unacceptable.”

But Hinson says Democrats failed to censure a California Congresswoman last year who had called on protesters to get more confrontational. “Accountability for wrongdoing shouldn’t be determined by your party, but Speaker Pelosi has set that unequal standard,” Hinson says. “…I’m commuted to making sure we lower the temperature in our nation’s political discourse and that’s the way I’m choosing to lead on this issue in Iowa’s first district.”

Randy Feenstra of Hull and Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa — the other Republicans in Iowa’s U.S. House delegation — also voted against removing a fellow Republican from his committee assignments, but did not make public statements about their votes. Nor did Democratic Congresswoman Cindy Axne of West Des Moines, who voted to censure the G-O-P congressman for his social media postings.

(Radio Iowa) – The state Board of Education has approved rules for the new law that makes it easier to form publicly-funded charter schools. The board’s attorney, Thomas Mayes, told them this process will be quite different than what they’ve seen in the past. “I don’t think that the educators, the general public has fully processed the change this statute made. It’s big and bold — as some things should be — but when something is big and bold, the butterfly effect, it’s major,” Mayes says.

He says it will be a different process when the charter schools come to the board for approval. “Ordinarily, we think about waiving statutory requirements. Or I am seeking a waiver of X. The default rule for the charters is they are exempt from that. They don’t have to prove that they need a waiver — they’re just exempt from it,” Mayes explains. “Except, unless it’s specifically listed or two areas where they are required to seek a waiver. That language is critical, because a waiver implies that somebody has a burden to prove something.”

Mayes talked about some of the other exemptions in the charter school law. “They are exempt from limitations regarding year-round schools. they are exempt from the August 23rd start state. Because those were not specifically listed as things to which they either must comply or must seek your permission,” he says.

May says they received several public comments on the new rules and many were helpful in moving them forward. Board staff say they have received around six requests for information on charter schools. Groups that want to open a new charter school in Iowa next fall now have until February to submit an application.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County, Thursday, said a Malvern man was taken into custody Wednesday. 40-year-old William Cody for OWI/1st offense. His cash or surety bond was set at $1,000.