(Radio Iowa) – Under new Iowa Department of Education rules, no public or private school in Iowa will be required to offer remote learning. When the pandemic first hit in March of 2020, Iowa schools shut down, then many transitioned to online instruction or a combination of in-person and internet-only school days. A state law passed in February required all districts to offer 100 percent in-person classes, but several districts still offered parents the option of online classes for their children.

Rules scheduled to go into effect August 4th state that no school will be required to offer or maintain continuous remote learning or deliver instruction over the internet. There are two exceptions listed. One is if the governor declares another public health emergency. The other is when online classes are most appropriate for students with disabilities.

Students with failing grades have been allowed to participate in high school sports during the pandemic, but starting August 1st, the so-called scholarship rule will again apply. It means a student who fails a class will have to sit out of athletic competition for 30 days.

Greenfield artist Ray “Bubba” Sorensen recently announced his way of concluding the Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour. He will hold an online auction for the 100th custom-painted rock. With 97 out of 99 counties currently completed, Sorensen said he wanted a way to celebrate the end of the eight-year project. He says he plans to complete the last two of the 99 counties by end of August 2021. The Sorensen’s (Ray and his wife Maria) originally decided to limit the Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour to one Freedom Rock® per county due to the fact they wanted to complete it in a timely fashion (the goal was in ten years). They knew if they did not limit it, they may be doing 3-4 Freedom Rocks® per county as they have had offers to do so and really wanted to see this project complete.

“When we first announced this project in 2013, we didn’t know how fast it would take off. We had multiple towns who wanted the Freedom Rock® in their county.” Sorensen said he will host the online auction through the Freedom Rock® Facebook page from now (July 4th) through November 11th. “We’re very thankful for all of the support we have received over the past 8 years with this project, and we thought this would be a great way to celebrate the end of the Iowa Tour. This is a way for those who didn’t get it the first time, to get an official Freedom Rock® now if they would still like to.”

Photo submitted by Maria Sorensen

The couple also plan to donate part of the proceeds to a local Veterans charity with the online auction. Sorensen is not commissioned for his work on the original Freedom Rock® in Menlo, Iowa but works as an independent mural artist on the Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour. Ray Sorensen is only able to complete about ten rocks per year, due to scheduling and weather and is currently booked into the end of the 2022 year. “I always say I have three goals with ‘The Freedom Rock® Tour’ and that is to honor America’s Veterans, promote Iowa
tourism and provide for my family.”

Although the Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour is concluding, the Sorensen’s say they are anything from slowing down. “Currently we are starting to book into summer of 2023 with not only murals and other artwork but also with the 50 State Freedom Rock® Tour as well.” Sorensen said. For a list of complete counties booked for the Tour and locations of already existing Freedom Rocks®, please visit www.thefreedomrock.com. This is the Sorensen’s eighth year on the Freedom Rock® Tour across Iowa. This also marked the fourth year since Sorensen began the 50 State
Freedom Rock® Tour with rocks already painted in Missouri and Wisconsin, Minnesota and Washington. Freedom Rocks® have been booked for the states of North Dakota, Nebraska, and Illinois.

For a link to the online auction, please visit:
https://www.myminiauction.com/freedomrock100

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports the arrest at around 4:40-a.m. Sunday (July 4th), of a man on a public intoxication charge. John Harvey Dine III was taken into custody in the 1700 block of 240th Street, northwest of Coin. His bond was set at $300.

John H. Dine, III

Independence Day Celebrations are set to take place today (Sunday) in many communities across the Nishna Valley and around the Country.

• Atlantic’s 4^th of July kicks-off with a Flight Breakfast at the Atlantic Airport. Enjoy breakfast presented by the Atlantic Rotary Club, featuring all-you-can-eat pancakes with sausage and drinks from The Pancake Man from 7-until 11-a.m., for just seven-dollars. Fly-in’s eat for free. All proceeds benefit the City of Atlantic Fireworks Show that takes place at dusk just east of the Little League Fields near the AMU Well heads…located across from the KJAN studios on North Olive Street.
• Avoca’s 4th of July Celebration will be held on July 4th. 9am-12 pm American Legion Vehicle Show on Main Street (cars,trucks,motorcycles,tractors); 11 am – 2 pm American Legion hot dog meal plus bar drinks – fundraiser for roof repair; 11 am – 2 pm United Church of Avoca food stand; 12 pm Watermelon at Freedom Plaza; 11 am Parade lineup starts at the fairgrounds; 2 pm Parade – goes north on Elm, west on Wool, South on Pine, back to fairgrounds; after dusk Fireworks at Avoca CountryView Clubhouse.
• Exira’s Independence Day Celebrations continue through Monday. Today, there is an Ecumenical Church Service in the Exira City Park, beginning at 10:30-a.m. (bring your own chairs; At 1:30 pm, the Grand River Rodeo at Kickapoo Park; 2 pm has an Alumni Coffee at Exira-EHK Elementary building; 4 pm – ?? Ozark Amusements; 5 pm Community BBQ until (sold out); 5-9 pm Community Club Beer Garden; 5:30-8:30 pm Free entertainment in the City Park featuring Robert Deitch from Nashville; Dusk Fireworks at Spartan Football Field.; On Monday in Exira: Kids foot races in front of Dollar General at 9-a.m.; Ozark Amusements are also open beginning at 9-a.m.; The 156^th Exira 4^th of July parade “Stronger Together” is at 10:30 am; From 12-2 pm there is Park Entertainment at City Park Gazebo; 2:30 pm Kids Tractor Pull, sign up at old Fire Station at 2 pm.
• Fontanelle’s 4th of July Celebration continues with breakfast: from 8 am – 10:30 am it’s the Fontanelle Lion Club Pancake Breakfast,;10 am – 1 pm Bloody Mary Bar & Mimosas at Wreckers or Checkers;10 am Church in the Park – Fontanelle Lutheran & Fontanelle Methodist, 1 am Emergency Vehicle Display; 9:45 pm or dusk Fireworks.
• The Annual Marne Community Club July 4th Celebration will take place on Sunday, July 4th at the Marne Park. The flag will be raised at 6:30 p.m., with the meal to follow. Fireworks begin at dusk. The Marne July 4th Celebration Welcomes everyone to the table! Please bring a pot luck dish, salad or dessert to share, as well as table service for your family. The Marne Park has horseshoe pits and several playground structures, including a basketball court! So pile everyone into the car (don’t forget to bring lawn chairs and picnic blankets!) and come to Marne for an old-fashioned, small-town 4th of July! All who attend are asked to give a free will donation to help pay for the fireworks.
• Oakland’s 4th of July Celebration will be held on July 4th. From 7-10:30 am Fire Department Pancake Breakfast; 9-12 pm Vendors on Doc Thompson Ave, Nishnabotna Museum open for tours and silent auction; 11:30 am Kids Parade; 10:30 am Community Church Service at Ball Park with Praise Band from Omaha; 12 pm Free lunch for the first 200 children and families at the gazebo in the park; 9 am – 3 pm Car Show; 1 pm Games in the park with prizes for children; 3 pm PEO Bingo for adults at the gazebo in the park; 5 pm Parade; 6 pm Pie Eating Contest; 6-9 pm Music in the Park; at dark Fireworks.

ALTOONA, Iowa — Officials with Adventureland in Altoona said Saturday, four people were injured, three critically, and one person suffered minor injuries, during an accident involving a boat on the “Raging River” ride. In a statement, Adventureland said “At approximately 7:35pm on 7/3/21 a boat on the Raging River ride overturned with 6 riders on it. 4 guests were transported to a local hospital with injuries, 3 critical and one minor.

Altoona Fire and Police were on property and responded immediately. We want to thank them as well as Des Moines, Ankeny, Bondurant, Pleasant Hill and Delaware Township Emergency Services for their fast response. The ride had been inspected on 7/2/21 and was found to be in sound working order. It will remain closed for a thorough inspection.

The ride is located at a remote distance from park entrances, which fire officials said made getting to the incident difficult. The Raging River had just reopened for the first time this season. The ride has been closed since last year. It first opened in 1983.  Saturday’s accident was not the first for the popular ride.

In June of 2016, Adventureland employee Steve Booher was killed while working on the Raging River. He slipped and fell onto the conveyer belt in the loading station. He was taken to the hospital and died from his injuries a few days later.

A collision involving three motorcycles in northwest Iowa’s Buena Vista County, Friday night, left two dead and one person injured. All of the victims are from Storm Lake. According to the Iowa State Patrol a 2020 Honda CBR600RA operated by 39-year-old Luis Angel Garcia Contreras, a 2013 Honda CBR1000RR operated by 28-year-old Phya Soe Aung, and a 2005 Yamaha YZFR6L operated by 30-year-old Martin De Jesus Cruz, were all westbound on Buena Vista County road C-65 at around 9:40-p.m,., when Garcia Contreras made a U-turn into the path of Aung’s motorcycle.

Aung’s Honda struck the left side of the other Honda. Cruz could not avoid the situation and struck the Honda operated by Aung. Aung and Cruz died at the scene. Garcia Contreras was injured and transported by Storm Lake Ambulance to the local hospital.

(Updated 6:30-a.m., 7/5/21) – Three people were injured during a single-vehicle accident at around 4:42-a.m. Sunday (today), in Cass County. According to dispatch reports, the crash happened on Interstate 80 westbound, near mile marker 62. Anita Rescue and Wiota Fire were paged to the scene. Wiota was later advised they could “disregard” the call. Initial reports indicated the vehicle was a Buick Park Avenue. The injured included a pregnant female, a male with a possible broken leg and a third victim with injuries that were not described. A Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy was the first on scene.

There were at least three other accidents in the area, Sunday:

• A man standing on the shoulder of I-80 westbound at mile-marker 54, was struck by a passing vehicle. The accident happened Sunday afternoon. The man suffered minor injuries.
• Sunday evening, two females suffered possible/unknown injuries during a rollover accident east of Elk Horn.
• And, a crash occurred near Lorimor, in Union County Sunday. At least two ambulances and an Air Med Helicopter were called to the scene. Additional details are currently not available on those incidents.

A woman died and three persons, including a child, were injured during an accident in Story County, Saturday morning. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2007 Hyundai Sonata driven by 75-year-old Karen Wheeler, of Cambridge, was parked facing south on Main Street in Slater at around 11-a.m., with pedestrians in the roadway following a City parade. When Wheeler backed out of the parked position, her vehicle struck multiple pedestrians.

67-year-old Linda Nordstrom, of Huxley, was run over and left on the road. Nordstrom was transported by Mary Greeley EMS to Des Moines Methodist Hospital. 30-year-old Rikkie Powell, of Huxley, was struck and knocked from the path of the car. 59-year-old Mary S. Nienow, of Albert Lea, MN and six-year-old Reagan Powell, of Huxley, were struck and dragged under the car. Nienow died from her injuries at Mary Greeley Hospital, in Ames. The child was flown by Mercy Air to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. Rikkie Powell was transported to Mercy by private vehicle.

KCCI reports witnesses as saying the vehicle reversed from a parking spot on someone’s lawn and lurched up a small gully and into a street still filled with people beginning to leave the parade. Firsthand accounts describe an elderly driver who was very distraught and said she confused the gas for the brake pedal. Dozens of people raced in to offer help in any way they could, from those trying to lift the car to off-duty medical workers trying to render aid.

The accident remains under investigation. The Iowa State Patrol was assisted by Story County Sheriff’s Deputies and other local officials, at the scene.