(Radio Iowa) – Advocates for rural Iowans called for rejection of Plan 1 for redistricting, while most of the speakers at a public hearing last (Wednesday) night praised the newly drawn boundaries for legislative and congressional districts. Steve Woodhouse, who did not give his address, was among those who argued the proposal isn’t fair to rural Iowans. “My concerns are just basically because there seems to be a huge divide between the wants and needs of rural Iowa versus that of urban,” Woodhouse said, “and I don’t think it’s going to be balanced enough with this map.”

Thomas O’Donnell, who did not give his address, says the map reflects Iowa’s population as it is now, with metro areas getting more representation.  “The people who may oppose this map, particularly Republicans who are thrown into the same districts in the General Assembly, have to face the reality that population in rural areas is declining,” he said.

The redistricting plan continues to use a major street in Sioux City as a dividing line for legislative districts, so the largest Morningside University residence hall is in different Iowa House and Senate districts compared to the rest of Morningside’s campus. Valerie Hennings, a Morningside social sciences professor, says that makes voting decisions more confusing for students.  “We have had that line down Peters Avenue for the past decade and it has presented a challenge to our undergraduate population when it comes to their first time voting,” she said.

Most of those who spoke last (Wednesday) night praised the redistricting plan. Kim Hagemann lives in an unincorporated area of Polk County. “I know that you’re not hearing from hoards of people or people that are super mad, but supporting a fair process doesn’t tend to get people to speak out and chant loudly,” she said.”I’m here to say: ‘Pass the map! Pass the map! Pass the map!'”

Ellen Johnson, who did not give her address, recited a poem, asking legislators to approve the “first draft” of redistricting. “In our state there’s no room for partisan pandering. Each district’s border is just a bit meandering, but they’re pretty compact and I hope you’ll quickly act so in Iowa we can avoid gerrymandering,” she said.

The governor has set October 5th as the date for a special legislative session for lawmakers to approve or reject the first redistricting plan.

(Radio Iowa) – A non-profit called the Campaign Legal Center has filed an ethics complaint against Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne and six other House members, accusing the group of failing to report stock trades in a timely manner.

National Public Radio was first to report Axne, a Democrat for West Des Moines, along with three other Democrats and three Republicans in the House were being cited by the group. A law passed in 2012 requires members of congress to file a public report when they buy and sell stock. According to the Campaign Legal Center, Axne didn’t report any stock transactions in 2019 and 2020. A spokesperson for Axne says the congresswoman has publicly disclosed her assets, but does not personally manage or execute the stock trades for her retirement account or accounts she has with her husband or her small business.

Axne’s spokesperson says the congresswoman will take all necessary steps to ensure disclosures of stock trades are accurate and in accordance with the law. The chairman of the Iowa Republican Party says it is clear Axne hid stock trades from public scrutiny and he calls her explanation for he lapse a pathetic excuse.

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican from Ottumwa, is updating her financial disclosure form after the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported she failed to list her salary as a state senator on the document. A spokesman for Miller-Meeks told the Gazette the congresswoman had no outside income, assets or liabilities to disclose.

(Atlantic, Iowa) [updated]- An investment the City of Atlantic made in a housing rehabilitation program has come full-circle, with a reimbursement check for $65,000 issued to the Mayor, Wednesday evening. In Dec. 2020, the City Council passed a Resolution establishing a non-profit Housing Rehabilitation Revolving Loan Fund. At that same Dec. 16th meeting, they appropriated funds and partnered with SHIFT ATL on the organization’s first housing project at 608 Hazel Street.

SWIPCO Community Development Director/SHIFT ATL Co-Founder Alexsis Fleener said Wednesday, the project was completed, and the home was sold for $154,000. Fleener said the house was purchased for rehab in the amount of $63,000, but with closing costs included, the loan from the City came to $65,000.

She says when they paid off the loan and the check presented Wednesday night clears the bank, SHIFT ATL will have made $33,000. The funds reimbursed to the City will be deposited back into the Non-profit Housing Fund for future projects.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, passed by a vote a 6-to1, a Resolution granting Mike Pellett, the owner of 60499 Glacier Road, permission to connect to the City’s Sanitary Sewer System.

Councilman Dick Casady was the lone “Nay” vote.

Annexing the address on Glacier Road would have been impractical, due to it being too far from the City limits, and the City would have had to absorb a bridge, one they do not need added to the infrastructure liabilities, according to City Administrator John Lund.

The Council approved the closing of select streets on October 9th at 6-p.m., for the Atlantic Fireman’s Parade. Mayor Dave Jones set Halloween as Sunday, Oct. 31st, from 5-until 7:30-p.m., and the Council approved the appointment of Heather Santi-Brown to the Housing Committee.

(Radio Iowa) – Parents and school board members were surprised after the Sioux City Schools sent out a notice today (Wednesday) that all students must wear masks on school buses to comply with federal law. The school board declined to institute a mask mandate in Sioux City school buildings at their meeting last week. Board member Dan Greenwell says he thought the board was going to discuss the bus issue next Monday. “But apparently, the administration decided to implement it immediately — and that was on the advice of counsel I think…it surprised all of us on the speed and the requirement,” Greenwell says. He says it’s based on the legal interpretation.

“We are subject to that federal requirement. We checked for the state’s interpretation and the Department of Education’s interpretation indicated that we should the federal guidelines required for the masks,” he says. Greenwell says it creates an unusual situation for wearing masks. “Get on the bus in the morning and you put on your mask during the bus trip and then you take your mask off. On again, off again. I apologize to the citizens for this, it’s just inconsistent and not in line with what the board approved at the last meeting,” according to Greenwell.

“If it’s a rule, it’s a rule and if it’s a law, it’s a law. I think we have to follow the law. I would not recommend not doing it.” The bus mask mandate includes travel for extra-curricular activities as well as transportation to and from school. The Sioux City Schools have declined any comment on the issue — saying their new release on the issue explains the guidance.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Three City of Atlantic employees were presented with plaques and received congratulations from the City Council, for their 10 years of service to citizens of the community. Mayor Dave Jones made the presentations.

Among those honored was Lt. Devin Hogue with the Atlantic Police Department, who began as a Patrolman in Aug., 2011.

Lt. Devin Hogue

City Administrator John Lund, who began as an Assistant to the City Administrator in March, 2011, and Chad Silence, who joined the Street Department in March, 2011 as and Equipment Operator.

John Lund

Chad Silence

(UPDATE, 9/24: Individuals who participate in the program must be 18 years of age or older)

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with Iowa Western Community College, in Atlantic, said Wednesday, that Iowa Western’s Continuing Education department is partnering with local hospitals and long-term health facilities to recruit and provide FREE Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training for the first 100 Iowa resident applicants! There will be training programs in Atlantic, Clarinda, Harlan, and at the main campus in Council Bluffs.

The cost is FREE to Iowa residents! The applicant will attend an orientation day and then their next step is to show up to their first day of class. Iowa Western offers a 75-hour class, as well as a hybrid class, which incorporates both class and lab exercises. Once the student successfully completes the class and lab, they will then take the state certification exams, offered at our Iowa Western campus, and be able to apply for CNA jobs immediately!

Rachel Jensen, Director of Continuing Education at Iowa Western, says “We want to find 100 individuals who want to make a difference in the lives of others.” Certified Nursing Assistants have the ability to make a difference in a resident’s life each and every day. This CNA Training is certainly a great initiative for the student, the facilities, the community and most important the residents.

Iowa Western hopes that the 100 free CNA’s start to address the health care workforce demand that has become more acute due to the COVID pandemic. There is a large workforce demand for CNA’s. The region of SW Iowa and the Omaha MSA currently has 6,702 Certified Nursing Assistants positions and will experience a 1.7% growth in the next five years. Currently the median pay is $15.33 an hour.

Cindy Wetterlind, IWCC Cass County Center Director, is excited for this initiative.  She said “I was very excited to hear about this initiative and the great opportunities it will bring to our community. Many providers are experiencing staffing issues and by adding 100 new Certified Nurses Assistants to the workforce residents, patients, and staff across all healthcare sectors will benefit greatly.” She has reached out to several facilities in the area and they too are excited for the opportunities that this will bring to the local area.

The IWCC Cass County Center CNA class will start on November 29th. For more information please call 712-243-5527.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Officials with the Glenwood Police Department say two people were arrested Wednesday on separate warrants: 32-year-old Tera McAtee, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a Pottawattamie County warrant for Failure to Appear. Her bond was set at $1,000; and, 25-year-old Kameron Myers, of Glenwood, was arrested on a Douglas County, Nebraska warrant, also for Failure to Appear. Myers’ bond was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) – The latest state report shows that over the past seven days there’s been a nearly 10 percent increase in the number of Covid patients in Iowa hospitals. The Iowa Department of Public Health’s website shows there are 638 Covid patients in Iowa hospitals and 25 percent of them are in intensive care units. State data shows a dozen kids under the age of 12 are hospitalized with Covid.

Among the Iowans who’ve tested positive for Covid in the past week, 26 percent are under the age of 18. That’s a slight decline from last week’s report.

Over the past seven days, nearly 60 percent of the Iowans confirmed through testing to have Covid are under the age of 40. The latest information on Covid shots shows nearly 65-and-a-half percent of Iowa ADULTS are fully vaccinated. The vaccination rate among Iowans over the age of 65 is 83 percent.