(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the Iowa Senate have approved most of the elements in the governor’s wide-ranging education bill. The legislation would require educators to tell parents if a child asks to be known by a different name or gender at school and it would prohibit teachers from leading discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through sixth grade classrooms. Senator Ken Rozenboom, a Republican from Oskaloosa, says those topics are totally unnecessary for elementary students. “Parents and guardians that wish to have that conversation with their child can do so,” Rozenboom said, “…but to have that in the public school most of us, many of us believe is inappropriate.”

The Senate bill also calls for removing books from school libraries that describe or depict sex acts. Democrats in the Senate voted against the legislation. Senator Molly Donahue, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, is a teacher. “This country is supposed to be a country of freedom — freedom of speech, freedom of ideas,” Donahue says. “But those freedoms end when politicians begin censoring certain ideas because they find them uncomfortable.”

House Republicans have approved elements of the governor’s education package as separate bills. Republican legislative leaders now have to decide whether to approve the policies separately or together in one large bill.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports a woman from Ringgold County was arrested Wednesday afternoon for Failure to Appear. 25-year-old Casandra Dawn Allen, of Tingley, was taken into custody at a residence in the 500 block of N. Division Street a little after 3-p.m., and transported to the Union County Jail. She was subsequently released per an Order from a Judge.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Applications are now being accepted for the 14th Annual Trevor Frederickson Memorial Scholarship. Applications may be obtained from the Atlantic High School guidance office at 1201 E. 14th Street or the Atlantic High School website: www.atlanticiaschools.org. Fund spokesperson (Trevor’s mom) Melanie Petty says up to two $750 scholarships are available to those graduating from Atlantic High School in the spring of 2023. Applicants must plan to attend a college or vocational school, show involvement in school and/or community activities, supply a copy of their college acceptance letter, provide two letters of reference along with their 7 semester transcripts, and maintain academic achievement of 2.5 or better. The scholarships will be awarded at the Atlantic High School Class Night held in May.

Trevor Frederickson graduated from Atlantic High School in 2006. He went on to further his education at Southwestern Community College in Creston where he studied automotive mechanics and played baseball for the Southwestern Spartans. Two additional $750 scholarships will be available for Southwestern Community College students this fall. Trevor, who passed away in 2009, had plans of pursuing a career in law enforcement and returning to his hometown of Atlantic. Melanie Petty says “Anyone who knew Trevor, knew he valued family, life and community. Trevor continues to live on in our hearts and minds. To this day, Trevor is still giving back to the community he loved to be a part of.”

Trevor Frederickson

Funds for the scholarships are raised at an annual golf tournament. Plans are already in the works for the 15th Annual TFred Memorial Golf Tournament to be held on Saturday, June 17th, 2023. Organizers look forward to another successful tournament so they can continue to grant scholarships for many years to come.

(Radio Iowa) – A judge has approved a request from one of the teens accused of killing a Fairfield teacher to have the state pay for an expert witness when he goes to trial. Willard Miller’s attorneys asked for the expert witness and also filed a motion asking to suppress evidence from a search warrant of his home. K-C-R-G T-V reports the request for the witness was granted — and a hearing on the request to suppress the evidence is set for March 29th.

Miller is charged with first-degree murder along with classmate Jeremy Goodale in the death of their Spanish teacher Nohema Graber. Graber’s body in a park by the high school in November of 2021.

Miller’s trial is scheduled for April 21st. Goodale’s trial is set for May 15th.

(Radio Iowa) – Second quarter revenues for Winnebago Industries fell by 25-percent compared to a year ago. The outdoor lifestyle products manufacturer — with Iowa factories in Forest City, Lake Mills, Charles City and Waverly — reports second quarter revenue was just under 867-million dollars, compared to one-point-two billion in the quarter last year. Winnebago president and C-E-O Michael Happe says the benefits of a diversified outdoor portfolio and strong performance in the marine segment helped to offset a continued softening in consumer demand for recreational vehicles.

Revenues for the company’s motor home segment were down a little over three-percent from last year, the towables segment was down 47-percent, while the company’s marine segment was up just over 16-percent due to carryover price increases.