CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Cedar Rapids has become the second city in Iowa to form a citizens review board for the police department. The board approved Tuesday is designed to hold law enforcement accountable and promote equity in the city’s policing. The nine-member board was approved after months of discussion between community leaders and city officials.

The board will advise the city on police policies and practices, review citizen complaints and be on the committee that hires the police chief. Mayor Brad Hart said the city will begin a campaign next week to encourage residents to apply. Iowa City has a similar board.

A Public Hearing over the proposed Atlantic Community School District 2021-22 School Calendar is set to take place 6-p.m. Wednesday, in the High School Media Center.

Proposed 2021-22 ACSD School Calendar

The hearing will precede a regular meeting of the Atlantic School Board, which will be held electronically via YouTube.

Superintendent Steve Barber notes the Calendar Committee met and discussed different aspects of the school calendar. Each representative from the buildings shared different options, and the team landed on the calendar (shown here), which indicates school begins August 23rd, 2021, and ends May 25, 2022. The calendar includes seven days for Christmas break, and one week for Spring Break.

Barber notes “One interesting feedback was the number of people who preferred not to have a full week for spring break. Two years ago after having a schedule that did not contain a spring break, we heard overwhelming support for a week long break.”

During the regular Board Meeting, members will act on the resignation of Janet Hascall, 4th Grade Teacher, and Contract Recommendations for: Steve Anderson, Route Bus Driver; Mark Vavricek, Special Ed car driver; Shannon Hayden, MS/HS Schuler Food Service, and Kassidy Edwards, MS Special Ed. Paraeducator. The Board will also act on approving the Band/Choir Music Trip to Florida planned for March 2021 (during Spring Break). The trip had been cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic.

The Atlantic School Board will also act on a Resolution authorizing bids & setting the Public Hearing date for the High School Parking Lot Project and Entry Sidewalk improvements, the estimated cost for which is $840,000, and would be budgeted from the SAVE account. They will then act on approving a bid of approximately $122,530 from McDermott Roofing, for the Middle School Roof project. The bid was about 10% below the engineer’s cost estimate. The Board’s final order of business is approving a change order for the Athletic Facilities Improvement Project, in the amount of $67,964.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has unanimously passed a bill that would set up guidelines for lawsuits filed by people who accuse someone of so-called revenge porn. Representative Jarad Klein of Keota is the bill’s floor manager. “Essentially a person whose private, intimate images are disclosed by another without permission may bring a civil lawsuit against the person who disclosed the image.”

A lawsuit would have to be filed within four years of an unauthorized disclosure of intimate images. People targeted with revenge porn could sue the culprit for monetary damages. The estate of someone who’s died would be allowed to sue someone who posted sexually explicit content about the deceased. The bill now goes to the Iowa Senate for consideration.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House — for the second year in a row — has passed a bill to limit the co-payments for insulin to a hundred dollars for a one-month’s supply. Patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes take insulin to control their blood sugar, but the cost of the drug has skyrocketed. Representative Liz Bennett, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, says that has caused patients to take less insulin than prescribed — or not buy it at all.

“Insulin is indeed a life-saving medication and no one should go broke simply just to try to preserve their life by using insulin,” Bennett says. Seven million Americans take insulin daily and a dozen states have established co-payment limits on insulin. A bill to set a 100-dollar-a-month co-payment limit for insulin purchases in Iowa cleared the House last year, but did not pass the Iowa Senate.

At the federal level, U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley released a report early this year blasting the pharmaceutical industry for insulin price hikes. Grassley says there’s clearly something broken when a product like insulin that’s been on the market longer than most people have been alive skyrockets in price.

The Harlan Police Department reports two arrests. On Feb. 6th, 38-year old Christopher Daniel Ivey, of Harlan, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. And, on Jan. 31st, 39-year old Ronald James Traynham, of Harlan, was arrested for Child Endangerment, following an investigation.

There were also two separate accidents in Harlan on Tuesday, Feb. 9th, both of which were at least partially attributed to icy road conditions. No injuries were reported. The accidents took place in the 1700 block of Chatburn Avenue, and at 6th and Cyclone. All four drivers were from Harlan. The were identified as Anna Nelson, Lynval Arnold, Brenda Neubauer, and Shelbi Clark. No citations were issued in either incident.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest on Tuesday of 67-year-old Dortha Ann Morris of Red Oak on 2 warrants. The warrants charged Morris with Interference with Official Acts, Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree, Eluding, and Assault on a Peace Officer. Morris was arrested at 2400 N 8th Street in Red Oak and the arrest stems from an incident in October 2020. Morris was booked in to the Montgomery County Jail on $5,300 bond.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 23-year old Samantha Dawn Shatava, of Glenwood, was arrested Monday afternoon at the Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Failure to Appear. The warrant was with regard to a previous Possession of Paraphernalia charge. Shatava’s bond was set at $300.

Monday morning, 49-year old Shawntee Dazell Lobley, of Sioux Falls, SD, was arrested at the Mills County Jail on a Fugitive from Justice warrant. Lobley was being held without bond in the jail.

Tuesday morning (2/9), 41-year old Helen Elaine Tuper, of Malvern, was arrested on a warrant for Child Endangerment. Her bond was set at $1,000. Also arrested Tuesday morning, was 44-year old David Vincent Grund, Jr., of Council Bluffs. He was taken into custody on a warrant for two counts of Theft in the 1st degree, with bond set at $20,000.