(Anita, Iowa) –  Members of the CAM School District’s Board of Education will meet in a regular session beginning at 6:30-p.m. Monday (Jan. 10th), in the CAM High School Superintendent’s Office. Among the action items on their agenda, are those pertaining to:

• Open enrollments, Resignations and Contracts (Under the Consent Agenda)
• Approval of: Change to Legal Counsel; Mid-Term Graduates; Board Policies (500/600 series)
• Approval of a Board Policy (403.7) w/regard to Employee Vaccination/Testing for Covid-19.

The CAM School Board will also share presentations with CAMEA (CAM Education Assoc.) with regard to Opening Proposals for Negotiations. They will also continue discussions pertaining to District Facilities.

(Radio Iowa) – Police have been asked to investigate threats made during an online forum that featured prominent black Iowans, including the chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party. The Zoom forum was hosted by Progress Iowa. Members of the Iowa House Black Caucus as well as the chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party’s Black Caucus spoke. Iowa Democratic Party chairman Ross Wilburn, who is black, also participated.

Wilburn says the online event was disrupted by people making vile, racist comments to harass and intimidate. The executive director of Progress Iowa, which hosted the event, said disgusting and repulsive images were flashed on the screen as well

FORT MADISON – Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections, Saturday, said that on the evening of Friday, January 7, a correctional officer was assaulted by an inmate at the Iowa State Penitentiary.

The department can confirm that the inmate approached the officer at his post and a short time after the inmate began assaulting the officer. Nearby staff were alerted and responded to restrain the inmate. As a result of the incident, the facility has been placed on modified restricted movement until further notice.

The officer was transported by department vehicle to the local hospital and after further evaluation was taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for examination and observation. The department continues to follow the recovery of the officer closely. The inmate was found to have not suffered any injuries.

The department is continuing to collect and confirm all details and the incident remains under investigation.

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Public Health says the state is starting to receive shipments of new antiviral pills. Two new medications from Merck and Pfizer will help treat people with mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19. The pills aim to reduce the ability of the virus to spread through the body.

For now, there will be a very limited supply at select pharmacies and hospitals. The IDPH will determine how and when the anti-viral pills will be allocated to pharmacies and health care facilities.

It’s not known when the prescription drugs will be more widely available to the public.

DES MOINES – On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments related to the OSHA Vaccine Mandate and has not yet issued a decision in the case. But as required by federal regulations, Iowa Labor Commissioner Rod Roberts has submitted a notice that Iowa will not be adopting or enforcing the mandate.

Roberts said “As a state plan state, the Iowa Division of Labor is charged with protecting the health and safety of those in the workplace and has the authority to enforce workplace safety and health standards for Iowa businesses. Iowa doesn’t have a standard requiring the Covid-19 vaccine or testing. But after closely reviewing the federal OSHA Vaccine Mandate, Iowa has determined it will not adopt the federal standard. Iowa has concluded that it is not necessary because Iowa’s existing standards are at least as effective as the federal standard change.”

In response to Commissioner Roberts’ decision, Gov. Reynolds issued a statement applauding Commission Roberts’ decision. “We are going to continue to protect the freedoms and liberties of Iowans,” Reynolds said. “The Biden Administration continues to ignore the constitutional rights afforded to all Americans, which our country was built on. Instead, they’d rather dictate health care decisions and eliminate personal choice, causing our businesses and employees to suffer and exacerbating our workforce shortage.”

With Commissioner Roberts’ decision, Iowa OSHA will not be enforcing the federal OSHA Vaccine Mandate. Iowa employers and their employees are not required to comply with the federal OSHA Vaccine Mandate.

Red Oak Police are searching for information on a small dark SUV that left the scene of a two vehicle accident in Red Oak on Friday. The accident happened at approximately 4:41 p.m. at the intersection of North 2nd Street and East Reed Street. After investigation at the scene it was determined a 2014 Cadillac SRX owned and operated by 55-year-old Debra Lynn Blay of Red Oak was traveling westbound on East Reed Street at the intersection with North 2nd Street. A smaller black or dark SUV was traveling northbound on 2nd Street and ran the stop sign and hit Blay’s Cadillac. The SUV continued northbound on 2nd Street and turned East on Hammond Street.

Blay was uninjured in the collision and her vehicle sustained an estimated $2,500 damage.

If anyone was in the area of the accident and provide further information in regards to the vehicle that left the scene, please contact the Red Oak Police Department at 712-823-8600.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest on Friday night of 33-year-old Zachary Clay Younts of Red Oak on a valid Page County warrant for Theft 5th Degree. He was arrested at 6:23 p.m. in the 200 block of East Reed Street and taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond.

DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds, Friday, signed a new Public Health Disaster proclamation that extends some regulatory relief for an additional 30 days.  The proclamation can be found online here.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s office on Friday (Today), released a report on arrests that took place this week.

• Authorities say on Monday, (January 3rd) 38-year-old Jeannie Kleymann, of Nebraska, was arrested on a warrant for 4th degree theft.  Kleymann was transported to the Cass County Jail and later released on bond.
• On Wednesday (Jan. 5) Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 30-year-old Itatipei Rudolph, of Atlantic, on a warrant for Failure to Appear.  Rudolph was transported to the Cass County Jail where he being held pending his later release on bond.
• On Thursday, January 6th, 43-year-old Monty Casteel, of Clarinda, was arrested on a warrant for Violation of Probation.

The Sheriff’s Office said also, there were two accidents to report:

On December 31st, 2022, at approximately 4:38-p.m., deputies responded to a single vehicle accident on Interstate 80 at the 70-mile marker eastbound, where a 2018 Jeep Cherokee driven by Preston Kelsey, of Colorado, went out of control due to slick roadway conditions. The SUV entered the south ditch and rolled over.  No injuries were reported. The vehicle sustained approximately $15,000 worth of damage.

And, on December 31st at around 7:04-p.m., Cass County Deputies deputies responded to a single vehicle accident on Interstate 80 near the 74 mile marker eastbound.  Officials say a 2002 Honda Accord driven by Saleem Salih, of Nebraska, was rounding a curve when it went out of control due to slick roadway conditions, and entered the south ditch.

As with the earlier accident, no injuries were reported. The vehicle sustained minor damage, estimated at $1,500.

(Radio Iowa/KJAN) – A viral social media movement urges people to donate five dollars to a local animal shelter on January 17th, what would have been the 100th birthday of the late actress and animal advocate Betty White. Persons wishing to donate to the Atlantic Animal Shelter may use this link: https://atlanticia.seamlessdocs.com/f/shelterdonationcenter?fbclid=IwAR0nupzxCc3iZRTMdKOmm1UEOQtU1rEXIQ6tOHISSH-szTIJ1zbs4y2eyjU

Tom Colvin, C-E-O of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, says generous pet lovers don’t necessarily need to wait until the 17th, as financial gifts can be made at any time online. “Absolutely,” Colvin says. “They certainly can do that and we’d love to see those donations coming in — of any size.” The A-R-L is Iowa’s largest nonprofit animal shelter, caring for many thousands of pets each year. Colvin says only about 20-percent of the facility’s budget comes from tax dollars for things like housing strays or operating animal control.

Colvin says, “Eighty percent of what we do, all of the programs that we have that help in the community and pay for that extra surgery than an animal might need to be ready for adoption, all of that is dependent on donations.” The ARL serves pets — and people — across Iowa through its programs, which include pet adoption, humane education, pet behavior training, spay/neuter, animal cruelty intervention and more.

White died on December 31st of last year, just 18 days shy of reaching the century mark. Colvin recalls how White had a special ability to light up a room. “I remember being at a conference, it may have even been in the late 70s, where she came and spoke just briefly,” Colvin says. “When she walked in the room, standing ovation. Everybody, even back then, was just so thankful to her to keep pets on the forefront of people’s minds.” Even if you don’t make a donation on January 17th, Colvin says Iowans should make an effort to at least stop for a moment to reflect on the joy animals bring to our world.

“It is a day that people can think about pets and how Betty White always spoke fondly of pets and the importance of being kind to animals,” Colvin says. “Just all of that positive energy that she always seemed to generate. It’s also very valuable from just a day we can particularly think of that as well.” There are multiple ways to make donations to the A-R-L, one-time, monthly or through any of several programs, like the Full Bellies Food Fund, the Miracle Medical Fund or Paw It Forward.
https://www.arl-iowa.org/donate/