(Radio Iowa) – Some of Iowa’s largest school districts are discussing how to guard against the spread of Covid when school starts this month. Tanya Keith, a parent in Des Moines, says she’s concerned about the risk the highly-contagious delta variant poses to younger kids. “I don’t want my vaccinated son to bring home a breakthrough case that infects our unvaccinated first-grader,” she said.
Parents in Des Moines, Johnston and Ames are asking districts to set up classrooms where all students voluntarily commit to wear masks. Des Moines superintendent Thomas Ahart says it would be unenforceable and it would disrupt class size arrangements. The Des Moines School Board has approved a half million dollar contract with a private firm that will provide an online option for elementary students for the fall semester. “We do need to be cognizant that there are certainly some state level restrictions that prevent us from doing what we know to be best practice,” Ahart said.
The Iowa City School Board has voted to extend the deadline for enrolling in online classes to August 9th. Governor Kim Reynolds approved a law in May that forbids schools from requiring students or staff to wear face coverings on school property. Arkansas passed a similar law this spring and that state’s Republican governor is now asking the Arkansas legislature to repeal it and let schools make decisions as cases increase in their areas.
The Adair County Board of Supervisors met this (Wednesday) morning, and approved three re-appointments to the Compensation Board. That includes Jane Lents (representing the Auditor’s Office), Lyle Wittrock (representing the Sheriff’s Office), and Todd Olsen (representing the Supervisors). Lori Nelson, who had also represented the Supervisors, declined re-appointment. The search for her replacement continues.
The Board approved the hiring of Stacey Huff as Clerk for the Adair County Treasurer’s Office, and U-S Cellular as a backup internet connection provider. They also approved a private fireworks permit application for Dennis Dukes’ annual show on Aug. 7th.
In other business, they approved Board Chair Steve Shelley’s signing of pay vouchers for two county Secondary Roads projects, including a Hot Melt Asphalt (HMA)/resurfacing project for County Road G-27, and the W-35 Jefferson Bridge Project. Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman said also, there will be a pre-construction meeting Thursday (Aug. 5th) for the G-51/County line road project, which he says should begin soon with work on a box culvert. And, a pre-construction meeting will be held next week on another project.
Shoulder work on Delta Road, he said, should be finished this week in preparation for a final road rock application. Similar work on 190th will continue for another week or two.
(Radio Iowa) – Two Davenport police officers are recovering from injuries after their squad car collided with a suspect’s vehicle during a chase on Tuesday afternoon. A vehicle was reported stolen during a burglary in Bettendorf. Minutes later, a 911 caller reported seeing occupants in that stolen car waving guns in Davenport. Police responded and found the car, which refused to pull over. The chase only lasted a few blocks, ending with the suspects ramming a police car.
Four juveniles jumped out and fled on foot. All four were captured and two 14-year-olds, both from Davenport, were charged based on outstanding warrants. More charges are pending. The two officers who were hurt were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
(Manning, Iowa) – The IKM-Manning School District Board of Education has posted additional details about a bond vote that will take place Tuesday, September 14, 2021. If approved, the bond would enable the district to move forward with a series of projects to address facilities needs in both Irwin and Manning. School Officials say the bond would have a tax rate impact of an additional $9.88 per month ($0.33/day) on a home with a $100,000 assessed value. For agricultural properties, the impact would be between $2.63 and $3.16 per acre annually, depending on the location of the property.
While there would be an increase, officials stress IKM-Manning’s tax rate would remain one of the lowest in the area if the bond is approved. To illustrate this, a fact sheet compares the district tax rate to those of neighboring school districts was created.
District patrons can also use the fact sheet to calculate your own tax impact based on the value of your home, property, or agricultural land. Additionally, the fact sheet details the recent history of tax rates in IKM-Manning.
In the coming weeks, public meetings will be held to allow community members to learn more about the proposed solution and offer feedback on priorities. For more information on the district’s facility needs and the bond question, please visit www.ikmmanningbond.org.
The Griswold Tigers have found their next head wrestling coach. Former Lewis Central standout grappler Colton Lear has been hired to take over the post.
Lear has spent a couple of years as a volunteer coach with the Lewis Central program. He has also worked with a lot of youth programs to start building his coaching chops.
Griswold has struggled with getting a good number of kids to come out for the sport in recent years, so getting more athletes interested will likely be task number one for Lear.
Lear will be a Health and PE instructor for the district as well.
After a recent fire left much of the Atlantic Middle School unusable for the start of the school year in a few weeks, the Atlantic school board met last night to discuss options. Here is part of the meeting where they made their decisions on where to place the students this fall.
(Audubon, Iowa) – There used to be a TV commercial with a little old lady asking, “Where’s the beef?!” Well, they’re celebrating all things beef, during the 71st Annual Audubon Operation T-Bone Days, this Friday-Saturday and Sunday. The event begins with “Albert’s Old Fashioned Picnic” from 5-7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 6th, at the Albert the Bull Park, with hamburgers, chips, dessert bar and drink served. Audubon Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Molly Armentrout said the meal is part of a fundraiser for the PEO.
(A drive through meal will also be served. There will be Special Figure 8 Car Races [Registration starts at 5 p.m.], with the races starting at 7:30 p.m. The night finishes with fireworks at the Audubon County Fairgrounds, beginning at 10-p.m.)
Despite COVID, there was a fireworks show held last year and a drive-thru meal on the track. It was the best they could do, considering the circumstances created by the pandemic. Molly says events on Saturday shifts to the John James Audubon City Park.
(From 7-10 a.m. you can get breakfast at the Audubon County Good Neighbor Service Council Breakfast/Bake Sale at the Memorial Building for a freewill offering. At 8 a.m. try out a free Yoga Class in the Park with Michaela Shriver of Natural State Hatha Yoga.)
The Audubon County Car Club will be Cruisin’ Into T-Bone Days on Broadway Street, beginning with a 9-a.m. registration and $10 entry fee. All proceeds will be used for community projects. Also getting underway at 9-a.m. Saturday, is the Operation T-Bone Tractor Exhibition, for tractors of any condition. Tractors should arrive from 9 a.m. to noon on Broadway Street, check in at the corner of Broadway and Washington Streets. Tractors may participate in the parade and then be displayed on Broadway until 4 p.m.
A kiddie parade gets underway at 9:30-a.m., Saturday. Registration for the Operation T-Bone Parade starts at 11:30-a.m. Saturday, with the actual parade with six float categories, set to begin at 1-p.m. Saturday. Grand Marshall is Chuck Griffith.
There is also Junkin’ Craftin’ And Vendors from 10-a.m. to 4-p.m, with businesses offering store bargains, bake sales and a flea market; From 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Dottie the Clown will handle the face painting duties, and Rufus Clown will be tying balloons from 11-a.m. until 1-p.m. The T-Bone Association’s Steak Sandwich Feed begins at 11 a.m., Saturday, with entertainment to be announced at the City Park Stage. Other events include: A 2-p.m. special matinee for kids at The Rose Theater. The beer garden is open from noon until midnight, by the Thirsty Pigs Mobile Event Company. At 8 p.m. check out Midnight Band “Oreo Meatwagon” admission is free.
The weekend winds down on Sunday, with a breakfast fundraiser and open house, from 7-a.m. until Noon, at the Audubon Fire Station. There, you can learn about plans for a new fire station, in Audubon. Other events taking place at different locations include on Tuesday, Aug. 10th, the T-Bone Auction at the Anita Livestock Auction, followed by a free, hamburger feed. There’s also a T-Bone Golf Tournament in September. Learn more by following Audubon T-Bone on Facebook, auduboniowa.org, or call the Audubon Area Chamber of Commerce at 712-563-3780.
A collision in Harrison County a little after 12-a.m. today (Wednesday), left one person dead and another injured. The Iowa State Patrol reports 39-year-old Carson Stiffler, of Omaha, died in the crash that happened at the I-29 off-ramp to exit 89, near Mondamin. Authorities say a 2006 Honda Civic driven by Carson Stiffler was traveling south in the left lane of northbound I-29 at the same time a 2017 Toyota RAV4 driven by 20-year-old Serena Mailes, of Sioux City, was traveling north in the same (left) lane.
After the vehicles collided at the off-ramp, the Civic entered the median and rolled-over. The car came to rest on its wheels in the median. Its door was torn-off during the collision, resulting in Stiffler being ejected from the vehicle. The Patrol says he was wearing a seat belt. The RAV4 entered the median and struck the car.
Stiffler was transported by Mondamin Rescue to the hospital in Missouri Valley, where he died from his injuries. Mailes, who was wearing her seat belt, was also transported to the Missouri Valley Hospital by Mondamin Rescue. The accident remains under investigation. The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the crash scene.
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