(Radio Iowa) – Marshall County residents noticed the smell of smoke as they awoke this (Tuesday) morning. The culprit was multiple grass fires. While the entire state was under a Red Flag Warning, it was after that warning expired that grass fires began popping up in the northwest portion of Marshall County. The blazes first reported around 9:00 Monday night and firefighters from all over the county spent over four hours quenching the fires. The grass fires, extending over roughly 400 acres, were mainly between the Marshalltown city limits to the northwest towards Albion.

No structures were burned, nor were any injuries reported. While the wind has backed off from yesterday’s 40-plus mile per hour gusts, they are still in the 15 to 25 mph range. Combined with low humidity, there remains an elevated chance of grass fires.

Our broadcast report at 8:05-a.m., w/Ric Hanson.

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Police in Creston say a man residing in the 600 block of N. Birch reported Monday afternoon, that sometime between 11-p.m. Sunday and 2:45-a.m. Monday, someone stole his 2005 Honda Shadow 750cc motorcycle that was parked on the north side of his residence, as well as numerous keys from a vehicle also parked at the residence. The loss was estimated at $4,525.

A public hearing will be held Wednesday evening in Atlantic, with regard to the 2021-22 Atlantic Public School District Certified Budget. The meeting will be held in the High School Media Center and via YouTube, beginning at 5-p.m. According to Atlantic School District Superintendent Steve Barber,s the tax levy is $13.95 per thousand dollars of valuation, which is lower than the previous year of $14.22/$1,000 per one thousand dollars of valuation, with property valuations increasing 2.5-percent.

The Board will act on a Resolution “Levying a tax for Fiscal Year 2021-22 for the future optional redemption of General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2019.” Barber says because they didn’t dip into the cash reserves needed a few years ago and used some of the dollars to help pay on a bond, the district was given some flexibility on how much they pay for the bond. The district has also paid ahead on the ten-year obligation bond. The various scenarios the district looked at could potentially save the district $120,000 to $250,000.

The Board will act on approving the Certified Budget and setting Paraprofessional Day as April 7^th, 2021.

(by Mike Moen/Iowa News Service) DES MOINES, Iowa — Talks continue in Washington on another stimulus-style package to help the U.S. recover from the pandemic, including transportation infrastructure improvements. A coalition said it’s not just crumbling roads and bridges that need a federal boost and the jobs that come with it. Organizers say it’s time for the U.S. to invest in the nation’s care infrastructure by adopting a permanent paid family leave policy.

Dawn Huckelbridge, director of the Paid Leave for All campaign, said the nation can’t walk away from the crisis without one. “You know, we talk about front-line workers and essential workers and the sacrifices that families and caregivers have made,” Huckelbridge observed. “This is how we honor that, by passing a permanent law to protect them.”

While a temporary paid leave policy was included in a previous stimulus bill, advocates contended working families will struggle in the long term, because fewer than ten states require it, not including Iowa. Opponents of the idea said many employers have their own policy, and a requirement could harm small business owners.

Sue Dinsdale, executive director of the Iowa Citizen Action Network, said paying into a federal fund would provide stability for businesses in the long run because they could retain quality workers by offering the benefit. “It’ll make businesses stronger, and it offers better equality for everyone,” Dinsdale argued. She added even though states such as Iowa adhere to requiring 12 weeks of unpaid leave through a federal law adopted in 1993, there are uneven results of employers providing compensation with any leave.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported only about 20% of Americans have access to paid family leave.

The 7:07-a.m. Newscast w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Exira Community Club held their 5^th Annual 4^th of July Kickoff event this past weekend, during which it was announced Don and Mary Greving will serve as the Grand Marshals for the 156^th Celebration, entitled “Stronger together.”

Don and Mary Greving (Photo via Exira Community Club Facebook page)

The ECC says the Greving’s raised three kids and worked in Exira. Don Greving worked for the city and recently retired after a 39-year career. He also serves with the Exira Volunteer Fire Dept. Mary started the fall festival with another woman in town many years ago.

The couple have been involved in numerous volunteer activities and events, are active in their church and Meals on Wheels.

(Radio Iowa) – The number of students who take a community college class while still in high school in Iowa continues to go up. Department of Education Consultant, Jen Rathje, reviewed the report for the State Board of Education. “Joint enrollment of high school students reached an all-time record high of 51-thousand-800 during academic year 19-20. This accounted for a two-point four percent increase since the year prior,” Rathje says. She says the enrollment in what are called contracted-courses has increased 146 percent since 2004. Rathje says ten of the 15 community colleges experienced an increase in enrollment in the course last year. Students taking both types of courses make up nearly 41 percent of the community college enrollment.

“The highest percentage coming from Northeast Iowa Community College with 49-point-eight percent of overall student enrollment. Followed closely by Des Moines Area Community College with jointly enrolled students making up 48 percent of total enrollment,” according to Rathje.  She says the types of joint-enrollment classes preferred by students didn’t change much. “Thirty-six-point-two percent were classified as career and technical education. Which is a zero-point-six percent increase from academic year 19. And 63-point-eight-percent were classified as arts and sciences — which is a decrease of zero-point-six percent from academic year 19,” Rathje says.

She says high school students who also take community college classes get a lot of benefit from them. “Research indicates that joint enrollment opportunities ease the transition of students from secondary to post-secondary education,” she says. “And students who participate in joint-enrollment are more likely to graduate high school, immediately enroll in college, have higher college grade point averages, and persist to completion compared to their peers.”

Nearly 45 percent of the high school students who take community college classes are seniors, 34 percent are juniors.

(Radio Iowa) – Legislators have been notified that someone associated with the Iowa Senate tested positive for Covid on Monday. According to the notification from the Secretary of the Senate, Thursday the 25th is the last time the person who has the virus was in the Senate. This is the first publicly-reported case of Covid in the Senate. In January and February, six cases were reported among people associated with the Iowa House.

It’s a voluntary reporting system and names are not disclosed in the email advisories of positive cases. However, Representative Amy Nielsen of Cedar Rapids revealed on January 30th that she had tested positive for Covid.

Senator Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids was among a handful of senators who were absent yesterday (Monday). Hogg tweeted that he stayed home because the Capitol is not a safe place to work due to lack of safety precautions.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has unanimously passed a bill that establishes the guidelines for state grants to companies that extend broadband to areas of Iowa that lack adequate service. Representative Ray Sorensen is a Republican from Greenfield.

The bill specifies that most grants should go to companies that install broadband capable of download and upload speeds of at least 100 megabits per second. However, some grants could be used for lower speed broadband in rural areas. Sorensen says connectivity is crucial wherever you live.

Representative Dave Williams, a Democrat, is from Cedar Falls where there’s a municipal broadband utility — and Williams just had his broadband speed at home upgraded to 250 megabits per second.

The bill does not appropriate money for the grants. That spending decision will be made later according to legislative leaders. Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver says it will be a significant amount. House Speaker Pat Grassley says it’s likely to be around 100 million dollars. Governor Kim Reynolds asked lawmakers for 150 million in each of the next three years.