WASHINGTON, March 4, 2024 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today (Monday) announced that four school districts in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, and Ohio received awards for their trailblazing and innovative efforts to improve the nutritional quality of meals for their students. This announcement was made in front of nearly 850 school nutrition professionals at the School Nutrition Association Legislative Action Conference during National School Breakfast Week. The school districts are the first winners of Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards, jointly created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Action for Healthy Kids as part of USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, also known as HMI. These awards celebrate school districts who embrace opportunities to take their school meals to the next level.

The four awardees—Clear Lake Community School District in Iowa; Sandy Valley Local School District in Magnolia, Ohio; Petersburg School District in Alaska; and Regional School Unit 89 in Stacyville, Maine—along with 260 other small and/or rural school districts also received HMI grants last summer to enhance the nutritional quality of their school meals.

The Clear Lake Community School District (Iowa) is recognized as a “Lunch Trailblazer” for reducing sodium in their menu items through creative strategies such as sourcing low- or no-sodium products, increasing the use of fresh local foods, and enhancing flavors with custom spice blends. Julie Udelhofen, food service director, Clear Lake Community School District, said “We’ve been hosting monthly taste tests for our students, which feature locally grown foods. These events are a wonderful opportunity to introduce our students to new produce items as well as show our students that their opinions matter to us.”

For more information about the awardees, please visit the HMI Awardee Spotlight webpage.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa [WHO-TV]— A Marshalltown 18-year-old is facing charges after officials say he led law enforcement on a chase exceeding 120 miles per hour through three counties over the weekend. Around 6:48 p.m. on Saturday a Marshall County deputy noticed a vehicle driven by Anthony Harding traveling at a high rate of speed in the 500 block of South 18th Avenue in Marshalltown.

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office said the deputy tried to make a traffic stop and the car pulled over and stopped, but Harding sped away when the deputy tried to approach the vehicle. The chase went out of Marshall County and into Grundy County, then back into Marshall County before ending in Tama County. The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office said Harding was going faster than 120 miles per hour during the chase. Harding tried to turn off the car’s headlights multiple times to avoid detection, however, the Iowa State Patrol aircraft relayed directions to officers. The vehicle came to a stop when it suffered engine troubles. Harding was arrested at the scene. Two adult passengers and one juvenile passenger were briefly detained but then released after a short investigation.

Harding is facing multiple charges including eluding and operating while intoxicated. He is currently being held in the Marshall County Jail. The Sheriff’s Office said Harding was on a temporary home visit from the Iowa State Training School in Eldora at the time of the incident. He was being held at the facility in the custody of Juvenile Court Services in connection to a separate case.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa’s life expectancy is now in the 80s according to a University of Iowa study. It’s one part of a “megatrend” regarding age in the state. The report also finds Iowa now has the highest percentage of residents over 80. By 2030 those 65 and older could outnumber people 18 and younger. According to UI Professor of Health Policy & Research Brian Kaskie, the changes are thanks to resources Iowa has to offer that have made it a good place to grow older.

He says scattered across Iowa are age friendly areas that are especially accommodating for older Iowans. These areas have an abundance of resources like accessible healthcare facilities. However, the study also found Iowa’s younger population is shrinking. The state could be approaching a point where one in five Iowans are above 65 years old. That could lead to problems down the line, as more Iowans retire, there’s fewer people to fill their jobs.

This could result in older Iowan’s postponing their retirement to combat the worker shortage. Others may need to keep working out of necessity, as a longer life expectancy can also mean people needing to save more for a longer retirement. Not all could be able to work. Those 65 and older are more vulnerable to age-related conditions which could bar them from being able to work.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Patrons of and visitors to, the Atlantic Public Library are reminded about a painting and flooring renovation project that will be underway this week, and that will result in the upper floor of the library being closed to the public. Atlantic Public Library Director Michelle Andersen says work on the project is set to begin today (March 4^th). It’s part of a plan to renovate the entire building over the course of a few years.

The first step in the upper floor renovation, she said, is the flooring and painting. It’s something library staff have been preparing for and are excited to see come to fruition.

The Atlantic Public Library will be open, but with limited or no access to the upstairs for the duration of the project.

The Atlantic Public Library

It may take longer than normal to prepare the holds for pick up, so please wait for a notification that your material is ready before coming to pick it up. Meetings and other activities that are held in the library, are being moved to other sites or other parts of the library, while the work is underway.

Andersen says they are hoping to be back to “normal” operations sometime next month. Speaking of next month…

The renovation project is being funded by private gifts, donations, and grants.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Union County Sheriff’s Office says no one was injured after an SUV struck a deer Sunday evening, near Afton. The accident on eastbound Highway 34. Authorities say a 2018 Ford Escape, driven by 66-year-old Barbara Irene Moore, of Afton, struck a deer a little before 7-p.m.  The vehicle sustained about $3,000 damage, but was able to be driven from the scene.

Western Iowa firefighters were kept busy, Sunday, battling a variety of field/brush and other fires. Crews from the Creston Fire Department responded at around 11:42-a.m. to a request for mutual aid from Adams County, to provide water and manpower to fight a field fire near Vanilla and Highway 34. Other crews at the scene include those with the Lenox, Corning, Clearfield, and Prescott Fire Departments.

Last week, Creston Firefighters responded also, to a structure fire 1310 E Howard St, White River (formerly known as Benson Hill). Crews worked with White River staff to locate and extinguish fire on three floors of the production facility. The fire was contained to the production pipelines. Mutual aid was received from the Afton Volunteer Fire Department and Lenox Iowa Fire Department. Medics from Greater Regional Hospital in Creston were also on-hand. The call went out at around 3-p.m. On Feb. 29^th.

At around 12:36-p.m., Sunday, crews from the Red Oak, Elliott and Stanton Fire Departments were dispatched to 1301 E Cherry St in Red Oak for a dumpster on fire next to a residence. Fire crews arrived a short time later and were able to contain the fire to the dumpster. The residence was checked for extension and none was found. The dumpster belonging to Batten Sanitation sustained some damage from the fire. It appears minimal to none to the residence itself. The residence was not occupied at the time. The incident is being investigated by the Red Oak PD and Red Oak FD at this time. The property belonged to Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church. No injuries reported. Montgomery County 911 assisted in the handling the incident.

At around 3-p.m., Sunday (March 3^rd) the Missouri Valley Fire Department was called to a field fire that was rapidly escalating. Modale Fire was dual paged to assist. “Ironically,” officials said, “ Logan and Magnolia had their own wildfire at the same time.” The wind and smoke obscured the true size of the fire so Mo. Valley Fire also requested Mondamin and Crescent to respond. After reassessing the scene and having crews work the fire it was decided to cancel Mondamin and Crescent. Modale and Mo. Valley F-D crews handled the bulk of the fire with the assistance of two tractors with disks (these made a HUGE difference in keeping the fire from spreading more quickly and were greatly appreciated).

An estimated 5-to 6 acres were burned. Authorities believe the cause of the fire was from two fuses that blew on a nearby power pole. Officials say to put in to context how quickly the fire spread in the high winds: the call was at 3pm; crews were on the scene within 12 minutes, but by then the fire had spread across approximately 4 acres- that’s how dry it is and how the wind can push a fire. The Department says “If the fire would have made it to Willow Creek that would have been very detrimental. Examples like these are why we are asking for no burning until we get moisture.” In addition to the aforementioned fire departments, Deputies with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri Valley Police assisted at the scene with traffic control.

On Sunday, multiple agencies spent the afternoon fighting a fire in central Iowa, off Interstate 80 in Jasper County, just north of Mitchellville. The call of a grass fire came in around 1 p.m., according to Jasper County Emergency Management. High winds caused the fire to move quickly and crews to work even harder to contain it. The cause of the fire is not immediately known.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – If you’ve ever wondered what people serving on county boards and commissions do, and how you can serve in those types of positions, an event taking place this Saturday, March 9th in Atlantic, will help to answer your questions. Cass County Democrats are hosting “Local Office, Boards, and Commissions Panel and Q&A” from 10-until 11-a.m., March 9th,  AM at the American Legion Memorial Building (201 Poplar St., in Atlantic. While the event is being hosted by the Democrats, all people, regardless of party affiliation are encouraged to attend. The event is free and open to the public. Panelists scheduled to share their experiences will include Wendy Richter, Todd Weppler, Phil Hascall, and Sandy Sothman.

Richter was elected to the Cass County Board of Supervisors in 2022. In this role, she serves as a liaison to the following boards and commissions: Cass County Board of Health, Cass County Local Food Policy Council, Healthy Cass County, Cass County Tourism, Boost 4 Families Board, and West Central Community Action Board. She also serves as an alternate liaison to Nishna Valley Trails and the Southwest Iowa Planning Council. Cass County Supervisors serve four-year terms.

While Richter is just two years into her term, the following Board members are up for reelection this November: Steve Green (District 1, representing rural Atlantic), Steve Baier (District 4, representing the south and southwest portion of the county, including Griswold), and Bernard Pettinger (District 5, representing the north and east portion of the county, including Wiota,
Anita, Massena, and Cumberland).

Todd Weppler was last elected to the Cass County Agricultural Extension Council in 2022. Members of this board serve four-year terms. Sandy Sothman was appointed to the Cass County Conservation Board in 2021. Members of this board serve five-year terms. Phil Hascall is currently appointed to both the Airport Zoning Board of Adjustment and the Cass County Zoning Board of Adjustment. Members of these boards also serve five-year terms.

LaVon Eblen, retired Extension leader in Cass and Audubon Counties and former host of KJAN’s Backyard and Beyond program, will moderate the panel. LaVon herself has previously served on county boards including the Cass County Local Food Policy Council and Healthy Cass County.

Doors will open at 9:45-a.m., Saturday. Light breakfast refreshments will be provided.

For more information on the Cass County Democrats, or to join the Cass County Democrats email newsletter, contact casscountyiadems@gmail.com or follow the Cass County Democrats on Facebook @CassCountyIADems.