(Radio Iowa) – A report from the Iowa’s community college presidents suggests their institutions could address gaps in training Iowa’s workforce by offering four year degrees, but the group warns there could be hurdles to the expansion. Emily Shields, executive director of Community Colleges for Iowa, says over 200 community colleges in 24 other states offer bachelor’s degrees.  “All of the states that have done this have focused on unmet needs,” Shields says. In January, the chairman of the Iowa House Higher Education Committee asked Iowa’s community colleges to study how it could work here. The group’s initial report indicates community colleges in other states are offering some four-year degrees that aren’t widely available and charge tuition rates are more affordable. Shields says it probably won’t impact students who transfer their two-year degrees to a four-year institution where they intend to get a four-year degree.

“States like Florida and Washington that have had this for quite some time, the public universities aren’t seeing a decrease in transfer students,” Shields says. “You’re seeing new people come into the bachelor’s degree space through what’s being offered with the community colleges.” The report concludes the move would help students who live in “higher education deserts.”

“We’re talking about people who are placebound or have different financial challenges,” Shield says, “families, jobs, that kind of thing, so they aren’t moving to get a degree.” In five of the 15 community college districts in Iowa, there is no nearby four-year college or university for low-income, rural students who need to commute. “There physically is not another college or university in your area, but it can also be defined a couple of other ways,” Shields says. “One is there isn’t an affordable option in your area and the states that have done this have really focused on the community college bachelor’s degrees being more affordable than a lot of what’s available in the rest of the marketplace.”

The community college presidents say it would be a culture shift to begin offering bachelor’s degrees. And they’d have to balance that with the community colleges’ mission to give students an affordable way to gain technical skills through a certification program or two-year degree. Shields says after conversations with staff and students on Iowa’s 15 campus communities, a final report in October will answer some basic questions. “What structure would be the best fit for our state? What investment would be required to make it successful?” Shield says. “so that in our recommendations in October we’re telling the legislature what we think would be the best path forward as this gets considered.”

The initial report suggests the state would have to spend more money on lab space as well as student services required for four-year programs. It also indicates accreditation standards indicate about 63 percent of instructors at Iowa’s community colleges would be qualified to teach students seeking four-year degrees.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds today (Monday) officially signed Iowa House Files 928 and 954 into law.

Iowa House File 928 reinforces and standardizes Iowa’s recount procedures and requires uniformity across recount methods – recounts must now be conducted in all precincts in a race and by using the same recount methods.

Iowa House File 954 further standardizes Iowa election processes by banning ranked-choice voting statewide and strengthening citizenship verification for voter registration. This ensures citizenship and voter eligibility are verified at the time of voter registration rather than at the time of voting.

Gov. Kim Reynolds signed HF928 and HF954 into law. (6-2-25)

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said afterward, he commends “…The Iowa Legislature and Governor Reynolds for recognizing the importance of these bills in strengthening and maintaining Iowa’s election integrity. These new laws add additional layers of integrity to our robust election procedures, supporting our efforts to balance election integrity and voter participation.” Secretary Pate joined Governor Reynolds to commemorate her signing of these two pieces of legislation. A number of county auditors also attended.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office has released a report on arrests that occurred from May 19th through June 1st. Most recently:

• On June 1st, 43-year-old Ray Charles Knox, of Byram, MS, was arrested on I-29 near Percival, for Reckless Driving and Eluding. His bond was set at $1,000.
• On May 31st, Mills County deputies arrested 19-year-old Jasmine Ameliana Cadena, of Council Bluffs, for Possession of drug paraphernalia.
• On the 30th of May, 40-year-old Crystal Dawn Edison, of Malvern, was arrested in Council Bluffs for being an Accessory after the Fact, and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. ($600 bond)
• Mills County deputies arrested 35-year-old Cody Clark Gorham, of Glenwood, May 22nd, on six-counts of Violation of a No Contact Order. (Bond $1,200)
• On the 21st of May, 32-year-old Damara Haley Larsen, of Glenwood, was arrested in Glenwood for OWI/1st offense ($2,000 bond).
• And, there were two (Separate) arrests on May 20th: 23-year-old Caleb Elisha Martinez, of Bellevue, NE, was arrested in Glenwood for Driving while license is denied or revoked for OWI (Bond $1,000), and, 39-year-old Megan Reneww Sunderman, of Omaha, was arrested in Pacific Junction for Theft in the 2nd Degree (>$1,500 but less than $10,000). Bond was set at $5,000.

(Atlantic, Iowa) — The Healthy Cass County Coalition, in partnership with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, is inviting community members to attend a QPR Suicide Prevention Training on Monday, June 9, 2025, at 12:00 PM at the Cass County Community Center. Community Wellness Coordinator Grace McAfee says “Providing training and support services dealing with mental health first aid topics is a key priority in the Cass County and State Health Improvement Plans.”

QPR, which stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer, is a nationally recognized, evidence-based training that teaches participants how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and take action to help. Much like CPR, QPR is a life-saving skill that anyone can learn. The training is free and open to the public. All community members, including parents, teachers, coaches, faith leaders, and concerned citizens, are encouraged to attend.

According to Grace McAffee “… simple training like QPR can make all the difference to a person trying to help by giving them the tools to know what to say and how to respond to someone in need. You never know when you might come in contact with someone who just needs a hand getting some help while you are at work, with family or just out in the community chatting with a friend.”

If you’re interested in learning more about mental health or other wellness topics in Cass County, please reach out to Community Wellness Coordinator Grace McAfee at mcage@casshealth.org or call 712-250-8170.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests took place last week. Early Friday morning, 18-year-old Silas Johannes Foster, of Fontanelle, was arrested following an investigation into a suspicious vehicle. He was charged with OWI/1st offense, and Possession of Alcohol under the legal age. Foster was cited and released from the Adair County Jail a few hours later.

A little before 11-p.m. on May 27th, 53-year-old Jason Edward Caldwell, of Stuart, was arrested in Stuart on a Guthrie County Bench Warrant for Failure to Appear in court. He was turned over to Guthrie County Sheriff’s Deputies and later posted a $5,000 bond.

On May 26th, at around 9:45-p.m., an Iowa State Patrol Trooper arrested 57-year-old Tracey Marie Fazio, of Des Moines, following an investigation into an accident at the Interstate 80 rest area west of Casey, whereby a car had struck a semi tractor-trailer. The investigation resulted in Fazio being taken into custody for OWI/1st offense. A breath/alcohol test registered a BAC of .272, or nearly three-times the legal limit for intoxication. In addition to the OWI charge, Tracey Fazio was cited for Open Container. She was later released on a $1,000 bond.

And, on May 25th at around 12:50-a.m., Police in Adair arrested 22-year-old Osvaldo Moran-Salas, of Des Moines, for Driving While Barred. He was taken into custody after being observed driving a UTV on Delta Avenue, with no headlights, taillights or any sort of a flashing light. After the UTV pulled into the Casey’s Store parking lot in Adair, a check of his license and registration revealed Moran-Salas was barred from Driving. He was transported to the Adair County Jail and later released on a $2,000 bond.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports four recent arrests, with two people having been arrested on separate drug charges.

On Saturday, May 31st, 38-year-old Tasheena Jennings, of Glenwood, was arrested for driving under suspension, possession of a controlled substance and possession of contraband in correctional facility. Jennings posted a $6,300 bond and was released. And, on Sunday, Glenwood Police arrested 53-year-old James Hogan, of Council Bluffs, for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond was set at $1,300. Hogan was released on his own recognizance.

Friday, May 30th, 19-year-old Devon Pridell, of Glenwood was arrested on a Mills County warrant, with his cash-only bond bond set at $2,000. And, on Saturday, 25-year-old Tyler Bascue, of Glenwood, was arrested on a Mills County warrant, with his bond set at $1,000.

(Lewis, Iowa) – The annual summer field day at Iowa State University’s Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm in Lewis will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 26. The field day will feature experts from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and other partner organizations, who will speak on a variety of current crop and soil health practices in agriculture.

Wes Everman, extension weed management specialist at Iowa State, will begin the program by providing insights on integrated weed management strategies. Then, James Holz, Iowa farmer and co-owner of Iowa Cover Crop, will discuss financial considerations for cover crops.

The Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service team will begin the afternoon session with a presentation on assessing soil function. Rick Cruse, professor of agronomy at Iowa State and director of the Iowa Water Center, will discuss water resource management and climate resilience. Daren Mueller, extension plant pathologist at Iowa State, will wrap up the day by sharing tips for corn and soybean disease management to maximize profitability. Please visit the following website for more information:

https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/armstrong-research-and-demonstration-farm-field-day-june-26

(Radio Iowa) – A program launching later this month aims to help Iowa foster families find the items they need to prepare for kids to move in, as foster families typically only get a few hours notice before a child is placed with them. Traci Schermerhorn leads Foster Squad, a nonprofit that supports foster and kinship families. Its eQuipHub platform will allow anyone to post an item up for grabs, like a bed frame, to connect with a foster family who needs it quickly.

“If you just had a twin bed to donate, and you happen to donate it to us through eQuipHub, and you go meet that family, and you see they’re just normal people who are doing some tough things for a kid,” Schermerhorn says, “my hope is that you might build a relationship with that person.” A recent state report found there were nearly 24-hundred children referred to foster homes in Iowa last year, compared to only about 17-hundred licensed foster families. Schermerhorn, who used to foster, says it’s important foster families secure needed items quickly because kids often show up with very little warning.

“Like you’re not excited, like you’re scared,” she says. “You don’t know what this child is coming to you with, or what they’ve experienced. So it’s overwhelming, and then to have to worry about finding supplies, it’s a lot.” She hopes people will learn more about foster care through the program. It will launch in several central Iowa counties before expanding across the state.

(Marshalltown, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs report the recently identified remains of U.S. Army Private James L. Harrington, an Iowan killed during the D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, will be laid to rest this Friday, June 6th —81 years to the day of his death—in Cincinnati, Iowa (Appanoose County).

Pvt. Harrington was among approximately 200 soldiers aboard a landing craft heading toward Omaha Beach when it struck a mine then immediately came under heavy enemy fire. The vessel was engulfed in flames before sinking, and all aboard were lost. Similar incidents are loosely depicted in the opening moments of Saving Private Ryan.

Army Pvt. James L. Harrington (US DPAA photo)

In 1946, recovery teams located the sunken craft and recovered the remains of four individuals. However, they could not be identified at the time and were buried as “Unknown” at the Normandy American Cemetery. Harrington was officially listed as Missing in Action.

Thanks to advances in DNA technology, the remains were exhumed in 2021, and Pvt. Harrington was positively identified in late 2023.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Cass County (IA) are expected to discuss funding for Vision Atlantic. During their meeting on May 20th, the Board discussed the use of Local Option Sales Tax toward Vision Atlantic’s economic development project. Cass County Auditor Kathy Somers mentioned LOST (Local Option Sales Tax) funds can be used for community betterment, which this project qualifies for. She said they have $1 million in the LOST fund. Somers said however that they would have to wait until the next budget year, FY27. The Board had also discussed the possibility of committing $500,000 per year to Vision Atlantic for five years from the LOST fund.

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors will act on approving three resolutions abating the taxes, interest and penalties for properties at 1106 E. 5th and 405 Cherry Street, in Atlantic, along with parcels in the City of Wiota, and two owned by the State of Iowa. The Board will act on resolutions: “Increasing the Appropriation for Transfer of LOST funds to Rural Services” in an amount not to exceed $415,000 for FY 2024-25; and Adjusting [the] Medical Examiner Fees to include Medical Examiners’ Investigators.

They will discuss and possibly approve, the installation of a fire hydrant in the vicinity of Quiet Creek pond at 69200 Lyman Street, and act on approving the Cass County Wellness Program Partnership Agreement between Cass Health, Cass County Extension, YMCA and Cass County, for FY 2025-26, and 2026-27.

Their final order of regular business includes the re-appointment of  Dawn Walton to the Veterans Affairs Commission for a three-year term expiring June 30, 2028, and, the appointment of Peter Smith to the Cass County Zoning Board of Adjustment (to fill a vacancy), for the term ending 12/31/2029.