DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs has selected 11 Iowa arts, culture, history and humanities organizations to participate in its first Iowa Culture Leadership Cohort program.

The two-year program runs now through June 30, 2024, and is designed to help participants build leadership skills and increase organizational capacity in areas including operations, sustainability and programming. The program is jointly administered by two department divisions, the Iowa Arts Council and State Historical Society of Iowa, and will address challenges these organizations face by providing training, networking and technical assistance.

“We’re pleased to establish the Iowa Culture Leadership Cohort as a skill-building program to help cultivate Iowa’s next generation of arts and cultural leaders,” Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Chris Kramer said. “Our goal is to offer training and resources so organizational leaders can successfully run the museums, arts centers and other cultural institutions that drive tourism and experiential learning in their communities across the state.”

Although some of the participating organizations are in larger cities, the program will also help nonprofits in rural areas, where arts and culture can play an especially vital role in economic and community development.

Thirty-five organizations applied to participate in the pilot program, which is designed to primarily serve small and mid-sized organizations. The following 11 groups were chosen to participate:

Council Bluffs, Historical Society of Pottawattamie County
Des Moines, After School Arts Program
Forest City, Winnebago Historical Society
Fort Madison, Fort Madison Area Arts Association
Grinnell, Grinnell Area Arts Council
Iowa City, Public Space One
Maquoketa, Maquoketa Art Experience
Oskaloosa, George Daily Auditorium
Oskaloosa, Mahaska County Historical Society
Swedesburg, Swedish Heritage Society Foundation
Winterset, Madison County Historical Society

For more information about the Iowa Culture Leadership Cohort program, visit iowaculture.gov.

The Glenwood Police Department, Wednesday, said a woman was arrested Tuesday, for Driving While Barred. 42-year-old Sara Johnson, of Glenwood, was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

A man taking a dirt bike on a test ride at a high rate of speed Monday night in Guthrie County, and tried to jump over a farm terrace. In doing so, 19-year-old Sheldon Joseph Astley, of Coon Rapids, didn’t realize there was an ATV occupied by two females who were just on the other side of the terrace. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office said the dirt bike struck the ATV.

Astley and the ATV operator, 25-year-old Cristine Deanna Evans, of Coon Rapids, were ejected from their machines and collided in mid-air.  Astley was found underneath the dirt bike following the collision. Evans was near the ATV, on the ground. A passenger on the ATV, 17-year-old Chloe Einfred, of Coon Rapids, was checked by EMS personnel after she complained of neck and head pain. The accident happened near 1104 Grant Avenue, at around 8:10-p.m., Monday.

Astley and Evans suffered from suspected serious, incapacitating injuries. Authorities say the owner of the dirt bike transported Astley to the Guthrie County Hospital. He was later transported to Mercy One by LifeFlight. Evans was transported by ambulance to Bayard and then to Mercy One, by LifeFlight.

School bells will be ringing soon and many Iowa kids are already getting anxious or excited about returning to class. Anthony Wubben (WOO-ben), a social worker at Van Diest (DEEST) Medical Center in Webster City, suggests parents start readjusting their child’s internal clocks now to get them better prepared for early mornings.

Children who might be used to staying up until the wee hours during the summertime will have a difficult time catching the bus unless they start soon with an earlier schedule.

Wubben says it’s important that parents listen to their children after a day of classwork, as kids need a trusting adult with whom they can be open and honest.

He also suggests parents set up a meeting with the child’s teacher before school begins to get a firm grip on what to expect in the classroom.