(Radio Iowa) – We’re more than a month into spring and the experts say Iowans who are itching to get on the open water with their kayaks and canoes may want to wait a little longer for safety’s sake. Iowa D-N-R conservation officer Nate Carr says with rain expected today (Friday) and through much of the weekend, water levels will likely rise. “It does help with having to get out and push or pull your boat from time to time, but it also creates more hazards,” Carr says. “The quicker that water is moving, as you encounter different deadfalls and trees that have fallen in the water — creating strainers, that can be a hazard and something you have to be cognizant of.” While we’ve had some warm days in recent weeks, there were also many chilly nights and this spring weather pattern is keeping our lakes and streams on the frigid side.

“Water temperatures are still fairly cold,” Carr says, “which can make someone who’s a very confident swimmer into someone who does struggle in the water.” The D-N-R says when the temperature of the water is 60 degrees or below, you are automatically at risk for hypothermia if you become wet. Folks in kayaks and canoes need to wear the right gear, know how to read a river, and be fully prepared for immersion. “We certainly encourage people to wear life jackets anytime you’re in a boat, including canoeing, kayaking,” Carr says. “It may be ankle- or knee-deep throughout large stretches of the river, but there are holes throughout the river that can be over your head.”

Large bodies of water take time to warm up, so it may be a few more weeks before it’s safe for lesser experienced paddlers to load up their boats. In addition to life jackets, the D-N-R says let a friend or loved one know where you’re going and when you’ll be back, and bring a dry bag with extra clothing to change into should you get wet.

(Radio Iowa) – The presidents of the three state universities say they’re making progress on the directive by the Board of Regents to cut Diversity Equity and Inclusion efforts not necessary for accreditation or compliance. University of Iowa president, Barbara Wilson, says their effort includes changing the D-E-I office. “It will be called the Division of Access Opportunity and Diversity. And under that new division will have two offices, as I said, one that will focus on accreditation and one that will focus on on generally compliance issues and that one will be called the office of civil rights compliance,” Wilson says.

Wilson says they will not fill five positions in the office.”We’ve decided that we we can make this office even leaner than it was before and we’ll save about 360-thousand dollars from that restructuring,” she says. Wilson also discussed the directive that no one be required to disclose their pronouns.”We also will be prohibiting anybody from requiring pronouns and that will be added to all syllabi for all courses as of the fall,” Wilson says.

Iowa State University president, Wendy Wintersteen, says they have also taken action. “Iowa State has made the decision that our vice president for diversity equity inclusion office will close in July. So we will eliminate essentially five positions two positions that are currently filled and three vacant positions,” she says. Wintersteen says that move will save 789-thousand dollars. She says they have also taken action in other areas. “We have done a comprehensive review, and both of websites and promotional materials to make sure that everyone understands that all of our programs are available to all students,” Wintersteen says.

I-S-U is also addressing the pronoun issue with a new policy. “No employee student applicant or campus visitor is compelled to disclose their pronouns anyone may voluntarily disclose their own pronouns,” Wintersteen says. University of Northern Iowa president, Mark Nook, also made a presentation at Thursday’s Regents meeting. “The reorganization includes the elimination of the Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice Office, which has been and is an important part of the U-N-I experience for many of our students,” Nook says.”Because this office has served many students on our campus, we are creating new front line student-serving positions to expand our direct to student services for the entire U-N-I student population.”

He says the new system will continue to make all students feel welcome. “These positions and services are focused on building a stronger sense of community for each student, which is essential to ensuring that students who come to you and I are retained graduate, and as you heard this morning, prepared for their lives after graduation,” Nook says. He says the work will continue. “It will take time to adjust to these changes, we are confident that by making these structural and organizational changes we will be able to provide the personal attention and services each U-N-I student needs and deserves,” he says.

All three university presidents say they directive made them look at the issues in a different way, and expanded the way they thought about making everyone feel welcome on the campuses. The Board of Regents issued eleven recommendations to the schools in November falling a review by a study committee. State lawmakers approved a bill in the just ended session that puts many of the Regents directives into law.

HINTON, Iowa (KCAU) — The Hinton Community School District (CSD) and several officials are being sued by two students through their families over allegations of abuse within the junior varsity wrestling program. KCAU reports the two lawsuits were filed in Plymouth County and are directed at Hinton CSD, former wrestling head coach Casey Crawford, wrestling assistant coach Bradley “Woody” Skuodas, Hinton superintendent Ken Slater, and former Hinton athletic director Brian DeJong. All four were employed by Hinton CSD at the time of the incidents detailed in the lawsuits.

The lawsuits accuse Crawford, Skuodas and DeJong of “encouraging” bullying, hazing and violence by the students on the team. They also accuse Hinton CSD of failing to address the behavior despite reportedly being aware of it. At the center of the lawsuits is a series of incidents that allegedly occurred during two wrestling trips, and involved the use of sex toys. Afterward, the alleged victimized students were sexually exploited when photos and videos of the incidents were shared to the team’s Snapchat group chat, according to the lawsuits. The trip allegedly had no supervision, room checks or bag checks.

Coaches became aware of the usage of these items and allegedly took them away. But the incidents allegedly happened again at another wrestling site city.  Again, the coaches were apparently aware of what was going on, but they did not tell the victims’ parents. The parents of the victims found a video showing the incidents on a child’s phone. They then showed it to other parents and an assistant coach. According to the lawsuits, the coach “told parents that he would initiate the reporting process, but simultaneously commented that this could negatively affect the wrestling program.”

The lawsuits accuse Hinton CSD of not being communicative enough with the parents of the victims of the alleged abuse. Additionally, the lawsuits accused the wrestling practices as being a “breeding ground for harassment and bullying.” Coaches allegedly “allowed, encouraged and led” games that resulted in injuries to students. The lawsuits accuses all defendants of one count of negligence against all defendants, one count of negligent training and supervision of employees against Hinton CSD, and two counts of loss of consortium against all defendants.

The lawsuits demand a jury trial and for a judgment “in an amount to be determined at trial, together with interest, all costs incurred herein, and for all such other relief that is just and equitable under the premises” on all counts.

On Feb. 14, 2024, two wrestling coaches were placed on paid administrative leave. One of them was still on leave, while the other had gone back to work. Two students were “reassigned” soon after. On March 18, the head wrestling coach formally resigned from his position as wrestling head coach, though he also said in his resignation letter that he hoped to continue teaching math at Hinton.

School board members have since discussed possible school trip policy changes, such as bags checks, printed itineraries, and contact information.

(Radio Iowa) – Fines will be increasing for motorists caught ignoring crossing gates and flashing lights and illegally driving across railroad tracks in 21 Iowa locations called “quiet zones.” Trains approaching railroad crossings in these zones are not required to sound the horn, in an effort to reduce noise in urban settings. Senator Tom Shipley of Nodaway says doubling the fine for illegally crossing train tracks in an Iowa “quiet zone” will hopefully be a deterrent. “It’s just simply a matter of safety of being able to keep people from trying to beat the train because they didn’t hear the whistle,” Shipley says.

Cities are able to install flashing lights and gates to establish a “quiet zone” at a railroad crossing, but Representative Derek Wulf of Hudson says it’s expensive. “This increase of penalties will help these communities stomach that potential cost which can range anywhere from $30,000 to $1 million,” Wulf says.

The fine, starting July 1st, will be five-hundred-20 dollars ($520) for illegally driving through a railroad crossing in a quiet zone when the warning lights are on. Three railroad crossings in the city of Hiawatha were recently designated as quiet zones where train horns don’t have to be activated to warn vehicles a train is approaching. Cedar Rapids officials are hoping to take similar steps for some railroad crossings, including one that’s near a 267-room hotel in downtown Cedar Rapids.

Among the cities that have “quiet” railroad crossing in western Iowa, are those in: Creston, Denison, Sergeant Bluff and Sioux City.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – During a City Council meeting last month, City Administrator John Lund announced a new, “Welcome to Atlantic” sign was finished and was ready to be installed on the City’s east side. All they were waiting for was warmer weather. Mother Nature cooperated, and on Wednesday afternoon (April 24th), the sign was set in-place by staff from JJ Design.

(Photo by Jennifer Nichols- courtesy of the Atlantic News Telegraph)

During the Council’s meeting, Lund had shown photos of the sign and the pedestal that it would be placed on. He said at the time, the photos doesn’t show how “massive” the sign is.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – The Community Foundation for Western Iowa and SHARE Iowa, today (Thursday), announced Ruth Kreger, volunteer with “Share My Smile,” as the second annual Do-Gooder of the Year award winner.  Do Good Days Is April 24 – April 27^th. During Do Good Days, SHARE Iowa and the Community Foundation for Western Iowa encourage community members and nonprofit organizations to honor what doing good means to them.

Falling on National Volunteer Week, a major focus for Do Good Days this year is volunteerism. SHARE Iowa, an initiative of the Community Foundation for Western Iowa, provided online educational opportunities for nonprofits and presented the second annual “Do-Gooder of the Year” award. All nonprofit organizations participating on the SHARE Iowa platform were encouraged to nominate their volunteers or “Do-Gooders” of the year. Share My Smile nominated Ruth Kreger for the award.

According to the nomination, Ruth has been volunteering since the inception of Share My Smile and is the coordinator of the Project Birthday Joy program since 2017. Every month, Ruth single-handedly prepares birthday boxes for all the foster and guardianship children enrolled in Share My Smile who will be celebrating an upcoming birthday. She shops for the items included in the boxes so that the children can have an actual birthday party, such as cake mixes, cans of frosting, fun birthday plates and napkins, plus small gift items like playing cards and the like. (Photos courtesy Catrina Trabal,Community Partnerships Manager)

Community Foundation CEO Donna Dostal presents award to Do-Gooder of the Year Ruth Kreger

From Left to Right: Share My Smile Executive Director Michelle Irions, Community Foundation for Western Iowa CEO Donna Dostal, Do-Gooder of the Year Ruth Kreger, Share My Smile Founder Chelsea Best, Share My Smile Program Specialist Michaela Harrington, Community Foundation for Western Iowa Community Partnerships Manager Catrina Trabal

Ruth Kreger, Do-Gooder of the Year

She also orders Walmart gift cards for each child. Ruth personally packs each box, addresses them, and brings them to the post office. Additionally, she also signs and addresses birthday cards for all the adopted and biological children in our program and adds a gift card to their envelope. The impact that Project Birthday Joy has on the lives of these foster children is immeasurable. Often, these children have never had a birthday party before so it’s due to Ruth’s volunteer efforts that these children are made to feel special.

Chelsea Best, founder and President of Share My Smile, says “Ruth is one of my most favorite people. She is such a dedicated and reliable volunteer – the things you just can’t teach, she has it. Ruth has the biggest heart and is one of the sweetest human beings ever.”

SHARE Iowa is a dynamic online resource for our nonprofit partners that helps them to better reach and engage with people who want to have an impact into their community by donating dollars, shopping from nonprofit wish lists, attending events, or discovering volunteer opportunities. Donna Dostal, CEO of the Community Foundation for Western Iowa, states “We created the Do-Gooder award to honor and recognize the amazing individuals like Ruth who give of their time and talents to make a difference in other people’s lives and our community. Ruth epitomizes a ‘Do-Gooder’ and is making a lasting impact in the lives of the children Share My Smile serves. We are honored to recognize her efforts.”

Go to www.sharegoodiowa.org to learn more and support nonprofit organizations making an impact in western Iowa.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic RAGBRAI® Committee announced that vendor and housing forms are now being accepted for RAGBRAI 2024. All forms can be found at www.atlanticragbrai.com or at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, located at 102 Chestnut Street.

Vending fees for local non-profit vendors are $150. Fees for local, for-profit vendors are $350. For any non-local vendor wishing to participate in Atlantic RAGBRAI, the fee will be $600. There is a $100 refundable clean-up deposit and a $50 electrical fee for vendors that need electricity.

“The committee wanted to make sure local vendors benefited from the RAGBRAI experience. RAGBRAI brings 17,000-20,000 people to our community, all of whom love nothing more than to support a local vendor. By keeping the vendor fees low, we’re confident our local vendors and non-profits will have an extraordinary day”, Kelsey Beschorner, Atlantic RAGBRAI Publicity Chair stated.

If you have questions about what it takes to be a housing host or questions about the vendor applications, we encourage everyone to attend the “Music & Margs” Town Hall Meeting on May 5th at the Telegraph Building. This Town Hall allows community members to talk directly with RAGBRAI Committee members and get answers to their specific questions. The Town Hall will also give community members an exclusive look at event apparel, merchandise, and receive information about day-of festivities.

The Atlantic RAGBRAI Committee will continue to meet regularly to plan for Atlantipalooza on July 22nd. As information is available, it will be shared with the community and on the website www.atlanticragbrai.com. Community members and riders alike are encouraged to follow Atlantic RAGBRAI on Facebook and Instagram for all things Atlantic RAGBRAI.

SAC COUNTY, Iowa – The Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner conducted a forensic autopsy on the body discovered in Sac County on April 24, 2024. The body has been positively identified through dental records as that of 53-year-old David Schultz of Wall Lake, Iowa.

Schultz was located in a farm field in the 1900 block of Union Ave. in Sac County. Preliminary autopsy results show no signs of trauma or serious injury. Further autopsy test results are pending. Authorities do not suspect foul play in the death of Schultz, who was first reported missing by his wife on Nov. 21, 2023.

Schultz left his Wall Lake home around 7 p.m. on Nov. 20. He went to pick up a load of pigs from a hog confinement in the Eagle Grove area. He left around 10:5o p.m. Video footage shows Shultz at a truck stop around 11:15 p.m. on Nov. 20. After leaving the truck stop, his semi-truck was seen heading west on Iowa Department of Transportation cameras.

Cell phone data shows Schultz’s phone traveling to the location where the semi-truck was found — the intersection of D-15 and N-14. Data suggests the semi-truck may have been there since 12:40 a.m. on Nov. 21. The morning of Nov. 21, Schultz didn’t drop off his load of pigs at the Wieckman hog buying station in Sac City. Sarah Schultz, David Schultz’s wife, reported him missing that afternoon after learning he did not show up to Wieckman’s.

A Sac County Secondary Road employee reported that a semi-truck had been at the intersection of D-15 and N-14 since early morning. Responding deputies determined the semi-truck to be Schultz’s. His phone and wallet were found inside. His semi-truck, with a load of pigs, was found at an intersection near Sac City with his wallet and cell phone inside.

The United Cajun Navy, a search and rescue group based in Louisiana, organized a volunteer search. Almost 200 volunteers participated in the initial search that covered more than 100,000 acres.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Association of Realtors report for March shows buyers had more homes to choose from. The Association’s statewide housing analyst, Les Sulgrove, says that’s important. “Listing inventory is up about 25 percent over the same time a year ago in fact you know the first of April we’ve got over 62-hundred homes on the market across the state,” Sulgrove says. “So that’s really good news for home buyers, because in the past they’ve all been fighting for the same house.”

The number of homes sold in March was down by just under two percent. Sulgrove says that’s an indicator that the market is back to pre-covid conditions. “Sales are slightly down compared to the last couple of years but I think that’s the key right there is that you know we’re no longer in really that COVID market where everything is selling extremely fast,” he says.
Sulgrove says getting back to more of a normal pattern is good for everyone.

“It gives homebuyers that chance to think about our decision besides instead of just making one on the spot, it also encourages homeowners that are sitting on the sidelines waiting to either jump into market as a seller themselves, they have that confidence knowing that you know they’re not going to maybe be out of a home if they sell their so quickly,” Sulgrove says. Interest rates are higher than they were a few years ago, but he says right now the key is those rates have been stable.

“A lot of homebuyers you know don’t want to make a decision when rates are either going up or going down, but as long as they’re kind of in that same stability that gives them the confidence to know what their payments going to be without the fear of you know moving target,” he says. Sulgrove says “As soon as school gets out homeowners have a chance to really focus on selling their home and like you said making that move between now and the beginning of school,” Sulgrove says. “So this is our busiest time of the year and I don’t expect any difference in that moving forward.”

He says there is more optimism now in the housing market then there has been as they move forward this spring.