DES MOINES, Iowa (IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH) – The Iowa House passed a measure Monday to make the current pilot program providing free child care for child care workers permanent.

Iowa’s Child Care Assistance (CCA) program is available to parents with a gross monthly income below 250% the federal poverty level, if they are gone during the week days due to their job, schooling, vocational training or state PROMISE JOBS activities. However, Iowans working at least 32 hours a week in the child care field have also been able to access the CCA program outside of the income restrictions through a pilot program implemented in 2023 and extended in subsequent years.

House File 2514, passed 86-3, would make this program permanent. Rep. Ryan Weldon, R-Ankeny, said since July 2023, 2,105 families have received child care through the CCA pilot program, with the average family receiving support being at 302% of the federal poverty level. The funding for the program has come, and will continue to draw from the state’s Child Care Development Fund, which Weldon said had $112 million in the previous fiscal year, with a projection of carrying forward $107 million in FY 2026 and $91 million in FY 2027, alongside federal funds.

According to the Legislative Services Agency fiscal note, the bill would have an estimated cost of $11.7 million in FY 2027 — with the state paying $7 million — and $12.1 million in FY 2028, with the state paying $7.3 million. The bill was amended to require an annual report on state and federal costs, the number of participating families and children and the average household income of those receiving the CCA program support.

Rep. Tracy Ehlert, D-Cedar Rapids, said she was “excited” the bill was introduced, as it was a proposal House Democrats have introduced in previous legislative sessions and Iowans working in child care have called for lawmakers to approve.

Another proposal — which survived the first legislative funnel as House Study Bill 623 and Senate Study Bill 3111 — also contains language to codify the CCA pilot program. These companion bills are the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services’ larger proposal making changes to the state’s child care system, including a shift in some funding from the Early Childhood Iowa system to HHS.

(Atlantic, IA) – A Special Meeting of the Atlantic School Board will be held beginning at 6-p.m., on Wed., Feb, 25th, to consider and take possible action on, the appointment of former Board member Kristy Pellett, to serve as a temporary member of the Board of Directors for the Atlantic Community School District. Pellett would hold the position until the March 31st Special Election results are certified.

Kristy Pellett did not run for re-election last November. She previously served on the Board for 18-years, including as Board President.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board will review and discuss the proposed FY2027 Property Tax Levy and anticipated State Supplemental Aid (SSA)), but no action will be taken.

Wednesday’s SPECIAL Board meeting takes place in the High School Media Center. The next REGULAR school board meeting will be held March 11th in the High School Media Center, beginning at 6-p.m.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s public K-through-12 schools will get a two percent increase in general state support — so that total state spending on each student will be over 81-hundred dollars next year. Republicans in the Iowa House approved the plan late last week and on Monday Senate Republicans voted to send it to the governor. Republican Senator Lynn Evans, a retired superintendent from Aurelia, says there are bookkeeping changes, too, like updating October’s enrollment count in January and sending school districts state funding in quarterly rather than monthly installments.

“Quarterly payments will address a school district who face cash flow problems or issues in July and August,” Evans said. “This will provide a summer payment and reduce administrative costs.” The decision also means every state-funded Education Savings Account for a private school student will get over 81-hundred dollars for the next school year. Senator Molly Donahue, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, says Iowa’s public schools need far more than a two percent state funding increase and school boards will be forced to cut programs.

“Somehow when it comes to private schools, the checkbook is open,” Donahue said, “but when it comes to the public schools — the backbone of the rural Iowa small towns and cities, suddenly we are told to ‘tighten the belts.'” Senator Herman Quirmbach, a Democrat from Ames, says local public schools are struggling, cutting staff and programs — and some may be forced to consolidate.”We are already beginning to see from local school district decisions just exactly what the damage could be of falling short,” Quirmbach said.

The deal includes a commitment to spend seven MILLION dollars raising the pay of teachers’ aides, plus money to help school districts that spend more than the statewide average on busing students to and from school. House Speaker Pat Grassley says those were items House Republicans pushed for. “What we’ve been hearing from our schools is: ‘Get us the money. Get this locked in. We’re coming up on budget time,'” Grassley said. “That’s why we made this deal right now to get this done and then give the certainty to our schools.”

School boards must negotiate pay with staff, hold public hearings and file a final budget plan by April 30th — for the fiscal year that starts July 1st.

(Radio Iowa) – Another member of the Iowa Senate has announced they are being treated for cancer. Senator Dave Rowley  of Spirit Lake says he has been diagnosed with tonsil cancer and will be undergoing treatment over the next several weeks. Rowley says tonsil cancer is treatable and curable — and he’ll be fighting it with everything he has.

Rowley expects to be back at work in the statehouse later this spring and has filed the paperwork to run for re-election in November. Senator Jack Whitver of Ankeny has been undergoing treatment for a brain tumor since mid 2024 and just last month Senator Catelin Drey of Sioux City announced she’s undergoing treatment for stage one uterine cancer.

Drey was elected last fall filled a vacancy in the senate created when Senator Rocky DeWitt of Lawton died of pancreatic cancer in June.

(Radio Iowa) – It’s not yet clear if Republicans in the Iowa House will pass a bill to block lawsuits alleging Roundup causes cancer if the pesticide’s label follows federal guidelines. President Trump last week cited the Defense Production Act as he issued an executive order to ensure a steady supply of glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup. Pat Grassley, the speaker of the Iowa House, says he hasn’t assessed that order’s impact on Iowa.

“My understanding is the president wants to see these products made in America,” Grassley told reporters, “kind of something we’ve been talking about.” Both Grassley and House Republican Leader Bobby Kaufmann said before the 2026 legislative session started that Iowa farmers are better off having Roundup made here, since 70 percent of the Roundup sold in North America is made at a plant in Muscatine. Senate Republicans passed the Roundup protection bill last year and

Senator Majority Leader Mike Klimesh says he hopes the House G-O-P takes action this year. “Companies should not be held to a legal standard for something that they’re not allowed to put on the label by the EPA,” Klimesh said. Democrats in the legislature have opposed the bill. Representative Austin Baeth, a Democrat from Des Moines, is a doctor of internal medicine. “The optics of it are horrible for anybody to be in support of this bill when Iowa is in the midst of a cancer crisis,” Baeth said.

Georgia and North Dakota are the only states that have passed laws to protect Bayer from lawsuits alleging Roundup caused cancer. Last month the U-S Supreme Court agreed to hear Bayer’s appeal to block thousands of lawsuits alleging the weed killed caused cancer and other serious illnesses

(Radio Iowa) – Health care providers say Iowans should continue to take precautions to stay healthy amid high respiratory virus activity in the state, especially from the flu and R-S-V. Janae Brown, a nurse practitioner at UnityPoint, says most folks should know the drill but some need a reminder.

“Wash your hands. Stay home when you’re sick. Stay away from infants and elderly people, especially if you’re sick,” Brown says. “Try to utilize the urgent cares and family practice clinics as much as possible over the ER.” Brown says emergency rooms in the Des Moines area continue to see high numbers of people with respiratory virus symptoms, and there can be long waits due to overcrowding.

“If you’re having symptoms of the flu or RSV or COVID, go to your urgent care, go to your primary care provider,” Brown says. “Save the ER for chest pain, weakness on one side, loss of vision, severe abdominal pain.” According to state data, only about 30 percent of Iowans received a flu shot so far this season. Brown says it’s still not too late to get the shot, as respiratory virus activity can linger until summer.

(Glenwood, IA) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests occurred last week. Saturday afternoon, 40-year-old Sherrie Ann Schoenfelder, of Fremont, NE, was arrested in Council Bluffs for: Manufacture/Delivery/Possession with intent – LSD, and OWI/2nd offense. Her bond was set at $2,000.

Wednesday evening, Mills County Deputies arrested 41-year-old Shawna Kay Bolton and 56-year-old Russell William Davis, both of Pacific Junction. Bolton and Davis were each charged with Possession of Drug paraphernalia and Ongoing Criminal Conduct- Enterprise. Bolton was additionally charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance-3rd or subsequent offense. Davis was charged also, with Theft in the 2nd Degree (Value >$1,500 but < $10,000). Bolton’s bond was set at $26,300. Davis was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $30,300 bond.

And, on Feb. 16th, 19-year-old Collin Darrell Ollis, of Bellevue, NE, was arrested in Glenwood, for Reckless Driving. Bond was set at $300.

• $4,000 in direct funding support
• 12 hours of required in-person training (minimum of two team members)
• Optional one-on-one coaching with Healthy Cass and Volunteer Iowa
• Support planning and hosting a local Day of Service (held between August and September 30, around September 11)
• Increased organizational visibility and strengthened community partnerships

• Application Deadline: April 1, 2026 at noon
• Training Sessions: 12 hours (in-person; minimum two participants per organization)
• Day of Service Window: August–September 30, 2026

CLARINDA, IOWA, February 23, 2026: The Page County Attorney’s Office announced today (Monday) that 52-year-old Gary Wayne Hilgerson, of Shenandoah, entered pleas of guilty to one count of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree, a class C felony, and one count of Indecent Contact with a Child, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Judge Maggie Reyes sentenced Hilgerson, in accordance with his plea agreement, to a 10-year sentence of incarceration for the sexual abuse charge and a 2-year sentence of incarceration for the indecent contact charge. These sentences will be served consecutively, for a total of up to 12 years of incarceration in the Iowa Department of Corrections. Hilgerson will also be required to register as a sex offender for life.

This case was investigated by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, with help from the Shenandoah Police Department, and prosecuted by the Page County Attorney’s Office.

Gary Wayne Hilgerson