The Harlan Community School District’s Board of Education this week received an update on recently held meetings of the district’s Drug and Alcohol Committee. Superintendent Justin Wagner said fifteen community members gathered on five separate occasions to discuss the issue of drugs and alcohol within the school district. Wagner says the first thing the committee wanted was to create a mission statement.

“That mission statement was ‘to reduce or deter underage drinking and drug use in the Harlan Community School district,’ According to Wagner, who said “We really wanted to focus on the things we can control We felt we do a lot of good things right now. This started back at the survey we sent out to the staff, community and students and they said we would like to see you do more.”

Wagner said the committee discussed at length topics including extending extra curricular activities, mentoring programs, peer pressure, accountability for students, uniforms, parent accountability, attendance and drug testing. “Sometimes when you talk about drug testing, it’s really kind of a tricky conversation because I think there are some well intentions out there, “ Wagner said. He added “We have gotten a lot of support on the drug testing side of it. And it’s not because they want to play gotcha with kids. I think the community and folks want the kids to be safe. We want the kids to know we are saying drugs are not good for you… The way the law reads now, students have to agree to be drug tested. Some people agree or disagree but it boils down to if the student says no I don’t want to be drug tested, then it is unconstitutional and illegal.”

The Drug and Alcohol Community Committee decided on four recommendations: working with the Harlan Police Department on attendance if a child misses five days unexcused absences, extend extra curricular activities, establish a Drug and Alcohol informative class for Middle School students and continue to get information to the media and community regarding drugs and alcohol. No board action was necessary with the recommendations. Wagner said the recommendations are being implemented at this time and most of them will tie into the school district’s handbook for the upcoming school year in the fall.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

The Harlan Community School District’s Board of Education has approved several 1 to 1 initiative upgrades. During the Board’s meeting on Monday, Technology Director Lisa Swanson said that over a three year period, the school has had to replace about 60 percent of the bags each year due to the damage being done over the course of the school year. Currently, students are carrying their laptops in a messenger type bag with the one strap over the shoulder. However, Swanson said High school students take their bag with them everywhere and normally overstuff them with books and other materials which have caused the wear and tear.

Swanson recommended the board approve the purchase of new Airtech backpacks with a logo for all High School students totaling 550 bags at a cost of $33,000. The new backpacks will allow students to put everything from textbooks, papers and their laptop without causing damage. In addition, the backpacks have an air-pocket on the bottom to help protect the computer. The school district will also be replacing the current messenger bags for Middle School students with a more rugged carrying case. The total cost for the middle school replace bags was $16,800. Swanson said both bag purchases were under budget and planned for every year. The school board approved both recommendations as well as the purchase of 37 new laptops for teachers at a cost of $26,145.31 and 60 laptops for students for $28,901.40.

In other business, Superintendent Justin Wagner told the board about the upcoming, new Summer School Program for students. Wagner said with government funding, students can attend classes, eat breakfast and lunch for free before being released over the noon hour. The new program will be spread out throughout the summer months between High school, Middle School and Elementary students. High school students will begin classes on June 2nd through 22nd, Elementary from June 10th-18th and Middle School from the end of July to Early August. Parents will be getting more information regarding the summer school program from their child in the near future.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The State Appeal Board is delaying the approval of a proposed $100,000 settlement with a former Glenwood Resource Center employee who claimed she faced retaliation. The board tabled the state’s settlement Monday with Cecilia Carman, who alleged officials violated the Iowa Civil Rights Act when they failed to rehire her. Board members said they wanted more details before approving the payments for lost wages, emotional distress and legal fees for Carman.

The board’s executive secretary, Joe Barry, said Tuesday that members wanted more information about the details, including whether actions have been taken to prevent similar problems in the future. He says it is expected to be considered at the board’s June 2 meeting, if not earlier.

The settlement came as the case was scheduled for trial last month.

Plans are in the works to send 130 Korean War veterans from Iowa to Washington, D.C. to see monuments built in their honor. The Polk County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday awarded a $125,000 community development grant to the Central and Western Iowa Honor Flight organization, led by Jeff Ballenger,of Council Bluffs. “We’ve been taking flights since 2007 and have taken roughly 2,300 mainly World War Two veterans (to Washington, D.C.) from central and western Iowa,” Ballenger said. The honor flight for Korean War vets is scheduled to take place on September 30, with a pre-flight dinner on September 29 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium (Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center) in Des Moines.

Ballenger has been on 12 honor flights and says the veterans greatly appreciate their time in the nation’s capital.  “I’ve actually been to some funerals of our World War Two veterans who’ve passed away and some of them have been buried in their shirts from the honor flight, so that’s what this program means,” Ballenger said.

The veterans who travel to Washington, D.C. on September 30 will visit Arlington Cemetery as well as memorials to the Korean War, Vietnam, and World War Two.

(Radio Iowa)

Everyone has been asked to turn off the T-V, computer, apps and video games as part of “Screen-Free Week.” Sara Adelmann, spokeswoman for Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, says one study estimates that school-age children spend more time with screen media than in any other activity except sleeping. Adelmann says, “What we ask during Screen-Free Week is for children and adults to give up digital entertainment for seven days and to spend that extra time reading, playing, daydreaming, enjoying the outdoors and reconnecting with family and friends and participating in other offline fun.”

A recent survey found that just in the past two years, the time children spend on media devices has tripled. While visiting the organization’s website will demand the use of a computer screen, she’s hoping you’ll get some ideas at screen-free-dot-org and then switch off the computer. “We have a list of 101 activities that you can do screen-free, for example: write a story, read a book, write a letter, write to your favorite author, draw with chalk outside, make playdough, host a potluck,” Adelmann says. “There are a lot of activities you can do that don’t involve screens and most of them don’t cost a whole lot.”

Excessive screen time can be linked to poor school performance, childhood obesity, attention problems and poor sleep time, while it’s becoming more of an issue as tablets and smart phones become more common. Sometimes, though, it’s impossible to give up screentime. “What we ask during Screen-Free Week is that you give up digital entertainment,” Adelmann says. “We absolutely understand that people can’t give up screen use for work or homework. We’re really asking people to try to figure out ways to have fun and spend your extra time involved in offline activities.”

Two Iowa communities are taking a very active role this week, including Alleman in central Iowa and Muscatine in eastern Iowa. Events include an old-time fishing event, a mother-daughter spa day and a father-son dodgeball night, along with family activities at bowling alleys, batting cages and libraries.

(Radio Iowa)